6-29 Years in Operation Finalist: H Design Group LLC

The offices of H Design Group LLC exude a creative cool, with an emphasis on both words.

From the decor that includes lettering on nearly every wall, to the interconnected openness of the common area and beanbag chairs in several offices – there’s a collective vibe to the business.

“We’re just designers and collaborators with a common mission,” says architect and principal Brent Stevens. “But our diversity is really the key to our success.”

The pursuit of that mission has created its own ever-evolving niche, a one-stop shop that has brought together talented professionals in the areas of architecture, interior design, animation, branding and marketing, melding them into a stem-to-stern project development machine.

Building on the company Rob Haik started in 2000 using only $10,000 in personal savings with no bank assistance, the melting pot has proven to be a winning combination. Stevens says the current business breakdown is around 80 percent architecture, 10 percent animation and 10 percent branding, generating steady growth in revenue that now tops $2 million annually. The company’s addition of animation services was the critical mass moment in their ongoing diversification.

“Everybody does a little bit of 3-D as part of architecture,” Stevens says, “but nobody has it to the level that we do, where we’re creating a virtual walkthrough of a planned facility.”

He points to their work with Drury University’s O’Reilly Family Event Center as an example. The H Design team’s involvement touched on everything from the facility’s architecture and interior design, to a fully produced video to support public presentations and fundraising efforts.  

 “In many cases, we’re dealing with entities that are just getting started,” he says. “So they not only need a building designed, but they need a logo, or maybe help with a business plan.”

The latest additions to H Design’s project arsenal are its branding and marketing capabilities, which have come into play on recent projects such as the $6 million Fieldhouse Sports Complex.

On the Fieldhouse project, H Design Principal Rob Haik went so far as to oversee design of a website and T-shirts. The marketing team at H Design continues to work with the Fieldhouse to execute the facility’s business development plan, an effort that  could bolster tourism to Springfield and elevate the area’s growing presence as an amateur sports destination.  

The company’s comprehensive approach also has benefited numerous area school systems. Through campus master planning services and branding services, H Design helped the school districts of Republic and Lamar secure bond funding projects. And while they don’t take on any probono clients in the traditional sense, Stevens says such projects for civic, religious and community organizations usually included some added-value services.

“This is where we live – everyone that works here, this is our hometown,” he says. “We all have a huge interest in the landscape of Springfield, what it looks like, how it grows. It’s why we make the effort to volunteer for committees, get involved with planning and zoning commissions, try to make an impact on what happens here.”[[In-content Ad]]