MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: ESKIE & ASSOCIATES ARE DOT CONNECTORS

Erin Eskie Merrill grew up on construction sites. “I basically have been in a hard hat and on job sites as long as I can remember, and probably before.” Her father started Eskie & Associates in 1969, and Merrill would often spend time with him at some of the jobs. That love of construction stayed with her, and now she’s co-owner at Eskie and managing partner.

Eskie & Associates specializes in a side of construction that might not be familiar to many people. They serve as owners' representatives and consultants, responsible for representing the owner's interests throughout all project phases. “We become essentially part of their organization to guide them through any type of construction or development project. We’re a dot connector,” she said.

When Merrill’s father started the company, it was a development firm. During the 70s, 80s, 90s, and early 2000s Eskie & Associates specialized in commercial and retail development. Then in 2015, Merrill joined, and the family business started shifting into more of an owners’ rep and consultant role because of her own background.

“I really like helping people have a successful project,” she said. As a general contractor at another firm, she knew there was a better way to fill in missing pieces that can often come with a project. “I would work on certain projects, and I would see that there were gaps in communication and holes needed to be filled. I remember the day I was sitting in my office and thought it shouldn’t be this hard. We can find a better way to find a solution.” That solution was to help her family’s business grow into the owners’ rep role, and it paid off.

Eskie & Associates has a diverse portfolio of projects. They include the Kansas Department of Agriculture Lab in Manhattan, Tonganoxie High School, Ignite Wood Fire Grill, Fiorella’s Jack Stack, SafetyCulture, the Kansas State University Foundation Office Park, and recently Eurofins Viracor Biopharma. Merrill says Viracor is an example of the direction Eskie & Associates is headed: health sciences and education. “It’s a unique project type for an owners’ rep that we believe has some very specific needs. With the labs that we’ve done, there are so many moving parts like lab equipment and making sure the communication is done right so the design fits the need.”

As Eskie & Associates looks to grow their presence in the health sciences field – an area where KC has no shortage of clients – Merrill doesn’t want to grow the company too big or too fast. There are currently three full-time employees and two part-timers, something Merrill said is an asset. “At our core we’re a family company and we want our employees to feel that.” Not only are they a family company, but they’re also a woman-run company. In 2019, Merrill joined her mother Debi Eskie as co-owner, earning their WBE (Women Business Enterprise) Certification.

Looking ahead, Merrill is focusing not only on the success of the company, but also raising awareness about owners’ reps and how she says they can help projects be successful from start to finish. “We act as the single point of focus to help save owners money and manage their risk, and we do it every day. We are experts at navigating around the unpredictable and the unexpected.”