October 2020 - Western Specialty Contractors

(St. Louis, MO, Oct. 23, 2020) Western Specialty Contractors’ Great Plains Roofing and Sheet Metal Branch of Kansas City, KS recently completed the installation of a decorative metal panel system and TPO roofing on the new Regnier Family Wonderscope Children’s Museum of Kansas City.

Opened on October 23, 2020, the new 30,000-square-foot museum at 433 East Red Bridge Road in Kansas City, MO features 10 dynamic exhibit spaces focusing on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), birthday party rooms, classroom spaces, and a half-acre of outdoor educational space. For the past 30 years, the museum has resided in the former Flint Elementary School building in Shawnee, KS.

Construction on the new $15 million museum began in March 2018. McCownGordon Construction of Kansas City, MO was the general contractor, and Haizlip Studio of Memphis, TN was the architect on the project.

Western Specialty Contractors was hired to install multi-colored, metal wall panels above the museum’s exterior entrance, along with TPO roofing over the top of the panels.

A crew of six workers installed the .125 aluminum plate wall system, manufactured by Northclad, which consisted of 210 brightly colored, angled panels that averaged 7 feet tall with widths ranging from 2 inches to 6 feet. Western used a series of sub girts to attach the metal panels to the building’s façade and also installed 800 square feet of Firestone fully-adhered TPO roofing over the top of the panel area. The installation was completed in 20 days.

Western Branch Manager Rod O’Bannon said installing the panels in the complex pattern designed by the architect posed the greatest challenge on the project.

“We were given an extremely specific pattern to follow for the panels. The museum would be recognizable by its unique façade, so we had to make sure we had it right. Each panel had custom angles, so aligning them correctly with equal spacing was a challenge, but our experienced crew did an outstanding job, particularly our Foreman Tony Sayers who did a tremendous job laying out all the panels and overseeing their installation,” said O’Bannon.

About Western Specialty Contractors

Family-owned and operated for more than 100 years, Western Specialty Contractors is the nation’s largest specialty contractor in masonry and concrete restoration, waterproofing, and specialty roofing. Western offers a nationwide network of expertise that building owners, engineers, architects, and property managers can count on to develop cost-effective, corrective measures that can add years of useful life to a variety of structures including industrial, commercial, healthcare, historic, educational, and government buildings, parking structures, and sports stadiums. Western is headquartered in St. Louis, MO with 30 branch offices nationwide and employs more than 1,200 salaried and hourly professionals who offer the best, time-tested techniques and innovative technology.

Media Contact

Jennifer Beidle
314-607-9459
jennifer@jbeidlepr.com

Western would like to recognize Dave Sturdevant as this month's Employee Spotlight.

Kudos, Dave—and thank you for being a valued member of the Western team!

Interview with Dave Sturdevant

What is your role at Western?
“Branch Manager of the Charlotte, NC office.”
What do you like most about Western?
“Hands down the people I’ve met and get to work with.”
What are three words to describe Western?
“Best in Class.”
What is your proudest moment at Western?
“Starting in the Field as a Laborer and being able to be promoted through the ranks to Branch Manager.”
What has been your favorite project at Western?
“That’s a tough one. There have been a lot of them. Probably one of the most memorable was Beach Colony Resort in Myrtle Beach, SC. It was a 7.5 million dollar project that I sold and lived on Monday-Friday for two years. I was a Sales/Project Manager when it started. I was promoted to Branch Manager shortly after finishing it in 2007.”
How did you first learn about Western?
“I moved from a very rural area in Northern Pennsylvania to Charlotte with some buddies and we started working at a competitor of Western in 1994. Western was the name you always heard in the industry and I came to work here in 1995.”
Before working at Western, what was the most unusual or interesting job you've ever had?
“Riding the back of a garbage truck.”
What advice do you have for prospective Western candidates?
“If you’re looking for a job you can find one anywhere. If you want a career at a company that cares about its people, you've found the right place. You will get the opportunity to go as far as you want if you’re willing to put in the work.”
What have you gained from Working at Western?
“A career. Western has provided a stable place for me to work and room to advance within the company. I’ve been able to provide for and raise 2 kids. My son actually works in the field for Western now.”
What is on your wish list for the next 10 years with Western?
“Provide everyone on my team the opportunity to advance within Western as I have.”
If you could switch your job with anyone else within Western, whose job would you want?
“I’m pretty happy with mine.”
What about you? What do you personally enjoy?
“My favorite thing to do is Surf Fish on the OBX of North Carolina. I also enjoy hunting and anything near the ocean.”

Click here to view all of our Employee Spotlights.

Dave Sturdevant is a Western Rock! He is a part of this great foundation and understands the driving purposes of everything we do. He understands, adheres to, and promotes SOPS and Best Practices. His background in coming up through the ranks from the field has provided him with the groundwork for success. He has dealt with his share of challenges and always remained humble and fair. He lives and breathes the family atmosphere and is it reflected in the strong team that he has created in Charlotte. Congrats Dave!! You set the standard for our culture.
Tom Brooks
Chief Operating Officer
Western Specialty Contractors

Month: October 2020

Wonderscope Children’s Museum | Kansas City, MO

Media Contact

Employee Spotlight | Dave Sturdevant