Werner and Co. Accountants

Werner & Co. had the opportunity to renovate an church originally constructed in 1855 to create a warm, inviting environment for its clients. Andy Werner, founder of Werner & Co., has learned to appreciate the local PA Dutch culture and, as a result, has dreamt of working in a place with character and heritage – somewhere like an old barn. When an old landmark church was on the market, it got him thinking. His dream turned into reality with the help of SAGE Design-Build. Heritage, location and character were the driving forces behind the renovation, says Werner. The partners of Werner & Co. wanted to create an environment where customers felt comfortable, happy and at ease, which is exactly what the new office space communicates.

“We wanted ourew space to set the tone of what the experience working with us would be like. The building matches our company – the foundation is solid and the interior is open and transparent,” says Werner.

But as with any centenary building renovation, this job surely had its unknowns.
“One of the biggest challenges we faced was not knowing what we would find when we went inside. Was the building structurally sound? How much of the wood was rotting? We had many unknowns,” says Werner. “We knew pretty quickly that SAGE had the same vision as we did. A client of ours called our attention to the timbers in the attic. After it was brought up, we, along with Joe (Landrigan) of SAGE, looked up in the attic and were in instant agreement that the architecture and craftsmanship of ‘the bones of the building’ were too beautiful to hide. From that point on, we knew this is where we wanted to be.”

Not only was it a match in vision, but also SAGE had similar business values to Werner & Co. The top three things that come to mind when describing SAGE are creativity, responsiveness and good communication, all of which closely align with Werner & Co.’s approach with clients.

One of the advantages of having SAGE as your design-build partner is that everything that Joe Landrigan, the company’s president, can design, he can build as well – as he is an architect by trade. He understands the contractor lingo and is able to present all of the details necessary to make the most informed decisions.

“Joe was very flexible and adaptable when we were making changes on the fly,” says Werner. “He was always informative and straightforward about any additional steps and costs that would be required along the way when we made changes. Even when we were literally moving walls, Joe went with the flow.”

In addition to the project design and construction, SAGE was also able to help Werner & Co. navigate other aspects impacting the project. Those services included conducting a feasibility study, presenting financing options, and understanding township approvals and constraints. As with any construction project, there are many facets that all have to come together and that’s where SAGE excels – bringing the right people and the right information to the table, says Kris DePaolo, managing partner of Werner & Co.

“He got our vision, came to us with a plan and helped us bring this to fruition. SAGE was the perfect partner for this job and you tend to go where you put your trust, much like how we want our clients to feel about us,” says DePaolo.