Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/447038
Quite By Sean P. Johnson | P h o t o g r a p h b y S h a n e V a n B ox t e l , I m a g e S t u d i o s a ride O n a sun-drenched summer aernoon, Oscar C. Boldt sits quietly inside Appleton's Trout Museum of Art as installers carefully unpack a diverse collection of eclectic artwork. As Pamela Williams-Lime runs through the last-minute arrangements for the exhibit's opening, O.C., an avid supporter of the museum, asks the executive director a straightforward question: "Pam, what do you need?" Earnestly asked, the simplicity of the question belies its power. at simple query — "What do you need?" — may be the key question that has taken O.C. and the namesake company from a carpentry shop started 125 years ago near Appleton's downtown to an nationally recognized builder of hospitals, schools, power plants and community icons. When Boldt Co. knows what a client needs, then it can build a building that helps the client accomplish its goals, whether that's creating a safe environment to heal, a space conducive to learning or a more precise and efficient way to generate energy. Knowing the answer to the question empowers Boldt Co. to apply the knowledge and lessons learned over decades of projects, apply its award-winning lean principles and create a building that delivers value to the client. When Akron Children's Hospital was searching for a firm to help guide a $200 million expansion of its campus, value became a factor that separated Boldt from other builders. "Our lean journey began in 2008, and with Boldt, we found a company that shared the same values," says Grace Wakulchik, chief operating officer. "ey approached things collaboratively and became a partner we trusted." It's an approach that has resulted in a national portfolio of projects that will generate about $850 million for the company in 2014. O.C. Boldt on building a company legacy