Nearly two decades ago, a dedicated commercial interior designer steeped in construction expertise launched her own company to blend intelligent design with product functionality and style. That entrepreneur was and is Jane Louer, president and chief executive officer of Louer Facility Planning Inc. in Collinsville.

 

A long-time Edwardsville resident, Louer created the firm in 1996 to meet the need for smart workspace solutions across metro St. Louis and the U.S. Her clients those in the corporate, financial, health care, government and educational sectors.

 

To Louer, it made sense that interiors expertise comes to play early on in the design and construction process. That’s a unique identifier for her company.

 

“A good commercial interior designer knows the basic code requirements and design principles that allow us to lay out space in a creative and practical manner,” said Louer, who is a registered Interior Designer and a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-accredited professional via the U.S. Green Building Council. “What my years in construction add are a keen awareness of what the other members of the team are going through. What we do differently is dive more deeply into the entire process, bearing in mind the owner’s vision, budget and construction schedule, as well as interfacing with the entire project team in a positive way to keep the project on track and achieve the client’s expectations.”

 

This mindset is communicated, Louer added, through Louer Facility Planning’s branding tagline, “Creative. Practical. Schedule Driven.”

 

Although the number of women pursuing careers in interior design continues to increase, women remain in the minority in the construction industry, according to Louer. “The fact that I worked in a male-dominated industry and was frustrated with the opportunities to advance was an incentive for me to return to school and earn my MBA while working full-time for a major design-build contractor,” she said. “I then opted to be in control of my own destiny, and to create my own professional culture. Regardless of whether I would be as financially successful, I knew it was time to make the leap.” Even though there was a risk involved with making this change, she expressed that it was the right choice and has never regretted doing it.

 

Over the past 18 years, Louer has built a company with a solid reputation for delivering innovative product and design solutions that provide her clients with quality and value.

 

Louer’s educational background includes her Southern Illinois University Edwardsville MBA and a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

 

She and her husband, Craig, are parents to grown sons Nathan and Craig, Jr.

October 2014

Illinois Business Journal

Spotlight on Women In Business