The Wooten Company

Integrity and Imagination

By Leah Etling on May 14, 2013 in People

Not too many apartment renters can say they’ve seen the Budweiser Clydesdales pull up to their apartment building. But that happened to residents of a property managed by Yardi client The Wooten Company in Springfield, Missouri not too long ago. The stocky iconic horses were in town to deliver a case of beer to a lucky contest winner and Wooten Company resident.

The event turned into a property-wide block party for residents and Wooten Company staff. The company invited everyone out to see the beautiful Clydesdales and enjoy hot dogs, cake and sodas. It was a great opportunity for connecting a community, a day when one residents’ good luck turned into a special experience for his neighbors.

With over 4200 apartments in the Springfield, Missouri metro area, The Wooten Company is the city’s market leader when it comes to multifamily housing. In its 35^th year, that hasn’t stopped the firm from continuing to seek creative ways to better serve its residents – and even have some fun while doing so. The Clydesdale visit is just one great example.

“We invited all our employees, company-wide, to come down and see them as well,” said Senior Property Manager Patrick Pearson. Wooten Co. employees participate in the FISH Philosophy of team building, which aims to develop strong connections between team members and leadership skills.

With ingenuity inspired by company founder, the late C. Tal Wooten Jr., and continued by company director Karen Cowan, The Wooten Co. manages properties of all classes and serves renters of all kinds, including seniors and students.

“Mr. Wooten was a very high-spirited, loved people kind of guy,” said Accounting Director Laurie Hopkins. “We’ve been lucky enough to retain that spirit through the years.”

Springfield is a Midwestern city with plenty of old-fashioned Middle America charm, and maintaining strong local community ties is an important part of The Wooten Co.’s business philosophy. The company makes a concentrated effort to use the products and services of other local companies whenever possible.

They also have strong connections with their residents, many of whom are long-term renters with the company. During a recent fundraising partnership with Missouri State University, Cowan called on a local celebrity – and longtime Wooten Company resident, Retired Harlem Globetrotter Manny Oliver, to help. Manny, a Springfield native who has lived in a Wooten Co. property for many ­­years drew the winning name for one year of free rent. Donors to a fundraising campaign for MSU were entered to win one year of free rent at one of the company’s properties for every $3 they donated to the MSU Foundation.

“He’s traveled all over the world, but has had an apartment with us the past 20 years,” explained Pearson. “We’ve known a lot of our residents for a very long time. Everyone knows Manny, clear up to the director of our company. Karen called and asked him to do this with us, and he was happy to do so.”

To serve residents in a very practical way, the company has implemented creative strategies. Among them is a rental payment plan option that allows residents to pay their rent with three payments over the course of a month, rather than in one lump sum.

“A huge amount of the people that live in Springfield work in the restaurant industry, and that causes a weekly paycheck. We had to come up with a way that allowed weekly-pay individuals to meet rental deadlines,” explained Pearson. The program, in place for three years, has been widely adopted. Up to 30 percent of the company’s residents are taking advantage of the payment plan option.

With such a diverse inventory of properties, it’s not uncommon for Wooten residents to move from one to another during the course of their tenancy, Pearson said.

“We’ve had residents from our lead properties that move to our Class C’s, just to take advantage of the affordability.  It’s the same type of atmosphere, the same rules and regulations, and the same wonderful community no matter what location you go to.”

In addition to serving residents, The Wooten Co. also participates in numerous local philanthropic efforts, contributing funds to local charities including the United Way, The Victim Center, March of Dimes, Breast Cancer Foundation, Ozark Food Harvest, and the Discovery Center.

“Additionally, each year we donate to foundations/causes that are important to employees/vendors/investors like the local schools, athletic programs, Jolly Mills, American Cancer Society, Alzheimer’s Association, and the Salvation Army,” said Hopkins. “Giving back to the community is a priority for us.”

Kari Shipman, The Wooten Co.’s Marketing Manager, emphasized that The Wooten Co. is not just a property management company,  but offers an engaging way of life that residents can truly enjoy.

“We are not just ‘renting’ apartments, we offer a lifestyle. This is key to providing so many great locations and options for our residents!” Shipman said.