Construction products sales representative Maggie Amaya shows a customer samples of the many finish options offered by Minneapolis Contractors Choice-MCC.

Minneapolis Contractors Choice-MCC offers both custom and semi-custom millwork, including its own MCC brand of cabinets that are high-end, self-closing and made from solid wood.

It was only a matter of time before the concept of providing concierge-quality services traveled from hotels to health care organizations, and now, as shown by Minneapolis Contractors Choice-MCC, to the construction industry.

According to the company’s CEO, Leena Heiman, this Bloomington, Minnesota-based commercial and residential remodeler prides itself on asking good questions, listening thoughtfully, then drawing upon its unique blend of expertise and experience to provide “everything the client needs” with the single-source convenience and personalized attention offered by concierges at fine hotels.

Firsthand Experience

For example, MCC is currently working on two new-concept restaurant projects in the Twin Cities area. “These are locally owned businesses,” Leena says. “One is going to serve an international cuisine and the other is going to be a café.”

Leena knows the challenges restaurant owners face because she owned and operated her own dining establishment, Lina Luna, in the past. She says this firsthand experience is valuable when she makes recommendations about “which approach is best to make people feel welcome” and, if the project is a remodel, “how to refresh a place to attract new customers.

“The first thing I do is go and see the site,” Leena says. “It is important to know where a business is located and what they will be selling. For restaurants, I ask: ‘What kind of food will be served?’ so I know what kind of equipment will be needed. Then we review or set a budget and the schedule. Whatever they need, we can provide.” This includes everything from demolition and remodeling to the finishes, furnishings and equipment—even the tableware and serveware.

“We provide a turnkey solution for clients,” she explains. “I don’t think there are other companies that offer this. If they offer the construction, they have to get the products somewhere else.”

Complementary Backgrounds

Leena and her business partner and co-owner, George Peichel, have complementary backgrounds—ones that were ideal for co-founding MCC in 2016 as a company that goes beyond selling materials and equipment to offering design, installation and construction services.

“Being a partner with George is perfect because we both have a background in construction and I have experience in marketing and sales,” Leena says. “George was born in Minnesota and has lived and worked here his whole life. He also has a background in agriculture and is a successful financial consultant, so he handles this aspect of our business. Other people say that George is a gifted financial consultant who generates large profits for his clients and partners.”

In addition to owning her own businesses, Leena has worked in design, construction, real estate investment and development, marketing and sales for more than two decades. She has represented Fortune 500 companies, facilitated strategic alliances and identified and evaluated markets for companies in North America, South America, Central America, Europe and Asia.

In 2000, Leena moved from Colombia, South America, where she was born, to Miami, Florida, and became a U.S. citizen. While there, she continued to develop and build her real estate expertise. So, she has seen the real estate and construction industries from all perspectives: owner, investor, contractor, market analyst and sales professional.

Although their career paths have been different, Leena and George both started working in construction when they were teenagers. “Like me, George has always been creating something new,” Leena says. “For example, when he was in high school, he helped to build a park called Peichel’s Hill on his family’s farm outside of Fairfax, Minnesota. People still go to this park.”

Top Quality at a Good Price

MCC distinguishes itself by providing quality materials, equipment and services for a good price. “We keep our expenses low, and we pass the savings on to our clients,” Leena says. “The products we use are well-known, certified and have passed all required inspections. Our custom cabinetry is made in the U.S. and we also have imported semi-custom brands. Our own MCC brand of cabinets is high-end, self-closing and made from solid wood: maple, red and white oak, hickory, birch, cherry, ash or pine. None of our cabinets use particle board.”

Some of the familiar, trademarked brands that MCC sells and uses include: Amana, American Range, American Standard, Andersen Windows & Doors, Boss Office Products, Corian, DuPont, EMTEK, Fleurco, Formica, GE Appliances, Hooker Furniture, Kohler, Lazzaro Leather Furniture, Lenox Fine China and Giftware, Moen, Omega National Products, Pella Windows and Doors, Pfizer, Royal Building Products, TOTO, Viking, Warmup Electric Floor Heating and Bath Products, and Wilsonart.

In addition, MCC is certified as a Women- and Minority-owned Small Business Enterprise, an allied member of the Minnesota Restaurant Association (MRA), a U.S. Federal Contractor Registration-Verified Vendor, a member of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), and is Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corporation Verified.

