KGA architects build on ‘bedrock foundation’

The economic shift has breathed life into a lot of industries.

“A portion of our success is certainly related to the economy and the Front Range residential building boom, but we’ve also got a very successful track record,” said Paul Mahony, president of KGA Studio Architects PC.

“Repeat business is very important to us. It’s the bedrock foundation this company has been built on,” he added. “It’s part of our business plan, so the challenge has been getting a new vista of clients for the next 30 years.”

KGA meets that goal by offering a variety of personal services under its architectural umbrella.

“Some firms partner with clients in the first meeting, then pass on the work to other staff members,” said Jennifer Williams, KGA managing partner. “We don’t do that.”

“It’s also important to us to be available,” added Mahony. “When the phone rings and it goes to voice mail, it creates delays and frustration as well as decreases efficiency.”

Another focus that adds to KGA’s value is staying on top of trends in the industry. It helps the company bring the latest and greatest to its clients. “We travel to make sure we’re on the forefront of design,” Williams said.

KGA has been growing and changing since its first incarnation in 1977 as Knudson & Associates, founded by John Knudson in Boulder.

In 1989 it changed its name to Knudson Gloss Architects to include Jerry Gloss, the company’s current senior partner. Continued development brought Mahony into the firm in 1993, and John Guilliams was named a partner in 2014. Williams became managing partner the same year.

“We recently replanted ourselves as a collaborative architectural studio – that’s our tagline,” Mahony said.

“My name isn’t on the door because we are more interested in investing in the business as a whole. We’re very staff focused. Several of our staff have been here more than 30 years. We’re in it for the long run.”

Current trends Mahony and Williams see in the industry are associated with the lack of available inventory in the area.

“On the custom and remodel side, we see a lot of people staying put,” Mahony said. “One client looked for two years for another lot and came back to their original home because they liked where they were best – so we did a remodel.”

“On the production side, we’re seeing a lot of infill,” Williams added. Infill is the rededication of land within a built-up area and includes actions such as taking a home down and building a newer version of it to stay in the neighborhood.

In 2014, KGA’s revenue was $2,239,240, up from $1.6 million in 2013 and $933,236 in 2012. That sets the company’s one-year revenue growth at 39.953 percent and its two-year growth at 139.944 percent.

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