English by Jennifer Tseng
As visitors meander the streets of New York City, their first sight is undoubtedly the city’s wild assortment of buildings. From the history-filled red-brick houses to the towering skyscrapers, a location can, in many ways, be defined by its architecture.
From the street, a person’s field of vision is usually limited to about four stories, according to Nelson Wei, the founder of Wild Stone, a construction company based in New York. His dream is to beautify whatever falls within this field of vision.
“If we can make the environment more beautiful, people will be happier. Their quality and standard of living will also be improved,” he said.
From the Ground Up
As Nelson first stepped into the hustle-and-bustle of The Big Apple, the skyscrapers greeted him with memories of his hometown, Taipei, Taiwan. New York’s high-tech and ambitious atmosphere was no stranger to him. Little did he know that one day he would be building and shaping his own buildings. Now, literally, he is doing just that and transforming the city in the process.
Nelson had never imagined construction as a career path for himself. He had come to the United States to study electrical engineering and biotech. After graduating from Columbia University, he landed a highly paid job in one of the world’s biggest companies. It seemed to everyone that he was on a straight path to success. Yet Nelson knew deep down that this life was not for him. He desired adventure and even breathtaking risks to spice up his life and reach his goals.
At the age of 26, he founded a consulting business. During his journey, Nelson came across clients and data from every industry imaginable. That was when real estate caught his eye.
“No matter how human society may change, people will always need a place to live,” Nelson says. This conviction solidified his confidence when he first entered the industry and founded Wild Stone, which is dedicated to construction, design, and development. With Nelson’s keen vision and persistence in pursuing quality craftsmanship, Wild Stone has become a conspicuous rising star in metropolitan New York. “I made the right call,” Nelson said.
“Real estate is a very localized arena. In a time when everyone is trying to globalize, we feel like fish swimming upstream.” If our business cannot establish a strong bond with the local community, it’ll be hard to survive,” he said. While real estate may seem to many people to be a heartless industry where everything is measured by profits and statistics, Nelson has a different view: “It is an industry full of human interactions. You need a lot of people skills, teamwork, and cooperation.” This is just the spice he needed for his journey as a young entrepreneur.
Where Values Count
Within just a few years, Wild Stone had earned itself an indelible reputation as part of New York City. Its ever-growing portfolio includes large-scale residential developments, corporate headquarters, a global art gallery, and a wide spectrum of commercial uses. The team is also in charge of rebuilding many of the city’s historic houses.
With its attention to detail, the company is often the choice of clients seeking customization and quality work. Its team handles everything from the initial design to construction itself.
“Our architects and engineers work closely to integrate design with construction,” Nelson said. “By doing so, we can take charge of the project’s details and at the same time, maintain a healthy cost-to-quality ratio.”
His team does a thorough analysis of every blueprint and drawing that comes through the door. “From the get-go, we provide our clients with feedback on their designs so they can make adjustments early on in the project and not put it off until construction is already half done,” Nelson said. “While helping them find the best solution possible, we’re also working to keep their costs down.”
Wild Stone’s quest for higher quality hasn’t always been smooth sailing. At the beginning, many of Nelson’s suppliers and engineers quit because they were unable to handle the company’s strict requirements. “The cost of our projects kept increasing, and Wild Stone’s industry reputation was that our standards were too high, and we were hard to work with. It’s a bit of a backward compliment,” Nelson said. “I felt very frustrated and started to doubt myself. In construction, it’s practically ‘mission impossible’ to maintain quality while still keeping costs within a reasonable range.”
Yet Wild Stone persevered. As the company completed more projects, word of Nelson’s commitment to excellence quickly spread. “We were soon receiving cases from every direction,” Nelson said. “Today, our client base includes elites and professionals from every industry, investors, and even Hollywood stars.”
Breathing New Life Into the Old
In New York, Wild Stone is often entrusted with historic building reconstructions. These projects inspire Nelson: “They are definitely the most challenging and exciting projects we handle. The streets of New York City are full of houses steeped in history.”. The number of traditions the city embodies fascinates him. The hardest part of these projects lies in accurately recreating the historical style and structure of the original building while adhering to modern-day regulations. Both aspects are equally essential.
To ensure the quality of their work, Nelson’s team sometimes scours through local libraries to find nondigitized resources. Moreover, Wild Stone has partnered with factories across America to customize the molds necessary to replicate traditional designs. You have to invest a lot of time and money, but the satisfaction is well worth the trouble, Nelson said. “Old-house reconstructions satisfy me on a very spiritual level. It’s culture. Not everything has to be about profit.”
These projects are very time-consuming, and it can take years just to complete one project. However, Nelson believes that the more you persevere and commit to a project, the more satisfaction you will feel at the end of the journey.
Eyes on the Horizon
In this ever-changing world, filled with innovations and new ideas, drawing within the lines may not always be satisfying. The skill set of big data analysis allows Nelson to quickly gauge a situation and make corresponding decisions. His venture into real estate construction started out as a gamble, but trusting his intuition and willing to take risks, he achieved success. Even during stressful times, Nelson means it when he says, “I would not trade this for the world.”
“At Wild Stone, trust is of utmost importance. This is true within the team and with our clients,” Nelson said. Ultimately, everyone is striving for the same goal—to beautify our environment and create the most efficiently working structures. Nelson Wei’s persistence and aspirations are contagious within his company, with every employee willing to go above and beyond for Wild Stone’s mission.
Nelson’s advice: Dream big. Try. Try harder. Do not stop until you are satisfied.
WildStonec.com｜Instagram: @wildstone_sowild