What matters most to Leena, however, is that the products and construction techniques she recommends fit the precise requirements of the project at hand. “When you sit down with clients, you can’t just be thinking about selling,” she says. “You have to think about what they need most—how they live their lives, run their businesses. I always ask: ‘What is the most important for you: function or aesthetic?’ Our goal is to provide both. However, it’s important to know what the people you are working with value most.”

A recent comment by a client illustrates this point. “He told me he and his wife were sitting in the kitchen we had remodeled and thinking about how beautiful it was,” Leena says. “When they came here, they brought a design from another company that didn’t make sense. They have little children and the design put the cooktop in the island. How can you do that when you have children? They could burn themselves on the pans or cooking surfaces. So, I changed the design to make sure it would work better for their family and for when they entertain.”

"When you sit down with clients, you can’t just be thinking about selling. You have to think about what they need most—how they live their lives, run their businesses.” Leena Heiman, CEO, Minneapolis Contractors Choice-MCC

More Than a Paycheck

Leena is as committed to staff development as she is to fostering strong client relationships. She has seven full-time employees and plans to hire more as the firm grows. She also has a dedicated network of subcontractors and suppliers. “The most important thing for me is that employees care—that they are not just here for a paycheck. My vision for the future is for employees to be able to own shares. It’s important that they know we are going to grow together,” she says.

Omar Abdullahi, an installer for Minnesota Contractors Choice-MCC, says he appreciates Leena’s mentorship and the opportunity to learn on the job. Shortly after being hired, Omar joined the company’s team that was installing resilient flooring at a Walmart store in Fridley, Minnesota. Since properly applying the adhesive to the flooring material required a practiced hand, Leena says she got down on her hands and knees to demonstrate the technique that would yield the best results.

“Leena was there most of the time to help with anything that came up,” Omar says. “This is a good company.”

Eric Thomsen agrees. As a licensed finish and trim carpenter with 30 years of experience, he especially likes the “diversity of work” he can do for MCC. “With Leena, I get the chance to do demo work and remodeling, finish and trim work and custom millwork,” he says. “I’m able to completely use my skills.”

Compassion: a Company Value

Leena’s desire to help others extends into the communities where she lives and works. “I believe if you have a business and it is making money, you should give back,” she says. She is already investigating ways to support nonprofit organizations in Minnesota. Since she became a mother at a young age, she is especially interested in groups that help children.

“I had quadruplets, four sons, when I was 20 years old,” she says. Her fifth son was born eight years later. “People ask: ‘How did you do it?’ Of course, in Colombia I got a lot of help. Still, when I arrived home from the hospital, the first thing I did was pray for divine guidance. All my life I have been guided by my faith.”

In 1994, this faith led to her meeting Sister Valeriana García Martín, founder of Asociación Hogares Luz y Vida (Light and Life Foundation), based in Bogotá, Colombia. The organization was only a year old at that time. “I have always had the desire to give back to my community,” Leena says. “This is something I taught my children, too. When I lived in Bogotá, I went to this very poor place where I met Sister Valeriana. She was from Spain and had left her community to care for children who were abandoned because they had physical deformities. When I was 26, with the support of some international diplomats and public leaders, I created the biggest auction ever held in Colombia to raise funds for these children. After we did the event, the news was everywhere. Now Luz y Vida has a five-story building in Bogotá. They help kids with special needs and, also, other kids from the area.”

Leena’s international relations and fundraising role for this charitable organization continued after she moved to Florida. “We held an event at the Biltmore Hotel in Miami,” she says. “Donations from this event went directly to Luz y Vida.”

Every Step Matters

While the magnitude and impact of these international events is impressive, Leena says all the projects she’s done, regardless of their size and degree of success, have “taught” her. “They’ve given me the know-how and security to be able to sit with various people and to relate with them,” she says.

The breadth and depth of her background have also prompted her to try new ventures and set ambitious goals. In addition to further expanding into the commercial market by working with major restaurant and hotel franchises, Leena says she and George are considering adding a partner so they can grow their business by launching an online store, investing in equipment to increase manufacturing in Minnesota, and hiring more people.

“We always think that we have to wait for the right moment to make a difference,” Leena says, “but you can make a difference with every single thing that you do.” And that is how Leena and her team approach providing concierge construction services: by thoughtfully addressing the individual needs of each client and knowing that every step they take matters.