For decades, Chester Inc. has helped shape the landscape of Northern Indiana by working with countless business owners and developers to design, build, and finance their dream buildings. From restaurants and apartment buildings to steel fabricators and office complexes - Chester has worked on them all.
At the heart of Chester’s success is the company’s design/build process, where its team of in-house architects and project managers work with clients to design and build projects from the ground up. Chester is a one-stop shop and a single point of contact. If you are signed on with Chester, its team handles everything – from drawing up blueprints to getting your parking lot paved.
“When you’re working with us as an owner, you’re able to work with the designers and the build team side-by-side,” said Jonathan Cossio, project manager at Chester. “We’re able to build for your needs, hear you out, and find out how to get you what you need within your budget. The process works out tremendously for the owner of the project.”
Project managers like Cossio are a core part of the design/build process. They oversee construction efforts, working to keep projects on schedule and Chester’s clients in the loop. The company’s one-stop shop philosophy also means they have easy and immediate access to the architectural team, which makes implementing any kind of design change monumentally easier and timelier.
“Compared to a traditional process, it’s a night and day difference. That connection with the architectural team is one of the best assets of design/build,” said Matthew Boicken, project manager at Chester. “If we find an issue in the field, instead of waiting days or even a week for an answer, we can get on the phone with our architects straight away. Communicating and solving problems is a lot more expedited since we’re all under one roof.”
Cossio explained that Chester’s team is built to handle client requests and unexpected design changes without missing a beat.
“I have the power to say, ‘The paint doesn’t look quite right on this brick,’ call the owner, and invite them out to the jobsite,” Cossio said. “If they see it and say, ‘Jonathan, you’re absolutely right, let’s go with a different color,’ I can get started on changing it right away. With another company, that’d be a big and expensive setback.”
Chester is also responsible for coordinating with subcontractors who handle construction elements such as electricity or plumbing as well as working with municipalities to meet the different rules and regulations that govern each community around the Region.
“One of the best parts of our approach is that we get to grow such strong relationships in the community,” Boicken said. “We get close with our business owners, subcontractors, and municipalities. All of those groups are important to the construction process, and the connections we’ve built make the entire process so much smoother. It helps us get our clients the result they want, which is the entire goal of design/build.”
Under design/build, project managers are involved with a new building from the very beginning – that makes the project personal to them.
“I look at each project like it’s my own home,” Cossio said. “I put myself in the owner’s shoes. I think things like, ‘Would this look right in my house?’ or ‘Would I be comfortable with this?’ It’s a perspective that you can only really tap into with design/build, and it’s key to our success.”
To learn more about Chester Inc. and to view some of the company’s portfolio, visit chesterinc.com.