Exciting News for 2025!

We’re thrilled to unveil our 2025 Calendar! It's packed with fresh opportunities, inspiring gatherings, and can’t-miss moments!

Whether you’re looking to connect, grow, or learn, there’s something for everyone. Be the first to explore what’s in store—click below and mark your calendar for an unforgettable year ahead!

Annual AEC Update & Forecast

Last Thursday we held our Annual AEC Update & Forecast. It was a fantastic morning full of insights and research from our wonderful panel of speakers, including Tracy Whelpley with Greater St. Louis Inc., David Kehm with FGM Architects, G. Subash Alias with Missouri Partnership, and Josh Gaghen with McCarthy Building Companies with our very own Kelly Jackson serving as the moderator.

Key discussions highlighted insights into the St. Louis construction market and beyond. Data centers, manufacturing, and healthcare continue to drive growth, but challenges like supply chain constraints, workforce competition, and evolving demand trends are reshaping the industry. While projections of steady volume through 2025 offer optimism, strategically timing large projects remains essential to sustaining consistent workflows for all.

Thank you to our emcee Michael Hargrave with BJC HealthCare for kicking off the program, and a huge thank you to our Program and Annual Platinum Sponsor Kozeny-Wagner, Michael Kozeny. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this insightful program!

Vessel Architecture Project Feature: Impact City FC St. Louis

By Sydney Unnerstall

Impact City FC is a faith-based soccer club offering youth clubs, chaplaincy, and CityReach programs. The goal is to deliver an age-appropriate soccer curriculum while also providing spiritual leadership training. The club started in St. Louis, and they are now ready to develop their own facility. The project will include four full-size soccer fields; and indoor field; a clubhouse housing training, admin, lounge, and support spaces; and a playground space.

Engaging the Diverse Construction Businesses that Enrich St. Louis

By: Ralph Powell, McCarthy

The new 16-story Plaza West Tower at Barnes-Jewish Hospital that continues to take shape on the Washington University Medical Campus will deliver exceptional care to patients when it opens in fall 2025.

It’s also delivering outstanding capacity-building opportunities to Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) architectural and construction firms across our region.

In leading the design-build team constructing the new tower, McCarthy has engaged a tapestry of diverse businesses. To date, nearly 50 skilled MBE firms have contributed their expertise on the project—and earned over $105 million in revenue for their work.

Working closely with BJC HealthCare, our goal is to ensure that each MBE partner has a positive working experience and gains valuable skillsets that help equip their business for long-term success.

For Lou Brock, Jr., president of Lou Brock Mechanical, contributing to the new patient tower also provides a tangible opportunity to improve the city that he loves. “I like doing things that make St. Louis better,” says Brock, who co-founded the company with business partner Orlando Williams in 2013 and has grown it to $20 million in annual revenue. “Our mission is to deliver best-in-class mechanical contracting services with a kingdom purpose, which includes doing things that improve our city.”

Before launching his own construction business, Brock built a 20-year telecommunications engineering career at Sprint, where he discovered his interest in mechanical equipment while helping to develop a wireless solution for remotely operating a fast-food chain’s HVAC systems.

Today, I stand in gratitude for the experience. Once I quit buying into the “story,” I began seeking the lessons. During my tenure, I found my voice, used my voice, and now own my voice. That is a life-changing lesson! I learned that nobody could make me feel inferior without my permission. Once I accepted that I had allowed that behavior, I could own it and move forward in my power.

The greatest learning came the day I was giving a presentation and led with the toxic work environment story. Suddenly, I realized and then took 100% responsibility for the experience. Did I deserve to be ignored, passed by, talked down, and kept in the dark about decisions? No!

However, I admitted at that very moment, that I took the job on 100% ego. Once I took responsibility, all the power I was giving to the situation, the people involved, and the drama I lived in disappeared; instantly. It was so freeing and to this very moment, I am grateful for the experience. It was what catapulted me to the work I do now. Which is to help people help themselves to pursue the very best version of themselves.

I am living proof that success comes when we take the power away from the other person by taking responsibility, even a very minimal amount, our dreams become reality, business begins to grow, results are realized and all the power is yours to keep.

Thank you for the gift you are to me personally, and my business professionally. If you are reading this, know that I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to know you and/or your work.

A Deeper Meaning of Gratitude:

G – Growth: I’m grateful for the chance to connect and grow together—whether in business, mindset, or community.

R – Relationships: Relationships are the heart of success, and I’m honored to have yours in my life.

A – Abundance: Together, we create a ripple effect of abundance, possibilities, and opportunities…

If 81% Of Your Employees Are At Risk Of Burnout, That’s A Big Risk For You

Fight burnout by offering employees a value proposition that empowers them to thrive.

The isolation that developed during and after the pandemic caused employees—both at work and remote—to feel less connected to colleagues and the company. That lack of engagement can evolve to active disengagement. According to Gallup, employees who have reached that low now account for 18% of the workforce.

Employees want work environments that will help them thrive. When they feel stuck in a job that doesn’t provide motivation, satisfaction, or the promise of future success, employees risk burning out.

The Number Of Employees At Risk For Burnout Has Gone Up Significantly

According to a recent Mercer study, 81% of employees feel at risk of burnout. The same study found that 76% of all employees say they believe they’ll feel burned out at some point. 

Of the four generations that make up the workforce, the ones most at risk are Gen Z and Gen Y (millennials) at 89%. As for the other two, 78% of Gen X feel at risk as do 58% of boomers.

