Photo courtesy of NDG
It’s been 14 months since Alison Whitacre and Cornerstone Project Consulting joined Nielsen Development Group (NDG). We decided to check back in with Brant Nielson, CEO of NDG, and Alison to see how the merger is working out.
What has happened over the last year?
Alison: We discovered very quickly that Brant and I needed to be very clear about what each of us should be doing. We, by necessity, have done many of the same functions in our separate companies. Now that we’ve merged, we’ve had to figure out who should be handling what. Knowing what we’re each best at and focusing our unique skill sets in order to have the most impact has been a key learning experience. It will benefit our clients in the long run.
Brant: Allison has brought so much pertinent experience to Nielsen Development Group. Her efficiency and systems orientation has allowed us to become so much more effective and to grow. Her network combined with NDG’s network gives our clients access to some of the best talent and supply options.
Have there been challenges with the merger?
Brant: Yes. Unfortunately, change by its nature brings challenges and we’ve had to face and overcome a few. With the merger of Cornerstone Consulting into NDG, we all of a sudden had quite a bit more capacity. We’ve filled that capacity quite quickly and in many cases before we had fully ironed out all the changes in process and functions within NDG. This led to having too many chefs in the kitchen, so to speak, and we had to sit down and properly design our specific job descriptions and responsibilities.
Alison: Although, Brant and I decided to merge based upon our shared values, we have found that our individual clients and stakeholders have had to get used to the new combined entity of NDG. My style of interaction with a client differs from Brant’s. We’re both about getting the client what they need, but we definitely have different approaches.
Tell us about a successful project?
Alison: I was referred a project that was a two story foyer bump out that became a much larger project, because the client was so happy with our work and our approach. The client extended beyond the foyer to a great deal of exterior work and they raved about everything from the original scope to the ultimate finished product. I think that we excelled at our communication. Brant was phenomenal at visioning and problem solving. The client was so appreciative and has become a vocal advocate for NDG. Brant and I learned and showcased how to work well together on this project.
Brant: I was very appreciative of Alison bringing a project from a long time client of hers to NDG. The client has a beautiful waterfront home and they wanted some major exterior hardscaping to happen in order to really showcase their property. We ended up doing some very customized work for the client that included their pool deck, steps, cable railing and other facets. The project continued to grow in scope and became just a wonderful example of bringing an owner’s dreams to reality. There were some unexpected challenges that we were able to work out to the client’s satisfaction. This project showed that Cornerstone clients fit well into the NDG family and that Alison and I were continuing to deliver the exceptional service we were both known for.
What should we expect over the remainder of the year?
Brant: I am moving more and more into company outreach and relying more and more on Alison to run our projects. This matches us both to areas that we can be super effective. I enjoy meeting people in our community and exploring their dreams of creating the perfect home. NDG is primed and ready to branch out beyond our normal geographic footprint and bring the NDG approach to new communities.
Alison: We are changing up our project management tools and processes to really hone in on optimizing our efficiencies. My intention is to streamline our communications, scheduling, and response times to take NDG to a new level. We’ve always been responsive. We will now lean into being communicative at every level.
