OCTOBER 2018
Recognized for their economic impact
CONGRATS TO DIRTT SAVANNAH!
Bring on Beakerhead! WE BUILT, WE SPOKE, WE SPONSORED
Welcoming Kevin to DIRTT GET TO KNOW OUR NEW CEO
OCTOBER 2018 Diggin’ It
Kevin becomes part of the DIRTT family We’re pleased to welcome Kevin O’Meara to the world of DIRTT. He’s had a successful 30-year business career so far – and is just getting started here as our new CEO.
Message from Kevin Little more than three weeks ago, you welcomed me into DIRTT. It’s been so great getting to know as many of you as possible as you show me the ins and outs of the company. With that in mind, I thought I’d use this opportunity to share some of my own background with you, with the hope you can get to know me a bit better on a more personal level. So, here we go… I was born Phoenix, Arizona. I was only six months old when my parents and I moved to El Paso, Texas. We lived there for twelve years, followed by time spent in Florida and then ultimately in the Dallas area. My parents didn’t attend university. My father worked for a moving company and then as a security guard later in life. My mother was a secretary. Growing up, DIRTT ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS | Diggin’ It | October 2018
I mowed lawns and stocked groceries in a local store. My parents instilled in me an understanding that all work has value. They showed me that no matter what you do for a living, what truly matters is that you work hard, do the best you’re capable of and care about the people around you. I’m grateful for the example they set. I aspired to attend university and worked hard to earn a spot and offset tuition with a scholarship to Southern Methodist University. I studied accounting and economics, and worked part-time at an accounting firm. I enjoyed learning so much (and still do), that I pursued a master’s degree in business. I worked for two investment firms in Texas after graduation. At that second firm I met the love of my life, Patti. She 2
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was a securities lawyer. (I can’t speak for her, but for me it was love at first sight). We were engaged within six months and married a year later. Patti has been by my side for 26 years, through good and bad. I can’t imagine life without her and I’m really looking forward to having you meet her. A few years into married life, I shifted my career focus from investment and acquisitions to the operation of companies. I joined a management consulting firm. I learned a tremendous amount, including how, why and when to ask questions… lots and lots of questions. I’m not sure if you’ll think that skill is for better or for worse. This new trait of questioning the status quo led me to a new venture with two others. With an idea in mind, we rented an office and found a financial partner. We acquired a company called Builders Supply & Lumber. It was the base of a much larger business we envisioned: a company that distributed everything required to build the shell of a house, such as lumber, windows, doors and so on. As we built out that company, we acquired 22 other companies in DIRTT ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS | Diggin’ It | October 2018
the process. We started a division installing the products we distributed, and renamed the business Builders FirstSource. The company grew to over $2 billion in sales and we took it public in 2005. After I left Builders FirstSource, I became the CEO of Atrium Windows, North America’s largest vinyl and aluminum window manufacturer. Since every Atrium order was custom, I gained appreciation for how integral it is to serve the unique needs of every client (like we do every day at DIRTT). I also spent considerable time in Canada, because Atrium’s North Star Windows division was based in London, Ontario. Throughout all of this, Patti and I started a family. Our son, Ryan, is 23. He’s an inquisitive son, gifted writer and dedicated economist. He graduated from Harvard in May, is officially employed and now “off the payroll,” as we say in our family. Tim came along two years after Ryan. He’s a Harvard junior who studies chemistry and neurobiology. Tim loves science, but also really enjoys
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photographing hockey, football and basketball for the school newspaper.
before they were all off to university and out on their own.
Our family was finally complete with the arrival of our daughter, Katie, 18 years ago. She’s settling into campus life as a freshman at Harvard, where she’s taking introductory classes. Katie also lends her talents and love of athletics to the school paper, as a writer covering sports.
Looking ahead, I am beyond eager to dive into DIRTT and to work with you. You are part of an outstanding team delivering outstanding solutions for clients. This is an opportunity I knew I had to jump into with both feet and I can’t wait to discover what we’ll achieve together.
