Pearce Construction Celebrates 70 Years
Article courtesy of Martin City:
Martin City’s Pearce Construction Celebrates 70 Years
General contractor builds sterling reputation across Greater Kansas City.
As you drive through the heart of our community on 135th Street, look across the street from Martin City Brewing Company and you’ll see the sign pointing south to Pearce Construction. Turn down the tree-lined driveway and you’ll arrive at the company’s headquarters, an enduring landmark at 417 East 135th Street. Pearce Construction is marking 70 years in business in 2023, and we’re honored by the fact that many of those years have been in our neighborhood.
“Pearce Construction was established in 1953. We’ve been in Martin City for more than two decades,” explains Pearce President and CEO Darin Heyen. “That’s the typical way we direct people to our offices. We tell them we’re in Martin City because everybody knows where Martin City is.”
The drive leading to Pearce Construction headquarters in Martin City.
The team in Martin City, December 2022. Current photo courtesy: Emmalee Schaumburg
The Pearce Construction team includes project managers and administrative staff in Martin City, and dozens of field superintendents, carpenters, and other support workers spread across the Kansas City area.
Heyen says the move to Martin City way back when gave them room to continue building their tradition of high-quality work. “We were looking for a property that offered office space as well as warehouse and equipment storage all in one place without excessive restrictions. So, Martin City was a great fit for us. Being close to I-435 was a big plus, too.”
Solar energy panels on the roof of Pearce Construction in Martin City are no surprise. The company is known for embracing smart technologies.
Martin City is the center of the Pearce universe spanning Greater Kansas City. The firm’s fingerprints are all over many of the buildings that define our way of life, from restaurants, retail, and theme parks, to medical centers and faith-based organizations. The Pearce portfolio is huge and sparkles with projects such as the Overland Park Soccer Complex, André’s Confiserie Suisse, Oceans of Fun, and Deanna Rose Farmstead.
Pearce has also made a difference for more than 150 churches, including sites where the team helped introduce modern ideas like gyms, commercial kitchens, coffee shops, and escalators.
Darin Heyen points out the addition of escalators at the Kansas City Baptist Temple, one of the first churches to install them.
Every project is memorable, but one seems to make Heyen especially proud. His face lights up when he talks about it. “Everything we’ve done at Powell Gardens working with E. Fay Jones (one of the best-known disciples of Frank Lloyd Wright) and his partner Maurice Jennings is particularly satisfying. Those architects are known for their redwood and cedar structures and chapels. The Marjorie Powell Allen Chapel at Powell Gardens is just so iconic. It was truly a once in a lifetime project.”
Pearce Construction has built many of the features at Powell Gardens, including the Marjorie Powell Allen Chapel.
Pearce gravitates to private building owners who also occupy the buildings they commission. Heyen says his team thrives on strong client relationships. “We really put ourselves in their shoes. We want to understand what their businesses are all about. It makes a big difference in the work.”
Chief Operating Officer Ryan Warman says working closely with clients is both important and rewarding. “We get a look behind the curtain to see how they do what they do, whether it’s the barbecue process at Jack Stack or making chocolate at André’s. It’s just so much fun and no two projects are the same.”
Architectural Influence by Design
Pearce Construction founder Don Pearce brought his architecture background to the business at the start. That influence strengthened with the addition of Heyen in 1995 and Warman in 2015. Heyen says the influence of architecture is the core of the company’s appeal.
“What makes us different is the fact that our key people are architects who have left architecture and come to the construction side. We are not an architectural firm, but we reap the benefits of knowing all about that discipline.”
The influence of an architecture background results in a better understanding of construction projects from start to finish. It allows the team to work closer with outside architecture firms and clients to develop uniquely beautiful designs expressed in quality materials within sensible budgets.
“We treasure the fact that our clients really appreciate high-quality work,” says Heyen. “They are definitely looking for good value and a fair price, but quality is also a very high priority and we have a reputation for delivering all of it.”
