USDJ_FALL.12.15.1O by Stone Griffin Media

Developers Journal

Fall 2010 Edition i

www.usdevelopersjournal.com

Providing Comfort to Historic Locations and the Next Generation

Sullivan Mechanical Contractors Inc.

Designing Nationwide Energy Efficiency PGAL Inc.

Bringing A Water Oasis To The Desert

Presidential Pools & Spas THE MAGAZINE FOR CONSTRUCTION EXECUTIVES

Editorial

Letter from the Editor Our Fall Edition comes out while many are facing their fourth quarters in this tough econmic year. The Fall stories are a testimony to the strength of time-tested business practices and the importance of rock-solid relationships. Here at US Developers Journal, we continue to be encouraged and impressed by the durability of numerous companies from around the country. We are optimistic that our Winter publication will be able to continue with our theme of endurance and optimism in these challenging economic times. Companies such as PGAL Inc. have continued to diversify themselves to see continuous success. They began in 1946 as an architecture firm, and have grown their offices to include 9 locations and a multitude of services, such as civil and structural engineering, programming, and designbuild and project management services. Presidential Pools & Spas Inc. have continued to produce gorgeous, innovative, and quality work that has kept them successful. With many projects under their belt, and many more to come, they will keep building an "oasis in the desert." This again is a testament to hard work and a quality service. Throughout the industry, companies are forging ahead, finding the strategies that not only keep them strong but that will also ensure their survival and even success during these turbulent economic times. The resilience that has rebounded in the industry deserves more than praise during this historic moment for our country and ever-globalizing market economy. If your company is surviving, working on exciting projects, and growing during these tough economic times, we want to hear from you. We would like to feature you in our next edition, so please contact us at info@bullrunmedia.com. Enjoy the Fall and our Fall Edition! â&#x20AC;&#x201D; US Developers Journal

Published by Bull Run Media LLC

Contents Spotlights 7

Stability in a Windy City

Admiral Heating and Ventilation Inc.

Laying Solid Foundations for Washington's Subdivisions Integrated Concrete Systems Inc.

Dominating the Industry in Paradise WASA Electrical Services Inc.

Overcoming Challenges to Build Temporary Homes for Visitors Pride Construction LLC

Changing the World, One Dome at a Time Monolithic Constructors Inc.

Paving the Way to Becoming One of Kentucky’s Largest Contractors Flynn Brothers Contracting Inc.

Bringing a Water Oasis to the Desert Presidential Pools & Spas LLC

Mixing Kentuckiana’s Solid Foundations AML Inc.

Moving Forward Vossler Electrical Services, Inc.

Incorporating Beautiful Additions into Hard Surfaces Advanced Concrete Services Ltd.

Designing and Improving Nationwide Brands Chipman Adams Architects

Construction to Protect the Nation Custom Mechanical Systems Corp.

Sized to Succeed Raus Construction

Design-Building the Power to Succeed The Perry Group Ltd.

Covering the South’s Facilities R.L. Murphey Commercial Roof Systems LP

Complete Construction Services through One Company Power & Construction Group Inc.

Building with an Eye to the Recession RCS Construction LLC

Repurposing a Negative By-Product into a Positive Future Full Circle Solutions Inc.

Getting Projects In (and Off) the Ground Efficiently Woodco Inc.

Founding Values Build Success Chris Woods Construction

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Associations Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. of Kentucky (ABC KENTUCKY) 9

Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) 14

Educating and Augmenting Construction's Developments Design-Build Institute of America SW

Designing Nationwide Energy Efficiency PGAL Inc.

The Science of Design-Build Benham Constructors LLC

US Green Building Council (USGBC) 26

Opening Up Building to Energy Efficient Glasswork W.S. Nielsen Co. Inc.

American Council of Engineering Companies Nebraska Chapter (ACEC Nebraska) 35

Making Life Easier for Nebraska's Engineers ACEC Nebraska

Unmatched and Respected Environmental and Civil Construction M.C. Schaff & Associates Inc.

