“Gratitude matters”

Steve Marion started Premier Design Group in 2009 and is the Principal of the company. As a Design Manager for Wal-Mart, Steve directed building, site design, and permitting for 200,000 sq. ft. buildings. Working with over 30 engineering firms, top architectural firms, and leading developers gave Steve a unique view of project management processes and how they affected client communication, decision-making, and satisfaction. Steve used his knowledge to create Premier Design Group's service ethic.

Steve is unfazed by adversity and takes on new challenges with the confidence that he can succeed. Steve motivates his team by sharing stories and insights from his life. He has true entrepreneurial drive and isn't scared to take chances. He views life through a lens of gratitude and never takes anything for granted. He is grateful to his family, friends, coworkers, and customers, which makes these relationships stronger and more likely to last.

Steve has helped a lot of new businesses get off the ground. He has done this by giving them education, advice, and financing. When it comes to employees, rather than stifling employees' initiative and creativity, Steve actively promotes it and allows them the freedom to explore new areas while providing them with affirmative feedback and helpful suggestions for improvement. Creating a risk-free zone where they can learn from their missteps is a priority for him.

Steve always welcomes criticism and he accepts any shortcomings with complete accountability. He actively looks for both good and bad feedback on his business strategy, and he surrounds himself with tools that can help him.

Civil engineering, architectural design, and land surveying are the three disciplines represented by Premier Design Group. Premier's designs are developed with cutting-edge software, and the company offers its customers the opportunity to view 3D renderings of their projects as well as, in many instances, the capability to "walk through" the project or view it from a variety of different perspectives, says Steve.

The drone surveying is the most cutting-edge technology that Premier has been putting to use recently, adds Steve. This technology shortens the amount of time that the surveyor needs to spend on-site surveying and provides a speedier turn-around for the client, saving days' worth of labour in the process.

Service and communication are Premier's primary emphasis. When the requirements of a customer are met and exceeded, and when the customer understands the procedure, everyone is happy, in Steve’s view. Premier forms partnerships with its customers and assumes full ownership of their projects as though they were their very own. Premier takes great satisfaction in seeing projects through to fruition.

Steve claims that Premier Design Group is capable of finding answers to difficulties and resolving issues. A large pharmaceutical corporation had the goal of increasing its position in the market in the St. Louis market. During that time, the customer was still selecting potential construction sites using paper maps. PDG was the first company to offer the client the technology capability of viewing existing stores as well as possible sites for future store locations. This made it possible for the customer to accurately evaluate their physical market presence.

In the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic, PDG was able to immediately adjust and provide its employees the opportunity to work from home. "There was not a single lost day of production, and PDG was able to keep all of our staff while still satisfying the requirements of our customers," says Steve.

PDG's goal is to continuously develop our ability to meet the needs of our customers. This year, PDG will start offering more service lines so that we can meet our customers' growing needs and give our employees more chances to learn new skills.

The fact that Premier Design Group has been able to keep both its clients and its staff is a source of great pride for the company.  Steve is of the opinion that when customers entrust you with their projects and staff look forward to going to work, you have achieved the highest level of praise and success possible.