Jim Frey, Industry Paragon of Fairness, Dies
Date Posted: November 12, 2024
Posted In: Organizations, People,
Editor’s Note: We received word yesterday from Ron Wiese, retired vice president at Alberici, that Jim Frey, former senior vice president at Alberici Group died on Sunday (Nov. 10). Here is a link to his official obituary, including details on visitation, funeral service, and memorials. In 2016 Jim won awards from the Midwest Council of the American Subcontractors Association, Associated General Contractors of Missouri, and Construction Forum. We wrote this article, originally posted 4/26/16, when he received the ASA honor. We share it again here as our tribute to Jim.
by Tom Finan, Executive Director, Construction Forum
If they could bottle being a decent guy, Jim Frey could corner the market on it. Jim, who retired from Alberici last September, was presented with the “Legacy Award” by the Midwest Council ASA at its “Boots and Bling” Awards Gala, held Saturday (April 23) at the Four Seasons Hotel.
ASA recognized the ethics and practices of some of the best subcontractors, general contractors, field and office personnel in the industry.
Full disclosure: Jim and I go way back. We doubled-dated on our senior prom at Vianney High School, Class of ’70. His wife Kathleen was in my brother Chuck’s class at St. John and James grade school in Ferguson. But while I have known Jim almost half a century, that hasn’t biased my opinion of Jim so much as reinforced it.
Even in high school he was brilliant but not arrogant, quiet but also possessed with an hysterically dry sense of humor. Above all, as previously stated, he was fundamentally decent and concerned about other people.
Those characteristics came into play throughout his business career. After he graduated in engineering from Missouri S&T he served stints with Ameren, Korte, and McCarthy before coming to Alberici. At Alberici, where he reviewed the company’s contracts, he established a reputation for applying the Golden Rule to all of the company’s dealings with subcontractors.
In presenting the award, ASA leaders noted Jim’s dedication to building relationships for all in the industry. They credited him for the passage of prompt pay legislation in Missouri.
When he accepted Alberici’s award for GC of the year in the large contractor category, Ron Wiese, Alberici’s vice president of estimating, asked Jim to return to the stage. Ron said that Jim’s standards for collaboration and fair play predated AGC’s ConsensusDocs.
Part of Jim Frey’s legacy at Alberici, Wiese said, is Alberici’s “Fairness Doctrine,” which has a stated purpose of, “consistently managing relationships between Alberici Constructors and our subcontractors and suppliers while treating everyone with whom we do business fairly and honestly.”
The document, which is published on the subcontractor section of Alberici’s website, says that “Alberici Constructors recognizes the important role subcontractors play on our projects and the impact they have on our success. We also understand our fair and ethical treatment of subcontractors, safety practices, prompt payment practices, project management, project supervision, quality management practices, spirit of teamwork, scheduling coordination, ability to effectively communicate, timely administrative procedures and ability to perform provide benefits to our subcontractors and contribute to their success.”
Bringing some of his dry sense of humor into play, Jim Frey told the ASA gala audience that when he became chairman of the board of AGC of St. Louis he was given a gavel by AGC staff. He quickly took pleasure in using the gavel in calling gatherings to order and resolving disputes.
But after his initial joy in using the gavel, he was dismayed to learn that he had inherited the sole remaining item on AGC’s long term strategic plan — making the St. Louis region a competitive place to build.
“Fourteen years later, my legacy is that I failed in that task,” Jim said.
Not so much.
To quote Construction Forum STL President Joe Blanner, “St. Louis doesn’t do change well.” Our vision statement for the Forum is “Building the St. Louis region’s tomorrow through inclusive engagement, unbiased communication, and focused action.” We obviously borrowed a couple of pages from Jim’s playbook in crafting that one.
Jim Frey has taught us to treat one another with decency, to see things from the other person’s perspective, to listen… and to always have faith and a twinkle in your eye while doing so.
He is a true believer in the St. Louis region, it’s people, and in our industry. That is his legacy.