Down to earth, plain spoken, Midwestern, show-me guy, Scott Mosby, CEO, and owner of Mosby Building Arts, talks about the business he and his wife, Judy, built over the past 37 years. With profound wisdom and an abundance of humor, Scott shares his thoughts about growing the business with Judy, transferring the leadership of the business to Mark McClanahan, President and visionary leader of Mosby Building Arts, how technology is shaping the industry, hosting KMOX’s Mr. Fix-It show, and the mastery of letting go without being gone. Scott reflects during our conversation, “I’ll go knowing that we were here for a reason. We showed up. We mattered.”
The Vision
The only real vision that I’m aware of is the inescapability of being in this together. I would love to say that I had business acumen and vision that evolved over the years. The reality is, if something didn’t work, we fixed it. For the most part, that meant vertically integrating the trades. It started with my father in the ’50s and '60s. He became frustrated when smaller projects weren’t being served by architects. So, he started doing the design himself and putting the customer right in the middle of that conversation for a better outcome. Fast forward to us wanting to fully control the quality, employee training, retention, schedules, and on-time completion to continue to deliver better customer outcomes. Today, we are among the most advanced remodeling companies in the country. We are licensed architects, electricians, plumbers; we have virtually all the trades inhouse. And, by the way, it’s a fun way to do business because you control all the pieces. So, that would be our vision – fix whatever doesn’t work to deliver a better customer outcome.
Judy Mosby
I met Judy playing volleyball at the Kirkwood Community Center. She comes with a boatload of skills most people have no clue about when they meet her. People think that since I am the face of the company, I control everything. Well, not so much. I’m a great package, but I’m only half of the match. Judy is magical. All the back-office wizardry that happened was because of her. She was the brains, quiet behind the scenes. In 1983, we became deeply computerized 15 years before the rest of the industry. Looking back, that is one vision I will take the accountability for – becoming technically streamlined and efficient. Technology has always been part of Mosby because it solved many of our ‘if it’s broke, fix it’ problems. We have quite a comprehensive business organizational structure and Judy was front and center in the middle of all of that. Without Judy providing a reliable infrastructure, Mosby Building Arts wouldn’t have evolved to what it is today. This business is so far beyond what we had imagined. Today, over 100 associates are problem-solving, creating, interacting, recruiting with passion and excitement. People are generally shocked to find out how big, and how far beyond the typical industry business we are.
What are you and Judy looking forward to in the next 5 years?
Judy and I knew our time would come and go. Our future is around our associates and our community. We are committed to community service and being involved. We go to our associate's little league games to see their kids play baseball, soccer, or dance. It’s almost like being grandparents. Being there is really important. But the skill is being seen but not heard. There is a mastery in letting go without being gone.
Mark McClanahan
Mark found his way to us through Enterprise Bank in 2009.
An instructor at Enterprise University (Enterprise Bank’s series of business seminars) introduced Mark to Judy. After their lunch meeting, Judy said, “I think I found the guy.” Judy and I spent years considering a succession plan. What would it look like? Who would lead? Who would fit the culture? Who would be sensitive enough to work with the creative design team, and have the background to value a structural engineer? We looked at over 25 individuals from across the country. Here is the reason Mark is our guy; he is a student all the time every time. Mark is enthusiastic about the business, people, organizational operations, and he’s a voracious reader. He keeps learning. His mind is eager and hungry for more. That’s what defined him as the guy that should be leading. He has a vision for his life and his career. In the realm of modest leadership, Mark said, “Here’s what I am. Here’s what I’m not, and by the way, what’s that book you mentioned? Would you mind sharing that with me?”
The Scott and Judy show ended around 2015. Since then, it has been the associates, and our community, bringing us forward. Now it’s Mark’s turn to lead. His excitement about Mosby’s future is infectious.
Describe Kirkwood
Kirkwood Cares. Cares about the zoning. Cares about the runoff. Cares about the school. Cares about private schools. Cares about the potholes. Cares about the residents, the future and the past. Go to a city gathering – we are a family of Kirkwood. If it gets messy it’s because we care. You can judge someone for caring too much, caring too little, caring about the A answer instead of the B answer, but Kirkwood cares. We pay it forward.
New Technology
Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence are the future. Look at the military, even the movie Iron Man, all that technology is coming into construction because we have a limited workforce. Exoskeletons, wearable machines with motorized joints that minimize strain and injury, support the limited mobility of a workforce. We have talented, trained minds, but the bodies are not so powerful. I have an app that show’s Mosby’s on-time completion to the second because we measure it, we communicate it, the whole team knows it and it keeps us accountable. Our promises are credible. Our brand is credible. The reason for our growth is because we have the capacity, the tools, and the technology.
The Radio Show
I love being the mouthpiece for our community. I’m convinced I was chosen to host the Mr. Fix-It show on KMOX with one answer during my test show. A woman called in wondering what to do about a snake inside her washing machine. I said, “I suggest you unhook that washing machine, drag it outside, lay the machine on its side, open the lid and invite that snake to leave. Or you can get your hands down in there, wrestle that critter and see who wins.” About 30 percent of my answers come from what I learned working for my father. About 30 percent are from traveling the country and being active in our industry. The other 30 percent comes from Mosby associates who are learning and evolving their craft. They share their learning with me, then I share it on the radio. This is the reason why am I here – I'm honoring my father and my co-workers, the industry, the building science, and research guys. I love this show. I love the science of building.
Home Remodeling Tips
Tip 1: Don't Make Assumptions Based Off Television
Tip 2: Make a Realistic Budget
Tip 3:Determine Splurge-Worthy Items Upfront
Tip 4: Create a Clear Vision in Mind
Tip 5: Know Who You're Hiring