Sam Stahnke
Vice President/Operating Partner
ARCO National Construction
Kansas City, Missouri
During his career at ARCO National Construction, Sam Stahnke has been involved in bringing nearly 18 million square feet of space to major markets across the country for clients such as BlueScope Properties Group, STAG Industrial, Foxfield LLC, Coca-Cola, Goya Foods, Scooter’s Coffee and CITY Furniture.
To say that he has made an impact for ARCO and in commercial real estate in general, then? That’s an understatement.
“I love connecting with people, learning about them and their businesses, and in turn helping make their construction vision a reality,” Stahnke said. “Working with clients in a project’s preliminary stages during due diligence is one of the best parts of the construction process. It gives us the opportunity to get to know them and gain a deep understanding of what they really want and need for their business from a construction standpoint.”
Stahnke boasts more than 16 years of experience providing his clients with turnkey design-build solutions. As vice president with ARCO’s Kansas City division, he services new and existing clients nationwide, specializing in industrial ground-up facilities, expansions and tenant improvements.
Stahnke’s personal touch goes a long way to bringing these projects to successful completions. He is involved in projects from concept to completion, working with clients throughout the proposal, preconstruction, design and construction phases of a job, and then ensuring that his clients receive a finished facility that meets the needs of their business for years to come.
Stahnke is committed to being a trusted advisor for clients, working to provide customers with the information needed to make well-informed decisions, including preliminary design options, due diligence, feasibility assessment, square footage optimization and more. As a result, he has created long-term partnerships with developer and end-user clients throughout the Midwest and country.
“I moved to Kansas City in 2012 to help establish ARCO’s presence in the local market, not knowing anyone except my business partner,” he said. “I had to rebuild a full book of business in a town where I had only been one time. Through this, I learned to connect with clients and industry partners on a new level. It taught me the value of being vulnerable and open, which has allowed me to create some of the best relationships in my life through business.”
As an active member of the local community, Stahnke serves on the board for KC SmartPort, a non-profit economic development organization that works to attract manufacturing, distribution and warehouse users to the Kansas City Region. He also serves on the board of the Parkville Area Chamber & EDC.
Stahnke gives back to his community, too, supporting local charities through ARCO, including Habitat for Humanity, Community Linc, Camp Quality, the Deron Cherry Foundation and the Riverside Fire/Police Athletic League. He also volunteers as a coach for local youth sports.
“I’ve always had a strong work ethic, especially since participating in sports growing up. It taught me the value of not taking ‘no’ for an answer and how to persevere when things get tough,” Stahnke said. “That mentality has translated well to my career in construction. The ability to think creatively and find the best solution has also played an integral role in my success. Whether in the heat of construction or early on with financing, I’ve been able to find a way to bring people together to create some spectacular finished projects.”
When not working, Stahnke spends much of his time watching his two children’s sports activities or coaching their teams. He and his family also enjoy skiing in the winter and boating in the summer. He’s a fan, too, of CrossFit and staying in shape.
