Some Key Ideas That Have Stood the Test of Time

I recently spent time with the Entrepreneurs Organization St. Louis Chapter at Clayco. It gave me a chance to reflect on where we started and what has carried us forward.

Over the years, you get tested. Markets shift. Projects get tougher. Stakes get higher. What matters is whether your foundation holds. For us, it comes back to a few simple ideas.

We have always believed in hiring talented people who care about the work and each other. Put the right people in the right environment with real opportunity, and they do remarkable things. That has shaped our culture.

We try to live by the Golden Rule. It sounds simple, but it is not always easy. Treating people with respect, clients, partners, and team members, is a daily choice.

We have also become more intentional about who we work with. Not every opportunity is the right one. We look for alignment around safety, respect, and doing things the right way.

Years ago, my late wife, Ellen, challenged me to think differently about legacy. Not the buildings themselves, but what happens inside them. That stayed with me and created the brand “Beyond These Walls”.

What we build matters. Why we build it matters more. If it improves lives in a lasting way, it is worthwhile.

These ideas are simple, but they have guided us from the start and still do today.

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