DSC celebrates 60 years of business growth

Dean Snyder Construction (DSC), of Clear Lake, will celebrate 60 years of hard work, customer service and quality results, with an open house Sunday, Aug. 19. The public is encouraged to stop at the business between 3 and 6 p.m. today (Wednesday, Aug. 15) and visit with the Snyder family and tour the building and newest addition, Atura Architecture.

“We continue to grow and look forward to future generations to come,” said DSC President Dale Snyder.  “We were always taught to work hard, take care of customers and do quality work.  That’s still what we teach our people.”

The lesson in hard work and commitment to exceeding client’s expectations was learned from Dean Snyder himself, father of Dale, David and Don, who all remain active in the business.

As a high school student, Dean Snyder always liked shop class and enjoyed the challenge of building something out of nothing and getting a finished product. Little did he know that this hobby would lead he and his wife, Joanne, to start Dean Snyder Construction in 1958 in Clear Lake.

Company history says Dean got his start in the construction business by working for several different contractors in his early 20’s and cultivated his skill for building houses while working for his father-in-law in Oregon.  After three years on the West Coast, Dean and Joanne returned to Clear Lake, and Dean Snyder Construction was formed, using the slogan, “The Dean of Builders.” Joanne took care of all the bookwork from their home, while Dean worked out of his pick-up truck. Before long, their three sons were introduced to the family business.

In the early days, residential construction was the Snyder’s primary focus.

The 1970’s brought about many exciting changes for DSC. As the company continued to grow, a new office space was found in town, allowing room for the company’s cabinet shop as well. It was also during the early 1970’s that the Snyder’s three sons, Don, Dale, and David, became more involved in company projects, helping move the company into new markets.

The company’s first commercial proj

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ects were the Mutual Federal Savings Bank in Clear Lake and Clear Lake School’s Bus Garage.

In the early 1980’s, the company was awarded its first large manufacturing project with UNISYS Corporation. The UNISYS project provided a jump start into the industrial market.

In 1984, a new DSC office was built in Clear Lake, Iowa, to accommodate the company’s growth. About 13 years later, more space was needed so the company built a new 4,000 square foot office, only to expand again in 2008 by adding an additional 4,000 square feet.

In 1986, the company began working on a project with Kraft Foods in Mason City, Iowa, marking our entry into the food and beverage market. Almost three decades later, Dean Snyder Construction is still providing services to Kraft Foods in Mason City and has completed multiple projects for Kraft Foods in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York.

In 2001, Dean Snyder Construction ventured into central Iowa to expand its construction services by opening an office in Ankeny, Iowa. A new office and shop was opened in Ankeny in 2003.

DSC has grown to include DSC Design Group, providing design services, DSC Industrial Group, experts dedicated to design, project management, and construction in the food and beverage processing industry, and Waggoner & Wineinger Architects (WWA), providing architectural services to the public and private sectors in Iowa.

Atura Architecture, a subsidiary of Dean Snyder Construction, is the newest addition to the business.  Atura us a full-service architectural firm that provides professional architectural services to both the public and private markets. Expansion at the Clear Lake DSC office has provided an attractive space for Atura.  Dale adds that the 2012 acquisition of Atura puts all of the services under one Clear Lake roof.

Today, the company that started in the Snyder’s home has two locations in Iowa, approximately 200 employees, and several projects throughout the Midwest. It has second generation ownership and leadership (Don, Dale, David) with third generation involvement.

“My brothers and I are all excited about the future of the company.  And we always teach everyone at DSC to remember where we came from.  We are proud of our company’s history and have been fortunate to have dedicated employees, some for well over 20 years, that continue to exhibit the same values the company was built on.”

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