July 25, 2024
Brad Lukanic, CEO, CannonDesign
Listen on:
You can’t Reboot your business or your life with the old playbooks that got you to where you are today—you mustredesign your approach to what’s coming next.
Even though they were founded in the 40’s, Cannon Design is not your mothers design firm. One of the best examples of the ‘Build, Buy, Borrow’ growth-acceleration examples we’ve discovered outside of tech., they’ve grown into a diverse services and software platform through creative partnerships and acquisitions, across the globe.
Bold acquisitions like O’Donnell, Wicklund, Pigozzi & Peterson and Astorino Co. allowed them to break into competitive regions, while mergers with Blue Cottage and others helped them get into healthcare, education, and the workplace sectors.
Watch or Listen in as we talk with Cannon Design CEO, Brad Lukanic, about his open and honest plans to elevate design and architecture to the next-level through organic growth and acquisitions—as well as great tips for those starting or rebooting your career.
Making Architecture Design Sustainable
There was a point when Cannon Design was only an architecture design and construction services company. Which was too limiting for long-term growth. Brad notes that architecture “is a three-year window. You design for a year, you build a project for two years” Then if you do a good job your client brings you back for another three years, which is very stressful if you are trying to do any long-term planning. This has led to a huge point of growth, by answering the question “How do you make a 30-year window?” Brad has been able to take Cannon in the direction of long-term sustainability through their software services and premiere C suite consulting on their next projects.
One Of The Great Reboot Experiments
With the world moving in the way it is as computers and phones get faster and smarter, and more opportunities to work from home appear, offices and many other buildings everywhere are no longer seeing enough traffic to keep them afloat. A prime example is libraries, which desperately need a reboot if they are going to be around for the long haul. On this topic, Brad mentions that “libraries are probably one of the great experiments that are out there right now”. He also offers some advice to libraries moving forward, rethink “what one does to engage the community.” An example he gives is a children’s library in Charlotte that is also a community theater, and through more communal activities, that library has done very well for itself.
To Future Designers
For those of you looking to get into architecture or work for a design firm, Brad has some advice for you. One thing he wanted people who are worried about picking up a design major in college to know is that “It has never been a better time to be a designer”. Through all the advancements in design tools and AI, there has never been a better time to start designing. Start now and you could be the one to solve the great library reboot experiment.
