Teel Construction’s roots can be traced back to the mid-seventies when Parker Teel and Peter Gundlach started T&G Enterprises, focusing on small home and commercial construction. T&G Enterprises soon became Parker Teel Construction Company for which Parker Teel was the sole proprietor, before eventually becoming Teel Construction Inc in 1987. A family-owned business then and still to this day, Teel Construction now specializes in interior fit-outs, base building remodeling, and ground-up construction projects in Virginia and beyond. Parker Teel sits on the board as Chairman while his son, Spencer Teel, leads the company as CEO after a five-year tenure as President. “We’ve got ninety-five people on the team and a really great book of work,” Spencer says.
Distinguished names like Amazon, HSBC, Five Guys and SoulCycle all form part of this project catalogue that Spencer refers to, showcasing Teel’s status as a powerhouse within the North American construction industry. Building and maintaining long-term relationships while serving the community has always been the Teel way. It is through these long-term relationships that Teel earns most of its business, in fact ninety-three percent of it as of June, from repeat and referred clients. “We have developed a reputation within the industry based off our core principles that has allowed us to achieve success for our people and our clients. A lot of work goes into finding clients who align with our values, folks that are seeking a contractor as an extension of their team. Once we find that client, we like to try keep them for the long term, to keep them for life. Morgan Stanley, Kaplan Educational, ALDI and Lidl grocery stores; these are just some of the clients that have provided us with hundreds of projects over the years and really helped our company and our people to grow.”
Spencer recalls one Lidl project in particular that is significant as an example of a strong client relationship as well as Teel’s commitment to serving its community. “Lidl’s first store in the District of Columbia over the Skyland Town Centre was a special project because that was the first grocery store that community had. It was a meaningful job for the community that allowed us to showcase some of our base building expertise in the grocery market.”
Tysons Corner Centre is a large shopping center and mall in Virginia, currently owned by nationwide developer, Macerich, who represents another of Teel’s many long-term relationships. “That shopping center has been particularly special for us and a major source of work,” says Spencer, “not only for the landlord, but the tenants too.” One of the projects completed at the center is CAMP, a 10,300-square-foot tenant fit-out of an existing mercantile space. The project required the demolition of interior partitions to transform the area into a front-of-house sales space, and features exquisite millwork, dedicated activity and party rooms, and employee back-of-house areas. CAMP’s standout feature is the Experience Space which showcases the Disney Encanto x CAMP live immersive experience. “Tysons Corner Center a wonderful place that has afforded our team work on a consistent basis throughout our thirty-seven-year history,” Spencer says.
A project that showcases Teel Construction’s diverse skillset in building upgrades is the Westwood Country Club in Virginia. “We put a building addition on the existing clubhouse which features a new fitness facility, a private wine room, a golf simulator and a Bar & Lounge, along with a rooftop terrace that hosts weddings and various events.” As that phase of the project was wrapping up, Teel broke ground on a 45,000 square foot interior tennis building that featured three tennis courts. The building also featured a Court Tennis, or “Real Tennis” facility, which was one of only fifty in the world and twelve in the country at the time. “The Court Tennis component of that project was a highly technical and intricate construction specialty,” says Spencer. The project saw the replacement of the previous inflatable bubble tennis court enclosure with an advanced permanent pre-engineered metal building (PEMB) structure to provide a more robust and adaptable space for tennis enthusiasts. “It also included an observation mezzanine floor that overlooks both the tennis and Court Tennis courts. That was a really special project, very unique and a great opportunity to showcase some of our team’s skills.”
Spencer’s role as CEO involves strategic planning and a high-level of involvement with the leadership team to ensure they are well supported in the initiatives that they undertake. “From a recruitment and retention point of view, fostering an environment that helps our people learn and grow to their fullest potential is what we put a lot of our energy into,” Spencer says. “In 2017 we subscribed to the Entrepreneurial Operating System to help with our strategic plan and longer-term growth strategy.” The Entrepreneurial Operating System, or EOS, is a framework of tools and concepts that allows you to run your company like a well-oiled machine and keep everyone within the company on an aligned path towards achieving its goals. “That’s been foundational to a lot of the systems that we put in place and to set up the framework to really foster that growth environment,” Spencer says. “The company’s been on a slow, organic growth trajectory. We’ve got systems in place that are priming us to take on larger, more complex opportunities. We plan to grow with our current client base as well as new clients that might not have seen us as a relatable party for them in the past. They’re coming into view now as they see Teel as a viable contender to help with their project delivery.”
Speaking of his team and the workplace culture that powers it, Spencer mentions a book he read recently called Vivid Vision by Cameron Herold. It’s a book that offers tangible proof of its effectiveness in the form of Teel’s success, and inspired, I waste no time in adding it to my own to-read list. “This was really transformational for me as a leader and really helped orchestrate my thoughts in terms of how I wanted to see the company progress and grow.” The book encourages readers to do a mind map or brain dump of how you see your company in three years, therefore creating a detailed vision that acts as a point of focus as you manage your company. “That exercise helped me understand where the company was headed, where we want to go, and who we want to become” says Spencer. “There’s been a surge of positive energy injected into the company that really helps people focus on the longer-term plan for the business. You don’t have to be a president or CEO of a company. You can write your own vivid vision about where you want to go in your profession or goals in your personal life. It’s pretty remarkable, the power of writing it down and reviewing it on a consistent basis.”
“There’s been a surge of positive energy injected into the company that really helps people focus on the longer-term plan for the business.”
Sometimes success is striking the right balance between hard work and visualization. To be able to clearly visualize your goal is to take the first step in achieving it, and this continues to be the way for Teel Construction under the leadership of Spencer. As we wrap things up and reflect on the future of Teel Construction, that aligned vision and the company-wide surge of positive energy necessary for achieving it, is evident. “We’ve picked up some incredible new people while the existing folks have continued to demonstrate that thirst for personal and professional growth,” Spencer says. “We’re all probing ourselves for greatness, and there’s nothing but exciting things ahead for this company.”
