Walls & Ceilings magazine has selected its Contractor of 2019, Integrated Interiors Inc.

The winner was chosen by a panel consisting of W&C’s publisher, editorial staff and editorial advisory board. The goal of the award is to honor a contractor that employs the best industry practices, provides a good working atmosphere for employees and excels at both quality workmanship and customer service.

“Integrated Interiors is a true Texas-sized contractor—the company operates on its own terms and excels at all levels of construction, while maintaining its maverick-like position as a prominent construction figure in the 21st century,” says W&C Associate Editor Jaycee Tenn. “We’re excited to name the company Contractor of 2019—the last of this decade.”

The magazine congratulates Integrated Interiors Inc. for this award. We believe the company is as progressive and quality-minded as any.

Integrated Interiors Inc. is a Texas-based company that offers installation of commercial metal framing, trusses and metal deck, drywall, acoustical ceilings, specialty ceilings and wall panels. Headquartered in Ft. Worth, the contractor has 43 years of business to its name and employs 425 people. That’s a high number of workers to be responsible for. And it sounds like Integrated Interiors wants it no other way.

“Our reputation has provided our clients a level of trust,” says President Jerry Lindsay. “Our company is known for doing high quality work on large, complex projects. Our main services are drywall and acoustical.”

In the last several years, Integrated Interiors has expanded its service to include:

• Cement exterior panels
• Specialized exterior wood siding
• Steel cable trellis
• Installation of giant umbrellas in downtown Ft. Worth

Origins

Lindsay explains how his history with the company came to be. Fresh out of college, he sent out resumes, got some bites from other companies but all along had ambitions of taking a job where some type of growth and ownership was a possibility.

“I was living in Denton, Texas at the time. There was no internet of course; I basically sent out letters to at least 50 different companies. I interviewed with all those that offered the opportunity and ended up getting two job offers. I always knew that I did not want to be with a large company. I preferred to work with a smaller company with an opportunity for ownership.

“Declining the offer to work for a larger company, my Dad said, ‘I know somebody that I can introduce you to.’ He introduced me and eventually, after three interviews, I ended up being hired as salesman/estimator. In 1977, I became a partner and in 1992 became sole owner of Integrated Interiors.”

Lindsay and his partners founded the company to meet the needs of a rapidly changing market and its demands. In the company’s infancy, most of the projects consisted of small office buildings and schools.

Today, it works on large commercial projects. The company is a member of AWCI, CISCA, ASA, DACA, TEXO, Fort Worth Chamber and Dallas Chamber.

Growth has come in several business cycles. The two best cycles for the company were the ’90s and the current cycle, which has provided significant growth.

Lindsay reports that business is booming right now. Due to a lot of determination, hard work, and formed/forming relationships with employees as well as clients, he says the company is in a very fortunate position. He reports that Integrated Interiors has a strong and ever-growing backlog that stretches well into 2022.

“This is a very competitive market with significant competition,” says Lindsay. “That being said, the construction climate in this region and for our company has been fantastic. Texas is a wonderful place to live and work in the construction industry. There are thousands of people from all over the U.S. moving to our area every month, so that bodes well for the commercial construction industry. All of those new folks need new workspaces.”

Lindsay says the most interesting aspect of his job is navigating the relatively recent technological advancements.

Conversely, the least favorite of his career is trying to isolate all of the variables that can sometimes be out of the company’s realm of control. Being in the labor-intensive industry can be challenging—as well as the most rewarding.

Strive for the Best

When asked why Lindsay feels Integrated Interiors is among the best, his answer is simply its people—those in the field and office.

“Given the severity of the 2008 crisis, we did what was necessary to not only survive, but took that time to review and improve once construction resumed,” he says.

“Currently, we are expanding our service offerings and our client base. We are always working to improve our relationships with existing clients, and cultivating new ones while leveraging technology and new and alternative methods of delivery to streamline our operations and improve efficiencies.

“We are approaching nearly 45 years of successful business in one of the most competitive markets in the country,” Lindsay says in conclusion. W&C

Project Notes

AMLI Fountain Place/Dallas, and Fountain Place (formerly known as Allied Bank Tower) / Dallas

(From L-R): Vice President Karl Ekonomy, President/Chairman Jerry Lindsay and Vice President David Lindsay. Photographer: Alyssa Jeandron

The company’s Vice President David Lindsay broke down the scope of this project. During Integrated Interiors Inc.’s nearly 44-year history, the company has participated in the construction of many (two of which are the towers at Fountain Place) high-profile buildings in the North Texas area. Fountain Place (formerly known as Allied Bank Tower) was a ground-up project in which Integrated Interiors constructed all the metal framing, drywall, and ceilings in this 60-plus story office skyscraper completed in the mid-’80s. Fast-forward more than 35 years, Integrated Interiors is currently constructing (2020 scheduled completion date) the 47-story ground up multi-family tower at AMLI Fountain Place. Both projects make a significant contribution to the Dallas skyline. “We’ve got the Fountain Place area of downtown Dallas covered,” says David Lindsay.

Fountain Place (formerly known as Allied Bank Tower)

• Architect: Pei Cobb Freed & Partners
• Builder: n/a
• Owner: Goddard Investment Group
• General Contractor: HC Beck, Ltd.

AMLI Fountain Place

• Architect: Page Southerland Page, Inc.
• Builder: n/a
• Owner: PPF AMLI 1800 FIELD STREET LLC
• General Contractor: Archer Western Construction, LLC

Manufacturers

• ClarkDietrich Building Systems
• Georgia-Pacific Gypsum
• National Gypsum
• FilzFelt
• Armstrong

Project Notes

Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children: North Campus / Frisco, TX

• Architect: HKS Inc.
• Owner: Texas Scottish Rite Hospital
• Contractor: The Beck Group

SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

Metal stud framing and drywall, acoustical ceilings and specialty ceilings

The exterior wall on the front right elevation is a compound CFMF radiused wall with metal panels and recessed linear light coves. Many of the interior walls and fur downs are radiused, some of them compound radiused as well. The lobby ceiling is an Armstrong MetalWorks Blades ceiling, and the corridor ceilings feature 2-feet by 8-feet ceiling tiles.

Manufacturers:

• American Gypsum
• National Gypsum
• Armstrong
• CEMCO
• CertainTeed
• Owens Corning
• Glasteel
• Gordon Inc.
• Mull It Over Products

Project Notes

TCU Worth Hills Village Greek Housing Phase 5 and 6 / FT. Worth

• Architect: KSQ Architects PC dba KSQ Design.
• Owner: Texas Christian University – TCU
• Contractor: The Beck Group

SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

TCU put together an extremely aggressive schedule to construct (11) new resident buildings. In order to meet this schedule, Integrated Interiors developed a plan to prefabricate certain project elements that would greatly reduce the manpower requirements on the project. The company prefabricated all the dormers and sections of exterior walls that contained the windows. In total, Integrated Interiors prefabricated 1,356 sections of exterior wall that contained windows and 158 dormers. Its prefabrication efforts allowed a huge reduction in onsite manpower, improved safety, and notable savings in the schedule. The company was able to start installing exterior sheathing (Dow Thermax XArmor) just two days after our framing crews started installing the prefabricated elements.

Manufacturers:

• Dow Thermax XArmor
• ClarkDietrich Building Systems
• Steelway Metal Trusses and Deck