Bob Clark Beyond: Business

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100 Above The Park - St. Louis, Missouri

100 Above the Park, a luxury residential tower designed by Jeanne Gang and built by Clayco, is the latest addition to the city’s diverse architectural splendor, and hopefully just the beginning of a new era. It is certainly one of the most incredible buildings to be built in St. Louis in the past century. It is a spectacular monument to modern architecture and has the important job of shaping up St. Louis’s western skyline. In terms of design, the facade is scalloped and the building is leaf-shaped, making it incredibly unique. It has been designed in such a way as to help residents connect with nature, and the shape of the building allows for plenty of outdoor space for a quarter of the building’s apartments. There are also communal outdoor spaces providing excellent views and shared luxury amenities. One of the coolest things about the design of the building is that it maximizes light and efficiency and it has been Green Globe certified for sustainable and energy-efficient design. Every unit in the whole building has a corner living room with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Inspiring Trust — An Interview with Jason Hartman

As part of my series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times," I had the pleasure of interviewing Bob Clark. Bob Clark is executive chairman of Clayco, which he founded in 1984. The enterprise ranks among the top builders in North America and in 2019 achieved 3 billion dollars in U.S. revenue. The company focuses on large projects in the corporate and commercial, mission critical, logistics, aviation, manufacturing, healthcare, higher education, life sciences and public-sector markets.

Clayco Rising — A Hub for Diversity and Inclusion Impact

In building, everything starts from the ground up. 25 years ago, we started building diverse and inclusive practices into our company, while also shifting things in the industry. We were the first to introduce a diversity and inclusion program, and have continued to pave the way by breaking through the barriers of income, race, sexual orientation, and gender that are prevalent in the construction industry. Over the past 25 years, we have focused on developing and nurturing relationships, creating opportunities, and remaining accountable in all our operations when it comes to making sure people of color and women have equitable opportunities. We have done so through many initiatives over the years, including some of our most notable programs like CCDI, M/WBE mentorship, Clayco NOW, and our extensive community outreach. Another key area in which we focus on inclusion is in our subcontractor and partner relationships.

Clayco 2020: A Day in the Life

One of my favorite traditions at Clayco is our much-anticipated ‘Day in the Life’ book. In 2020, this annual tradition is especially meaningful, connecting us all through the photos and stories shared from our job sites and workspaces across the country. We asked every member of our 2,400+ person family to take a snapshot, and this book is the result.

How Clayco’s Award-Winning Photographer Matthew McFarland Stays Inspired

Matthew McFarland is the photographer behind some of the most stunning images of Clayco buildings and job sites. His studio, M Studio West, is based in St. Louis, where he lives with his family. One of Matthew’s photographs from the SK Battery Site in Commerce, Georgia, was chosen as a finalist to potentially appear on the January cover of Engineering News-Record Magazine (you can vote for it here until December 21st). I asked Matthew if he wouldn’t mind sharing with us about his work and inspiration: Can you shed some light on your relationship and history with photography? How did you get to where you are now?My creative journey started as a child growing up in a creative environment. My mother was an interior designer. I was exposed to design, architecture, and visual arts. I explored a broad range of art mediums including ceramics, drawing, and design. Ultimately, I discovered I was able to express my vision most clearly through the lens of a camera. My parents were instrumental in supporting my desire to pursue my vision. I studied photography at The Kansas City Art Institute. Soon after graduating, I opened my first photography studio in 1998 and started my practice photographing advertising work. My eye for architecture was quickly acknowledged through award-winning recognition.

Michael Kennedy Jr. — The UP Companies

Mike Kennedy is the founder and president of The UP Companies—which provides full-service Electrical, Carpentry, and Laborer Services. Over 25% of their 300-person field workforce is comprised of minority workers and they provide services mainly in Southern IL, St. Louis, MO, Kansas City, MO, while also traveling for select projects around the country with Clayco. Michael is an outstanding role model. He advocates for providing opportunities for minorities in the construction industry and beyond. Kennedy himself works to provide these opportunities and serves on the board of the Association of General Contractors MO, BJC Christian Hospital, YPO Gateway Chapter, and Urban Land Institute. I consider my responsibility as a mentor to Michael very important, and the learning has gone both ways. Kennedy grew up in the construction industry, learning from his father who founded KAI Design & Build, before graduating from Hampton University’s business school and entering the company himself. In 2011 he founded The UP Companies, creating a new business model that brought together a collection of subcontracting companies that integrates vertically and creates a unique collaborative advantage to contractors. Sharing overhead, eliminating cost, but offering a high-quality, high-service experience for General Contractors.

Business

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.