Master Builders of Iowa

By Luke Wilgenbusch (Architectural Wall Systems)

I graduated from Iowa State University in 2005 with a degree in Construction Engineering and the ambition to find a company where I could build my construction career by putting to use my education all while continuing to learn and grow within the construction industry.  That home I found is Architectural Wall Systems Co. and that teacher that is helping me grow is Mike Cunningham, owner and founder of the company.  Mike’s entrepreneurial drive, values, and work ethic have allowed him to rise from his beginning in architectural sales within the industry to the leader of one of the largest glazing contractors in the States.

Mike’s first experience in the construction industry was in 1974 as an Architectural Salesmen representing glazing, wall panel, and skylight manufacturers.  As an Architectural Salesman, he handled a project from the time he sold it to managing it throughout the design, production, and delivery process.  Mike’s work did not stop however once he had delivered his product.  Mike made sure that the construction craftsmen he provided his product to understood the complete installation of the product.  Through his interaction with the construction trades, he developed an appreciation for what the expert craftsmen in the construction industry offer.  As he built his own company later in life, he has always stressed to his employees “We work for the field”.  Mike explains that the quality of the finished building product lies solely in the craftsmen’s hands since they are the last individuals to handle it so it is up to us as project managers to provide these craftsmen with a quality and correctly designed product.

As Mike continued to sell and manage larger and more intricate projects his knowledge of the construction industry grew and he made it his purpose to build lasting relationships with the Architect’s he called on and the construction craftsmen he serviced.  Eventually his entrepreneurial sense took control and he had the idea to start Architectural Wall Systems co. in 1991.  The company started out with just Mike and his wife Keenan and has since grown to an office staff of 30 plus with a strong affiliation with the Glaziers and Ironworkers Unions. 

Some of Mike’s biggest achievements are directly related to the growing of his company.  He has developed himself into an expert in the exterior building envelope market as the leader of his company; he has produced innovative ideas on how to differentiate and build his company; he has sustained his ideals and principals that he built his company around through the years; and he has continued to build lasting and valued relationships with customer’s and vendors.

He’s become an expert in the market.  One of the unique aspects of Mike’s career in construction is that he is essentially a self-taught expert in his field.  Throughout Mike’s career, he has continued to learn and keep on top of the ever-changing technology relating to the exterior envelope of a building.  Mike’s only formal higher education was in Business Administration at Des Moines Area Community College.  With no real formal education relating to the technical aspect of construction he has taken it upon himself to learn from the people he has worked with over the years, as well as the multitude of research and publications on building envelopes available and is now a person that owners, architects, and general contractors alike turn to for advice.  He has developed into somewhat of an expert on exterior envelopes and is often sought after as a consultant to diagnose and provide recommendations for building leaks.

Mike has built his company through differentiation.  Mike knew to be successful in a competitive market he needed to differentiate his company from his competitors.  One characteristic that sets AWS apart from its competition is that Mike developed the company to be a single source supplier and installer for the exterior envelope of an owner’s building.  AWS will supply and install anything from glazing, to wall panels, to architectural precast and terra cotta.  Their systems range from standard stick built curtianwall systems on a smaller project to a completely unitized curtianwall system on a multi-million dollar project.  Mike by no means started a cookie-cutter type glass shop.  His willingness to engineer, supply, and install custom systems has made him a sought after resource by many Architects and General Contractors.  One of Mike’s visions for how the keep the company ahead of the competition has lead him to pursue tapping into overseas resources for material supply from China.  AWS’ main market focus remains in the Midwest, however, this relationship with overseas resources has allowed AWS to gain a competitive advantage within the Midwest and to seek out material supply projects in markets far outside of the Midwest in places such as New Jersey, California, Anchorage Alaska, Hawaii and beyond.  Another prime example of Mike’s utilization of new technology in the construction industry to differentiate his company is his grasping of the rainscreen principal.  Mike can be credited with bringing the rainscreen design concept to Iowa as a contractor and introducing it into many projects that would otherwise have never considered it. 

Mike has great ideals and principals and has built valued relationships.  Through Mike’s management of projects as a salesperson, he learned some of the main principles he wanted to build his company around and continues to stress these principals to his employees daily.  Things such as first-rate customer service from the preconstruction process to project closeout and beyond, Clear Communication with the entire construction team, and maintaining Schedule, Schedule, Schedule in order to be a dependable resource for General Contractors.  Mike’s continued focus over the years to maintain these ideals and principals he founded the company on has helped him maintain the company’s strength in the market.  Strong allies in both customers and vendors that Mike has built relationships with over the years, has kept the company strong in a highly competitive market.

Mike Cunningham has truly had a long and storied journey in the construction industry over the years.  One of Mike’s first big projects was the EMC Insurance building in downtown Des Moines.  That project was a springboard for Mike to become well known in the industry and make a name for himself.  One of the more recent landmark projects was the Sprint Arena in Kansas City which is a large “glass bowl” arena that was completely engineered, supplied, and installed by AWS and its resources overseas.  AWS and Mike have continued to prove over the years that there is no project too large or complex for them to handle.  Mike’s career in the construction industry is far from your typical story.  The fact that he has no formal technical education and has turned himself into a sought after expert and built a strong company from the ground up can act as inspiration for anyone.  He is a prime example that you do not need an engineering degree to be a good builder.  Anyone with the right attitude, the right work ethic, and the right drive can make them into a true construction professional.