Who's who in area construction, design

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Who's No. 1? They're all No. 1. The following roll call of who's who among construction and design firms represents the No. 1 ranked firms, as listed in the 2000 Springfield Business Journal Book of Lists, in construction-related business categories. |ret||ret||tab|

SBJ contributing writer Paul Schreiber contacted top executives with each firm and asked them to share their thoughts about current issues and concerns, including costs and labor availability, as well as outlining their business philosophy or mission. Their responses appear below.|ret||ret||tab|

Clarissa A. French|ret||ret||tab|

SBJ Inside Business editor|ret||ret||tab|

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Springfield's Largest Certified Interior Design Firms|bold_on||bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|Habersham Interiors|ret||ret||tab|

3021 E. Sunshine St.|ret||ret||tab|

Habersham Interiors is headed by president and owner Jeris Ferguson, allied ASID. |ret||ret||tab|

Established in 1980, the interior design firm has nine employees. Habersham works with both commercial and residential properties, but its specialty is complete interiors for custom homes. (The company declined to comment on recent projects out of respect for its clients' privacy.) |ret||ret||tab|

Regarding current business issues, Ferguson said one of the biggest concerns on the furniture side of her business is problems in the freight industry. Fuel prices have gone up and so have rates. Ferguson said she sees many freight companies that seem to be struggling and several have gone out of business. |ret||ret||tab|

The labor market is a major factor in these difficulties. |ret||ret||tab|

"With the labor market the way it is, it's hard for (freight companies) to find quality people," she said. |ret||ret||tab|

It is even difficult to get delivery service for customers in the city, Ferguson added. Her design philosophy reads: "I believe that a good designer starts and ends by accurately reflecting the client's needs into a workable and comfortable living space. I encourage my clients' participation in the design process because it builds the trust and understanding needed to create timeless, classic spaces."|ret||ret||tab|

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Springfield's Largest |ret||ret||tab|

Architectural Firms|bold_on||bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|Butler, Rosenbury & Partners Inc.|ret||ret||tab|

300 S. Jefferson Ave., Ste. 400|ret||ret||tab|

Geoffrey H. Butler is founder and chief executive officer of Butler, Rosenbury & Partners Inc. The firm, established in 1978, has 69 employees and is growing, Butler said. He expects to add five to eight more people by the end of next year. Butler Rosenbury's services include architecture, structural engineering, civil engineering, land planning, interior design, project management and landscape architecture. |ret||ret||tab|

The majority of the firm's work is in commercial, institutional and industrial projects. Recent projects include the new Grizzly Industrial Distribution Center in Springfield and the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Cincinnati, Ohio. Butler said the cost of doing business has held fairly stable, except for labor. |ret||ret||tab|

"Labor costs have gone up significantly as the market's gotten tighter," which makes the price of the professional staff they need more expensive, Butler said. "Our biggest concern is how to maintain the high level of service that our clients deserve and expect." |ret||ret||tab|

He added, "the marketplace for employee and, particularly, professional staff is very tight, so, we're really working very hard to try to keep our level of service up and to attract the right kind of people." Butler paraphrased a quote from Hannibal as his company's motto: |ret||ret||tab|

"We will either find a way or make one." |ret||ret||tab|

For him, he said, that says it all. "We keep coming back to that, and it seems to fit most applications," he added.|ret||ret||tab|

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Springfield Area's Largest Commercial General Contractors|bold_on||bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|The Killian Group of Companies Inc.|ret||ret||tab|

1835 S. Stewart|ret||ret||tab|

William F. Killian is the president and CEO of the Killian Group of Companies Inc. Established in 1948, the company has 50 employees and focuses on the areas of industrial, commercial and institutional construction management. |ret||ret||tab|

In addition to U.S. contracts, the company has worked on a casino addition in New Brunswick and a hotel and casino project in Alberta, Canada. The firm's largest current project is a John Q. Hammons Embassy Suites in Franklin, Tenn. |ret||ret||tab|

On the costs of doing business, Killian said the cost of management labor, such as superintendents and project managers, is rising. The cost of transportation has increased as well. |ret||ret||tab|

"Quality building utilizing superior construction techniques and technology to achieve owner, architecture, and subcontractor satisfaction" is the company's business philosophy, he said. |ret||ret||tab|

He added as a mission statement, "All agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial, mutually satisfying. With a win-win solution, all parties feel good about the decision and feel committed to the action plan. A win-win attitude make solutions a cooperative approach rather than a competitive approach. Win-win is a frame of mind and art that constantly seeks mutual benefit on all human interaction." |ret||ret||tab|

