Springfield Business Journal_2019-07-29

Call for your FREE consultation! | 417-619-4242 | jillphillipscoaching.com Executive Business & Life Coach THE ART + SCIENCE OF LIFE & BUSINESS SUCCESS Jill works with leaders, entrepreneurs, individuals and teams for inside-out leadership. Become an effective leader, successfully manage your life, relationships, and business. Create positive ripples of change! 42 · SBJ.NET JULY 29-AUG. 4, 2019 NEWS move in May. The future headquarters for Paragon Ar- chitecture in downtown Springfield will have some space for a tenant. Approximate- ly 2,000 square feet will be available in the building that formerly housed Inland Print- ing Co., with 7,000 square feet to be utilized by Paragon, said Brad Erwin, presi- dent and principal architect. Another 1,000 square feet will be dedicated to a common area. “We’re really just looking to see who will be a good neighbor,” he said. Renovations of the 637 E. College St. building is set for completion in time for the firm’s 10th anniversary in March 2020. Paragon’s current office of eight years, at 430 S. Glenstone Ave., occupies less than 2,600 square feet, Erwin said. “We needed some space and that’s to accommodate the growth that we already have and accommodate the future expan- sion of our firm,” he said, noting the local staff size is now 21 after two recent hires. The company was ranked 11th on SBJ’s 2019 list of the area’s largest architectural firms, published in March. “We’ll have the ability to accommodate 27 to 30 people within the space from day one,” Erwin said. “If we look at the lease space we have available, that gives us the option for future growth.” Contractor bids are still being sought for the project, Erwin said, noting the final cost is estimated to be higher than the $500,000 declared valuation listed on a city building permit. Planning for the future Brady said Anderson Engineering’s 40 corporate workers at its current office would make the move to the new headquar- ters. With projected growth, it’ll accommo- date 65 employees. Expanding the building on the 9 acres Anderson Investment Group LLC acquired for the project is a fu- ture possibility, he added. Hiring chal- lenges to grow the staff have been on- going for several years, Brady said, as finding qualified engineers and tech- nicians outside of the bigger markets, such as Kansas City and St. Louis, is a long process. What might have taken a couple of months a few years ago to fill a local opening now can take up to eight months, if not longer, he said. He and Miller agreed that relying on the local colleges, most notably Missouri State University, has been best for their firms. “Sometimes that’s a slow route,” Miller said of hiring local talent and raising them up in the business, but added: “They’re your best bet.” Brady said MSU’s cooperative engineer- ing program with Missouri University of Science and Technology has led to hiring successes. “That’s where we’ve found most of our local engineers for this market,” Brady said. Erwin said his firm has looked to another local higher education institution, Drury University. Drury boasts an accredited five- year professional degree program through its Hammons School of Architecture. “We have a great partner in our commu- nity with Drury University,” said Erwin, a graduate of the University of Illinois. “They are a fantastic resource for the architecture profession.” Still, Erwin said his firm’s model also includes recruiting people from other uni- versities. That’s been a talent attraction challenge, he noted, as people who go to college in larger metropolitan areas tend to remain for architecture jobs. “As we look at both expanding our pres- ence in St. Louis and other markets, those are the reasons to do it,” Erwin said of of- fices in St. Louis and Joplin. “But we don’t want to ever turn our back on Springfield.” Space: Hiring strategies changing Continued from page 3 Neil Brady: New HQ will provide 60% more space than the current office. Brad Erwin: Paragon will lease 2,000 square feet after building renovations. An 8,700-square-foot, two-story facility planned for Miller Engineering will incorporate a partial basement. provided by MILLER ENGINEERING PC