LSEDC investors team up on 'cool' project

Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council investors A.L. Huber and Alpha Omega Geotech are joining forces on a 26,000-SF expansion at County Beverage Company on Bailey Rd. in Lee’s Summit, Mo.

County Beverage Company distributes products for Anheuser Busch, Corona, KC Bier Co., New Belgium, Deschutes, O’Fallon Brewery and Abita Brewing. The company also distributes several non-alcoholic beverages, including Biosteel and Celsius energy drinks.

The beverage company's territory stretches eastern Jackson County and includes both Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums.

Two local family owners - the Pizzichinos and the Whites - purchased County Beverage Company in 1970. At the time, the company was located in Raytown, Mo.

In 1998, the owners moved County Beverage Company to Lee’s Summit, positioning the company near dead-center of its territory.

“We like doing business in Lee’s Summit and obviously, we’ve seen a lot of growth,” said Mike Pizzichino.

Since its move to Lee’s Summit, the company has made six additions to its facilities. In September 2019, it was apparent the company would need more space due to an increase in new products. According to Pizzichino, County Beverage Company now sees an average of 30 new products a month.

Pizzichino reached out to vice president of A.L. Huber, Keith Dorrian, who attended Archbishop O' Hara High School with him. When his former classmate contacted him about a project in Lee’s Summit, Dorrian was quick to jump on board.

“I’m a resident of Lee’s Summit. I’m always excited when we get the opportunity to build projects for local businesses in my community,” said Dorrian.

Like many projects, there was an interruption with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the team was able to resume the design and pre-construction phase in May 2020.

By September 2020, construction had begun.

Dorrian said A.L. Huber’s experience with cold storage for other beverage wholesalers in the area helped his team streamline the process and get to the building process sooner. Managing a construction team during a global pandemic, though, was not as easy.

“We had to constantly update our safety protocol guidelines to align with the updates that we were receiving from the CDC and OSHA to keep our field crew safe,” said Dorrian.

Pizzichino agreed, adding that the pandemic shifted volume that typically went to bars and restaurants to take-home products.

“I’ve been working here 25 years and it’s been by far one of the hardest years. Everything is just harder,” said Pizzichino.

The pandemic also affected the supply chain, slowing down some of the supply procurement for construction. But Dorrian said so far, the company has not experienced any delays that were severe enough to affect its timeline.

Prior to construction, A.L. Huber contracted with Alpha and Omega Geotech to conduct a soil investigation and geotech report. It is now working with the team to provide material testing.

“We’ve partnered together on many successful projects,” said Dorrian said of Alpha Omega. “They’re a great partner and always provide great service to the project team and our mutual clients.”

Dorrian also worked closely with the City of Lee’s Summit’s development services department. He said his project manager, Mike Weisenborn, and plans examiner, Joe Frogge, were always responsive and attentive when he needed them whether it be during the permit process or construction.

“They’re very pro-development in Lee’s Summit and I think that starts at the top. You definitely feel that when you walk into their office,” Dorrian said. “Just a great experience all the way around.”

As for Pizzichino, he said he has been impressed with the work conducted by both A.L. Huber and Alpha Omega Geotech.

The expansion is expected to be complete this month (April 2021) and will include 15,000 SF of cooler space, 11,000 SF of warehouse and storage space, as well as eight new loading docks.

A.L. Huber grows in scope and size

Coming off a record year in 2018, A.L. Huber is building on its longtime reputation for quality construction and positioning itself for growth in additional market niches such as healthcare, industrial, and information technology.

 “We are a 116-year old company and in a successful time of transition,” said A.L. Huber President Phil Thomas who assumed majority ownership of the company in 2015. “It’s been a great 3 ½ years. Along with my ownership, we have four additional owners as well. Our future is very exciting.”

 A.L. Huber’s revenue topped $83 million in 2018, up more than 70 percent from $48 million in 2017. Thomas says the growth is largely due to the firm’s strong preconstruction team, which has tripled over the past five years and has helped transform A.L. Huber’s business model.

“A lot of times, people think because we are doing preconstruction work that our pipeline is two years out, but we actually can build 6-8 months down the road,” Thomas said. “We collaborate closely with owner and design team and move projects through the design phase quickly. We know that if we can get the budget and schedule to the owner early, that means we don’t have hiccups when submitting for permits and don’t end up over-budget.”

In the technology market, A.L. Huber recently completed Fishtech Group’s new Cyber Security Operations Center in Martin City as well as Sprint’s new 5G Experience project. The firm reinforced its industrial division in 2018, completing a 315,000-square foot manufacturing facility for Aspen Products in Kansas City and a 255,000-square foot distribution center for TVH in Olathe. On the healthcare front, A.L. Huber is expanding geographically – currently completing construction of a hospital addition in Fall Rivers, S.D..

A.L. Huber’s founding family, the Huber’s, remain partners and very active in the storied construction firm, with Augie Huber serving as CEO. Thomas and Senior Vice President Keith Dorrian guide the firm’s day-to-day operations.

“One of the unique things about our story is that my only job has been at A.L. Huber, and Keith’s only job as been at A.L. Huber. I started here 35 years ago and Keith 23 years ago, so try to drive best practices from everyone we meet—including our peers,” Thomas explained.

With more than 100 years as a family-run business, A.L. Huber prides itself on low turnover. Once they start, employees typically stay with the firm for the remainder of their career.

“It’s still a family culture here, and we truly work hard at finding the best people and then we work hard at keeping them together.”