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Business Lessons from a Founder

I have worked with and learned from amazing people on my journey – let's build together.

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Caleres Headquarters

Clayco, CRG, and Lamar Johnson Collaborative are working to transform the Clayton campus of footwear retailer Caleres Inc. into a $500 million mixed-use redevelopment! Caleres, formerly known as Brown Shoe Co., has roots in St. Louis dating back to the 1870s and has been in Clayton since the 1950s. The 9-acre site includes plans to construct an office building, boutique hotel, luxury condominiums, townhouses, and an athletic resort concept.

Xalt Energy (Dow Kokam) Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturing Facility

I am always excited to see how Clayco’s use of transformational design-build technology helps our construction projects come together so efficiently. Our construction innovation paired with technology and automotive innovation produced a 400,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art battery manufacturing facility for XALT Energy (Dow Kokam). This futuristic plant produces affordable lithium-ion batteries and consistent energy solutions for customers in the expanding electric vehicle market. The single-story manufacturing plant includes 45-foot clear heights and clean-dry rooms for manufacturing processes as well as 600 million additional watt-hours and incorporated battery pack assembly equipment and production. It was also built with insulated tilt-up concrete wall systems and features glass exterior design elements.

Constructing Centene East Coast Headquarters

Centene Corporation, a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise, invested more than $1 billion to develop an 80-acre campus for 6,000 of its employees – and Clayco is helping to build it! Construction has been ongoing since 2020 and has been developed in multiple phases – the first being the main 770,000 square-foot, Class A office building and a 2,400-space parking garage. The development will feature office space, an early childhood development center, walking trails, water features, and more! The design also highlights the campus environment with open spaces, natural light, and the site’s natural features.

Scurto Cement Construction Limited

Scurto Cement Construction ltd has been an incredible subcontractor for us at Clayco on a variety of our projects. Collaborating with us and laying the cement for Crossroads 55 and now Central Steel & Wire has proven why their company has been a leader in quality craftsmanship since 1973. Scurto has produced cutting-edge technology for over 45 years and pours over 500,000 square feet of concrete each day. The company’s President, David Scurto, primarily services states in the Midwest, like Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana along with a few more in the New England states. The organization partners with businesses to provide the value and services that they deserve. Scurto’s knowledge of concrete mix designs and innovative technologies ensures that they consistently provide high-quality services.

The Southwest’s Fastest Growing Market

The Southwest region of the United States is seeing an increase in business and has established itself as an area of incredible potential for investment. To date, Clayco has over $1.2 billion in active construction projects awarded in the Phoenix market, which is approximately 11 million square feet of primarily industrial and multi-family residential projects.

PalmTower Transforms Phoenix Skyline

As the Southwest region in the United States becomes more of a hot spot for travel and residential ventures, Clayco is happy to continue adding to the skyline in Phoenix, AZ. With the integrated services of Clayco and Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC), the PalmTower is designed to be a distinctive addition to Phoenix – and stands at twenty-eight stories high while appearing to float above a sculptural, silver parking podium that features palm trees and desert landscaping next to the city sidewalks.

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My Mock Death is Today

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The concept of earning is an instinct of mine

My first job was stamping cans at a little grocery market in exchange for candy at about 10 years old. The concept of earning was an early instinct of mine.

During my teen years, I had a car wash on my home driveway, after which I started doing small painting and odd jobs at neighbors’ homes for extra money, but mainly to avoid mowing my own yard by paying the kid down the street to do it. I could make more money doing the other jobs, which allowed me to pay him very little to do something I didn’t want to do that was much more time-consuming. Looking back, that was an entrepreneurial experience.