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Springfield's Largest |ret||ret||tab|

Electrical Contractors|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|Lamons Electric Co. Inc.|bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

1323 N. Nias|ret||ret||tab|

Tom Moore is president of Lamons Electric Co. Inc., established in 1932. The company has 30 employees, is a union shop and works throughout southwest Missouri. |ret||ret||tab|

Work is done almost exclusively on commercial sites and primarily in the areas of repair. |ret||ret||tab|

Moore said one area of concern for his industry is "the impact of Internet communication" and the challenges in conducting business with new technologies. |ret||ret||tab|

On the issues of cost and labor, Moore said the cost of materials such as steel and copper hasn't changed much recently, but the availability of qualified labor is a major issue. |ret||ret||tab|

"You just can't find enough" people to do the work, he said. Service and repair work is the company's specialty, Moore said. |ret||ret||tab|

Recent projects include Table Rock Dam's new spillway. He said the company does not actively pursue high-profile jobs. "Our reputation sells itself."|ret||ret||tab|

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Springfield's Largest Plumbing Contractors & Service Companies|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|Springfield Engineering Co.|bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

1528 E. Trafficway|ret||ret||tab|

Jerry Fielder is the owner of Springfield Engineering Company, which was founded in 1952. Roughly 120 employees work for the firm on jobs throughout southwest Missouri. |ret||ret||tab|

Springfield Engineering's services include sheet metal fabrication, HVAC, process piping and backflow testing and a recent project is the Greene County Justice Center in Springfield. |ret||ret||tab|

The company contracts with two union groups: the pipe fitters and sheet metal workers. Yearly labor cost increases run about $1.50 per hour per year, said Bryan Fielder, vice president. |ret||ret||tab|

Material prices consistently increase 2 percent to 3 percent a year, he added. |ret||ret||tab|

The company's biggest concern is "nonunion competition" where rivals bid jobs too cheaply. |ret||ret||tab|

"Our philosophy is to do professional work," he said. The firm strives for competitiveness in pricing and seeks to "put in good work and back it up," he added. |ret||ret||tab|

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Springfield's Largest |ret||ret||tab|

Engineering Firms|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|Scott Consulting Engineers PC|bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

550 St. Louis St.|ret||ret||tab|

Headed by Richard G. Scott, Scott Consulting Engineers PC was established in 1980. It has 38 employees including three engineers in training, 15 registered professional engineers, five professional land-surveying registrants, one landscape architect, and seven computer-assisted drafting technicians. |ret||ret||tab|

The company's primary services include municipal engineering for different-sized cities, civil engineering, and consulting services for government agencies and private developers. |ret||ret||tab|

Recent projects include work on Springfield's Jordan Valley Park sidewalk layout and other structural features and the Republic wastewater treatment plant. |ret||ret||tab|

Scott said his philosophy is to "hire people who excel" and "provide the tools, atmosphere and training to allow them to excel." To do this best, he added, "give them challenging opportunities for innovation and growth." |ret||ret||tab|

He said the company's four-point mission statement is, "To ensure the protection of the public health, safety and welfare. To meet the needs of our clients. To provide an opportunity for all employees to share in our success. And to strive to be the leading consulting/engineering firm in southwest Missouri." |ret||ret||tab|

He said the main concern his company and the entire consulting/engineering community "is the ability to keep abreast of technological changes. |ret||ret||tab|

"Technology influences how we function and operate within our companies and how we produce our work for our clients. This creates a climate of constant change within organizations. We try to harness the best available technology to provide high-quality service for our clients," he said.|ret||ret||tab|

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Top Single Family Home Builders in the Springfield Area|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|Morelock-Ross Properties Inc.|bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

722-B W. Olive|ret||ret||tab|

In 2000, Morelock-Ross will build 100 homes in the $75,000 to $124,900 price range with a total value of around $9 million. That's the estimate of Kenny Ross, vice president of Morelock-Ross Properties Inc. |ret||ret||tab|

The company, established in 1987, has 14 employees. Morelock-Ross does primarily spec homes, building 87 homes in 1999 with a value of $8 million. Golden Hills is a recent home development the company is working on, and Morelock-Ross' properties are marketed through Jones & Co. Ross said he sees cost increases occuring in many areas of building, but not everything is affected. |ret||ret||tab|

He added that his main concern is "controlling costs and providing product at an affordable value and with fair profit on it." The company's philosophy is to get the job done and do it right, Ross said.|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|(Information and interviews were compiled by Paul Schreiber, SBJ contributing writer.)|ret||ret||tab|

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