Convoy of Hope HQ captures developer award  

The Convoy of Hope Global Headquarters and Training Center earned the Developer of the Year award as part of the 39th annual Salute to Design and Construction Awards Banquet held tonight. 

The award was presented by the Springfield Contractors Association.  

Convoy’s $37 million, 200,000-square-foot headquarters, located at 1 Convoy Drive, brings all local personnel of the international humanitarian relief organization together on one campus for the first time in its nearly 30-year history. The headquarters is linked by a skywalk to a 230,000-square-foot distribution center. 

Q & Co. LLC served as general contractor for the project, and Buxton Kubik Dodd Design Collective was architect, interior designer and mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineer. Other engineers were Miller Engineering PC, structural, and Olsson Inc., civil.  

The building has already proven to be beneficial to the organization, spokesperson Ethan Forhetz said in an email, as the nonprofit’s team responds to conflicts in Europe and the Middle East.  

“Already, we are running into colleagues with whom, previously, we had only emailed,” he said. “Now, we’re having in-person conversations.”  

Architect Jonathan Dodd has said he was most pleased with the building’s three-story, 60-by-160-foot atrium featuring collaborative seating spaces and a large dining area.  

“It was an integral part of the design, and it really was kind of the hub of the building,” he said.  

Design Team of the Year  
The Springfield Contractors Association presented its Design Team of the Year award to the team responsible for the $15.3 million Aetos Center for the Performing Arts.  

The center serves students of Nixa High School and also hosts professional touring acts in its 1,100-seat auditorium.  

Dake Wells Architecture Inc. served as architect and interior designer for the project, and DeWitt & Associates Inc. was the general contractor. Engineers were Shaffer & Hines Inc, civil; Mettemeyer Engineering LLC, structural; and True Engineering Group LLC, mechanical, electrical and plumbing.  

The project included a 35,000-square-foot addition and a 15,000-square-foot renovation of existing space.  

Lifetime Achievement Awards  
The Salute Council presented Lifetime Achievement Awards to Jerry Miller, retired after 56 years, most recently with his own company, Miller-Wolfe Enterprises Inc., and Larry Stock, CEO of Queen City Roofing & Contracting Co.  

Miller was on the steering committee that founded the annual Salute to Design and Construction banquet, which he said was a response to a climate in which design and construction professionals received little recognition.  

“We felt like we were the ones that were building the city and doing all these great things, but nobody seemed to care,” he said. “We decided we’ll just toot our own horn.”  

Stock has been with Queen City Roofing for 44 years.  

“It’s been a lengthy one,” he said of his career. “I’ve seen quite a few changes, in technology and in the city itself.”  

Stock figured his most notable project is Great Southern Arena on the MSU campus, which he called a banner job, but he noted he has also done work for Evangel University, Mercy, CoxHealth and other local institutions.  

Industry honors
The American Institute of Architects named Paul Dillman with The Carpet Shoppe Inc. as Craftsman of the Year for his skill in the installation of custom stair runners.  

The AIA also conferred its Superintendent of the Year award, which went to Alex Estes of DeWitt & Associates for his work on the Aetos Center for the Performing Arts – his first in the role of project superintendent, conducted over a two-year period on an active high school campus.  

The National Association of Women in Construction presented two Outstanding Women in Construction awards. The Rosebud Award, for someone who has been in the profession for less than 10 years, was presented to Shelby Anson, director of operations for Benton Daylight Control Systems, and the Vesta Award, for someone who has been in the industry longer than 10 years, went to Rachel York, co-owner and managing member of Donco 3 Construction LLC.  

In addition to these awards, 32 scholarships were presented to local students.  

A news release from the Salute to Design and Construction Council notes its purpose is to promote a positive perception of the construction industry to the public.