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news&Notes DIVERSE SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT: To create sophisticated buildings that exhibit both functionality and personality like the 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue Apartments is no simple feat. It takes a synchronized team spanning across all contributors—from owners to engineers, to architects and builders themselves. With wideranging iconic sites like the Rehoboth Beach Country Club, Beebe Healthcare at College Park Medical Pavilion in Georgetown, and the recent Hyatt Place on Main Street in Newark, GGA Construction has set the standard for leading through teamwork to construct buildings with lasting impacts on local communities. GGA Construction specializes in construction management, designbuild services, general contracting, and program management for diverse clients across all of Delaware, lower Pennsylvania, and parts of eastern Maryland. The team typically serves industries such as health care, retail, entertainment, hospitality, education, and senior care—extending their collaborative internal culture to work closely and achieve the unique goals of every project. GGA Founder and Partner Lorri Grayson explains how a focus on team values serves as a catalyst for their work. “What ties our team together is what we create,” Grayson states. “All of
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our projects are lasting and valuable to the community. It’s something tangible that we may drive by every day, seeing the long-term influence on businesses, residents, and even visitors. Everyone on our team is proud of the work we do.”
Two additional strategies that power GGA Construction’s success are their virtual building and integrated project delivery systems. The construction team utilizes the 3D model as the main driver for collaboration with the owners, architects, engineers, and other key project team members. It is especially helpful by providing the opportunity to walk through a digital space and view it in a variety of layers and modifications. This is further enhanced through integration of buy-in from all contributors at the beginning of the project. Each
BY COLIN HEFFINGER
member can anticipate upcoming challenges based on their role in the construction, enabling the team to adapt and save costs, time, and materials simultaneously. GGA Construction recently expanded into southern Delaware, opening an office in Rehoboth. Grayson is enthusiastic about projects like a hotel in downtown Rehoboth and renovations to the Lewes Yacht Club. She also moved to Rehoboth to strengthen their direct impact further. “It’s important that we serve all of Delaware, including Sussex County,” Grayson justifies. “We also have an office in Milton, ensuring that our reach extends across all three counties, and even to Maryland’s eastern shore.” Though new building projects are popping up throughout Delaware, Grayson stresses the importance of adjusting to challenges like workforce development. “The construction industry has an average age of 55,” reflects Grayson. “It’s also mostly men in construction—women have typically been in office roles. We’re huge proponents of bringing more women into the construction field and highlight it as a rewarding career opportunity. Who’s going to build for us if everyone goes to college? More people need to explore the trades soon, or our society is going to have a big problem ten years from now.”
November/December 2023
| DELAWARE BUSINESS
