LEADERSHIP CORNER
Group 70 president learned leadership in military
Interviewed by Debbie Sokei
Advertiser Staff Writer
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Title: President and chief operating officer
Age: 56
Organization: Group 70 International Inc., a Honolulu-based architecture firm specializing in planning, interior design and diagnostic services.
High School: Farrington
College: University of Hawai'i-Manoa
Breakthrough job: "A significant project that I can say I had a heavy hand in in terms of steering the direction of the project was the $8 million renovation of the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies at Fort DeRussy. It was the old Kalani Reserve Center."
Little-known fact: "I like to spend time gardening on the weekend. It's good mental therapy and an opportunity for me to think about things."
Major challenge: "To make sure the firm is running efficiently and is profitable. Also, to make sure our employees are growing and learning."
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Q. How do you make sure the company is profitable and your employees are growing?
A. At least twice a month, management will review all the contracts. We also have a lot of in-house education seminars where we will bring in a product representative or someone to talk about architecture. We also have a design review every month where we look at our projects. The whole office is invited, and the employees can make comments or criticize the projects if they want to. What we try to do is have a lot of in-house communication. Every week we have a staff meeting to keep everyone updated on projects that we are working on and the projects we are marketing for.
Q. What does that do for the employees? Does it boost morale in the company?
A. I'd like to think that it gives them a sense that they are able to participate in company decisions and they help move the company forward. The decision making is not only done by senior management. It's done by everyone. We found that to be very fruitful.
Q. How do you motivate your 72 employees?
A. A lot of motivation or creativity starts with the employee. When we hire someone we make sure they have some basis of creativity. We motivate the employees by getting them involved in some of our design review sessions where we discuss and critique projects with the staff.
Q. As president of Group 70, what is your main role?
A. To design the vision and strategy for the company and maintain the current operations and efficiency of the projects.
Q. What are some of the major projects Group 70 is working on now?
A. Right now we are working on both campuses for Kamehameha Schools. One is on Maui and the other one is on the Big Island. We are also working on the Maui Marriott time-shares and working with Actus Lend Lease, the developer that won the contract for the Army and Air Force housing projects.
Q. As a retired U.S. Army Reserve colonel, did your military background help Group 70 and Actus win the military housing contracts?
A. There are many factors to Actus winning the contracts. Primarily, Actus won it on the company's strength. We assisted in the proposal documents. We came up with the conceptual plans for the community, and neighborhood plans and the designs for some of the facilities. My military knowledge helped my design team put together a project that fits the Army's needs. I would say that was my role and my contribution to the project. The design portion was a small part of a combination of many things that won the project.
Q. What was your experience in the military?
A. I entered the military as an enlisted person. Went to officer candidate school. Received my commission in 1970 and I did a tour in Vietnam as a tour adviser. I have been with the Reserves from 1980 until I retired in 2002.
Q. Do you apply what you've learned in the military in the way you run the company?
A. I'd like to think so. One of the important things I learned about leadership while I was in the military is, you need to make sure there's a vision for the company and a strategy to achieve that vision. In the military every commander has to have a vision for his unit. That is important. That is something that we are conscious about here. If our clients don't have a vision for their projects, we help them create one.
Q. How did Group 70 end up forming a partnership with Actus Lend Leasing?
A. I remember receiving a call from Actus when they were interested in the Ford Island development project, but they didn't go ahead with the proposal. When the military housing project came up, they contacted us. Since then, we have been working with them as the design consultants for the project.
Q. Your company is probably very busy now after winning the military contracts. Do you plan to expand the company and hire more employees? What is the salary for a new hire?
A. Yes, we are planning on expanding. But it's not only the housing projects that's pushing us into expansion mode. It's also because of the other projects we are currently working on. We plan to hire about three to four people as project architects or designers. The starting salary for someone right out of college is about $26,000.
Q. What are some of the other projects?
A. We're working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Right now we are looking at designing an emergency operations center for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Q. In your opinion, what is lacking in the design of buildings in Hawai'i?
A. That's a real sensitive question. There has been a lot of discussion on the Hawaiian sense of place or kama'aina architecture, which is a combination of eastern design and Asian influence. That concept includes a lot of open spaces and gardens adjacent to the interior space. We also would like to see a mixture of kama'aina architecture with a modern design and style. The Ward Entertainment Center is an example of that.
Q. How do you win contracts from your competition?
A. A lot of it is based on relationships with our clients or future clients. We try to gain their confidence and provide them with our best services.
Q. Group 70 has an interesting business practice of rotating the president's position every five years. What's the purpose of doing that?
A. It's to give other people the opportunity to lead the firm. When you rotate the position you end up with fresh ideas.
