Built on a Solid Foundation

A group effort to focus on all facets of southwest Missouri's construction industry has come a long way in a quarter-century.

The first Salute to Construction, held Dec. 3, 1985, was born of a Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce effort to recognize the contributions of the area's most significant industry sectors.

"The construction industry is so important, not just to development, but to business and our regional economy," said Jim Anderson, president of the chamber and one of two emcees of the 2009 Salute to Construction Awards Banquet, set for Nov. 5 at the Clarion Hotel, 3333 S. Glenstone Ave.

That first Salute included four organizations: the chamber, Springfield Contractors Association, Consulting Engineers of Springfield and the Springfield Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

"We started out with the Salute to Construction without ever knowing exactly what we were doing," said engineer Kevin Skibiski, senior vice president and chief operating officer of OS Engineering LLC and an organizer of the original Salute.

Now, 25 years later, it's clear that those organizers were laying a foundation, and since then, Salute organizers have done what they do best: They built on it.

Salute to Construction continues its efforts to promote the construction and design industry in a positive light in the community and, in particular, to students, making sure they know about the wide range of jobs available in the industry. This year's Salute to Construction festivities kicked off with an Oct. 27 mixer at the chamber.

In the beginning

The first Salute began with a chamber breakfast, followed by Career Day presentations. These included sessions for developers on design and construction methods and financing options, as well as seminars for Springfield high school students focusing on careers in architecture, engineering, construction management and the construction trades.

There was a tour of construction manufacturing facilities and significant projects and a trade show, and the day's events culminated in a Salute to Construction cocktail party. The Faces and Places in Construction photo contest began in the first year and continues to be part of the festivities. (See this year's winning photos on pages 20-23.)

In its second year, Salute to Construction moved to November, and the Salute Council had expanded to include the Springfield Design Association, Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield, Chapter 151 of the National Association of Women in Construction and the Mechanical Contractors Association.

Now, the Salute Council encompasses 26 construction entities, including local union chapters as well as student organizations at Drury and Missouri State universities and Ozarks Technical Community College.

The Salute cocktail event developed into the Salute to Construction Awards Banquet, which features SCA's Developer of the Year Award, AIA's Superintendent of the Year and Craftsman of the Year awards, and a wide range of scholarships from industry groups and individual firms. (See scholarships story on page 13.)

Developer of the Year honors construction owners for significant projects, and past honorees include John Q. Hammons, Johnny Morris, Lee McLean Jr., the Harry Cooper family and Bob Wehr, as well as Missouri State University, Evangel University, CoxHealth, St. John's Health System, the Partnership Industrial Council and Wonders of Wildlife.

The AIA awards honor personal achievement within the architecture industry.

"You really want to recognize and honor people that do a good job," said Geoff Butler, president and CEO of Butler Rosenbury & Partners Inc. By spotlighting excellence, Butler added that awards such as Superintendent of the Year set the bar for achievement and performance.

Outreach, education and communication

To this day, educating area students about careers in construction is a central goal of Salute to Construction.

"To me, the most important thing it's done is educate high school students that there are careers here in construction," Skibiski said.

Like Salute itself, the ongoing educational outreach effort to put construction industry professionals to work as guest speakers in area classrooms also has expanded in time.

"It's not just the Springfield schools. It's Rogersville, Ozark, Nixa, Clever, Billings, Republic and Willard," said Elise Crain, longtime construction industry professional and former Salute coordinator who also will serve as emcee at this year's banquet.

"We've reached out to our whole market to be part of education for children," she added.

There are lots of opportunities in construction, Crain noted, and another positive aspect is that construction can't be outsourced abroad.

"You can't farm it out to China," she added. "It's local people, local dollars, staying right here."

Besides educating area youth, the Salute also has played a role in educating different sectors of the industry on each other's roles, building teamwork, enhancing communication and fostering unity.

"I think in the beginning, whatever our piece was, we thought, 'Well, we're the most important cog in this wheel,'" Crain said.

But through the Salute, "I think we began to appreciate the contributions of everybody who made it happen," she added.

The interaction of the 26 member-representatives on the Salute Council also has strengthened networking and communication.

"There's no doubt about it. The more you network and get to know each other, the better," said construction industry veteran George Innes, former general manager for Springfield Ready Mix and an active participant in the Salute from Day 1.

Architect Butler agrees.

"It always helps to know more about people besides just what they do; to develop a relationship that's outside the everyday," he said. The Salute "just helps bring people together, gives everybody an environment where they can communicate, talk, bond, slap each other on the back and congratulate each other, but also build those relationships that make everybody's job easier."[[In-content Ad]]Advance tickets to the 2009 Salute to Construction Awards Banquet are required and are available through the Springfield Contractors Association, (417) 862-1313. Tickets are $25 apiece through Monday, Nov. 2, and the price increases to $35 thereafter, leading up to the banquet on Nov. 5. Social hour starts at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m.