What Causes Employees To Burnout And Leave The Company?

The American Psychological Association has identified primary stressors that can result in burnout. These include:

• Overly heavy workloads
• Higher job demands, or having to do more with work with less support
• Longer working hours
• Blurring of work/life boundaries due to technology and remote work
• Low salaries
• Lack of advancement opportunities
• No say in how the job is performed

Approximately 43% of the Mercer study who feared burnout cited financial strain as a contributing factor. Furthermore, 40% cited exhaustion and 37% said they struggled with an excessive workload.

According to the American Institute of Stress, these stressors also cost U.S. businesses $300 billion annually.

However, companies that develop an employee value proposition (EVP) can successfully combat burnout. An EVP is an intentional mix of resources employees feel they need to do more than simply survive.

What Can You Do About Burnout? Start By Creating A Strong EVP.

A survey conducted by Gartner found that companies with a well-thought-out EVP reduce employee turnover by over 69% and increase new hire commitments by nearly 30%.

The EVP is how you articulate the unique value you offer employees in return for their skills, experience, and commitment to your company. It's also the benefits and rewards offered in return for that commitment. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, the best EVPs are tailored to the total needs of a specific organization and its workers.

Marsh McLennan Agency has developed a successful EVP approach that focuses on six key factors:

BEYOND THE BUILD | Safety Innovation: Elevating Well-Being, Security, and Industry Standards

The construction industry, long recognized for its inherent hazards, is experiencing a safety revolution. From cutting-edge technology to enhanced safety gear, these innovations foster a culture of well-being and security like never before.

S. M. Wilson has been providing construction management services for 100+ years. Since 2018, the Associated General Contractors of Missouri (AGCMO) has continued to recognize the company yearly with a Safety Award for recording ZERO Lost-Time Injuries. Lost time occurs when an employee is injured while carrying out a work-related task and cannot return to work. This achievement is more than a number; it reflects shared responsibility, continuous effort, and attention to detail.

Drones and 3D Scanning for Enhanced Site Monitoring

One of the biggest technological innovations in safety is using drones for aerial site inspections.

“Drones provide a bird’s-eye view of the site, making it easier to identify potential hazards,” says Tom Burns, CSP, S. M. Wilson’s Safety Director with 28 years of health and safety experience. “They have become instrumental in viewing hard-to-reach areas and allow for remote inspections, reducing the risk of falls or other accidents.”

3D scanning, often used in tandem with drones, enables safety teams to visualize potential hazards early on in a project.

“These technologies improve the planning process and help create a safer environment by proactively addressing risks before they become incidents,” Burns states.

Essential Safety Equipment of 2024

Safety Helmets vs Hard Hats

Innovations in head protection, which remained relatively the same for decades, provide a safer environment.

Safety helmets protect the entire head, including the sides, front, and back. Often designed with face shields or goggles to protect against dust, projectiles, and chemical splashes, some safety helmets also have built-in hearing protection or communication systems.

“Traditionally, hard hats have primarily protected the top of a worker’s head but lack sufficient side impact protection and chin straps. With the absence of chin straps, workers are susceptible to their hard hats falling off in the event of slips or trips, leaving them vulnerable,” Burns says.

Safety helmets present advantages over traditional hard hats, which date back to the 1960s. The ANSI Z89.1 Type 2 designation ensures superior impact protection, with chin straps preventing the helmet from becoming a projectile in secondary impact events. Helmets are also lightweight construction to accommodate additional interior components to enhance protection. With helmet use increasing, manufacturers have begun introducing cutting-edge accessories, including eye protection, face shields, earmuffs and headlamp keepers.

“With the evolution of head protection from traditional hard hats to safety helmets, this shows a positive shift toward an even more enhanced workplace safety,” Burns states. “With consideration of gear limitations, consultation with safety professionals and commitment to ensuring the safety of every team member every day, the industry continues to prioritize the well-being of workers.”

Enhancements in Female PPEs

As more women enter the construction industry, improvements in PPE have greatly enhanced their comfort and safety. Understanding the impact of PPE on women in construction is increasingly vital.

According to the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), now that more than 1.17 million women work in the construction industry, PPE designed for women is an essential offering and companies have been noticing. Many organizations have made it a point to advocate for appropriate safety gear for female construction workers.

“Today, manufacturers acknowledge the importance of making apparel to better fit women. As such, they’ve started to make PPE specifically designed to accommodate a range of body types and sizes. Because of the wide selection of fit available, female employees have greater opportunity to find comfortable and appropriate PPE. These options include redesigned eye, face, head and hand protection, and footwear — all of which are necessary to maintain a safe and productive work environment. Newer PPE even comes in several designs and colors, bridging a demand for both functionality and fashion,” according to ‘How Improved PPE Impacts Construction Safety for Women’ from NCCER.

S. M. Wilson’s Christine Raffety, a project engineer, has led the charge to ensure the women in the field are equipped with the right-sized PPEs. Raffety emphasizes the importance of proper PPE for all job site personnel. Ensuring everyone has the correct gear is crucial for both individual safety and overall site well-being.

“Wilson Women made inclusive PPE an objective for 2024. Women’s Safety Vests have now been distributed to all Women in operations at S. M. Wilson. Improperly fitting PPE compromises safety and can be ineffective in hazardous situations. People are more likely to wear their PPE..."