Along with our friends in the construction industry, we're celebrating Construction Week this week—recognizing the hard work of those individuals who help create our built environment. Today especially, we recognize two individuals on our team who play an important role in that effort; Bill Pitts and Kelly Allison. Together they work with our AEC team and help contractors and sub-contractors get the plans and specs they need to complete projects in Iowa, and beyond. 

Meet Bill Pitts. Leader of the AEC team at Beeline and Blue

When Bill Pitts joined the company 27 years ago, it was still called Des Moines Blueprint. Since then, the business of managing construction drawings has changed tremendously. “When I began, digital was barely on the horizon,” said Bill. “We printed everything back then.”

Beeline and Blue still prints a lot of plans, but they also service over one thousand customers who access drawings and spec books through their Digital Plan Room. "We manage dozens of projects every month and serve about 70% of the Central Iowa AEC market,” said Bill. “However, our clients build all over the country, so we have plans for projects that extend far beyond the Des Moines community.”

While Bill manages the AEC work and the plan library, the Digital Plan Room is managed by Bill’s assistant, Kelly Allison. Kelly prepares the drawings and specs, uploads them into the system, and manages the notifications to interested parties.

Beeline's Check Print helps customers avoid embarrassing errors

Kelly also oversees Beeline’s unique Check Print plan proofing service. With this service, drawings are printed and proofread before uploading into the Plan Room. “We are a fresh set of eyes for our clients,” said Bill. “We catch errors like typos and misspellings that are so easy to overlook when you’re deep in the details of a project. If errors are discovered, they can be corrected before uploading, cutting down on the number of addendums.”

Bill has built relationships as he has helped his customers build facilities. “Our customers appreciate working with someone who knows them and their business. When they stop in to pick up or return plans, they often stop to chat for a while. Those relationships are one of the things I value most—and I think they do too.”

The week is often promoted through job site visits, career days, and speaking opportunities, highlighting the value of construction careers as a safe, exciting, and rewarding career option for students, educators, and parents.

If you're planning for job fairs this fall, remember that we can print your expo graphics—and your business cards, handouts, brochures, and flyers—making Beeline and Blue your one-stop printing resource.