By Susan Caba
Tim McGowan grew up, mostly, in Wallingford, Conn., where his father worked for Emerson Electric. “Every couple of kids (there are 10), my father would nominate himself for a promotion and move,” says McGowan. The final promotion came down to a choice between Tennessee and St. Louis; the elder McGowan took the family to Tennessee.
Nonetheless, several McGowans landed here and put down roots. Not the least of those is McGowan Brothers Development Corp., which owns 500,000 square feet of mixed-use retail, commercial and residential properties.
“When our mother died in 1994, there were 10 children in nine states. We decided to consolidate,” says McGowan, who was then in the commercial property insurance business.
He and two brothers relocated in 1997 and, by 1998, had bought their first building in what is now the Washington Avenue loft district. More of the family have since relocated, some joining the business. In the past decade, the development company took a lead role in recreating the area as a vibrant residential hub with all the requisite amenities.
What is the most creative aspect of your work?
The majority of what we do is on a two-block area of Washington Ave. When we did our first development, we touted a cool, hip lifestyle. At the time, there wasn’t anything cool or hip about the place.
A by-product of our success is pride that our buildings contribute to building a better
St. Louis and a better region. We contribute ideas and resources to improve the area—we take pride in the ability to change the landscape of a fairly major city in the United States.
So when you look at creativity and what drives the creativity, it’s really what fills the need of the area.
What motivates or inspires you?
We have a strange business model. When we approach a new tenant, we’re not just looking at what we need in terms of filling a vacancy. Our focus is to complement the area and really help it grow and sustain its position.
We thought there should be a nice restaurant and we brought in the Lucas Park Grill. We needed a more moderately priced restaurant and we created Flannery’s Sports Bar.
We had no desire to be a gym operator and zero desire to operate a hair salon. But we were courting Gold’s Gym hard to come to one of our vacant buildings. We analyzed what we were willing to offer Gold’s and then asked, “Why wouldn’t we be willing to offer ourselves the same deal?” We thought the risk was worth the reward.
We were looking at doing something like a Super Clips. We know there’s a need, because we’re here seven days a week. It gives us an immediate tenant and fills a vacant space, but it also fills a void in service and complements the area. That’s a positive for us. A profit from the business end is just an added bonus.
How do you use devices and electronics —Blackberries, cell phones, iPods—to manage work flow? Are they, on balance, more often a tool or a hindrance?
I’ve just broken down to where I’ve gotten e-mail on my phone. I tended to have a greater need for phone usage, rather than e-mail. I’ve just recently switched to using e-mail (because) more and more people communicate that way.
What is the most distracting element
of your workday/workweek?
How do you manage it?
It’s difficult to walk down the street and not be engaged in conversation with a tenant, a friend or a prospective tenant. They don’t always understand that I may be on a short time frame, maybe crossing the street for a meeting. The ability to balance that is challenging.
You really never get away from work. That carries a certain weight. We would eat at one of our restaurants four or five times a week. It’s very difficult to enjoy down time with your family, when you’re wondering why someone hasn’t answered the phone after two rings or why something isn’t as clean as you think it should be.
I would tell you that since I’ve moved (to Hampton Park), it’s removed a lot of the pressures of those distractions. I’m not as harsh on restaurants that we don’t own.
What’s the most efficient or productive time of day for you?
Anywhere from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Usually, the phones and faxes and e-mails don’t start accumulating until after that and I’m able to address and put finality on the previous day’s events before starting the new day.
Do you work differently while traveling than in your office?
We travel probably four times a year for various conventions. You tend to get to meet local folks outside your fishpond and that’s very helpful.
What are some of your rules for success?
Always trust your instincts. Rarely are they wrong.
Pursue something that meets your own personal needs. You really don’t want to embark on a career you aren’t suited for.
The golden rule goes a long way. We really do try to fulfill what we say we’re going to do.
You come from a family of 10 siblings. Did that prepare you for working together?
I wouldn’t suggest that we run a very tight organization. We kind of govern by consensus. We don’t have very many formalities for what we do. We’re very pro-active in the beginning and then reactive as time goes by. We don’t have a whole lot of infrastructure in between.
If there is one thing you would like to
do differently in the average workday,
what is it?
I’ve got it pretty good. I try to keep a nice balance of work and family life, both with my wife and brothers. We don’t take ourselves too seriously around here. I enjoy my job, I enjoy my family, I have no complaints. |
