Ozarks Profile

Owner and chief executive officer of Nesbitt Construction Inc., 1400 St. Louis, a general contractor in commercial and industrial construction best known for its specialty construction work. Nesbitt formed Nesbitt Construction in September 1977 with a $2,500 investment, two carpenters and one laborer. Nesbitt Construction now has 12 employees and reported $2 million in billings in 1998. Nesbitt is a member of the Springfield Contractors Association, the Construction Specification Institute, the Heart of the Ozarks Sertoma Club, the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, the Glendale A+ Schools Committee and is a past board member of the Springfield Boys and Girls Club.

Age: 56

No. of years in Springfield/area: 50

Education: Nesbitt graduated from Central High School and went on to receive a bachelor of science degree in industrial technology from Southwest Missouri State University.

Early career: "My first job was as a carry-out boy for the Safeway Market on St. Louis Street where Jay Key is now located," Nesbitt said. Nesbitt got his first drafting job as a junior in high school working for the Greene County Surveyor's Office. After three years with the surveyor's office, he moved on to work for a home builder, drawing house plans. "I worked my way through college drawing house plans for homes located in Coachlight Village, Village Green, Park Terrace and Ravenwood," Nesbitt said. After graduating from SMSU in 1966, Nesbitt taught industrial arts for two years, then entered the U.S. Army and made maps of Vietnam for the Army Corps of Engineers for two years. Upon discharge, he returned to Springfield and went to work for Kipp Bilt Homes, eventually becoming vice-president. He began Nesbitt Construction a few years later at the age of 34.

Current projects: "We are currently working on remodeling a space in the Park Crest Shopping Center for a new St. Louis Bread Co. store. Other projects include remodeling the old Newberry's building on Park Central Square for the Census Bureau office, building a new general office and commissary for St. Louis Bread Co. and starting on a new dental office in Kelly Plaza," Nesbitt said.

Management philosophy: "Construction is a professional service, not a commodity. A contractor is a trained professional in the same way that engineers, attorneys, accountants and architects are. We sell solutions to construction problems," Nesbitt said.

Spare-time pursuits: "Spare time is a precious commodity in the construction industry, but what time I do have, I spend with my two sons. My older son is a gymnast and my younger son is a soccer player. I have spent as many as 20 weekends a year traveling to gym meets and soccer tournaments," Nesbitt said. Nesbitt is also a member of the Glendale Soccer Booster Club, the Papa Bears and is a past board member of the Lake Country Youth Soccer Association.

Family data: Nesbitt has been married to Joyce, a native of Honolulu, Hawaii, for 26 years. Their two sons are Michael, who will be a freshman at Westminster College this fall, and Craig, who will be a senior at Stanford University.

[[In-content Ad]]