Bringing EXPERTISE to the table

Not too much has changed at Kaufman Lynn Construction (Kaufman Lynn) since its founding in 1989. “We’ve grown organically to become a large construction company within the region, and beyond,” reflects Mike Kaufman, Founder and CEO of the company. “We achieved gross revenues of $400,000 in our first ever year; in 2022, that same figure is over $500 million. To have achieved that in just over 33 years is quite unique.”

Operating in Florida and North Carolina, today, Kaufman Lynn is a full-service commercial construction company. The company’s work encompasses multi-family housing, senior living, hospitality, government and public safety construction, education, healthcare, self-storage and parking garages.

“We typically divide our work between the public and private sectors,” explains Chris Long, President at Kaufman Lynn. “The latter is a pretty broad gambit, consisting of condominiums, for-rent apartments, workforce housing apartments, retail, hospitality, and hotels. Our public work projects range from five-million-dollar fire stations, parks, and EOC buildings for a number of municipalities, up to 140-milliondollar major projects. In all, we have around 35 active project cycles at any given time.”

The last few years haven’t been without their challenges, however. The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020 caused significant disruption to industries worldwide, with many operations brought to a standstill. Kaufman Lynn was by no means exempt from these difficulties, but the period did have its benefits.“We’ve always prided ourselves on being very nimble to react to different conditions in the market,” Chris reflects. “The pandemic was a task beyond any other that we had faced. Two-thirds of our people are bootson-the-ground, working out of job site trailers, and because we were deemed an essential business, they kept working throughout the period. Thankfully, we were able to come up with a strategy to prevent all the associates from mixing, limiting the risk in the event that one associate tested positive. We split up our project teams, conducted meetings outside, and did everything we could to protect our people. Fortunately, we didn’t lose anyone to the virus.”

Interestingly, Kaufman Lynn boasts the largest pre-construction department in Florida. According to Chris, this fact gives his clients “the best of both worlds,” by allowing the company to hit the ground running

Recreational Design & Construction, INC when it comes to project construction. But it’s not the only differentiator for the company. On that subject, Chris points to nothing other than the company’s culture.

Recreational Design & Construction,INC (RDC Design Build) - established in 1993 - is a contractorled Design-Build firm consisting of dozens of team members who are second and third generation builders. RDC has been the premiere Design-Build firm in South Florida for parks, aquatic complexes, and sports venues for 29 years. As our reputation for superior design, solid construction, and efficient operations grew, it made us the perfect Team Member for Kaufman Lynn as they pursue the some of the largest parks and recreation projects in the region. We combined our expertise for projects like the Doral Central Park - a 100-acre park, and Lake Lytal - a major aquatic complex for Palm Beach County. Over the years, we have also performed as a commercial pool contractor for Kaufman Lynn on notable projects like 1200 & 5th, Bluesten Park, JM Family, Tower 155 and Plantation Walk. They not only demonstrated our experience, but further grew our personal and professional relationships.

We are grateful to be working with Mike, Chris, and the rest of the team at Kaufman Lynn once again. As always, we look forward to working closely together and serving the community as one of ENR’s Top Specialty Contractors.

“Simply put, we work harder at perfecting our clients’ projects than any other contractor,” he confirms. “We take pains to understand what’s important to the client. It’s in our DNA, that’s how we’re wired.” It’s a view that Mike echoes: “Our Vice President of Pre-Construction, Chris Christy, is a true south Florida professional,” he states. “There’s none better at managing a project through from pre-construction to the beginning of the job itself. It’s thanks to him that we’re a leader in that department.”

This client-first approach is one that’s led to tremendous success for Kaufman Lynn, for which repeat business constitutes upwards of 80 percent of its total workload. “Our greatest successes come when we build for clients who appreciate the extra effort and commitment that we offer,” Mike notes. “We’re very fortunate to have the luxury of being able to make objective decisions about the type of project we take on, and which clients we choose to collaborate with.”

Serious expertise

Among such projects is the company’s recent $20 million historic renovation of the Miami Dade College Freedom Tower and, more recently, its work on the Maltz Jupiter Theatre. Finished in July 2022, the latter project was highly complex in nature, and its success represents an immense source of pride for the company.

“It’s hard for me to express just how intricate a project the Maltz Jupiter Theatre was to execute,” Chris admits. “We were charged with demolishing the stage of the existing theater, which was supporting the entirety of the remaining theater house. To accomplish this, we had to first plan and engineer the temporary support for the structure, then demolish the existing stage and back of house and rebuild it within an inch of the existing foundations. We did this ten feet below the existing grade, while pumping out incoming water, and without allowing the existing structure to settle. That’s just one aspect of the complexity we were faced with, but it’s a challenge to which the team as a whole rose very well.”

“When you are building cultural arts venues, you have to bring serious expertise to the table,” Mike adds. “Not only are you taking on structures that are typically unique in their design, and that require really strong construction, but then you are tasked with making them look and sound good. You have to have that in-house, and we do.”

A further significant project for Kaufman Lynn is the recent completion of the JM Family campus. JM Family is one of the largest private companies in South Florida, and Kaufman Lynn completed a major overhaul of the corporate headquarters in Deerfield Beach, Florida. The $160 million project integrated innovative technology and sustainability features to reimagine and modernize the facility. “We are enormously proud of the work we did for JM Family,” says Chris. “This showed the extraordinary results you can achieve when you partner with a client to understand and address their needs, even as those needs change during the life of the project.”