Patti retired from practicing law shortly after Ryan’s arrival and she has dedicated countless hours through the years to volunteering at the kids’ schools. Patti now serves as a board member for a nonprofit that provides critical-need items to homeless and atrisk youth. My own last few years were spent working with private firms that invested in construction-related companies. I served on the board of directors for several of them, which was beneficial for different reasons. It granted me new perspectives from a board view on what works and what doesn’t in a company. On a personal level, the pace of the work meant more time with my kids. Family is everything to me; I’ll forever value that time spent with my children DIRTT ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS | Diggin’ It | October 2018
Sincerely,
Kevin
Hear from Kevin as he introduces himself to DIRTT at a townhall on September 11, 2018
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DIRTT supports Motionball for the 6th year in a row Kelowna DIRTTbags took part in the annual Motionball tournament our 6th year participating. Each year, teams raise money leading up to The Marathon of Sport, where participants team up with Special Olympians for a day of competition. The national event is held across the country each summer to help raise funds for the Special Olympics Canada Foundation. This year, DIRTTbags Doug Simister, Joey Gidda, Scott Haslock, Daniel Bergg, and Russ Jenkins teamed up with Special Olympics athletes to compete. Special Olympians Kim and Kevin led the DIRTT team in games of football, basketball, soccer, road hockey, and even human foosball! The Okanagan Valley raised a record total of $125,000 this year, with DIRTT ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS | Diggin’ It | October 2018
DIRTTbags contributing over $2,600. These funds will support Special Olympic programs in British Columbia and Canada.
DIRTTbags play human foosball with Special Olympic Athletes
Passionate about the cause? You’re in luck! Motionball isn’t exclusive to Kelowna. Visit the Motionball Website to see how you can get involved in your area during next year’s competition. 5
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DIRTT in the news College Planning & Management: Today’s Prefab Construction DIRTT Education specialist Betsy Maddox explores why prefab construction is becoming more popular on campuses throughout America. bit.ly/2R1VYHh
American School & University magazine: Outstanding Designs The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center that DIRTT helped bring to life is highlighted in this magazine spread. bit.ly/2R1hHyY
TreeHugger: Six ways to transform the built environment This article names DIRTT as a leader in the offsite construction industry. bit.ly/2NcL1DL
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Eye on trends:
New research shows medical buildings can’t keep up with our aging population. Could DIRTT be the answer? A new report from Transwestern paints a critical scenario for the future state of medical space in the United States. Transwestern is the largest dedicated healthcare real estate firm in the U.S. In September they released the report called Medical Office Space Gets Tight. By 2020, it says, Americans aged 65 and older will equal 56 million people, or 17% of the total US population. It’s a growth rate 14 times that of people aged 64 and younger. It also means an increased need for medical space to accommodate that 65+ population.
According to the study, by 2019 the demand for medical office space could range from 150.5 million to 225.8 million square feet. At the current time, there’s an estimated 110 million square feet of available medical office space within existing and under-construction buildings. That math doesn’t bode well for the healthcare industry, not to mention the generation most in need of its medical services. Transwestern says one viable path forward is to “accelerate the trend of repurposing empty retail space for medical uses.” And that’s where DIRTT comes in with our digital construction platform. With traditional building methods, challenges such as skilled-labor shortages and high-cost materials
DIRTT ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS | Diggin’ It | October 2018
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make renovating interiors of buildings into healthcare spaces slow and expensive. But when you use a digital platform for custom massmanufacturing, it changes everything. Digital construction in action Hudson River Healthcare (HRH) in Poughkeepsie, New York, is an example of one healthcare group that turned to digital construction out of necessity. They needed more space but the only building available to them was a longshot. “It was a former IBM punch card sorting plant and had all the amenities one could expect from that,” said Benjamin Bolton, the VP for Planning and Sustainability at HRH. After considering digital construction as their solution, they took the old IBM plant down to the shell and used DIRTT. The HRH project came together quickly thanks to the power of DIRTT’s technology. HRH’s medical teams experienced and modified the initial designs to best suit their patient needs
Hudson River Healthcare DIRTT ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS | Diggin’ It | October 2018
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without having to build mock-up spaces or sign-off on blueprints they may or may not fully grasp.
was less as a visualization tool and more of a construction tool,” added Boltin. “It reduced the time that was critical on the submittal process by months.”
