In this Power Players section, Sports Business Journal recognizes the leaders in facility design and development. From architects and construction firms to acoustics and retractable roof experts, these are the folks who are at the planning table at the beginning and whose visions ultimately make each venue unique.
Our Power Players series launched on April 18, 2016, with a look at the influencers in the design and construction world. This is the first time that we have revisited a sector, but with a record $8.9 billion in facility openings this year, we thought it was an appropriate time.
You might notice a slight change in the scope of companies compared with our first Power Players. Changes in security requirements, media production, environmental concerns, game-day expectations and the increase in the number of these venues that serve as anchors to mixed-use sites mean there are more shareholders involved on day one than there used to be.
But while the editorial staff of SBJ made the final decisions on who would make this list, the primary source of information came from industry peers. We asked things like: “What competitor do you respect the most?” and “What vendor do you want with you at the table from the beginning?” As you read through these pages, you’ll see a lot of familiar faces. But you will also see some folks you have never heard of, even though they’ve been behind the scenes for years.
The result was a total of 89 people and 45 companies who stood out for their ability to develop new concepts that would stand the test of time, renovate existing spaces to maximize revenue, secure funding and public support, and push the boundaries of technology so fans feel safe, entertained and wanting to come back.
Stories By David Broughton And Karn Dhingra.
Architects
AECOM — Bill Hanway, Jon Niemuth
Brisbin Brook Beynon / SCI Architects — Murray Beynon, Chris O’Reilly
CannonDesign — Colleen McKenna
DLR Group — Don Barnum, Tom Tingle
EwingCole — William McCullough, George Bushey, Craig Schmitt
Generator Studio — Andrew Kesel, Peter Broeder
Gensler — Ryan Sickman, Jonathan Emmett
HNTB — Lanson Nichols, Ryan Gedney
HOK — Scott Ralston, Micheal Day, Emily Louchart, Paul Whitson
Jones Lang LaSalle — Jim Renne
Pendulum Studio — Jonathan O’Neil Cole
Manica Architecture — William Hon, Keith Robinson
Moody Nolan — Troy Sherrard, Mark Bodien
Perkins&Will — Don Dethlefs, Ernest Joyner, Joe Dyer
Populous — Bruce Miller, Chris Carver, Jonathan Mallie, Jeff Keas
tvsdesign — Christopher Lamberth
Construction
AECOM Hunt — Troy Hoberg, Ken Johnson, Bob Hart
Barton Malow — Len Moser, Sean Hollister
Mascaro Construction — John B. West
Manhattan Construction — Greg McClure, Jim Cuddihee
Mortenson — Derek Cunz, Logan Gerken, Jason Jennings
PCL Construction — Dale Koger, Gary Birdsall
Shawmut Design & Construction — Randy Shelly
Turner Construction — Tom Paci, Dewey Newton
Developers
Oak View Group — Dan Griffis, Tim Leiweke, Francesca Leiweke-Bodie, Steve Collins
Sports Facilities Companies — Dev Pathik, Jason Clement, Eric Sullivan
The Cordish Companies — Reed Cordish
Teams
Miami Dolphins — Tom Garfinkel
Los Angeles Dodgers — Janet Marie Smith
Specialists
ANC — Jerry Cifarelli Sr., Chris Mascatello
Dimensional Innovations — Justin Wood
Omni Hotels & Resorts — Brian Zelman
Samsung North America — Harry Patz, Don Szczepaniak
Wrightson, Johnson, Haddon and Williams — Josh Beaudoin, Jack Wrightson, Chris Williams
Owners Representatives
CAA ICON — Tim Romani, Charlie Thornton, Marc Farha, Dan Barrett
Legends — Bill Rhoda, Paula Portz, Cameron Curtis, Shervin Mirhashemi
