About Us

When I first became President and Owner of Paladin my goal was simple: stability for our clients and for ourselves. It didn’t take me long to figure out that the status quo is exactly the opposite of what the built environment actually needs. As a crowd of people takes part in the process of designing, building, and maintaining a facility, inertia can slow design and building nearly to a halt. So, I challenged our team to see things through a different lens – the viewpoint of the Owner. Together, we considered their opportunities and challenges including budget, staffing, logistics and even public relations. Viewed through that lens, sensible strategies for the logistics of design, construction and operations become clear.

We also adopted new language because we realized that the goals for our buildings should go beyond mere dimensions. When asked to describe a project, people traditionally follow the “It’s 40,000 sq. ft. of Class A Office…” structure. However, we ask, is that really all it is? We began to press for building descriptions rooted in purpose, like: “This building can lead the revitalization of downtown so new businesses will follow our lead, providing jobs for families who will raise their children in our community.” “We’re working to improve educational attainment for all children.” “We’ll be providing quality meals at affordable prices to hungry people in an enjoyable environment.” “We’re ensuring the safety and security of our citizens.”

This language is more than political speech writing-it articulates a big goal that can focus the team and guide decisions throughout design, construction, and operations.  As we change the game and redefine the finish line for the project, the first-day ribbon cutting is merely a milestone on the way to the real finish line: achievement of the stated “big goal.”

David and I have a shared vision for this type of thinking at Paladin and it shows in how we operate our business and in the people we hire to be Game Changers with us. It’s the very foundation of our company.

We believe in big goal thinking because we’ve seen it consistently change the trajectory of projects and our built environment.