CRE

Safety Culture Critical in Onboarding in the Construction Industry

Establishing a culture supported by best practices within a company is oftentimes difficult and develops slowly over time unless clearly defined and demonstrated within an organization; it is subjective. Company culture is successful when people are leading by example and utilizing their voices, but an issue arises when no one believes they are the example.

For example, establishing a safety culture is critical within the construction industry. And developing that culture requires tactics that extend beyond the utilization of universal safety videos and trainings; it happens when the men and women onsite engage in honest discussions. Building an environment that promotes open dialogue from the onset and does not avoid difficult conversations helps to generate strong internal communication and effective project safety management.

Because safety practices are embedded in everyday construction job-site activities, team members may lose sight of their individual ability to impact and expand the workplace safety culture. Safety is driven by operational excellence, which requires a commitment and focus at all levels of the organization. Further, while internal buy-in is essential, a true safety culture is built through the inclusivity of industry partners. Prioritizing a partnership with trades that share the same passion for safety provides strong support for an organization’s initiatives throughout the project and supports a seamless collaboration between all parties. To be successful in driving a safety culture, companies must function as a network both internally and externally to convey key messages and lessons learned on a local, regional and national level. This is when true culture is created.

With the current influx in hiring, a major gap in many industries is becoming the onboarding of new employees, both entry level and experienced. Without an intentional onboarding program focused on the core values of a firm, new team members easily miss key messages and behaviors surrounding the company’s workplace environment.

All industries are vulnerable to this gap — and that is no less true in construction, as it continues to be an active industry in the Phoenix market. In this particularly mobile industry where a company’s employees are spread across multiple job sites, creating a consistent culture is crucial to developing a work environment where expectations are unwavering and continually elevating.

Implementing initiatives to empower employees through education, exposure and dialogue progressively enhances their understanding of the value they bring to the company. Across the entire organization, it is important employees recognize unique aspects of the company standards and how they can make an impact in their role and, ultimately, foster company culture. —Clay Creaser, vice president in the Phoenix office of JE Dunn Construction (www.jedunn.com), one of the largest commercial contractors in the nation, where he oversees the delivery of construction projects throughout the Southwest GET REAL

More Office/Warehouse in Chandler

Phoenix-based DPMG Galveston, LLC has started construction on its Chandler Corporate Industrial Center II project in Chandler, situated at the southwest corner of McClintock Drive and Galveston Street in Chandler. The building will contain 86,286 square feet of office/warehouse space available to a single tenant or divisible to suites ranging from 3,371 to 8,042 square feet, and is planned for completion in first quarter of 2023.

Chandler Corporate Industrial Center II is being constructed by LGE. Greg Hopley and Dillon Hopley of Colliers in Arizona serve as exclusive leasing agents for the property. corporate.colliers.com

Infill Industrial in SW Phoenix

VanTrust Real Estate, LLC, the NAIOP Arizona 2021 Industrial Owner/Developer of the Year, broke ground on its latest speculative industrial development, VT 202, located on 12.1 acres along 59th Avenue in the high-demand Southwest Phoenix submarket. With completion expected in February, the two buildings of this infill project are designed for flexibility in tenant requirements and can accommodate users seeking 38,000 to 181,000 square feet.

The project is designed by Butler Design Group, with Wespac Construction serving as general contractor. Leasing is being handled by Colliers International in Arizona. vantrustrealestate.com

More Rooftops Coming to SE Phoenix

Tri Pointe Homes®, a recognized leader serving the Phoenix market for more than 30 years under the name Maracay®, has broken ground on Sentinel at Oro Ridge, a 52-home neighborhood located within the expansive Oro Ridge planned community in Queen Creek, Arizona.

Available in Spanish, Farmhouse and Desert exterior styles, Sentinel at Oro Ridge homes will range from approximately 2,665 to 3,124 square feet with 4 to 5 bedrooms, 2.5 to 3 baths and 3-bay garages. Grand opening is slated for this fall. tripointehomes.com

Single-Family Build-for-Rent Community Underway Near Taiwan Semiconductor Facility

The Empire Group of Companies closed last month on a 40-acre parcel located in North Phoenix near the site of the $12 billion Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company facility that is projected to open in 2024, where it plans to build a community of 354 single-family build-for-rent homes. Village at Bronco Trail will be situated at 29th Avenue and Sonoran Desert Drive, just east of the I-17. The Scottsdalebased developer purchased the land for $14.37 million and is scheduled to break ground and start construction by late 2022.

“This is an ideal site, located directly across the I-17 near TSMC where they are projected to generate more than 3,000 jobs over the next two years,” explains Richard Felker, founding partner of Empire Group. “This community will help provide much-needed housing for employees at the TSMC Semiconductor plant and others moving to this rapidly growing area.”

Village at Bronco Trail will offer a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units for lease in a gated community that includes a mix of lifestyle amenities. Each home includes private landscaped backyards with doggy-door access, a smart-technology home package, open floor plans with spacious living areas and closets with ample storage.

Residents will also enjoy community walking paths, a clubhouse that includes a lounge, kitchen and fitness center, a resort-style pool and jacuzzi, barbecue and firepit areas along with a community dog park and dog wash station, a mix of covered, uncovered and garage parking.

Brett Rinehart, Ryan Semro, and Ben Heglie of Land Advisors Organization represented the Empire Group in the purchase of the 40-acre parcel.

The Empire Group is currently under construction on six build-for-rent projects in cities throughout Maricopa County, including Goodyear, Phoenix, Peoria, Avondale, Tolleson and Queen Creek. The developer has another five build-for-rent communities throughout Greater Phoenix that it is scheduled to break ground on by the end of the year. —Mike Hunter

Empire Group Companies builtbyempire.com Land Advisors Organization landadvisors.com

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New Headquarters Welcomes Employees Back with a Bowling Alley

After an all-too-familiar pandemic delay, Phoenix-based property management leader Arcadia Management Group has relocated and expanded its downtown Phoenix headquarters within the same building, where it also serves as property manager — the 3550 N. Central office tower. The new 18,500-square-foot space welcomes employees back with amenities for work and play, including a unique attraction for a fourth-floor office tenant: a bowling alley.

Among its features is a human-centric lighting system that mimics the progression of daylight. Starting with soft tones in the morning and gradually increasing in brightness and color temperature throughout the day, this system avoids the fatigue associated with static lighting systems found in “ordinary” offices.

“Our greatest feat, though, is the bowling alley,” says Mark Zimmerman, Arcadia Management Group’s national director of construction management. “We used carefully selected materials and worked with acoustics specialists to ensure that this amenity had zero sound implications for the tenants above or below us. Being able to problem solve to make the bowling alley vision a reality was a high point for our construction team, and reflects the commitment we make to all of our Arcadia projects.”

Since its founding in Phoenix in 1986, AMG has become a national entity managing more than 60 million square feet of U.S. office, industrial and retail space, and providing tenant and capital improvements through its in-house construction management division. This division directed the company’s new headquarters. It was also responsible for the 2020 transformation of a portion of unused roof and indoor office space at the tower, transforming these areas into a fifth-story outdoor patio and luxury indoor hospitality suite for building employees.

The 3550 building has space available for lease ranging from 2,000 to 12,225 square feet and offering stunning views. Leasing brokers are Scott Boardman and Dave Carder of Cushman & Wakefield. —Mike Hunter

Arcadia Management Group arcadiamgmt.com