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March 4-March 17, 2015 — COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL — Page 29
by Jennifer Hayes
It’s all about the “we” for
Alex Szollosi.
“My goal is that our com-
pany creates a culture where
all team members support
and encourage one another
to succeed – a culture where
there are no ‘I’s’ but a bunch
of ‘we’s,’” said Szollosi,
founder and president of
Max Construction Inc., who
added that he believes the
company’s culture is the
reason for successful projects
and happy clients.
He also reluctantly con-
cedes that perhaps a little of
the success of the tenant fin-
ish firm stems from his own
resolve to never give in and
to stay the course no matter
how difficult the challenge.
Szollosi always had a pas-
sion for construction and
attended Colorado State
University, where he studied
industrial construction man-
agement. During this time he
also worked for Centric Con-
struction, a large-scale civil
construction contractor, and
its subsidiary Westcon Corp.,
before starting in tenant fin-
ish construction in 1982.
Szollosi worked with sev-
eral firms, including McStain
Enterprises, O’Connor Con-
struction, Interior Alterations
and Easton Construction
Management, yet always
was motivated by the idea of
one day establishing his own
company.
In 1991, he realized his
dream with the founding of
Max Construction, which
specializes in tenant interior
construction. Szollosi admits
the timing of the new ven-
ture was questionable (he
was newly married to his
wife, Susan, stepfather to
her three children and had a
new baby on the way). Nev-
ertheless, Szollosi relished
the challenge.
“It was a difficult decision
to start my own company,
but it was worth the risk,”
explained Szollosi. “After
the first year in business I
was still excited about what I
was doing. I knew it was the
right move.”
“I remember thinking after
that first year, where we
completed $900,000 in work,
that if we did $3 million a
year, we’d be big,” added
Szollosi, laughing at how
every year since, that target
has only gotten bigger and
his commitment stronger.
“Success is short-lived if it
is not consistently delivered
at all levels,” explained Szol-
losi. “I try to always lead
by example and have never
shied away from doing what
it takes to make sure a proj-
ect is successful.
“In this industry you can
be on the job site until 2, 3 or
4 a.m. and back on at 7 a.m.
The schedule doesn’t relent
and issues don’t resolve
themselves,” added Szollosi.
“But tenant finish is a great
industry. It is fast-paced with
projects done in six, eight or
12 weeks. It’s very social in
that you get to work with all
types of businesses, meet the
CEOs and get a glimpse of
and learn a little about what
makes them successful.
“The biggest compliment
we can receive is four, six or
eight years after a project is
completed, a client calls us
to tell us they’re moving and
wants us to work on their
new space. It tells us we did
our job right,” he continued.
“Repeat customers who
value and respect our servic-
es are the biggest reward.”
Maintaining the high level
of quality his clients are
accustomed to in an ever-
dwindling market of quali-
fied support challenges Szol-
losi and inspires him to look
to his team to continue Max
Construction’s success.
“In the1980s, the role of a
contractor was easy. Today,
it is much more complex
and sophisticated. It is no
longer enough to be service
oriented; we have to seam-
lessly integrate into an over-
all design and development
team,” said Szollosi.
The shifting construction
industry parallels Szollosi’s
own role with the company.
Since its inception as a two-
man firm to today, the com-
pany has added 19 employ-
ees and now does upward of
$14 million in work annually.
With the growth, Szollosi has
had to learn to micromanage
less and share more.
“It has been such a source
of pride watching this com-
pany grow and seeing this
force of very specialized
individuals come together
to make up an incredible
team,” he commented. “I’m
surrounded by capable,
talented individuals, and I
don’t want to be the one to
get in the way of what we
can be.”
That said, Szollosi fully
expects to be a part of Max
Construction for years to
come, as he cherishes seeing
an idea “grow into a compa-
ny that is well-received and
respected” and that contin-
ues to grow and evolve.
In the 24 years since Szol-
losi started the company, the
firm has completed in excess
of 12 million square feet of
space. Outside of his profes-
sional success, Szollosi says
one of the most impactful
experiences of his life has
been learning from the kids
at the Denver Children’s
Home, where he is the vice
president of the board of
directors. The experience has
taught him the humbling
lesson of appreciating life’s
gifts, because they are not
guaranteed.
Szollosi also is involved
with Association of Legal
Administrators, CoreNet,
International Interior Design
Association, is a past allied
chair of Denver Metro Build-
ing Owners and Manage-
ment Association and past
BOMA board of directors,
and enjoys swimming, work-
ing out, traveling, going to
the movies and, above all
else, riding his bike on trails.
“Work, life, it’s all about
enjoying the experience and
cherishing the result,” said
Szollosi. “There is no magic.