US Developers Journal Fall Edition I 2010

Spotlights

Southeast

Brokering Sound Investment ALTEL Systems Inc.

A Prototype for Success Dills Architects

Staying Connected SAIA Electric

An Expert on Waterway Designs and Requirements Coastal Systems International Inc.

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Piping in Healthy Systems J.L. Roberts Mechanical

104

Supporting Arkansas’ Economy and Food Production Caldwell Milling

106

Giving a Historic Landmark a Refreshing Facelift Superdome Enhancements

109

Focus

Geography

Northeast 71

One-Stop Shop for Architecture and Construction Zausmer-Frisch Construction Co. Inc.

Providing Comfort to Historic Locations and the Next Generation Sullivan Mechanical Contractors Inc.

A Smooth Road to Success DelSignore Blacktop Paving Inc.

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An Expert in Florida’s Bold Colors and Large Buildings Proietto Painting Inc.

Providing Interior Plumbing to New York’s Boroughs Bay Ridge Mechanical Corporation

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A Surgical Approach to Design PF&A DESIGN

Steady Growth through Diverse Building Capabilities Johnstown Construction Services LLC

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Supporting Georgia through Construction and Donation LRA Constructors Inc.

Sustaining the Big Apple PM Architecture PC

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Designing and Protecting South Florida's Lifestyle Brothers Fire Protection Inc.

Redeveloping Community-style Developments Southway Builders Inc.

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Overcoming Odds for Continued Success Brothers Paving & Concrete Corporation

Leader by Design Venturi Scott Brown and Associates

On The Cover Designing Nationwide Energy Efficiency PGAL Inc. Since its founding in 1946, Pierce Goodwin Alexander & Linville (PGAL Inc.) has diversified far beyond its beginnings as an architecture firm to include civil and structural engineering, programming, design-build and project management services. In addition to its service expansion, the company has also stretched beyond its Houston, Texas, headquarters to sprout nine additional offices throughout the United States and in Mexico.

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Contents Southwest

West

120

A Family Founded Multitude of Services Lipham Construction Company Inc.

138

Servicing the Client and Community Musson General Contracting

122

A Revitalized Business Model Levey Development and Construction LLC

140

Mining for Success in the Pacific Northwest Lloyd Enterprises Inc.

124

Installing Electrical Systems, Instilling Faith George-McKenna Electrical Contractors, Inc.

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Offering a Multitude of Specialties PugetWest Corporation

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An Environmentally Friendly Air Gillette Air Conditioning Co., Inc.

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A Controlled Environment of Quality Sunset Air Inc.

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Electrifying New Prospects Partners Electrical Services LLC

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Managing Flexibility across Size and Sector Meridian Commercial Inc.

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Building Hometown Support Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donnell/Snider Construction LP

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Electronically Forging Ahead Morley Moss Inc.

Midwest

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US Developers Journal Fall Edition I 2010

147

Using Internal Skills to Create Large-Scale Facilities ARCO Design/Build

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Building New Housing With Old-School Values Miller Builders Inc.

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Maintaining Traditional Experience While Looking Toward New Trends Mid States Electric Inc.

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Riding a Reputation to New Opportunities Amco Elevators Inc.

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Engineering Value and Variety Midlands Mechanical Inc.

