We have just recently completed a major expansion and remodeling project at Wood-Armfield Furniture. J. L. Darr and Son was the general contractor and Pete Pyles was the project manager on the job. This was our third project since 1986 and the most challenging. In 1986 we completed a new freestanding retail store and in 1987 we built a 42,000 square foot service center. The Wood-Armfield project presented several unique situations, which caused us concern:

1. Design - tying the new addition into a fifty-year-old structure that had been built in three stages.
2. Zoning - particular problem areas with City and State codes due to the downtown location and the exiting structure.
3. Costing - difficult because renovation called for all new roof and roofline, ceiling, walls and electrical wiring for the existing building.
4. Scheduling - construction had to be scheduled to allow normal retail operating hours with minimum interference.

Pete Pyles was in charge of the project and did an outstanding job. Pete worked with us from the initial design stage until completion. He was able to work effectively with the city in meeting all code requirements. We had several critical scheduling situations where we had to meet deadlines to open a particular area and J. L. Darr never let us down. The completed building was all and more than we had expected and best of all came in under budget.

Perhaps our biggest surprise was the moral of our people during construction. We were concerned about working conditions in the middle of construction for such an extended period. I personally feel that the project manager was responsible for this being a positive experience for everyone. Pete maintained a good relationship not only with management and staff but also with all employees. The end result was that this location, with construction all year, led our other retail locations in growth.

Sincerely,