Vanguard Construction carves out a niche of distinction.

Vanguard Construction and Development Co. has made a name for itself in the industry by catering to a high-profile clientele with tastes of distinction.

From the Gucci flagship store at 10 West 57th St. to GE. Capital's corporate offices at Park Avenue, Vanguard Construction has established a track record of excellence.

"We've tired not to typecast ourselves into a narrow market of corporate office space," said Michael Strauss, president and founder of Vanguard Construction. "We are interested in building great architecture that will stand the test of time."

Founded in 1986, Vanguard Construction is a provider of pre-lease, construction management, general construction and design-build services.

Its diversity of projects in retail, corporate office space, healthcare, infrastructure, core and shell, institutional and residential may be in part credited to Strauss' multifaceted background.

"Having a fine arts and architecture degree, I understand what the architect is trying to achieve and, as a business manager, I know what the client wants," he said.

The company's completed projects, including the DKNY flagship store at 665 Madison Ave. and The Palm Restaurant on 50th Street, are its calling cards.

"We've grown our business through referrals over the years," Strauss said. "We have a network of business owners, architects, clients we work with on a repeat basis. They have recommended us or we get their repeat business."

Its latest project, American Girl Place, New York at 609 Fifth Ave., was a very complex project, with 50,000 square feet of space that incorporates an elaborate "Broadway-style" theatre, full-service restaurant and retail interiors.

The flagship store opened last month and American Girl Place is very pleased with the results.

"The only way we could be sure that American Girl Place, New York would meet our standards was to assemble a special team that could share our vision and make it happen," said Jeff Freeman, senior vice president of operations of American Girl brands.

"Vanguard became an obvious choice for us because they clearly understood our business goals, and how important this store's success meant to us. They also showed an appreciation for design and quality, provided consistent attention throughout the job, and made us feel at ease throughout the entire project."

Principals at Gensler, the architectural firm that designed the project, were also pleased with the results.

"It is always a pleasure to come across construction managers that make complicated projects such as American Girl Place run smoothly," said Walter Hunt, managing principal of Gensler's New York office. "Michael Strauss and the Vanguard team have a sincere appreciation for design, as well as service. Within a challenging schedule and high expectations, they were able to build a store we can all be proud of."

American Girl Place is an example of what Vanguard Construction does best.

"We have a persona in the market place of doing the difficult, challenging and innovative projects," he said. "We have become know as the 'go to place.' We like the difficult jobs, it's what motivates us."

Completing more than 100 projects a year, the company is also known for bringing projects in on time and on budget, but quality is never compromised.

"All projects have the capacity for excellence," he said. "When we help a client to grow it leads to our growth. It's our business to save the client time and money."

Strauss has chosen a staff that also allows the company to provide expertise in every aspect of the construction industry, from avant-guard design to high-tech administration. This, coupled with Strauss's enthusiasm for his craft, builds a trust between company and client.

"I like to build. That's what we do best, to make clients happy, to help make the construction project enjoyable," Strauss said. "For most clients it's a terrifying process,"

Prior to the founding of Van guard Construction, Strauss was a senior project manager and construction manager at Ambassador Construction where he supervised construction at Mendik Realty's downtown properties and numerous other Wall Street firms, such as Kidder Peabody and American Bond Buyer.

He also worked as a designer for the architectural firm of Lee Harris Pomeroy and as a freelance general contractor in residential, retail, and restaurant construction.

Strauss graduated Cum Laude from CUNY Hunter College with a bachelor's degree in fine arts. In addition, he holds a BS degree in architecture from City College of New York.