Development is all around us either in the home where we sleep at night, the building we work in, or the newest project in downtown Olympia. How those structures are built depends a lot on who is at the helm. In Thurston County, we have construction choices – from long-time family names to newer companies just putting their stamp on the market.
“We have the experience, training and collective brainpower to differentiate ourselves in the market in terms of how projects are delivered,” says Ryan Clintworth, business partner with Thomas Baxter and Greg Mauerman in Big Rock Construction.
“We want clients, customers, and the people we are building stuff for, to understand this. There is an alternative. There’s new technology in the market and when I talk technology, I’m not talking about software programs. I’m talking about team building and delivery methods,” Ryan says as we explore one of their most recent projects in Lacey.
The old state buildings near Huntamer Park, on Woodland Park Loop, are getting a complete facelift and Big Rock Construction is at the forefront. Walking around the space, I am immediately impressed. “We’re really proud to have been the contractor behind a hallmark space like this in town so people can get to know our work,” Thomas says.
The Hub at Lacey includes an upscale patio area for Ricardo’s Restaurant, complete with an outdoor fireplace, music, glass awning, unique lighting, and a reflection pond. “Getting Ricardo’s, an anchor tenant, in here was a big deal for the overall development. MJR wanted a tenant that was going to bring people through all the time, and we knew we wanted to be a part of it. The developer actually sought them out,” Thomas recalls. The reclaimed wood, various textures, and modern features used in the event space and dining areas show that thought went into this project.
Thomas tells me the company was originally founded by his stepfather in 1989. After serving in the military, Thomas says he was not sure what he wanted to do with his career. It was 2008, and he had just started working on a pretty substantial job with his stepfather who was near retirement, but the company wasn’t really growing. “As we finished with that job he asked me if I wanted to run the business and be an owner eventually. And now here we are,” says Thomas.
In these past eight years Big Rock Construction has grown from one bookkeeper to seven full-time office people and more than forty employees in the field. “The guys we have working with us are just so wonderful. We hired a couple key people that brought all their people with them. I feel like we’re hanging on to some of the best construction talent in this area.”
Another key component to their success was hiring Ryan three years ago as a Project Development Manager. Thomas and Ryan were introduced at an Olympia Rotary meeting. Ryan says he’s always had a strong passion for construction and development and has worked in the industry in many different forms since graduating Olympia High School in 1998. “Urban land and the built environment has been my passion since I ever knew that you needed to work. For me, this is exactly where I wanted to be. I just love being a part of the industry.”
Between Thomas’s hands-on construction background and Ryan’s business skills, this young duo is making a name for themselves in our community. And their satisfied customers speak volumes as to the work they do. Ricardo’s Restaurant owner Rick Nelson says he would recommend the pair for other jobs. “They brought a cool creative side. They were able to take my vision and extract it out and make it happen,” says Rick.
Thomas couldn’t be happier with that response. “It’s so humbling when you do a good job for someone in construction,” he says. “That’s not what people expect. They expect to be dissatisfied, so when you are the contractor and your client is just glowing, it’s an amazing feeling.”
Next on the horizon is a development opportunity near South Puget Sound Community College. Ryan and Thomas say they are in the planning stages on a four-story, 100,000 square foot building, focused on student housing. Thomas adds, “The way we have set up the infrastructure of our business, we can take on very large projects, but with a very lean management style, so our costs are just less.” Also in the works for Big Rock Construction is a downtown collaboration between public and private entities to remodel the old Griswolds office building. This space has sat vacant since a fire in 2004.
Whether it’s remodeling old buildings or creating something brand new, Thomas Baxter and Ryan Clintworth have their eyes on the future with the sky as the limit. “We are young and fresh with innovative ideas. It’s important to us to differentiate our value proposition from other construction companies. We are building and we are building to modern day twenty first century standards,” Ryan says.
“I really feel the positivity of our business. I really feel like people are engaged on a whole different level. We’re actually making a positive impact on the construction industry with these great customer experiences,” adds Thomas.
You can find Big Rock Construction on the web and Facebook.
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