The Wilcox Group

In the architectural business, Steve Kinzler said, bigger firms get the bigger projects — most of the time.

The Wilcox Group was formed in 1989 with the intention of being a small architectural firm that could take on large-scale projects. The idea has worked; Wilcox stands out as one of the most innovative, aggressive firms in the state. It continues to check itself and reinvent itself, but remains true to its roots of strong client service and design excellence.

“We treat every client like they’re the only ones we are working on,” said Kinzler, the firm’s chief executive officer.

The firm has focused primarily on health care and higher education facilities, but Kinzler said he would like to diversify the firm’s project load in the future.

The Wilcox Group also has been at the forefront of the “green” architectural movement in Arkansas. Martha Jane Murray helped the firm establish its sustainable building philosophy and also was a driving force in the creation of the Arkansas chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.

The move to sustainable architecture will continue to play a major role in the company’s future. It simply makes sense, Kinzler said. Designing environmentally sound buildings is changing the practice of architecture all around the globe, he said.

In addition to being a leader in the green movement, the firm helped birth ano-ther state affiliate of a national organization, the Society of Design Administrators. “We’re proud of thinking bigger than ourselves,” Kinzler said.

With the death of founder and leader Jerry Wilcox in 1999, Kinzler took over the firm and has redefined it, taking it in new directions and adding new partners. The firm now has 16 employees and plans to add a couple more this year.

Kinzler said, however, that the goal is to grow in quality, not necessarily quantity: “The body count is not high on the list — it’s the kind of workers that will work successfully on a team that we’re looking for.”

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