Matt Brown has been involved in two of the largest construction projects in Greater Des Moines, the Wells Fargo & Co. campus on Jordan Creek Parkway in West Des Moines and the Wellmark Inc. campus in downtown Des Moines. As a registered architect, he knows his way around a drafting board, but he knows so much more, from site selection to development incentives to building operations. Not surprising, then, that he is president of the newly formed Formation Group, a company that is affiliated with construction manager DCI Group Inc. DCI Group also is a relative youngster in the business. It was formed five years ago and now oversees between $100 million and $120 million in construction projects a year. Brown and Formation Group will help owners chose a construction manager, for example, and help keep a building operating efficiently well into the future through the selection of an operations manager. He will provide every service in between the start and finish and move-in, as well. Brown is a member of the Johnston City Council and the Metro Waste Authority board. He has been involved in other organizations, including the Neighborhood Development Corp. and Downtown Community Alliance. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects.

What is Formation Group?
The idea is taking form. I do have a unique experience in building buildings, everything from site selection to incentives to master planning. If the decision is to build something, to help guide the process of construction through the actual move-in, let’s make sure you have the right furniture and equipment, and then let’s make sure you have the right people to manage this building. I’m definitely the guy who can sit down and say let’s do this and concept sketch it. I want to help make you more comfortable about your real estate decisions.

How did you wind up at Formation Group?
I love to build things. … No matter what the project may be like — a fire pit pergola for my wife, a kitchen remodel, a design for a friend’s home or a $263 million corporate campus — that’s where I want to be. Formation Group is the opportunity to take my 23-plus years of planning, design, construction and operations of buildings and bring that knowledge to a wide array of people in this market looking to effectively and efficiently develop their own projects.

Partnering with DCI Group was a natural fit for me. Kevin Kain, DCI group president, and I worked together on the Wellmark project and we stayed in touch over the years. Kevin is honest and straightforward and does what he says he is going to do. He has assembled a great team at DCI, who share the same values as I do. A new company like Formation Group has greater potential when partnering with a team like DCI.

How will the two companies differ?
The separation between contractor, construction manager and owner’s representative is a bit blurry from a customer perspective. The easiest way to delineate the difference is in how much the firm engages in the actual construction (self-performed work such as carpentry, concrete placing/finishing, etc.). Construction managers like DCI focus on the overall performance, sequence and cost of the work. Formation Group is more universal in project approach, positioned to advise owners regarding business need analysis, existing real estate portfolio evaluation, site selection, master planning, design, move-in and ongoing operations. Formation Group was created to assemble a team with the skills and experience to help clients navigate the complexity of their building needs — owner’s representation is just a component of what Formation Group does.

Why didn’t you stick solely with architecture?
I decided I wanted to do the whole thing. And I really like to build things. I helped a guy remodel a kitchen when I was 14. I’ll forget somebody’s name, but I can figure out how to put things together or solve problems.

Are you just a big projects guy?
I’ve worked on a diverse set of projects. My career has evolved by being in the right place at the right time. I’ve had opportunities to go other places, but I love the metro. The opportunities never cease to amaze me. I’ve worked on all kinds of projects.

What do you do when you have a chance to take breather from your job?
This may sound cliché, but I love working on building projects in my free time. I have a second home at Lake Okoboji, which is my primary family retreat. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, is nice too.