Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal Names ’40 Under Forty’

May 18, 2007

Annually Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal selects 40 accomplished professionals in the fields of business, government and non-profits who are younger than forty and are honored for their achievements. Bob Gardner was selected from a field of nearly 280 nominees.

Bob Gardner is a Natural Communicator. He doesn’t get uncomfortable initiating conversations with anybody, whether it’s an important customer, an acquaintance at one of his City of the Lakes Rotary Club meetings or a parking attendant in an unfamiliar city. This ability to talk to people has generated comments from colleagues, friends, and family, who tell him in amazement “You can talk to anyone. I can’t do what you do.”

Gardner said the trick is to try to find common ground, and then build on that. He said he probably honed his skills as a kid when he moved around a lot following his dad, who was in the U.S. Air Force.

Gardner got into construction as a general laborer after he finished high school. His first job was building a high-end, gated residential community in Newport News, VA. “I was the guy in the hole with a shovel,” he said.

A fortunate thing happened in the mid 1990’s when the market for residential homes softened, and Gardner, who was training to be a carpenter, left to join the rigorous Newport News Ship Building apprentice program. He finished the four-year program with merit in two years and 10 months. He then went to the University of Wisconsin in Madison to earn an engineering degree before moving to San Francisco to start a job managing construction interiors at high-end law firms.

While in California, he met his future wife Mary Jo Stocco, who is a native of Bloomington and also a former Badger. The couple moved to the Twin Cities in 2001 and live in Savage.

Gardner is director of corporate services for Minneapolis-based Knutson Construction Services. In his job, he has to communicate with a lot of people as he drums up new tenant-improvement construction jobs and sometimes oversees them. He held a similar position for RJM Construction, Inc. for the three previous years.

His clients have included Winthrop & Weinstine law firm, Mesaba Aviation and Capella University.

Gardner said he enjoys putting the pieces together to make a project happen and then celebrating the completion with a satisfied customer. He also finds time to assist others.

Gardner has displayed his leadership skills as member of the Business Round Table at the Minneapolis Lifetime Athletic Club, said Mike Mohn, president of Parkhouse Advisors who has known Gardner for five years – ever since the two men participated in a roundtable together. “When others needed extra attention, Bob took it upon himself to help. Something I have never forgotten is how consistently Bob gave of himself.”

The program brings business people together from various disciplines to discuss issues that they face in their jobs. Gardner was first a group member, and then served as a roundtable leader.

Gardner also volunteers with the Edina A Better Chance (ABC) Foundation that brings academically gifted minority students from around the country and integrates them in the Edina school system. He recently organized a group that painted the upper and lower levels of the home where a half-dozen students live. For his contributions ABC made Gardner a board member.

- Sam Black, Staff Writer