Valli Produce
Carmine Presta and his partners were planning on buying a large commercial property in Evanston, Illinois. Their plan was to build their 6th Valli Produce store within the center and to renovate the existing buildings façade. Valli Produce’s current six stores were located throughout suburban Chicago. Their practice had been to oversee their own build-out of stores to save money. We had done some minimal work with them in the past. Prior to their purchase, we were introduced as a potential resource for design, equipment and project management.
As a group, the partners were initially leery of having an outside company be responsible for their budget and overseeing all aspects of the project. In the end, our ability to provide everything that was needed to accomplish the project, including bringing a general contractor to the table to oversee the façade remodel, won them over. Ultimately, the deciding factor for them was the fact that we were claiming that we could complete the store in 7 months. This was a full 4 months quicker than what they were able to do on their self-performed projects.
Ultimately, the building renovation is a stunner. It is contemporary, timeless and fits with Evanston’s architecture. The grocery store is a modern adaptation of the Valli Produce chain. It is a perfect fit for the community and its diverse population. The store continues to grow in sales and market share, despite some tough competition.
Beyond those successes, we were able to deliver the store per our established construction timetable and on budget. The additional sales the Presta’s were able to enjoy, by being open earlier than they planned and the actual savings that we were able to achieve by having us manage the project, easily offset the cost of management services.
In the end, this is a true win-win situation. The Presta’s have a store that is outperforming based on their expectations. The community has a new grocery store and a renovated center that re-energized a property that was in decline. Lastly, we have a life-long customer that realizes the value in choosing a business partner that brings a wealth of experience to the table.