Spotlight

Stability in a Windy City

Admiral Heating and Ventilation Inc. Produced by Rob Benson & Written by Eric Gunn Admiral Heating and Ventilation Inc. has been a fixture in Chicago since 1952 when the firm was founded. Daniel Kruger, current CEO and president, has been responsible for guiding the company since 1991, however, and has taken Admiral to its current position as the premier choice for Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) service for both residential and commercial clients.

forecast worthwhile directions in which time and resources will return on investment. “We started out primarily as a firm that specialized in residential furnace installation,” reveals Kruger. “We got into the commercial market in the 1960s and started doing work in the downtown Chicago area. It wasn’t until the 1990s when we really started to create a good group for that tenant market.” At that point, the company took a more conservative approach and decided to focus and specialize on the tenant market. Even though it’s not as lucrative during boom years as the new construction market, it’s a lot less volatile. “There aren’t any new skyscrapers being built in Chicago right now, and even though the tenant market is soft, there’s still some activity out there” notes Kruger. The company also inadvertently weathered the recession successfully because of its pre-determined focus on superior customer service skills. “We went into the service side because we had customers saying 'we love you guys on the install, but then someone else takes over' … I thought, okay, you don’t have to hit me over the head with it, there’s service work out there,” recounts Kruger. High-profile Projects

Kruger first started working with Admiral as a contract Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He believed in the company’s potential, and when offered a chance to buy into the ownership of the company, there was no hesitation on his part. Kruger’s background as a CPA is one of the reasons Admiral has weathered the current recession as well as it has. He has been able to look at past economic successes and

Kruger is proud to note that Admiral has been able to apply its installation and maintenance services in nearly every major new construction or renovation project in Chicago for the past 10 years. Recently the firm completed working on one of Chicago’s most high-profile projects, the renovation of 300 North LaSalle. The project entailed a renovation of 1.3 million square feet that will eventually house a mixture of offices, restaurants, retail shops and public spaces. The building’s anchor tenant, Chicago’s biggest law firm Kirkland & Ellis, is slated to occupy 28 of the 60 floors. The project has already been certified as LEED Gold. That’s not unusual

Spotlight for Admiral though, as Kruger estimates that most every job in recent memory has had LEED certification of some sort. Admiral is also wrapping up renovation of the iconic Monroe Building, a stand-out in a city famous world-wide for its distinguished architecture. The architect Frank Lloyd Wright once leased an office out of the Monroe Building. Some of the innovative renovations Admiral made to the Monroe Building include a completely new cooling system with new rooftop cooling towers and chillers. The new equipment needed to be moved out of the sight lines of a local park, which required the building’s happy-to-oblige management firm to remove some existing, unwanted penthouses. You’ve Officially Been Notified Looking toward the future, Kruger feels that the firm will continue to pick up market share from competitors who don’t focus as heavily on customer service. A large number of Chicagoland residents have already learned that Admiral Heating & Ventilation’s team of executives and technicians provide outstanding customer service, and more are bound to find out . 

US Developers Journal Fall Edition I 2010

ABC Kentucky

Paving the Way to Becoming One of Kentucky’s Largest Contractors Flynn Brothers Contracting Inc. Produced by Victor Martins & Written by Molly Cohen In 1973, brothers John and Jesse Flynn began a summertime asphalt paving company to supplement their incomes as teachers. Since then the company has grown from a pickup truck operation patching asphalt and paving driveways as to a regional leader as the largest site contractors in metro Louisville, Ky.

in Jeffersonville, Ind. While the company does some work in Indiana, “90 percent of our work is done within a 60-mile radius of Louisville,” says Bill Reed, company president for the past five years, who joined the company in 1989 after a career as a CPA. Expanding Services

Most of the company’s approximately 200 employees work at the Louisville headquarters, although a portion work in the company’s two asphalt plants and milling company, located

Over the years the Flynn’s younger brother Ed joined the company, as well as partner Jim Rice, who expanded

