Along with its own 105th anniversary, St. Louis-based S. M. Wilson & Co. is celebrating the 45th work anniversary of General Superintendent Steve Williams.
Williams is now one of only two individuals in the company’s history to reach the 45-year mark, surpassing his father, Larry Williams’ 44-year S. M. Wilson legacy as a lead superintendent.
In a 2023 Construction Superintendent Magazine profile article, Williams shared some of the wisdom he gained over four decades working in the construction industry. “Be a sponge and soak up as much knowledge as you can from the people who have been in this industry for decades. Also give your employer a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay. If you are putting in your time and showing some initiative along the way, an employer is going to keep you around and eventually reward you for your actions. This is something that I learned to do from my dad and other people at S. M. Wilson over the years.”
Williams joined S. M. Wilson in 1981 as a Union Laborer and worked his way up to being a Project Superintendent. In 2023, he was promoted to the company’s new role of General Superintendent. In this role, he oversees field operations and manages all field staff. He works collaboratively to develop and implement strategies to build successful and effective project teams that are accountable for safety, quality, budget, schedule and client satisfaction.
Williams started his path in the construction industry when he was a junior in high school. During much of his career, he traveled across the country to manage primarily retail construction projects for S. M. Wilson, including numerous projects for Target and Von Maur as well as the construction of the Old Towne Plaza development in Ballwin, Missouri and IKEA’s St. Louis location. He has also successfully managed a wide variety of projects in other sectors such as industrial, healthcare and civic projects, including the Godfrey Fire Station and Highland Public Safety Building.
“Throughout my career, I have traveled from border to border and mountain range to mountain range across the United States from Syracuse, New York to Breckenridge, Colorado, throughout Texas and Louisiana into Michigan and Minnesota,” he said.
Williams lives in Mt. Vernon, Illinois with his wife and near his father and mother. He is one of numerous family and extended family members who have dedicated their career to the construction industry at S. M. Wilson. His daughter, Courtney Kinamore, Marketing Manager, has been a team member for 21 years.
“To this day, I consider my dad my mentor and best working buddy. I can truly say there was no one I would rather work alongside,” said Williams. “Until I became a full-time superintendent, we worked side by side whenever we could.”
