Building Partnerships

Take, for example, Killian Construction.

Killian Construction has worked with John Q. Hammons on many of his most ambitious projects, including Chateau on the Lake and Hammons Field. The partnership first started with the commencing of construction at Highland Springs Country Club in 1988.

Company President Bill Killian said the relationship, which has included several of Hammons’ “special projects” such as the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and the Hammons School of Architecture at Drury University, has been successful because of its frankness.

“We have a mutual respect for each other,” Killian said of Hammons. “He’s always treated me very fairly. He’s a tough negotiator, but he always does what he says. You can always count on him to be very prompt in paying. He’s fair but tough – he didn’t get where he’s at by not being a demanding businessman.”

Killian also has long-standing business relationships with other groups. The company has built several facilities for Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, including the recently completed Meyer Wellness Center.

Pat Taylor, president of SBU, said the school’s relationship with Killian’s company goes back almost 30 years, when Bill’s father, Bob, owned the company. Taylor said that longevity has led to trust between the two organizations.

“We want to continue to work with them because we know we’re going to get a good product, and we can trust them – when Bill Killian tells you he’s going to do something, you can go to the bank with it. He will do it,” Taylor said. “They stand behind their work, and they work really hard to meet budget requirements, and being a private university, that’s a really big concern for us.”

That trust has manifested itself in a string of construction projects on campus – the school has spent more than $27 million in new construction over the last five years – all contracted with Killian.

Another added value of long-term relationships is that the builder knows what the client expects. That’s especially important in the case of SBU, according to Taylor.

“They know what our unique demands on a job will be. They understand that we’re a Christian university, and there are certain things that we allow and certain things that we don’t,” he said. “They have an appreciation for who we are as an institution. It definitely streamlines the process.”

Killian also works extensively with Robert Low, president of Prime Inc. The construction firm currently is building a new truck wash facility on the Prime campus (see page 10 for more information) and the additions to the Oasis Inn and Convention Center.

Killian, though, is not the only builder to have long-time customers. DeWitt & Associates has been the preferred choice for St. John’s Hospital projects for nearly 30 years.

DeWitt President Jerry Hackleman said the partnership between the two companies has been able to flourish because of their knowledge of each other.

“Their confidence in the services that we can deliver to them and the levels of quality that we’ll be using are reassuring for them,” he said. “It’s about knowing what to expect from each other and anticipating what each other’s needs are going to be.”

Bill Syler, vice president of facilities for the hospital, agreed. He said familiarity with construction companies is key to cultivating a successful business relationship.

“From my standpoint, (familiarity) is extremely desirable because you know what to expect and how to deal with a situation,” Syler said. “Otherwise you’re going into an important relationship with someone you don’t really know. I’ve got enough battles to fight without having to fight with the contractor as well.”

Killian also said that familiarity is important, but the bigger factor, he said, is the quality of the work done by his company.

“It’s extremely important to be familiar, but also it’s about just doing a good job – not only knowing the person but demanding and expecting above-average performance,” he said. “I think if you can set the bar higher and perform with these people who are overachievers, they have to understand that you value a high level of achievement as much as they do.”