When you travel around Northern Indiana, odds are high you will drive by a large Chester Inc. sign planted outside an ongoing construction project. The company has spent decades building doctor’s offices, veterinary clinics, apartment complexes, manufactories, restaurants, and much, much more across the Region – but Chester has not done it alone.
As a design/build architectural and construction services firm, Chester’s in-house team oversees projects from start to finish – the company’s architects draw the blueprints and the project managers manage every job site. The hands-on work of building the walls, rigging the electricity, installing the plumbing, and every other trade is overseen by Chester, but done by a team of some of the most experienced and talented contractors in the area.
“When it comes to the physical construction we can self-perform a few small items, but everything else is done by our subcontractors,” said Connor Mckinstry, procurement officer at Chester. “That’s your site work, excavation, demolition, all the site utilities, asphalt paving, concrete, masonry, structural steel and metals, carpentry, roofing, shingles, exterior insulation and finish systems, doors and windows – all of it. We rely on them, and they help us a ton to get through our projects.”
Some of those subcontractors are longtime partners for Chester, having worked together on projects for decades. There is an established trust – Chester knows it can count on them to do the job right, every time.
“We’ve had a great core group of guys who we’ve worked with since the inception of Chester,” he said. “They’re the reason that we’ve made it this far in the industry and are the reason we’ve had so many successful projects. They even help us with design before the project officially begins, and you’ll see them out there when we’re cutting the ribbon once it’s finished.”
Other subcontractors are newer to working with Chester, having heard of its reputation for excellence or been contacted by Chester for their own strong resumes in a particular trade. Mckinstry noted, however, that a contractor’s communication skills are just as important as their technical ones.
“What we look for in our subcontractors is someone that will work with us,” he said. “We want someone who will come in and take the time to meet with us, our salesmen, and our architectural staff to understand what we’re going for with a project and how they can help us meet those needs.”
That initial interaction helps establish the trust that Chester requires out of any partner the company works with – because the projects they take on are about more than building out Chester’s portfolio, they are the dreams and future livelihoods of its clients.
“I don’t think you can understate just how important it is that we have a trusting relationship with these subcontractors,” Mckinstry said. “It’s not just about us, our clients are trusting them to put their best foot forward. Every project requires them to put in 100% effort to ensure it turns out exactly how our clients and team here at Chester envision it.”
Mckinstry praised the subcontractors’ adaptability – noting how strongly they embrace Chester’s design/build philosophy. Some of them even take a seat at the design table, refining plans and leaving a personal stamp on the project.
“We’re working with them day-in and day-out, they know what we’re going for and are willing to work with us in the field to get whatever is needed done so that we can keep things moving on schedule,” he said. “Under design/build, our subcontractors aren’t just helping us build; they have a direct hand in designing it and controlling what comes through a project. I think it creates more pride in their work because they know it’s something they helped come up with and is something they can stand behind.”
Chester’s subcontractors, put simply, make its work possible. From the labor they provide to the guidance they offer, each one plays a key role in every project Chester takes on.
“I just want to give them a huge thank you, because without them, we wouldn’t be here,” Mckinstry said. “Everything that we do, everything that we put into our projects wouldn’t mean anything without having our subcontractors with us. We really want to shout them out, thank them, and look forward to a long and healthy relationship with them as we move into the future.”
To learn more about Chester Inc., visit chesterinc.com.
