Ladue School District kicks off $126 million building program

S. M. Wilson & Co. has officially broken ground on Ladue School District’s Future-Ready Schools building program in St. Louis, Mo.

S. M. Wilson is serving as the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) for the district’s $126M Proposition L bond referendum, passed by the community in April. Projects include renovations and additions to Ladue Middle School, Old Bonhomme Elementary School and Spoede Elementary School.

On June 16, students, parents, staff, board members and residents from the local community came out to celebrate three separate groundbreaking ceremonies to mark the beginning of construction.

“We are excited to celebrate these milestones with our community because that’s who this is about: our community,” said Ladue School District superintendent, Dr. Jim Wipke. “This is a significant step toward providing the future-ready schools that all of our students deserve and sharing our gratitude with a community that invests in the education of its children.”

S. M. Wilson has been working with Ladue Schools for 13 years, serving as the Construction Manager for four building programs. Previous projects include construction of the district’s Early Childhood Learning Center, renovations and additions at Ladue Middle School, Reed Elementary School, Conway Elementary School and Old Bonhomme Elementary School. Most recently, S. M. Wilson completed the $67M renovation and addition to Ladue Horton Watkins High School.

“We are honored to work with Ladue School District once again. Our goal is to deliver beautiful schools for the students, staff and community to support the District’s mission: ‘Together, we will empower every student to become a passionate learner and achieve his or her highest potential,” said S. M. Wilson project director, Mike Hanner.

Ittner Architects and Perkins+Will are the project architects. Construction is set to be complete by the end of 2023.

S.M. Wilson breaks ground on Winfield Middle School

Construction has officially begun on Winfield R-IV School District’s $16 million building program in Winfield, Mo.

The project includes a new 50,000-SF middle school, a new Vo-ag building and football locker room addition at the existing high school, and minor renovations at the existing middle school, which is being converted into a primary school building.

S. M. Wilson & Co. is serving as the construction manager at risk (CMAR) for the district projects, which passed in a 2020 no-tax-increase bond issue, while incite Design Studio (iDS) is serving as the project architect.

"We have been working with the school board, superintendent, Daniel Williams, and his team for a few years now and we are very proud of the projects we are delivering for the district. Daniel and his team have been incredible to work with throughout the process, as every effort they have put forth has been absolutely student-focused. The phrase ‘what works best for the students’ is what we heard time and time again,” said Mike Hilmes, office director for the St. Louis iDS office.

Since Missouri adopted the CMAR delivery method in 2016, S. M. Wilson has created a strong portfolio of CMAR K-12 building programs for several districts, including Ladue School District, Hallsville R-IV School District and Francis Howell School District.

The Winfield R-IV School District construction will be complete by the start of the 2022 school year.

“We look forward to seeing these projects being brought to life, knowing that they will be making a huge positive impact on the students’ academic future,” Hilmes said.

S.M. Wilson CEO to retire in April

Scott Wilson, CEO of S. M. Wilson & Co., plans to retire in April after dedicating 37 years with his family-founded construction firm.

In 1990, Wilson was named president, succeeding his father. Under Wilson’s leadership, S. M. Wilson’s revenue, profitability and repeat client portfolio hit new heights as the firm became primarily a construction manager.

In 2012, Wilson became CEO and Amy Berg was named president. 

Wilson’s announcement is part of a multi-year succession plan and coincides with the company’s 100th anniversary. S. M. Wilson & Co. was founded by Wilson’s grandfather in 1921; in 2014 the firm became 100% employee-owned. 

“Together we have built upon my grandfather’s legacy. S. M. Wilson is stronger, more strategic, and well aligned for the future. S. M. Wilson is entering its 100th year of business with a strong strategic plan and leadership team with a vision for the next 100 years,” said Wilson.

In 2017 Mark Cochran was named the chief operating officer. Berg and Cochran will be leading the firm in conjunction with six additional executive committee members: Mike Dohle, chief financial officer; Mike Mangiore, controller; Steve Meeks, vice president of pre-construction and estimating; Amanda Bohnert, chief marketing officer; Rebecca Cornatzer, chief human resources officer and Jack Kinamore, project director.

“Scott’s leadership has given us a solid foundation and we are grateful for his guidance. Scott has set S. M. Wilson up for success. We are poised for the next chapter of strategic growth fulfilling our mission to go ‘Beyond the Build’ and provide ‘Amazing Client Experiences’,” said Berg.

Wilson will remain a member of S. M. Wilson’s Board of Directors.

S. M. Wilson is a full-service construction management, design/build and general contracting firm with headquarters in St. Louis. Founded in 1921, S. M. Wilson is dedicated to going above and beyond expectations for their clients by putting people first. The 100% employee-owned company is one of the leading construction management firms in the Midwest. For more information, visit www.smwilson.com.