Ownership mentality

This year represents another significant milestone for Kaufman Lynn: the year in which it transitioned to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). As Mike explains, it’s a decision that aligns with the company’s longstanding values. “We knew we had a great culture here, we wanted to protect that, and we believed that an ESOP was a reliable way to do so,” he comments. “At the same time, it was also a way of giving back to those who have put their heart and soul into the company over the years, offering an added benefit that will appreciate in value as the company develops, and provide a substantial benefit whenever our employees reach retirement.”

“The ESOP also engages our associates in an ownership mentality,” Chris points out. “Having a stake in the company changes how individuals approach their work. Because they feel a part of the company, it brings out a new level of commitment and determination to succeed.”

The future’s bright for Kaufman Lynn. As 2022 draws to a close, the company is expecting to confirm its best ever year, surpassing $500 million in revenue for the first time. “Projections for the next two years remain strong,” Chris notes. “Beyond that, it will have much to do with the economy. From our perspective, the plan is to keep strengthening our market in North Carolina, especially the volume of our public sector work. We’re also exploring the possibility of expanding our operations on Florida’s west coast, taking advantage of the growth we’re seeing north into Tampa.”

“We feel very fortunate,” Mike concludes. “We don’t take for granted the position we have within our markets. Sticking to our core values through thick and thin has served us well in the past, and we intend for that to continue.” ■ www.kaufmanlynn.com

Over the past 20 years, Horch Roofing has experienced tremendous success, with recent expansion to a new office in Portland just one example of its continuous development. Specializing in steep slope residential roofing projects, the company offers asphalt, metal, and EPDM rubber roofing installation, as well as roof replacements, maintenance, and seamless gutter installation.

Horch Roofing was founded in 2003 by Peter Horch, a hardworking, native Mainer with a business mind and a strong focus on the local community. As the current President and CEO of Horch Roofing, Peter is responsible for the growth and development of the business, as well as overseeing marketing, budgeting, and HR operations. Peter learned the roofing trade through his previous role as a roofer, before launching his own company two years later. He was elected as a board member of the National Roofing Contractors Association in 2016, amongst various other commitments across the sector and the community.

Communication & organization

Working with leading builders, homeowners, property managers, and vendors, Horch Roofing operates in coastal Maine, with offices in Warren and Portland. It has established a reputation as a reliable company providing premium quality products and outstanding customer service, resulting in a constant stream of referrals and positive reviews. This success is not only due to the quality of products and services, but also the company’s responsiveness, commitment to its core values, and respect for its clients. The company mission is built around the core principles of safety, respect, quality, communication, organization, and availability.

These principles are evident at every stage of the installation process. Creating a safe working environment for employees and customers is essential. Before installation commences, the property is protected by removing debris that would otherwise cause damage, and by ensuring it is watertight throughout installation. Respect for customers and their property is of paramount importance to Horch Roofing, hence the company’s crews are polite, courteous, professional, and experienced. Horch Roofing strives to keep customers informed throughout a project, and believes that communication and organization are key to efficiency and productivity.

The company recognizes that roofing is an investment and provides a wealth of information regarding roofing options so the customer can make a well-informed decision. Horch Roofing installs asphalt roofing in various shapes and sizes, alongside roof replacement and repair services. It also installs metal roofing, which is increasingly popular across Maine due to its durability, fire resistance, low maintenance, and energy efficiency. It also uses EDPM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) roofing to provide long-lasting, durable, and energy efficient solutions for flat or low sloped roof applications.

Green practices

In addition to reroofing and new roof installations, Horch Roofing has a full time Service Division that provides roof maintenance services. Its experienced team completes an assessment of the roof’s overall performance and carries out essential services, such as leak repair, gutter cleaning, roof washing, snow and ice removal, and heat tape installation. The company also installs seamless gutters formed from aluminum, steel, or copper to divert water from the roof and away from the property. This reduces the maintenance required on the gutter system, and prevents leaks, mold, and debris.

The company has grown to a team of over 50 certified installers working across residential and commercial projects. It strives for sustainable growth by employing dedicated tradespeople who take pride in their workmanship and truly care about the quality of the customer’s experience. Horch Roofing provides free estimates and detailed proposals that outline the project schedule and proposed costs. Post-installation, it provides a five-year workmanship warranty alongside any manufacturer or material warranty.

Horch Roofing differentiates itself from competitors through its commitment to green practices. Struck by the vast amount of waste generated from the roofing industry, Peter decided to take action on his share of the waste through the Reroof and Recycle program, which started in 2010 and sees the company recycle 100 percent of roofing debris. An example of the Reroof and Recycle program in action is the Roofs to Roads initiative, where asphalt shingles are transformed into recycled aggregate that is used on roads as an alternative to crushed gravel. Recycling has become engrained in the structure of the company, with it recently hitting the milestone of ten million pounds recycled since the beginning of the program.

The company also has an active presence in the local community, supporting food banks and various organizations that help neighborhoods throughout Maine. Specifically, Horch Roofing has donated two roofs annually to non-profit organization, Habitat for Humanity, for the last 13 years. The company also funds the Horch Roofing Scholarship, offering two individual scholarships for college or trade school students in Maine, which encourages younger generations to study and gain meaningful employment.

The recent opening of its Portland office is just one sign that Horch Roofing is set to continue its period of growth within Maine’s roofing industry. As well as premium quality services, its commitment to core values and green practices demonstrates the company’s reliability and corporate responsibility. ■