Letters Of Recommendation

Featherstone has successfully managed complex planning, budget estimating, bidding, value engineering, construction management and daily oversight for the project. Particularly important was our desire to keep the park open to visitors during the entire construction process; we needed a partner who would help us manage this challenging aspect of the project. Through detailed preparations, weekly meetings and daily on-site presence, Featherstone has provided a safe and clean worksite, allowing us to maintain public access to the park and to host our usual high volume of special events. Importantly, Project New Leaf is on time and within budget. This speaks well for Featherstone’s level of planning and management expertise. I highly recommend Featherstone as a partner in any construction project and would not hesitate to use their services in the future.

Mr. Matt LaFond
Executive Director

Beginning in 2019, the Chicago History Museum began working with Featherstone, Inc. on a complex initiative to construct a new outdoor experience on the grounds of the Museum and renovate a massive underground collections storage facility. I’m writing to express my thorough satisfaction with both the working relationship we established and maintained with them, and the quality of the products Featherstone helped us realize. The History Trail is a tremendous achievement and a wonderful new asset in Lincoln Park and the updated and upgraded Russell L. Lewis Jr Research Collections Facility is well on its way to a successful completion.

The team from Featherstone worked in close partnership and coordination with the staff of the Museum. They understood and supported the Museum’s goals, kept the in-house team engaged and informed, managed myriad project contracts, and provided the Museum with the critical support we needed to develop, plan, and execute these two large-scale projects. The Featherstone team was professional, respectful, and experienced.

We could not have chosen a better partner to help us realize these two mission-critical projects. I would welcome the opportunity to work with them again.

Mr. John Russick
Senior Vice President

The Morton Arboretum has worked with Featherstone, Inc. on major capital projects from concept design through construction. Their leadership in construction management has been instrumental to help us set realistic goals during the design process and manage the budget during construction with utmost care.

Mr. Kris Bachtell
Vice President of Collections and Facilities

Our experience with Featherstone has been very positive. They have exceeded our expectations on providing professional service, on time implementation, and staying on budget. As Owner’s Representative, Featherstone kept us well informed throughout the project and managed all selection and dealings with the contractors. They provided a worry-free implementation.

Mr. Allan Davidson
President

The Featherstone, Inc. team was with us from the beginning through the initial concept discussions with our donors to project management including: conceptual and schematic drawings, budget estimation, permitting, bidding, and construction management. We were pleased that Featherstone, Inc. completed this project on time, on budget, and exceeded our aspirational goals for minority and women owned business participation. Their due diligence, communication and collaboration with our staff was excellent.

Mr. Rich Gamble
Chief Operating Officer/Executive Vice President

Featherstone’s professionalism was evident throughout the project. Staff at all levels of the company were committed to the success of the project and to our satisfaction. The project came in under budget, allowing us to add additional enhancements and improvements. Featherstone was a great advocate for the Library ensuring that work was done properly and always keeping an eye on our bottom line. Featherstone’s team delivered the project on time despite adverse weather conditions early in the construction schedule. Because the project involved work adjacent to – and inside- an occupied building, they understood the importance of keeping service disruptions to a minimum for our patrons.

Mr. David Archer
Library Director

It is without hesitation that I can supply Featherstone Incorporated with my highest recommendation. Because of their diligence, hard work, attention to detail and ability to be malleable, our project was not only exactly as we had envisioned, but under budget.

Steve Cardamone
Executive Director

From the very beginning, Featherstone, Inc. and their staffing team accepted ownership for all facets of the project including: budget estimating, value engineering, permitting, bidding, construction management, and assisting with LEED certification at the Gold Level. 

Elizabeth S. Kessler, MBA, CPRP
Executive Director

Because of the success of our primary building project and Tom Featherstone’s proven standard of excellence in construction management and customer relations, we have hired Featherstone, Inc. for other projects in recent years.
Tom consistently has proven to be invaluable, ensuring that these projects were completed on time and on budget.

Thomas Kern
Library Director

Through Featherstone’s unique method of bidding and contracting alone, we saved more than enough to cover Featherstone’s construction management fee. The guidance during the design phase of the project and their full-time field staff on site each day during construction ensured the project met our community’s highest quality expectation. The aggressive schedule was maintained and the project came in under the approved budget. The Park District and community could not have been more pleased with our redeveloped Willow Park.
Featherstone, Inc. has our highest recommendation for construction management service. 

George Alexoff
Executive Director

From the very early stages of the project through the grand opening of Villa Olivia, the entire staff of Featherstone, Inc. accepted ownership for all aspects of our project including estimating, value engineering, bidding, and on site management.
Featherstone, Inc. has our highest recommendation for construction management services on future Park District projects. 

Ms. Rita Fletcher
Executive Director, CPRP

Their well-honed organizational skills allow them to find creative, dependable, detail-oriented solutions to provide budget-conscious clients with projects of which they can be proud.
Working with Featherstone, Inc. on these important projects has been pleasurable and rewarding. They have been extraordinarily clear, concise, and thorough during what has been a very complicated design and construction process. 

James Anthony van Sweden, FASLA
Founder

I believe it is imperative that facility owner’s interests are represented by an advocate such as Featherstone, Inc. As planning and building processes have become more complex, the means of controlling them require sophisticated project management knowledge and techniques, beyond the capability of facility owners.
Many facility owners and architects are finding that intelligent Construction and Project Management saves time and money for everyone by assuring a highly organized process and a quality product at competitive costs while minimizing budget and schedule problems. Featherstone, Inc provides this type of leadership.

Marshall J. Moretta, AIA
Partner, Moretta & Sheehy Architects

Thanks to Featherstone, Inc., our project was completed in an extremely timely and professional manner with very little disruption to the staff and the Library Board. I was impressed with Featherstone’s competent and knowledgeable staff who made the entire project flow smoothly and on schedule.

Lori Craft
Library Director

Featherstone, Inc.’s work was impeccable from estimating to finishing. They handled the bidding process, all the contact with the trades, and all the scheduling and supervision of the workers. Their expertise allowed us to complete the project ahead of time and under budget, while providing quality workmanship and material. I would highly recommend Featherstone, Inc for any construction project.

Ms. Sheila Sosnicki
Library Director

Since choosing Featherstone, Inc. as our construction managers, we have been extremely pleased with their work. The most valuable thing Featherstone has done so far was to educate us that the design we had been committed to would ultimately cost us $1 million more to build than we understood and would also give us a less functional building.
In my personal observation, Tom has a quiet confidence and assurance in himself and his team that have been very comforting to our board during this process.

Mr. Scott Stephens
Library Board President

Featherstone Facts

Average Bid to Build Variance -3.11%,
Average Value for Fee at 145%
Last 5 years – 5 Fabulous Parks
Last 5 years – 5 Fantastic Libraries
Multiple, Decades-Longstanding, Client Relationships – The Morton Arboretum, Chicago Botanic Garden, Brookfield Zoo, the Wauconda Public Library, The Schaumburg Township District Library