Wall-tech has been providing exterior painting, interior painting, metal stud framing, drywall, taping, finishing, EIFS, stucco, plaster, sandblasting, firestopping and fireproofing services since 1984. After CEO Pete Braun led a buyout of his company from its other shareholders in 2013, he saw the opportunity to create a more employee-focused culture for his business.
Agape (pronounced ah-ga-pe) Construction Company, a Christian family owned business, is a design and build firm that focuses on residential projects in the St. Louis, MO, area. Founded in 1985 by Kevin O’Brien in the basement of his home as a one-man show, the company grew to 30 employees (including the addition of his wife Amy in 2004) before paring back to 15 employees as a way to survive the Great Recession of 2008, which claimed many similar companies across the country.
Anthony Wilder Design/Build Inc., a $7-million home remodeler based near Washington, D.C., provides high-end architectural design and construction services. The firm launched The Great Game in 2006, after six years of practicing its own version of open-book management. Managers read Jack Stack’s book The Great Game of Business and attended an event to hear Stack speak. “It was a forehead-slapping moment,” recalls General Manager Mark VanDeWege. “The Game gave us a proven, standardized format to capture and covey our company information.”
