By Debra Solomon Baker
More than anything else, Doug Sitton has taken pride in watching things in his life grow: his business, his sons, even the plants in his own backyard.
And as President of Sitton Consulting Group LLC, Sitton’s primary goal now is to watch his clients’ money grow and grow.
Sitton recognizes that the volatility of material prices make it difficult for companies to plan a construction project or to set an accurate budget. Therefore, projects often move far beyond budget and past their schedule. His job, as an independent advisor, is to minimize problems and, with that, to generate savings that can then fold back into the project.
“The challenge is that construction is the most complicated type of project that you can have to manage because so many things can go wrong and there are so many entities that need to work together,” he says. “But I like solving complex organizational problems and that’s what this is.”
With 27 years of diversified experience in the design and construction industry, Sitton has a strong background in project management and business management. For the past 16 years, he has worked for an ENR Top 100 Engineering, Architecture, Planning (EAP) firm, starting as a group manager, advancing to partner from 1997 to 2004, and ultimately assuming the role of senior vice president.
But with his deep interest in management, Sutton has always had an itch to start his own business. Now, eighteen months after its onset, Sitton has ten clients, primarily in the public sector, with a total construction value of more than $100 million. Many of these are still in the design stage. His goal is to save clients between five and ten percent off the cost of their projects.
Sitton recognizes tremendous potential for growth of his business, including the possibility of providing services via the Internet. For now, however, his focus remains on Missouri and Illinois, a fact that explains his deep involvement in those communities.
Sitton belongs to the Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA) of St. Louis as a board member, the Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois as a past president and current executive committee member, and the Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce as a past president.
“I like being part of organizations that are trying to improve the economy of the region and that are taking a look at how we work together on both sides of the river,” he says.
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE INSIGHTS
What one specific change would you
like to see in the metro area in 2009?
“In 2009, I would like to see families across our region regain the confidence and hope they may have lost while navigating recent economic downturns. In support of this, I believe that it is important for major St. Louis employers, like Schnucks, to do what we can to help ease their burdens, restore consumer confidence and fuel our region’s economic rebound.”
Scott Schnuck
chairman & CEO,
Schnuck Markets Inc.
“If I could make one change, it would be to meet the future civic leader who would make the bold and visionary commitment to relocate a major corporation to downtown St. Louis. The great cities around the world that I have visited, that have a dynamic business environment and that are attractive to young people, all have great urban centers. I can’t think of a great city that doesn’t have a great city center. St. Louis has the potential, it just needs broader commitment.”
Steve Smith
president,
Lawrence Group
“Being a St. Louis advocate of tourism, I would like to see a campaign that would attract outside traffic into the
St. Louis area for specific events. We have such a beautiful city to showcase, with attractions for every age group that we need to come together as a community and focus on some large scale events that would attract people to the St. Louis area for their travels.”
Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge
managing director-St. Louis,
American Airlines Inc.
For more information on the Leadership Circle, please contact Colin Stahlhut, vice president - membership services, (314) 444-1145 or cstahlhut@stlrcga.org.
|
