When Steve Chanen joined Chanen Construction in 1991, he had already been successful outside the family business as a lawyer, investment banker and owner of a 532 -room hotel, among other companies.
The entrepreneurial spirit that Chanen exposed could have been inherited from his father, Herman, who founded the contractor based in Phoenix in 1955 with $ 1,000 provided to a construction industry friend. The company grew up to 30 employees and operated successfully with key projects such as Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and the Arizona title building, which was the first high -height office structure in Spain. But Chanen had suffered some health problems and asked his son to intervene for about a year while recovering.
It was an interesting opportunity, but not one that the young Chanen, who had studied production and film management at the university, was planning to pursue.
“It wasn’t that I didn’t like the business,” he says. “I had seen the toll he had taken to my father. I mean we never had an uninterrupted family dinner … Each was interrupted by a phone call and they were usually serious calls.”
Chanen builds Dr. Arthur G. Dobbelare Hall of the Midwestern University of Arizona.
Photo courtesy of Chanen Construction
Chanen’s goal in agreeing to running the business was to be “an effective caregiver,” he says, even moving his investment banking company to the construction company office to function more easily.
Much to the surprise of Chanen, his interest in the business had grown and his goals had changed when his father returned, with both of them who agreed to run the business together.
“My goal had been turned into how we promote business growth?” He says. “How do we improve all our practices and procedures? How do we implement the best practices in the industry? All of these are the things that led me. “”
Herman Chanen retired in 2010, but his son continued to pursue these goals, which has paid off to the firm. He reported revenue of $ 500 million by 2024 compared to $ 12 million when Steve Chanen joined. By 2021, the company, which now occupies 550, was acquired by Dick Anderson Construction with Chanen continuing as President and CEO.
In more than 70 years of business, the firm has completed the main projects for various clients such as Intel Corp., American Airlines, Howard Hughes, McDonnell Douglas, Boeing Helicopter Co., Warner Bros. and Phoenix Newspapers Inc.
Chanen Construction built the $ 450 million complex in Scottsdale, Ariz. Includes a hotel, game operations and a spa.
Photo courtesy of Chanen Construction
He also opened offices in Nevada and Illinois and took leadership in other projects, including the Bond and non -compulsory projects program of the University of Carolina of northern $ 16 to 16 campuses throughout the state, an expansion of 32 Millions of $ 450 Phoenix Theater. Million Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Phoenix Sky Harbor Terminal 4, Univision Channel 33 TV study and construction of Midwestern University, a private medical school and professional with Campus on Downers Grove, Ill. And Glendale, Ariz.
One of the ways Chanen pushed for the growth of the firm was to better guide his efforts to attract business and weigh the costs and benefits.
“The immediate change I did was try [understand] how much did it cost us to pursue work and [ask] How can we capitalize on or obtain this cost? “He says.” How do we use data to promote us to make better decisions about which customers do we want to work? “
The company reduced employees on the administrative side of the business.
“At some point, we decided to focus on a greater job as responsible for the construction.”
—Steve Chan, President and CEO, Chanen Construction
“We had too many people on the administrative side who did not really contribute to the bottom line, but they made it easier,” he says. “So we changed it for not having more than five or six people on the administrative side and having everything else in the field working on projects.”
More important, Chanen began to follow after larger projects.
“We were doing $ 5 million projects, then $ 40 million projects and then $ half a million projects,” he says. “At some point we decided to focus on a greater job as responsible for the construction.”
Chanen is more proud of the company’s construction relationship with Midwestern University.
“There are few general contractors who have the incredible experience of building a whole university campus from scratch, each building on the Glendale campus, which covers 225 hectares,” he says. “At Downers Grove, I think there is only one pre -existing building now. This, for me, gives a huge sense of pride.”
The President and CEO of the University, Kathleen Goepinger, says that Chanen’s imprint on school, which has increased from 900 to more than 7,000 students over 30 years old, is indelible.
Flanked by Kathleen Goepinger and Arthur Dobbelaere, Steve Chan receives an award for his work at Midwestern University.
Photo courtesy of Chanen Construction
The contractor has built homes, clinics, laboratories and student classrooms, as well as barns, stables, pens and a large animal clinic for students in veterinary medicine.
After working with Chanen on the Arizona campus, Midwestern’s faith in the firm was shown when he was hired to work on the Illinois campus.
“First number, I could trust” the company, says Goepinger. “Number two, the quality of work was excellent and number three was a [team] This understood the value of an association with a university. “
She says that Chanen understood that “he was not going to make buildings that would receive prizes as Taj Mahal, but would build practical buildings for medical, pharmacist and veterinarians students and all the things we teach.”
Goepinger appreciates that Chanen’s leadership is advanced thought, which has helped the university overcome various challenges, including obstacles in the supply chain.
“I would rather say,” I don’t know. Show me what you are talking about. ” Shame is not even in its language. “”
—Jim Walters, Vice President of Construction Operations, Chanen Construction
“Once we explain a building and know what we will build, come out and preorder what we need, whether it is steel or masonry,” he says. “Steve has been very effective in this. He is very instrumental in saying, “Looking forward.”
Another very long customer is the Indian community of Salt River Pima-Maricopa for which Chanen built the Talking Stick complex, a 15-story hotel, SPA, games center and conventions in Scottsdale, Ariz.
When the idea of building Stick Talking appeared about 18 years ago, the community had limited funds and did not know how to reach the point of being able to build the complex.
“I said,” Allow you to show you how we can create a large game company for you, from $ 5 million, “says Chanen.
The company built a temporary structure in a concrete slab and provided it with plumb and electric, which allowed the community to start offering games and generate revenue, allowing it to end up building the permanent complex.
Chanen also helped the community to browse a difficult process of public approval for the project. “He was controversial by his height,” says Chanen. “We put weather balloons so that we can show the exact height of what the complex would be and how it would affect the views of different places.”
A referendum was approved to allow the height of the building, “which was a significant implementation at the time,” says Chan. “I think everything was worthy of a nation that uses hospitality and play to help its economic development.”
Chanen’s driving and creativity to direct the building to Midwestern University and Talking Stick Resort reflects his focus on the firm, which is focused on the client, says Jim Walters, vice president of construction operations. , which has been working in Chanen since 1998.
Although all projects have challenges, Walters says that “Chanen does not derive; he has an approach can make him transmit to all firm employees. We find challenges, we greet them and see how we can take these challenges with all the Our different skills, “says Walters.
Steve Chanen got an MBA at Harvard University in 2022.
Photo courtesy of Chanen Construction
While Chanen’s professional background is not in the construction industry, Walters says he is not afraid to ask questions. “I would rather say,” I don’t know. Show me what you talk about, “says Walters. “Shame is not even in its language. You just want to know it so that you can better understand the situation. “”
Chanen, who has three older daughters with his wife, Jeanne, and a newly born grandson, says he likes the tangible rewards of being in the construction industry.
“All hard work not only produces a pile of paper,” he says. “It gives something that allows people to live, work and play at high levels of comfort and efficiency. These are things you can drive and see and your children can see. “”
Chanen’s extensive business experience has benefited not only his company, but also the broadest community. He has played in several roles, including the President of the Motion Picture and the Arizona Television Advisory Board. Along the way, he has always continued to learn, including winning a MBA at Harvard University in 2022.
Looking back his career, Chanen says he owes his success to trusted employees, some of whom have worked on the firm for another 30 years. From a business business, it was paid when it took a road that was not expected in the construction industry.
“I always approach business as if it were our first year,” says Chanen to mark the 70th anniversary of the signature by 2025. “We must expand our delay and renew our processes. The complacency is not allowed.”
