2014 Economic Impact Awards 1-5 Years in Operation Winner: Paragon Architecture Inc.

A native of Chicago suburbia, Brad Erwin thought he was in for a two-year stop in 2003 when he followed his wife to Springfield for her career.

More than 10 years later, Erwin is in his fourth year of business as president of Paragon Architecture Inc. and can’t imagine starting a business anywhere else.

“Paragon would not exist if we tried to start in the suburbs of Chicago,” he says.

Erwin says part of his recipe for success – which has seen his company double its number of employees in two years and increased revenue nearly six-fold since 2010 to a projected $2.1 million in 2014 – is the entrepreneurial spirit in Springfield. The collaboration between private and public sectors, he says, makes the community better.

For Erwin, that means doing the right thing, the right way, which equates to sustainable growth and keeping what he calls the Paragon approach.

In addition to forwarding company values of honesty and integrity, part of the Paragon approach is developing a mastery of the grant application process for schools, most notably those in rural communities.

“With our specialty in tornado safe room design, and how we work with the grant process, we’ve been able to bring a tremendous amount of construction dollars to places that might not of otherwise secured funding,” Erwin says.

Since 2012, Paragon has initiated tornado safe room grants that led to more than $71 million in construction work, with $55 million of that within 50 miles of Springfield in the past 24 months.

In 2014, Paragon Architecture is involved in nearly $30.8 million in total construction revenue in and around the Queen City – a 145 percent increase over 2013. The company projects construction revenue to go even higher in 2015, hitting $42.4 million.

“That is pretty phenomenal from a firm our size,” Erwin says.

For rural towns, such as a recent project in Pineville or past project in Fair Grove, the company is doing more than building lifesaving structures.

“In a lot of these communities, the school is the community,” he says.

By bringing tens of thousands of dollars to the community in construction, much of which is prevailing wage, there is the potential for a huge economic boom from the contractors.

“That’s why a lot of us got into architecture – to have a positive impact,” Erwin says. “We get to create structures that change lives and communities.”

Erwin anticipates 2014’s project load to be flat from 2013, hovering around 50 total. However, he says the company expects a 15 percent increase in revenue due to more substantial projects and a heavier load from the private sector.

Erwin does more than own a business in Springfield, though.

“Springfield gives you a tremendous opportunity to live, work and play in the same community,” Erwin says.  

And being involved in more than one way makes Erwin’s ultimate passion for enriching the Springfield area more fulfilling. The Paragon staff give back and serve a combined 36 charitable organizations and community groups in the area.

“As we’ve grown, we’ve tried to identify where our passions lie,” he says. “It all comes down to making the community better.”[[In-content Ad]]