TOP MIDSIZED EMPLOYER
Building the right balance TJ WIES CONTRACTING INC. Address • 200 TCW Court, Lake Saint Louis Website • tjwies.com Phone • 636-561-8555 Founded • 1994 Description • Commercial wall and ceiling contractor What employees say • “Everyone is always pulling in the same direction. It is a total team effort all of the time.” “Good pay, good foreman, always the best tools and safety gear.” “The company strives to be the best and I feel that pushes the employees to do the same.” “I have great faith in the owners and their management.” “I feel appreciated for the work and skills I bring to the company, and not just a number.”
Dennis Jordan Jr., left, of TJ Wies Contracting shares supplies with his son, Dennis Jordan III, as they insulate and hang drywall in patient rooms at the new SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital. ROBERT COHEN, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
TJ Wies Contracting credits happy employees with success BY TIM BRYANT
Special to the Post-Dispatch
T
he commercial wall and ceiling contracting company that Tim Wies started in his basement 25 years ago works now on many of the biggest construction projects in the St. Louis area. 18
Recent or continuing TJ Wies Contracting jobs include those at SSM Health St. Louis University Hospital, Centene Corp., the BJC HealthCare/Washington University Medical School Campus Renewal Project, the new museum at Gateway Arch National Park and Ballpark Village. In scope, those projects far surpass the company’s first contract: a $5,000 job to install drywall at an office building in Creve Coeur. Wies said that key to his company’s success is keeping employees happy. His practice is to hire good people, instruct them on their job expectations “then get out of their way,” he said.
TOP WORKPLACES • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • 06.23.19
“We try not to micromanage folks,” Wies said. “Nobody says you can’t have fun at work, too.” As a result, TJ Wies Contracting, based in Lake Saint Louis, took first place among midsize employers in this year’s Top Workplaces survey. Company employees, the survey showed, are more confident in their workplace than a benchmark of other employees of midsize nonprofit, human and social services agencies. The company motto is “Work Safe, Work Hard, Have Fun.” The employee headcount is about 380. Annual employee events include a golf tour-
nament, a grill cook-off competition and a Cardinals home opener watch party. Employee comments compiled by Energage include praise for the company promoting a balance between work and family time. Some employees said they appreciate the company’s emphasis on workplace safety. One worker commented: “Everyone is always pulling in the same direction. It is a total team effort all the time.” Wies said that satisfied employees are more productive. TJ Wies specializes in metal stud framing, drywall, insulation, acoustical ceilings, plaster, exterior finish systems, fireproofing, stltoday.com