| Building
for Future Generations: Tom and Jim Pientka PLANNING Design Build is one of the leading commercial design-builders in Wisconsin. President Tom Pientka oversees the design division and his brother, Jim, is executive vice president and in charge of construction. There’s also a third Pientka brother at the helm—Ken is chief operations officer, having joined the company after spending 25 years with Commonwealth Edison in Chicago as a mechanical engineer. In 2004 the Pientkas celebrated their tenth year of ownership of PLANNING Design Build. There were about 25employees at Planning Associates when it was purchased by the Pientkas in 1994. Today there are 115 employees in the disciplines of architecture, engineering, interior design, and construction project management. Last year PLANNING Design Build generated about $75 million in revenues. The company has built 15 buildings in Old Sauk Trails Park; repeat customers include John Livesey, George Gialamas, and Todd Nelson. BW: Tell us a little bit about your background. My first job was for my father as a laborer pouring concrete. I was 15 at the time and really hated the work in the beginning—the hours were long. That’s where we learned to work hard and follow through. Our folks were very hard-working people and did what they could to put us all through college. I received my civil engineering degree from UW-Platteville and then worked summers on various construction jobs in Chicago. We rehabbed a ten-mile section of the Eisenhower Expressway. While the work was good, the neighborhood was not. Hearing gunshots every day made me wonder if I was in the right job. Soon after this, I found work with Planning Associates in Madison. Jim Pientka (JP): I attended Northern Illinois University for two years before deciding to change gears and learn the carpentry trade. It was during this hands-on training that I really developed a love of construction. BW: Sometimes brothers fight tooth and nail. How do you
guys get along? BW: What is the best-kept secret about PLANNING Design
Build? JP: The second is our expertise in waterparks. PLANNING Design Build constructed Great Wolf Lodge and parts of the Wilderness Hotel & Waterpark. We designed and built all of Kalahari Resort in the Dells and are now doing their flagship Kalahari Resort in Ohio. We are on the cutting edge of waterpark design, which keeps getting bigger and more complex. PLANNING Design Build has built more indoor waterparks than anyone else in the country. An incredible amount of 3-D modeling goes into designing an indoor waterpark, especially with slides, supports, lighting, HVAC ducts and structure above ground and the complicated piping systems below ground. Water quality control and ventilation systems also require extra attention in these corrosive environments. BW: PLANNING Design Build is also a leader in sustainable
esign—environmentally friendly, green buildings. What’s
the big advantage of “going green?” The LEED program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a green-building rating system designed by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED-certified buildings are highly energy efficient and environmentally friendly. Several years ago we spent substantial time designing and bidding out a LEED-certified sister building to the TomoTherapy Building. This exercise showed that you can build a LEED-Certified, Class-A building for about $1/square foot more than a standard building would cost. For the added long-term benefit, that’s not a lot of money compared to the overall cost of the project. JP: Energy costs for most standard Class-A buildings are about $1.25 to $1.40/square foot/year. A LEED-certified building will run at about $1 to $1.25/square foot. BW: What are some of the core business philosophies you have used in growing your company? JP: Customer service and quality. If you build good products and stand behind them, this will lead to more work, repeat clients, and lifelong relationships. We have a very strong commitment to warranty and don’t cut corners. TP: Be organized. Be prepared. Work hard and play hard. Most of all, take care of your people and reward them as much as you can. We try to empower employees to make decisions and keep an open-door policy where anybody can talk to us at any time. Ken has helped us a lot in developing this approach. JP: We also stay on top of what the industry pays and offer at-market or slightly above market wages and benefits. Our building provides an excellent work environment which helps in employee hiring and retention. We also sponsor many company get-togethers to provide stress relief and promote friendships. BW: What is a typical workday like? JP: Each job is a new challenge. It is very satisfying to see people grow in what they do. What I dislike most about our work is the number of meetings. Some weeks are nonstop meetings. On those weeks it seems like there is little room for breathing, or for taking time to visit with people during work. TP: I also learn from the businesses of our clients. It’s rewarding to help owners solve their unique problems by coming up with design solutions and then bring it to life in terms of a finished building. BW: Construction is a very cost-competitive industry. How
do you stay on top of things? JP: For the right client, we’re happy to travel. We have a unique product and delivery system, which we are very proud of. As more and more companies try to duplicate what we do, we must stay ahead of them by constantly evolving our product and making it better. BW: There has been a lot of discussion about how Madison
is not business-friendly. How tough is it to get projects under
way? BW: What is your best piece of business advice? Who Jim Pientka |