It’s the building of strong relationships that can help a firm be successful as it navigates the ever-evolving business climate and the economic challenges they face today, said Kent Pilcher, president of Estes Construction.

Pilcher and Eric White, vice president of Estes, sat down with the Business Record to discuss the company’s history and the work it has done. They were joined by Robert Warren, CEO of Hoyt Sherman Place, before an April 8 celebration to recognize projects the company has done with the theater over the years, including the restoration of the historic mansion from office space back to its original design for museum use. 

Other projects Estes has done with Hoyt Sherman are the 2019 additions and renovations that were part of the facility’s “Next 100 Years” initiative. It included construction of the Center for Artists and Education, expanding the back-of-house area and rehearsal, administrative, donor and restroom facilities.

It also worked on the south lawn project, which included the construction of an outdoor plaza and stage, and most recently the renovation of the facility’s kitchen, upgrading equipment and infrastructure to modernize the commercial kitchen.

Estes Construction, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in Des Moines, was founded by Pilcher’s uncle, Jim Estes, in 1970. It continues to have an office in Davenport with a third office in Galesburg, Ill.

In all, the company employs about 450 people, including about 50 in the Des Moines office.

The Business Record caught up with Pilcher, White and Warren to discuss the company’s relationship with Hoyt Sherman Place and how that bond has helped get projects to the finish line smoothly with very few surprises along the way.

There was also a sneak peek at a project that’s planned.

Their responses have been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

With the kitchen renovation being the most recent project, how does that prepare Hoyt Sherman to better meet its needs in the years to come?

Warren: The artists love it. A lot of them travel with their own personal menus or chefs. Almost everybody knows that we’re doing about 100 headliners, big names in a year, but in a single year we do over 450 events, breakfast clubs, Women’s Clubs, lunches, so they are the biggest beneficiary of that. To be able to actually prepare food again on-site is a godsend.

Where does Hoyt Sherman fit in the portfolio of work that Estes has done in Des Moines?

White: When we came to Des Moines, a lot of our work was maybe more institutional, so like museums or any sort of community impact-type project, and we were fortunate enough to win the Hoyt Sherman expansion in 2019 and that really helped us develop that same portfolio that we had in the Quad Cities, which is really meaningful to us. We owe a lot to Robert and Hoyt Sherman Place for that opportunity.

Pilcher: The theater has incredible momentum. Just the number of performances here and the success. It’s a real asset for the community, and for us; we wanted a high-visibility project like that. Hoyt Sherman has been in this community a long time, and to be able to put that on a resume is very important to us.

What other projects has Estes been involved in over the past decade?

White: We’re doing some work at John Deere Des Moines Works right now. We have done the Des Moines Art Center. We’ve done a lot of work for Sherman Associates. We did the Landus building. We’re doing the Starts Right Here project, the Opportunity Education building, and we’re working on three projects for Des Moines Public Schools.

How has Estes adapted to changes in the industry in recent years?

Pilcher: Technology is emerging at a rapid pace for all of us, so we probably have two big questions. People talk a lot about talent development, and we like to think we are a talent company that happens to build buildings. Culture is very important in our organization, so how do we develop that talent? I think culture is going to be even more important in organizations. And people want to continue to learn and grow. So, when you think about AI, what’s that going to require? Speed of learning and speed of adaptability. AI is yet to be proven in terms of how big of an impact it will have. On the other hand, technology has really emerged. We see things like virtual building and really look at where conflicts are to avoid conflicts. That technology has just exploded. We’re anxious to see where augmented reality goes. There’s a lot of things that are happening that enhance productivity.

How has relationship building helped you be successful?

Pilcher: Our relationship that Robert has given us the opportunity to develop with Hoyt Sherman and him, we don’t take that for granted. We feel like we have to earn each project and keep that relationship high. That’s what has allowed us to have success. Those relationships have helped us broaden what we do. We do things across any number of fields – health care, education, institutional, historic preservation. What’s the key to that? Relationships. Whether it’s internally with talent or externally with clients. People create inspiring cultures and if we do those things right, then we create a great client experience. That’s our goal and that will give us those outcomes. No matter what changes with technology, that’s always going to be the same. This is a personal business. You can talk about technology all you want. You can talk about systems all you want, but at the end of the day it’s people and we’re a service business. That will always be the same.

Warren: I had major panic attacks and heartaches, especially once all of the art was restored and fixed up, and addressing the kitchen situation, they had a solution for everything. And we’re a National Historic Trust [property], so we needed to work with a company that knew how to comply with government standards. I was searching on eBay to find four 1870s gas electric chandeliers, and we were successful. All the things I could think of, they would call me at the end of the day and say, “We really like this project. It’s different for us.” There was some donated furniture that had been probably sitting in somebody’s barn for 150 years, and they asked if we minded if they polished it up, used the proper oils and got it looking great again. And the exposed brick on the back wall of the theater, was there a way to protect that? They had solutions for everything and every single project we finished on time and within budget.

What’s next for Hoyt Sherman Place?

Warren: We’re going to automate the stage shell itself with motorized equipment that can move the heavy equipment up and down rather than suspended from the roof because we’re limited and now a lot of the tours are traveling with 5,000-pound video walls. At the same time, we’re going to put a mechanical cover over the orchestra pit that most people don’t know exists. It takes two days to put it up or put down that false cover. And when we sell out, the artist is forced to stay back within that proscenium so everybody can see them. And we can put three more rows of chairs down front. We’re going to kick that off in 2027 and finish it by April 2028.

Where does Estes Construction’s philanthropic philosophy fit in with the work done at Hoyt Sherman Place?

Pilcher: We’ve long been an organization that believes in putting back into the community. My uncle said you can’t just go home at night and go to sleep. We think that’s a great people development tool for our leadership teams, so to get engaged with Hoyt Sherman and other community organizations, there’s a breadth of engagement we have where people get involved and contribute because it’s important. And that’s how you build relationships in the community. Value in this community isn’t just the building. It’s how do you help build an organization that helps build the community.