Driven to Deliver®: Driven to do the Right Thing

“The Opus team did what they said they were going to do – every single time. That has not always been the case with my prior experience." - John Johnston, Director of Operations at Safe Fleet

At Opus, we have a strong track record of meeting our promises for high-quality buildings.

We're driven to do the right thing. To us, that's integrity, one of our core values, and it means:

Do what we say we will. Be transparent. Follow through on commitments.

See what our experts say about delivering with integrity.

Meet the Experts

George Parrino, LEED AP, Project Executive

Joe Stubbs, Field Coordinator

Mark Cage, Capital Markets Associate

Q&A

What does integrity mean to you?
George: When I think about integrity, I think about it in two different ways. One is my personal integrity, which is acting respectfully and morally, following through with commitments I make, and being honest. When I think about integrity in terms of my job, it also means acting in the best interest of our partners and clients to ensure we accomplish their goals and earn their trust. It also means treating everyone on the project team (subcontractors, designers, consultants, etc) with fairness and respect.

Joe: Integrity to me is to be truthful to your word and do what you say you are going to do. With that you will gain respect and confidence from all parties involved.

Mark: Integrity is doing the right thing no matter the circumstance or external pressure of any situation, and also having the confidence and conviction to stand alongside your choices.

What does doing the right thing mean to you?
George: Doing the right thing means taking responsibility for mistakes and making the necessary corrections to achieve the desired or promised outcome. All employees feel pressure to contribute to the profitability of their company, but Opus has always emphasized that taking care of our customers and doing the right thing is more important. It is very satisfying working for a company that puts such importance on acting with integrity and doing what it takes to maintain our client's trust.

Joe: Doing the right thing is something I believe is very important. Sometimes you need to go out of your comfort zone and admit there is an issue or a mistake made and make the decision to move forward by doing what is right. By doing that, we'll all benefit.

Mark: It means creating the most optimal outcome for all parties involved. The Opus team is exceptional because our projects deliver phenomenal outcomes for all stakeholders – our partners, tenants, teammates and the community.

Can you share examples of times on a project when the team did the right thing no matter what?
George: I have been on projects where we have made decisions to do things differently than originally anticipated, and at our additional cost and not the client's, even though our contractual agreement did not require us to do so. The decision was based on doing the right thing for the project and the owner, and these decisions have always been supported by senior leadership.

Joe: I can't come up with examples because I feel as an organization we always give it our all to do the right thing no matter what.

Mark: Our Kalaco Apartment project in Denver comes to mind. This was going to be a first time equity partner and first time lender for Opus. After running into a lender issue in the 9th inning, the entire Opus team from development, capital markets, insurance, legal, design-build and more came together in an “all-hands" approach to keep the project on track. The team was able to close the land transaction, then bring in an existing lender, and maintain project timeline, all while keeping our equity partner comfortable with the execution. A truly collaborative and professional outcome during a challenging situation.

Do you think our vertically-integrated design-build model contributes to doing the right thing?
George: I do believe this is an important and unique aspect of Opus. The entire team is aligned on the desire and ability to do the right thing for our clients. Our broad team (developers, designers, project managers) each has involvement in different aspects of the project, and if we encounter an issue or concern, we can easily bring it up to other members of the team with the knowledge that everyone will support taking action that will be in the best interest of our client.

Joe: Yes. With AE (architecture and engineering) being in house it gives us all the opportunity to come together as a team and have open discussions on what is most cost effective for our clients. It also is a time saver when you can reach out and get quick decisions as to not hold up the schedule.

How have you experienced our aim to do the right thing on projects? 
Mark: Our executive leadership of the various departments and offices at Opus make this a foundational focus and it is clear that this filters down throughout the organization. Opus teammates are exceptional partners in making each project successful.

How do our clients and partners benefit from this commitment?
Mark: The quality of an Opus project is well recognized by the broader marketplace.  Investors and tenants benefit from this commitment as it enhances their businesses and communities.

How about how we often think like an owner regardless of what type of project (build to suit or spec) that we're doing? 
George: Our unique structure of also being a developer means that we have experience working very closely with our ownership team, and we draw on that experience and “lessons learned" even when we are developing projects for others or working on a plan and spec project. If we believe that an important item is missing, or if we have recommendations on ways to add more value to the project, we will bring it to the attention of the owner so they can make an informed decision. We have gained lots of valuable knowledge over the years from being owners ourselves, and we want to share that knowledge with our clients so they can be as successful as possible.

Take A Deeper Dive into Our Unique Design-Build Model

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