Building Success In Commercial Real Estate – Exclusive Interview With Brad Burns
Brad Burns is the owner of several businesses focused on commercial real estate and construction. He is on the Board for Junior Achievement as well as Haven House. He has degrees from Mizzou and SLU. Brad is a dedicated husband and father, who enjoys coaching his five children’s sports teams.
Brad Burns, Founder
Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better.
I am the owner of Burns Holdings Corp. As Founder and Co-Founder of several business' spanning multiple verticals from Construction, Signage, Pools, Concrete, Seafood, QSR, etc.
My first venture into what currently exists was founding Wayne Contracting in 2014, a full-service General Contracting and Construction Management firm with expertise in remodeling, roll-out, renovation projects and ground-up construction that service national commercial accounts. The company will soon be licensed in 46 states.
In 2019, I co-founded Vizex Branding, a professional signage, graphics, and decor installation company that works for some of the leading brands throughout the country. That same year I also co-founded Meramec Hardscapes, a specialized concrete and hardscapes company that serves residential customers throughout the St. Louis Metro and surrounding areas, and recently added pool installation as a service.
In 2022 partnering again on a venture to bring a wholesale seafood company to the Saint Louis metro area to support the needs of restaurants, country clubs, etc. That began operating in October 2023 with plans to enter the consumer seafood market in 2024. Also coming to the Saint Louis market in 2024 will be Arch City Group that will be focused on franchised operations in the metro area.
Brad graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Missouri Columbia and earned an Executive Master’s Degree from Saint Louis University. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement and is the President of the Board of Directors of Haven House, a local St. Louis charitable organization. Brad is a dedicated husband and father, who enjoys coaching his five children’s sports teams in his spare time.
Can you provide a brief overview of The Burns Companies and its core business activities?
The Burns Companies is a portfolio of companies focused on growth, are customer-centric and focused on the well-being of its teams. We look to continue to scale the companies with a focus on long term and organic growth. We have built a shared services model to allow the companies to share resources allowing them to minimize overhead and scale quicker while getting access to top-tier talent and resources. With each new entity that moves under the umbrella of the company we look to expand our market reach and grow our team.
What sets The Burns Companies apart from competitors in your industry? What is your unique selling proposition?
We are customer-centric and legitimately focused on building long-lasting partnerships with our clients. We are focused on find those partners that see us as just that and not a commodity. We will bend over backwards for our clients and stretch ourselves outside the box to make every project or interaction successful. With that said we will also understand and quickly eliminate those relationships that aren't mutually beneficial. Business is a give and take situation, those who don't align with our ideology we move away from.
Can you share any upcoming plans, innovations, or developments in The Burns Companies, both in terms of business expansion and improvements to the website?
We are looking to roll out a consumer-facing side to our website for City Seafood mid 2024. This will expand our reach in the market and we are looking to gain substantial market share in the metro STL region. Wayne Contracting is focused on continued growth and expanding our market verticals. Vizex is poised for growth so we are assessing resources to facilitate the expected growth in 2024. Meramec Hardscapes /Meramec Pools is developing marketing campaigns focused on growth in the residential pool sector. We are also getting a new endeavor off the ground in 2024, Arch City Group, that will be focused on bringing franchise opportunities to the metro STL area.
Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far.
The couple of things I am proudest of would be successfully starting multiple companies and having 2 of them reach the Inc. 5000 quickly, both on this list in the top 750 firms. Also on that list would be being named to the Forbes Next 1000 List of Entrepreneurs.
