The greatest leadership lesson Gary Wood has learned is that to be successful running multiple organizations, he needs to elevate people in positions where he is weak and really double down on leading at a higher level. “If I’m getting in the weeds of the day to day and not spending my time figuring out what is the right direction our organizations need to head, then we will never get to where we had planned,” he said. “It takes me leading at a higher level and I am excited to be in a position to make it happen.”
Leading at a higher level as the co-founder and COO of PV Ventures is essential with the firm’s growing acquisitions. PV Ventures is a parent company strategically focused on supporting and growing operating businesses that specialize in the commercial construction industry. The mission of the firm is to deliver high quality products and services to customers that value a superior building experience.
In the last year, Wood set a growth goal to acquire another company that would diversity the firm’s holdings and better withstand a downturn in the economy. This was achieved in acquiring Artisan Contracting, a construction company that specializes in heavy industrial construction in the southeast Missouri region and beyond.
According to Wood, this acquisition will take revenue from the portfolio of companies from approximately $10 million to nearly $30 million and will increase employee count from 20 to nearly 70. “This also elevates me into a position focused more on growing operations, revenues and profits for all companies,” he said.
Before the latest acquisition, Wood said he spent 100% of his time in the St. Louis office leading three different businesses and now he spends 80% of his time in Cape Girardeau. “As you progress as an entrepreneur, you are continually faced with the proverbial step off of a cliff scenario,” he said. “To be successful in this transition, I had to reorganize the management structure of my organizations to ensure their continued success as I began to focus more on our new acquisition.”
After he was named a Titan 100 in 2023, Wood said that the experience has helped him understand the impact he has on his businesses and the community. “Running a successful business is important, but the positive impact you have on so many lives in running a company is huge,” he said. “I think as business owners we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of growing a business and this award is a time to finally pause and reflect on the true impact of being a titan.”
For his continued success within the industry, Wood has been named a second-time Titan 100.
