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Over the years, businesses across almost all industries have changed to become much more client-centric. The construction industry is no exception to this change as the successful companies in the industry are offering services that cater to varying customer requirements. Since the inception, Franz Architects is actively listening to its clients’ expectations and executing them into functional, efficient, and compelling works of art.
Franz Architects was founded in 1983 by William Franz. John Franz began his role as the President in 2015. Initially, the firm specialized in prison and postal facilities. However, with time, it transitioned to a more retail, educational, municipal, medical, and multifamily-focused firm. It aims to come up with a design, create a concept, and use that concept to create a detailed set of buildable construction documents.
As a full-service architectural firm, Franz provides a bouquet of services according to the clients’ needs. The prominent services offered by the company include, 3D Rendering, Site Planning, Existing Building Documentation, Building Assessment, Site Investigation, Construction Documents, Master Planning, and Interior Design.
Out of these services, site planning is a service that sets Franz Architects apart from its peers. A majority of architectural firms do not or are not able to provide site plans to their clients. Franz has been providing this service for more than 25 years. Its site plans are thoughtfully laid out and once a site plan becomes a project, the firm has the due diligence already on hand and is able to get a head start on the project. Several Civil Engineering firms recommend Franz’s services to their clients, courtesy of the company’s eye for detail and the ability to complete the projects in a timely manner.
One of the strong reasons behind the success of Franz Architects is its ability to ebb and flow with the market and the industry. The firm ensures to provide services that are relevant to the current climate in the architectural world. The team is uniquely qualified and diverse in experience, which allows it to provide services in multiple sectors of the industry and not get pigeonholed into just one.
The robust team also allows Franz to keep its ideas fresh and its minds open to new designs, concepts, and project types. The firm also insists that everyone in the office maintains the ability to draw and put together a set of plans so that they don’t lose those skills because they are only focused on managing projects and/or personnel. Moreover, Franz takes pride in its unique one-on-one interaction with the clients. “Our ability to work closely with our clients helps us to provide a product that meets their time and budgetary needs that they can also be proud of,” says John.
Currently, John spearheads Franz as the President. He has over 29 years of experience in architectural design and construction. His diverse experience includes commercial, institutional, medical, educational, industrial, governmental, storage, and retail facilities. Being at the helm of the firm, John is responsible for its day-to-day operations. He ensures that Franz’s vision of customer communication and satisfaction is maintained. John specializes in site planning and retail development and is currently registered in a total of 38 states. Leveraging his profound experience, he is significantly contributing towards the company’s growth.
The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted the business world. Hit by the pandemic, businesses had to re-strategize and shuffle their offerings according to the need of the hour. The lockdown impositions and the remote work phenomenon significantly changed the way businesses operated. Like many companies, the pandemic brought challenges for Franz as well.
However, the company managed to tackle the challenge head-on by doing what was needed to keep its employees safe, respecting state and local mandates, and continuing to provide the clients with as seamless service as possible. While its employees were out of the office, it was a priority for the company to continue offering the same access to its Project Managers as it had previously. John wanted it to seem as if nothing had changed.
John mentions that being awarded as one of the Best Companies to Work for in Texas was a recognition Franz takes pride in. “I say this is an easy answer because our employees truly are our greatest asset. Also, being native Texans and growing up in the Metroplex our Texas Pride shines through with such an amazing award,” he adds.
Franz strives to establish itself as a great place to work and maintain the feeling of extended family among its employees. It believes in the notion that being successful is an accomplishment but being a great employer is a legacy. On being listed among “The 30 Best Companies to watch in 2022,” he says, “This is an awesome recognition, and we look forward to giving everyone something to look forward to watching.”
Since its inception, several factors have contributed to Franz’s success. According to John, the key contributors to the company’s success are the team’s desire to provide a quality product to its clients and the relationships that it has built with the clients and among each other. John believes that providing architectural services that matter, doing day-to-day work that clients require, taking care of employees, making a difference in the community, and being a good steward are the keys for a company to be successful in the architectural industry.
In the near future, Franz aims to continue growing and looking for amazing candidates to add to its growing team. The company has several products in the development stage and will launch them as soon as they are ready. Growth, initiative, and unmatched customer service are the three factors that Franz Architects’ clients and competitors should watch out for.
