From Home to Commercial Building
Second Generation Frost Construction Co.
The real estate business is a lucrative one. Sure, it’s filled with ups and downs, but it’s one of the few industries that will never go out of style. People need homes. Businesses need storefronts. Industries need factories.
So in 2006 when Patrick Johnson—who has been in real estate since 1982—decided to jump into commercial construction by starting Questar Construction LLP (Questar), many were left scratching their heads. Sure, new buildings and roads need to be built, but not nearly as often as people looked for new homes.
Questar is a full-service, family-owned construction company located in Conroe, Texas, about 40 miles north of Houston. Its services include construction management, design-build and general contracting. The idea to launch the business started with Patrick’s foresight of the 2008 housing market crash. “The Johnson family initially began in residential subdivision development, but soon expanded into commercial construction and real estate development. It’s been quite a ride,” says Ron Riley, Sales Director at Questar.
The company has completed numerous projects in the Greater Houston area, handling various project types, including wood-frame buildings, shopping centers, tenant improvement, commercial build-out and design, and metal and steel buildings. It particularly has made its mark in the commercial construction market.
Patrick was previously the General Manager of Westwick Builders LLP, a residential home building company established 35 years ago by his family. He created Questar in part to extend his family’s footprint in the commercial construction industry. His youngest son, Cameron Johnson, joined the business in 2015 after graduating from Sam Houston State University. Cameron serves as Questar’s Construction Superintendent, and represents the fourth generation of Johnsons working in building and construction.
Boots on the Ground
Every business has an interesting angle, something that makes it special—and Questar is a horse of a different color. “Questar’s culture, relationships, and hands-on approach is really different in a lot of ways,” says Riley. “Not only are we family-owned and operated, but the owner is deeply involved in every project. We aren’t one of those ‘owner sits in his office and doesn’t go out to the field’ types of companies. He cares about every project and has incredibly high standards—and that’s a great thing.”
It’s great, Riley asserts, because the high-level, hands-on approach imbues the entire business with a consistent message of integrity and commitment to employees and customers. “One of the things that stands out about our company is that it’s a great place to work,” adds Riley. “I think it’s because we are able to communicate directly to anyone, including the owner. We have an open-door policy that gives us the freedom to address interoffice concerns directly and efficiently. This awesome environment and communication style flows through to our customers and is evident in our quality management and on-the-job workmanship.”
Management is at the center of the business. “Our team members—from administration to field staff to our owner—are held to high standards in technical knowledge and creativity,” says Riley. “We are all expected to anticipate challenges, develop creative solutions, find potential engineering opportunities, avoid delays and eliminate budget issues. And we all are empowered to make changes to maximize efficiencies on the project site. It’s why we’re able to be productive.”
Sliding into Business
Though it’s only been around for a little over a decade, Questar has already made a name for itself with its ability to handle complex project types with demanding schedules. One recent example involved a whole host of buildings at the Texas Typhoon Waterpark in Katy, Texas. The 25-acre park has 1.3 miles of slides and a 25,000-square-foot wave pool.
“While it was great to be on site and see other folks working on the slides and pools, we primarily focused on the other, more practical buildings,” says Riley. “But I have to admit that even the complicated buildings were fun, too!” Questar was chosen because of its expertise in building metal-framed structures, including metal building erection, light gauge framing and interior build-outs, and finish work—all of which were completed on this project.
Working in strategic alliance with Kingham Dalton Wilson Ltd., a full-service commercial and industrial construction company headquartered in Houston, the project team oversaw the construction of a 10,000-square-foot administration building, two large, high- capacity restaurants, six multi-stall bathrooms, and high-end locker room facilities. “Managing this project was extremely challenging. We simultaneously worked on multiple structures, which were substantially different from each other and had different vendors and subcontractors. Given the varied building considerations, as well as the hectic schedules, it was a very strenuous project,” says Riley. “But it was fun to work on a waterpark, and the team was incredible.”
Heart for Community
Questar has an illustrious client list, which includes the Montgomery County Attorney General, the San Jacinto River Authority, Post Oak Bank, the U.S. Post Office and Goodwill Industries. But what stands out most for this firm is not the number of completed projects. Rather, it’s the impact of the projects that is
most important.
Take this recent example. New Danville is a master planned, self-sustaining, integrated community that gives adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities a place to live, learn, work and grow. New Danville is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable and educational organization that provides affordable housing, employment training and life skills, and other daytime rehabilitation programs.
The idea for New Danville originated with the mother of a high-functioning young adult who had a strong desire to live independently but, due to a cognitive impairment, still required some assistance. It was through this young man’s desire to live a fuller life that the concept of a safe and caring environment encouraging independence and growth was born.
When the New Danville administrators called in 2014 about building a new schoolhouse, Questar jumped at the opportunity to do the job. The new schoolhouse was completed under budget and on time. “Ultimately, it was a project that we were very proud to work on. Personally, it reinforced my commitment to doing projects that are meaningful to the community, not just our wallets,” says Riley.
It took nine months to build the New Danville Schoolhouse. From planning and design through construction, the project came together quickly. The slab was poured, the structure rose and systems were put in place. “I have to admit it became one of my pet projects–I loved spending time there,” adds Riley.
Maybe it’s the open lines of communication between the staff, or perhaps it’s management’s commitment to work on meaningful projects in the community. Whatever the reason may be, there is certainly something exceptional about Questar’s team-oriented practices. “Providing quality service to our customers is the driving force behind our company,” concludes Riley.