Pearce Construction President and CEO Darin Heyen (left), Founder Don Pearce (center), and Chief Operating Officer Ryan Warman (right)
Collaboration is a priority and a superpower. Heyen says there’s a passion at Pearce for the great things that come from effectively drawing on collective skills and strengths. “If we’re going to build for a restaurant, for example, we want to get a restaurant architect involved with the owner, along with us bringing our restaurant experience to the table. Then we’ll all work together to design, budget, schedule, and construct something fantastic.”
Collaboration not only boosts thinking and creativity, but Heyen says it also ensures valuable efficiencies and cuts the risk of surprises as the project unfolds.
“A lot of cost issues are happening during the initial design phases of a project. So when you have a contractor like us involved upfront, it’s much easier to budget everything. Historically in the industry, many construction projects haven’t involved a contractor until after the design phase is complete. That often leads to big cost surprises on the back end of the project or a tendency to resort to lower-quality materials. Everything works so much smoother when the architect, the owner, and the contractor work together from day one.”
“This is where our architectural understanding really comes into play,” adds Warman. “We, as architects, understand where the project architect and the owner want to go with the vision. Therefore we’re able to ensure a more collaborative process and bring all of that through the construction portion of the project.”
Initial phase of Village Presbyterian Church in 2015. Photo courtesy of Pearce Construction.
You will typically find Pearce on a list of the biggest general contractors in the Kansas City area, but they’re not looking to climb that list. Rather than focusing on volume, they’re more about refining craftsmanship and strengthening bonds with others who share their values. “We get a lot of business based on referrals from other clients,” says Heyen. “We attract the people and the projects that allow us to do our best work.”
Neighborhood Building Blocks
When you listen to Heyen talk about Martin City, you sense a deep understanding. He’s seen a lot over the years and sounds like a neighborhood historian. “Jack Stack Barbecue, Jess & Jim’s Steakhouse and RC’s Restaurant really anchored everything for a long time. Then Martin City Brewing Company moved in and drew even more visitors. Steaks, Mexican food, fried chicken, craft beer — I mean you can have it all here! Suburban Lawn and Garden is another one that’s been here for a long time too. I remember when they moved across the street to their current location.”
Suburban Lawn & Garden Center on the north side of 135th Street
Heyen is excited about the upcoming Holmes Road improvements. He’s impressed by how many businesses have invested along Holmes in Martin City despite the crumbling road conditions. “Just look at what’s happened over there. Volleyball Beach, P.S. Coffee & Drive-Thru, Cyderes and all the others. There’s so much going on.”
Pearce Construction pitched-in directly to transform a business on Holmes Road in 2020. They played a key role in the ambitious remodel of Jack Stack’s original location. The two Martin City businesses are longtime partners.
Pearce Construction helped Jack Stack complete a major renovation and addition project in Martin City
“We’ve done several smaller projects with Jack Stack over the years,” adds Warman. “A few years ago, we completed the parking lot over there which benefits Margarita’s – Martin City, too.”
Jack Stack Barbecue and Margarita’s shared parking lot
Heyen and Warman believe Martin City’s best years are yet to come. Heyen says Pearce Construction and its neighbors are starting to see the area’s unique style really shine. “It’s beginning to develop more of its own feel, like a Brookside or Prairie Village, as far as locally-owned restaurants and shops, for more of an intimate community feel than a big city.”
“It’s holding onto its small-town charm as it grows, which is what I think people really like about it,” says Warman. “The shops and restaurants are sort of like an old town main street feel versus big parking lots with buildings pushed way back. The area is very walkable. Our colleagues take walks over lunch to enjoy what the neighborhood has to offer.”
“Martin City is very social and friendly,” says Heyen with a smile. “The people here are good people and have a good time. It’s a great place to be and it’s going to get even better.”
Thank you Pearce Construction for investing in our community and believing in its possibilities! We’re so proud of the fact that one of the Kansas City area’s most prestigious construction companies calls Martin City home and enjoys the special way of life we all share.