A few weeks ago I asked my nearly grown children, ages 25, 20 and 17 to accompany their dad to a rustic Inn that has been welcoming guests since 1922 – High Hampton. This is a place where you will not find TV, Internet or even air conditioning in the rooms. Instead, you will find …
We at Stewart Perry like where we live, and we like our neighbors. Donna Sue Groves believes you can express those feelings through her relatively newfound art—barn quilts. “The barn quilts are public art that celebrates the place people call home. They make people feel good about themselves and where they live.” – Donna Sue …
Every once in a while, our team takes a bit of time away from the busy schedules we all maintain for a get together. It’s not a big time commitment, but it gives us an opportunity to catch up with folks who may be in and out of the office a good bit. Today, we …
Over the last couple of years, I’ve thought a lot about the economic pie and how much smaller it is these days. How do we survive and prosper? I think it’s all about a solid foundation built on proven relationships. As Warren Buffett was quoted, “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s …
The short answer: To me, nobody knows. If we compare the normal demand for commercial projects in the United States to our current climate, the market is down 30-50 percent. The laws of supply and demand tell us commodities prices should decrease in order to level things out. The opposite is happening. On average, we …
The world of social media is bringing a change to our language. I’m sure grammatical purists are scowling when they see “like” and “friend” used regularly as verbs. I think Tom Peters’ definition of “excellence” fits right into that camp. You may remember Peters from the mega best selling book In Search of Excellence, which he …
There is comfort in the known. That’s why most of us enjoy having a steady routine at work. But if you’re not careful, getting lost in habit and familiarity can become too comfortable. You’ll end up stuck in a rut while the ever-changing business landscape passes by. As former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson once …
We try to keep our finger on the pulse of best management practices for today’s construction. To us, that happens when quality means/methods balance with an eye toward the environment. Pervious concrete can do both. Pervious concrete is a wonderful concoction that holds up structurally and is porous enough that water can seep through it …
This week I attended the national convention of the International Council of Shopping Centers, a member-driven organization for the retail industry. This year there were about 25,000 attendees. I felt the mood of the conference was positive optimism with a sense of getting down to business. Here’s what I’m taking with me: Landlords and retailers …
I have been involved with the Boy Scouts of America for about 35 years. It’s a wonderful organization—I would encourage you to find a troop for your sons or grandsons if they are not already active. BSA teaches many essential skills that help children as they grow. I’ve found the basic principles they learn as …
With the green movement in full swing, we’re seeing lots of great trends towards sustainability. One that’s caught my attention is “certified wood”, a term encouraging us to know the type of forestry or origins of the wood used in the products we select. In our work, we have access to wood on commercial project …
Last week, I mentioned a partnership I’ve fostered with WP2DC, the company who designed and implemented a cloud-based application for Stewart Perry. We’ve managed to get all our internal information into an easily accessible virtual file cabinet. As a result we’ve cut out a lot of duplicated efforts. Using a Building Information Modeling (BIM) is our next …