What you see is what you
get. We are real people who
work real hard.” s
Profile
Alex Szollosi
place. It allows us to cater to
multiple segments of demand
and unique design attributes
that other hotels may not be able
to offer,” he added.
The AC will include an exclu-
sive, upscale bar geared primar-
ily toward hotel guests and will
offer a full breakfast. Le Méridi-
en will feature a full-service res-
taurant and full bar, as well as a
rooftop pool and bar and 8,000
square feet of meeting space.
“Denver continues to expe-
rience healthy and measured
growth, and we believe these
two unique hotels will bring
fresh and unique lodging
options to the downtown mar-
ket,” Yiankes said.
HKS is the design architect for
the hotels.
AC Hotels by Marriott origi-
nated in Europe as a joint ven-
ture with Spanish hotelier Anto-
nio Catalan. The brand has 72
hotels in Spain, Italy, Portugal
and France and growth plans for
more than 50 additional hotels
in the U.S. and Latin America
over the next three years. The
hotels are inspired by runways
and fashion houses of Milan.
White Lodging said the 219-
room Denver AC also will have
unique elements that embody
the character of the city.
Le Méridien Denver will be
one of roughly 120 Le Méridi-
ens in the world. It will con-
sist of 272 “luxurious” rooms, a
24-hour fitness facility, business
center, restaurant and lobby
lounge. The hotel will feature Le
Méridien’s trademark “Hub,”
a re-invention of the lobby as
a social gathering place with
large-scale artwork in high-
impact areas; the brand’s “sen-
sory experience,” which com-
bines a signature scent, sound
and use of light; artist-designed
key card collections with access
to Le Méridien-affiliated con-
temporary cultural centers in
the city; and a 24-hour curated
soundtrack by French bossa
nova band Nouvelle Vague.
The Hub also features a “master
barista.”
The hotels will beWhite Lodg-
ing’s 17th and 18th managed
properties in Colorado.s
n Farmers Insurance signed a
lease for 2,442 sf of office space at
125 S. Howes St., Unit 1-E, in Fort
Collins.
AnnahMooreof Realtec Com-
mercial Real Estate Services
represented the landlord, GWE
LLC. Cobey Wess of Sperry Van
Ness/The Group Commercial
represented the tenant.
n Walton David Roberts pur-
chased a 2,300-sf retail space at
427 Main St. in Windsor, where
Roberts will relocate his bicycle
shop, currently at 1530 Main.
Claudia Irwin sold the proper-
ty for $220,000 in a deal handled
by Sperry Van Ness/The Group
Commercial broker Randy Mar-
shall.
n Citywide Home Loans
opened its first Fort Collins office
in 2,000 sf at 2108MilestoneDrive
in Fort Collins.
Jim Palmer and Aki Palmer
of DTZ represented the landlord,
ANB Bank.
n Advanced Services, a staff-
ing services company, leased
2,000 sf of office space at 206 E.
29th St. in Loveland.
Cobey Wess of Sperry Van
Ness/The Group Commercial
represented the tenant and the
landlord, Cranewood Proper-
ties LLC.s
tor.” Stewart said.
The fixed-rate financing Cron-
heim arranged was structured
with a 10-year, interest-only
term.
It was placed with the Ameri-
can General Life Insurance Co.
and the National Union Fire
Insurance Co. of Pittsburgh.
Cronheim acted as the corre-
spondent and servicer for both
lenders.
Clayton Lane, at East First
Avenue and University Boule-
vard, will only get better, Stewart
said.
"This property will continue
to evolve as one of Denver's
premier lifestyle destinations,”
Stewart said.
ClaytonLane, originallydevel-
oped by Denver-based Nichols
Partnership, is textbook perfect
– literally – according to Stewart.
“Urban planning author Jane
Jacobs would approve of how
this has become a 24-hour neigh-
borhood comprising amultitude
of users and uses,” Stewart said.
Stewart personally visited
Clayton three times during the
refinancing process. He was
impressed by the foot traffic and
activity in the area, but said he
knows it will get better as Clay-
ton Lane is redeveloped.
Clayton Lane also will benefit
from nearby developments such
as 250 Columbine, he said.
Other News
n Mike Jeffries, a principal
at Essex Financial, recently
arranged a total of $6.18 million
in two transactions.
In the largest transaction, he
arranged a $4 million nonre-
course loan for a four-building
industrial park in Denver with a
total of 115,821 square feet.
The 15-year loan was amor-
tized over 25 years. The loanwas
placedwith a life insurance com-
pany with an exclusive relation-
ship with Essex in the Denver
area.s
Success is
short-lived
if it is not
consistently
delivered at
all levels.