“There are two ways to look at life: figure out where you want to live, and work there, or choose a career and follow it. I chose the latter.“

After learning the contracting trade from his father, Scott Blyze spent a career making his own way, largely in the retail sector. The director of store construction for Chico's FAS, Inc., a women’s clothier, has collected more than 30 years of industry experience with an array of shopping chains and developers, including the Limited, Galyan’s, Premiere Properties, Simon Property Group, and CenterCal Properties. At Chico’s, he oversees new construction and build-outs for the brand’s 1,365 stores, located in the 48 contiguous United States as well as the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. American Builders Quarterly sat down with Blyze to learn about his experience, his strengths, and the skill it takes to build a nationwide brand.

As told to Benjamin van Loon

My father was a very successful contractor in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. I was the boss’s kid and was awarded the jobs from the bottom of the barrel. I was working for him young in life, which gave me one heck of a work ethic.

Scott Blyze: Career Highlights

1980: Graduates with a BS in construction management from Missouri State University
1980–1990: Holds various positions for Harmon, RJ Maccini, and Flintco Construction
1990: Becomes senior construction manager for the Limited Inc.
1997: Takes job as vice president of construction for CSM Development
1999: Gets promoted to director of real estate development for the Limited, Inc.
2002: Becomes vice president of store construction and purchasing for Galyan’s Trading Company
2004: Gets hired as vice president of construction for Premier Properties USA, Inc.
2006: Becomes director of construction for Simon Property Group
2007: Becomes vice president of construction for CenterCal Properties, LLC
2009–2010: Does independent consulting with Maccini Construction in Oklahoma City
2010: Is recruited as the director of store construction for Chico’s FAS, Inc.

I graduated from Missouri State in 1980 with a BS in construction management, and the economy was similar to today. The market was tough, and there were no opportunities in my hometown. I moved to Oklahoma City to work for large, self-performing general contractors. Some of the more technical projects were hospitals, prisons, and airport expansions.

In 1989, I was recruited by the Limited Inc. and worked up through the ranks from construction manager to senior construction manager. Galyan’s Trading Company, a high-end sporting goods store [now Dick’s Sporting Goods], was owned by the Limited. My work for Galyan’s led me to Minneapolis, where I was recruited as the vice president of construction for CSM LLC. I managed a building program for Marriot and Hilton hotels across the US.

In 1999, I returned to the Limited Inc., in the real estate department. I had oversight management for the completion of phases one and two of Easton Town Center. I also managed the build-out of a flagship Victoria’s Secret store on 67th and Broadway in New York City, plus three more high-profile Galyan’s stores. When Galyan’s went public, I joined the company as the vice president of construction. Our team built about 1 million square feet of [gross leasable area] a year with a budget of $100 million. Dick’s Sporting Goods purchased Galyan’s, and I transitioned to the developer side in Indianapolis. I went to work for CenterCal Properties as vice president of construction, building lifestyle centers. When the economy took a severe downturn in 2008, I went independent.

Chico’s FAS, Inc. contacted me in 2009. Their program was growing rapidly, and I moved to Fort Myers [in Florida] in early 2010 to build Chico’s, White House Black Market, and Soma Intimates stores in malls across the country. Our program is very aggressive. In 2012, we built 165 stores, and our goal for 2013 is 187.

I am responsible for the roll-out program for two brands, including expansions and frontline stores. My role as director is to manage three in-house project managers for successful interface with our general-contracting partners. We work with in-house design, purchasing, and coordination teams to bid, award, and build the stores. I confirm start dates and communicate any delays regarding landlord issues. I keep an open line of communication to other departments regarding potential issues related to the success of the build-out program. On a day-to-day basis, I might be working with inspectors who are concerned about new seismic activities in Washington, or I might work with people in Delaware to get new fire alarms hooked up.

My father once gave me good insight: there are two ways to look at life—figure out where you want to live, and work there, or choose a career and follow it. I chose the latter and feel like it was the right path. I am an advocate to grow the business and continually deliver high-quality, on-time, and on-budget projects to our brands. ABQ