“DIRTT gave us realtime updating on costing, which as a change order process becomes critical,” said Boltin.
Without a digital construction platform, the HRH medical space wouldn’t have been possible on that timeframe or within the project’s necessary parameters. As demands for medical space grow at a rate conventional construction can’t support, technologyenabled methods of construction, including DIRTT, are the answer forward.
Disruption was so minimal, they moved in on the main floor while they finished construction on the second. “Where we found ICE really helped us on this project
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On the blog: LET YOUR IMAGINATION RUN WILD WITH DIRTT TIMBER FRAME DIRTT Timber Frame is a dynamic design element. But more than that, it’s an expression of our identity and mission. The DIRTT DNA is about rapidly responding to, and empowering change. Flexibility is inherent in our product design and solutions. It’s reflected in our response to the needs of the design community and construction industry. It’s reflected in our commitment to sustainability and creating “future-proof” spaces. And it’s reflected in our willingness to embrace technology and new thinking in the face of “we’ve always done it this way.” Unlock potential with DIRTT Timber Frame by visiting our latest blog post. READ MORE
DIRTT ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS | Diggin’ It | October 2018
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DIRTT Savannah recognized for economic impact
The proud group of dedicated Savannah Factory DIRTTbags
A big congratulations to our Savannah DIRTTbags! On September 13th, DIRTT was named the 2018 World Trade Center Savannah (WTCSav) International Business of the Year. DIRTT received this award at Savannah’s annual chamber business awards banquet.
DIRTTbags accepting the award at the banquet DIRTT ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS | Diggin’ It | October 2018
This impressive title recognizes companies that excel in international trade and acknowledges the importance of trade to Savannah’s local economy. We were recognized 11
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“This honor comes as a tremendous gift from World Trade Center Savannah, our Savannah Chamber and our comrades in this community,”
for the impact that our Savannah manufacturing facility has both locally and worldwide. DIRTT was selected as the recipient by the WTCSav Board of Directors, and beat out six nominated businesses.
Savannah DIRTTbag Laura Lee Bocade.
Watch as Laura discusses our end-toend technology solution and how we’re leading change in the Savannah area and beyond.
DIRTT ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS | Diggin’ It | October 2018
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DIRTT does Beakerhead Inspiring innovation DIRTT was once again an official sponsor of Beakerhead. This multiday festival in Calgary acts as an annual celebration of the arts, science, engineering and innovation. Through various hand-on events, art installations, and public spectacles, Beakerhead works to educate Calgarians of all ages. We’re excited to be supporting the incredible community of learners and leaders that this initiative fosters.
DIRTTbags get their hands dirty at the Garden Party Among this year’s installations was the “Garden Party.” This Beakerhead initiative explored the possibilities of living architecture and green infrastructure. The space had a focus on sustainable living, which made DIRTT the perfect fit. The install was complete with one of DIRTT’s Breathe Walls. Not only did DIRTT donate the materials for this solution, but DIRTTbags helped install it!
The “Garden Party” install
The DIRTT Breathe Wall in the display
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Geoff Gosling on ignorance Geoff took the stage at Beakerhead’s ‘Seven Wonders’ event. He joined scientists, artists and fellow brilliant minds to share stories of human ingenuity. Before he took the stage, Geoff stopped by the CBC radio station to share his take on ignorance – the topic of his Beakerhead discussion. Specifically, embracing ignorance in the pursuit of innovation. Check out the article for his advice on coming up with innovative ideas. (Hint: it doesn’t include the internet!)
DIRTT ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS | Diggin’ It | October 2018
READ MORE
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HAVE A STORY THAT SHOULD BE FEATURED IN DIGGIN’ IT? MarComm@DIRTT.net
DIRTT ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS | Diggin’ It | October 2018
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