Trade Design Build Lays the Foundation for Success as the 2026 CO—100 Top Business

For Ithaca, New York-based Trade Design Build, creating beautiful, functional spaces is only part of the job. The architecture and construction company has built its reputation on transparent communication, realistic expectations, and a commitment to guiding customers through every step of the building process. That customer-first philosophy helped earn Trade Design Build recognition as the 2026 CO—100 Top Business.

During the 2026 CO—100 Small Business Forum, Mike Morello, Chief Digital Officer at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, sat down with Trade Design Build CEO Gideon Stone to discuss how the company grew from a three-person operation in 2016 to a team of approximately 35 employees generating $12 million in annual revenue. Stone shared lessons his team learned about building customer trust, planning for growth, and finding new ways to serve the community.

[Read more: Trade Design Build Turns Complex Projects Into Collaborative Client Experiences]

Building customer trust through honest communication

Construction projects can be expensive, complex, and unpredictable, making trust an essential part of the customer experience. Trade Design Build, which was also recognized as the Top Honoree in the CO—100 Customer Champions category, prioritizes transparency from the earliest conversations with prospective clients.

"Our approach from the beginning has been to be ... brutally honest with them," Stone said.

That approach evolved through experience. Early in the company's history, Stone and his partners encountered challenges when initial project budgets didn't fully account for the costs and complications that arose during construction. These situations led to difficult conversations with customers and reinforced the importance of establishing realistic expectations upfront.

"We … learned that we needed to get to the point very quickly and understand [the] order of magnitude and what it's going to look like, then set expectations that are actually reasonable and realistic," Stone explained.

Today, the team focuses on helping clients understand the scope, costs, and potential challenges of a project before moving forward. 

Stone also emphasized the importance of owning mistakes, addressing unexpected issues directly, and seeking candid customer feedback.

"It's really about bringing the client in as a partner, being 100% honest with them, and then ... walking through the whole process ... side by side," he added.

[Read more: A Quick Guide to Offering Great Customer Service] 

Planning ahead to support long-term growth

Trade Design Build's success began with Stone's vision of combining professional architecture and construction services into one business. After studying architecture at Cornell University, he saw an opportunity to serve the Finger Lakes region's growing hospitality and agritourism industries.

Stone and fellow architect Mike Barnowski founded the company in 2016, with business partner Chris Willett joining the following year. On their first project, Stone recalled, they were "doing all the design work with laptops on site, tool belts on at the same time."

As the company grew, its leadership team realized that achieving its ambitions would require a more structured approach to business planning.

"We got very organized [and] … very focused on where we wanted to go," said Stone, who noted that the company established a 25-year vision, then worked backward to create shorter-term goals and business plans. 

That long-term perspective also influenced how Trade Design Build invested in outside expertise. Rather than hiring consultants and service providers solely to address immediate challenges, the company sought marketing, financial, and other professional support that could accommodate its future growth.

As Stone explained, the goal was to invest in resources that would "help us be the business we wanted to be in a couple of years, as opposed to help solve the problems that were right in front of us at the moment."

[Read more: 50 Business Ideas Positioned for Growth in 2026 and Beyond]

Building for the future and the community

After a decade in business, Trade Design Build has already achieved the 10-year goals its leadership team originally established. Now, Stone and his partners are preparing to revisit their strategic plans and determine what comes next.

One potential area of expansion is modular and manufactured housing, which could help address a pressing need in the company's home region.

"There's a huge need for housing in our area," Stone said. "It's something that we're  ... laser-focused on and trying to figure out how we're going to be able to support that need in our community."

For Trade Design Build, that next chapter represents an opportunity to build on the same foundation that has supported its growth over the past decade: thoughtful planning, strong customer relationships, and a commitment to delivering work that makes a difference.

View the full 2026 CO—100 List of America’s Top Small Businesses, here.