BUILD St. Louis

Episode 20: Financing Construction: How Deals Are Getting Done with Gant Harper

In this episode of BUILD St. Louis, Gant Harper, President of St. Louis Bank, discusses the financing of construction projects in the St. Louis area. He notes that while the pandemic slowed down construction, it also gave businesses the opportunity to plan for expansion or repurposing of their properties. Harper also discusses the trend towards mixed-use buildings, why construction projects have become more expensive and his advice to developers, owners, and contractors to reduce financial risks.
 
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Episode 19: Augmenting the Audience Experience at Powell Hall with Brian Corry and Unitey Kull

In this episode of BUILD St. Louis, host Kerry Smith speaks with Brian Corry, an acoustic consultant and partner at Kirkegaard, and Unitey Kull, vice president of marketing and audience experience for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, about the renovation and expansion of Powell Hall.
They discuss the challenges of modernizing a structure on the National Register of Historic Places, and the importance of preserving the beauty and historical architecture of Powell Hall while still making improvements. The episode also highlights the importance of considering the artist experience and the thoughtfulness put into every detail, including materials, lighting, and acoustics.
For more information, visit www.informationworks.org
 

Episode 18: Managing and Improving Excavation Safety with Len Toenjes

In this episode of BUILD St. Louis, host Kerry Smith interviews Leonard (Len) Toenjes, President of the Associated General Contractors of Missouri (AGCMO), about excavation safety and the Missouri One Call 811 system. Toenjes discusses the importance of the One Call system and the need for modernization to improve effectiveness and safety. He also mentions the federal study that ranked Missouri near the bottom of the list in terms of cost to utilities and rate payers due to inaccurate locates or locates not done on time. For more information, visit www.informationworks.org

Episode 17: How B2B Companies Can Engage in Compelling Storytelling with Todd Imming

In this episode of BUILD St. Louis, host Kerry Smith interviews Todd Imming, the Chief Marketing Officer at the Korte Company, a design build firm based in Highland, Illinois. They discuss how B2B companies in the architecture, engineering, and construction space can tell their stories in compelling ways. Todd emphasizes the importance of genuine storytelling and sophisticated grit, which is the hard work and challenges involved in the construction industry.
For more information, visit www.informationworks.org
 

Episode 16: Reputation Management Done Right with Ron O’Connor

In this episode of BUILD St. Louis, host Kerry Smith speaks with Ron O'Connor, owner of O'Connor and Partners, about reputation management in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries. Ron defines reputation management as the process of managing a firm's reputation as an asset and emphasizes the need for a long-term and proactive plan to manage reputation. He also shares insights on crisis management best practices, including the role of spokespeople and the messaging strategy during a crisis, as well as the importance of legal counsel in developing a crisis communication plan.
For more information, visit www.informationworks.org
 

Episode 15: Building Effective Working Relationships with the News Media with Steve Houston

In this episode of BUILD St. Louis, host Kerry Smith interviews Steve Houston, Founder and Owner of Compass Communications LLC, about building effective working relationships with the news media in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. Houston shares insights on how to make a project newsworthy, when to approach the media, and communicating with clients about deadlines. He also emphasizes the importance of strategic PR planning and understanding the difference between news releases and pitches. The episode provides valuable tips for AEC marketing professionals and others seeking to gain meaningful traction with print and broadcast news media.
For more information, visit www.informationworks.org

Episode 14: Tackling Building Code Consolidation with Charlie Hinderliter

In this episode, Charlie Hinderliter, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at St. Louis REALTORS, discusses the challenges of navigating building codes in St. Louis County and the Safer, Simpler St. Louis County coalition's goal to propose policy solutions for building code consolidation. The coalition aims to reduce inconsistencies in inspections by delivering resources to local governments to help with training and certification of their inspectors and ensure citizens have equal access to healthy and safe buildings.
For more information, check www.informationworks.org.

Episode 13: True Business Development in 2023 with Doug Peters

In this episode, Kerry Smith and Doug Peters discusses the impact of the pandemic on companies' approach to innovation and growth, highlighting the importance of agility and resilience. He also emphasizes the role of culture, leadership, diversity and inclusion, data, partnerships, creativity, feedback, and technology in driving innovation and growth. 
 
For more information, check www.informationworks.org.