Talk about following in your father’s footsteps — David Zimmer has been selected as the International President of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR). He is just the second real estate professional from Kansas City to serve in this capacity. The other was his father, Hugh Zimmer, in 1979. Zimmer accepted the honor at the SIOR Fall World Conference this month in San Antonio, Texas.
“There is a sense of pride there,” said the younger Zimmer. “There have only been a few father-son tandems to hold this position in the past — I think only three or four before us — and we’re the only two from this area. Our family takes great pride in the work we do and the role real estate plays in the growth and evolution of the city in which we live, work and play. Serving the real estate industry, and the SIOR organization in particular, as president, not only provides me a great personal opportunity, but I can use this position to shine the spotlight on our city, our community of real estate professionals and the region as a whole.”
MetroWire talked with Zimmer at his downtown office about SIOR. “SIOR, it is recognition by the real estate community that you are considered to be the best of the best. And it’s a vote of your peers.” He said SIOR is one of the most prestigious and elite organizations in the commercial real estate industry with membership around the world. Membership is given only to those who achieve and maintain the highest business, ethical and performance standards in the country. He said there are about 2,600 active members around the world and that they are making a strong push to expand into Europe and, eventually, Asia. “The relationships you develop with people all over the country and the world, it’s a means and a mechanism to refer clients,” he said.
Zimmer has been involved in the commercial and industrial real estate development and brokerage business since 1979. He began his professional career with The Vantage Companies in Dallas and then returned to Kansas City in 1983 and began working with Zimmer. His primary duties include industrial and commercial real estate brokerage of properties owned and managed by Zimmer, as well as third-party clients. David became an active member of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors in 1990. He was President of the Western Missouri-Kansas Chapter of SIOR in 1998, and served as Regional Vice President of Region V of SIOR as well as on its National Board of Directors from 1999-2001.
Award-winning Straub Construction helped shape and build KC’s history
What do the largest municipal water park in Kansas (Salina’s Kenwood Cove Water Park, below), the renovation space in 909 Walnut (above), and a $29 million construction project for Goddard School District have in common? They are just a few of the projects entrusted to Straub Construction, an award-winning general contractor with 90 years of experience specializing in builder contractor services. Their resume includes new construction and renovation of multifamily, commercial, institutional, religious as well as historic renovation.
Straub’s list of accomplishments over the years is a long one — this is the fourth consecutive year they were named a top ten “Best Places to Work” by the Kansas City Business Journal. Straub was named a 2010 Top 10 Small Business — for the second time — by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. And this past summer, the Kansas Department of Commerce named Straub Construction the East Central Regional Business Excellence Award winner.
The Johnson County Parks and Recreation District’s new LEED indoor sports facility is being renovated by Straub. Other projects include Lee’s Summit Fire Station #2, Wichita New K-8 School, Basehor-Linwood Wellness Center/FEMA Shelter, Summit Grove Senior Apartments, Destiny Towers and Pemberton Park.
Three generations have led the family-owned business that for 90 years has helped transform Kansas City. Above, Straub Construction President Ernie Straub III and Vice President & COO Parker Young, Jr.
Award-winning Straub Construction’s outstanding reputation and performance as a general contractor exceeds industry standards and customer expectations. Loyalty to customers’ needs allows Straub’s team to deliver superior projects on-time and on-budget while forming solid relationships that today’s businesses demand. Straub has produced a strategic blend of general contracting, construction expertise, quality work, superior project management and trusted construction services that keep their clients coming back.
Straub is working on their fourth project for Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (KCUMB). The third one was the new construction of a state-of-the-art, 31,000-square-foot Weaver Auditorium. The $6.75 million project earned one regional and two national awards in 2009, including Project of the Year from the National Commercial Builders Council. Below, another Straub success: the Hyde Park Apartments historic renovation.
“Honesty, integrity, work ethic, respect and accountability — those are our core values,” said Straub. “We live them in everything we do, whether dealing with our customers, our vendors or each other,” he said. “In doing so, our values have helped position us for the future.”
The company’s core values have been standard from the company’s relatively modest beginnings in 1920. Over the years, Straub has grown into a major player in the local construction business. It has become one of the most trusted general contractors in the Kansas City area.
Through the decades, Straub’s projects have ranged from schools (Goddard’s new schools below), churches, historic renovations and mixed-use developments to hospitals, public developments and even aquatic centers. Multi-family housing has also long been a forte. This sort of diversification has been one of the company’s keys to success and has allowed it to adapt to the needs of the market while weathering the inevitable ups and downs of the economy. Today, Straub has maintained its quality team and financial strength, and is positioned to provide the best services to its partners.