ABC Kentucky the company’s engineering expertise. Now Flynn Brothers does a range of private/public paving work and highway construction, as well as site engineering/ earthwork and more. “At one point we did more residential subdivisions than anyone in the area. Then 10 years ago we made a shift and started doing big box building pads and site improvements,” Reed summarizes. “We became the biggest site contractor doing those projects 8 to 10 years ago.” With its strong foothold in the industry, Flynn Brothers now has annual revenue of $50 million from its roles on different construction projects, which can vary depending on the type of jobsite. “If we’re doing a big box pad we’re usually a subcontractor, but if we’re doing a residential subdivision or a small strip center usually we’re the general contractor. So I’d say probably 65 percent of the time we’re general contractors and the balance we would be a subcontractor,” says Reed. Currently Flynn Brothers has two simultaneous projects ongoing in Shepherd County, Ky., and they show the company’s flexibility. For one of these projects “we’re putting an extension to Cedar Grove Business Park that one of our sister companies developed. There’s 150 acres that we’re putting in, including the roads and building pads for basically five buildings, bringing the business park close to 700 acres,” Reed says. “One of those building pads has been leased out and they’re building for Best Buy, which generated another contract. We’re working as the subcontractor to the general contractor that’s building on that one.” Flynn Brothers' services extend beyond projects like these. For example, “we just recently finished a Highway 61 project for the state of Kentucky; it was between $5 million to $6 million,” Reed shares. Maintaining Its Reputation Flynn Brothers is known for its many capabilities, but most of all “we pride ourselves on being able to get projects done on time regardless of the situation. I think it’s probably because of our reputation for

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that why we have such strong repeat business,” says Reed. Despite this reputation, Flynn Brothers has faced recent challenges, like much of the construction industry. “A few years ago we might have four or five builders bidding for a job, but now there’s many more,” Reed laments. “We’re not finding folks coming out of state, but folks in rural areas coming into big cities.”

However, based on Flynn Brothers’ current and recently completed projects, it is clear that the company’s reputation as a large and very capable company makes it stand out as a strong choice for any project. This reputation helps the company overcome the economic challenges in its work area. And, as the economy begins to improve, Flynn Brothers will have more opportunities to showcase its talents and service flexibility on a myriad of jobs in the future. 

Still, Reed realizes this is just part of the business at this point. “Quite honestly we’re guilty of that, too. Normally we wouldn’t be bidding jobs in Lexington, but we’ve looked at some projects down there, and we normally wouldn’t have to go that far away.” However, winning jobs isn’t Reed’s only concern. He is also “trying to figure out what’s going to happen with banking; it’s really critical to our customers and they’re having difficult times right now to secure financing for projects,” he explains. “As long as the federal government keeps taking all of the money out of the banking business it’s becoming more and more difficult for the customers to get proceeds for projects, and that’s a big concern for us because it affects the volume of work we’re accustomed to doing.”

ABC Kentucky

Mixing Kentuckiana’s Solid Foundations AML Inc.

Produced by Victor Martins & Written by Molly Cohen AML Inc., a concrete contracting company, still sits on the owner’s family property in Floyds Knobs, Ind., where it has been since its 1956 founding. “The property is 30 acres. With the house in the front and the office and warehouse in the back, the owner has a hard time missing work,” jokes Scott Welch, AML president. Arthur M. Libs founded AML by himself, doing small-scale concrete projects in town. But, as his family grew, Libs' sons became part of the business, with his oldest son, Robert, purchasing the company from him in the late 1980s. Now Robert’s son and daughter work in the business too. “As the family grew we started spreading our wings and went from residential to commercial with some companies in the area,” says Welch.

General Contractors of America. AML uses technology updates, training, and networking available through these organizations to learn and improve its specialties. Since AML has evolved, it is now in concrete and distribution facilities, so its specialties include concrete tote walls and concrete tilt up, especially on schools. “As a self-performing company, we were finding that we were driving the ship on projects and started getting opportunities to control the project,” Welch explains.

Group Mentality Now AML’s service area includes the 60-mile radius around Louisville, including parts of Kentucky and Indiana, although Welch says “we try to stay at home since we’re a family-based company.” During AML’s peak season last year, the company had 85 people and some seasonal workers. That number has dropped to 65. “But we do have a LEED-Accredited Professional on staff,” Welch notes. Much like the Libs family, other employees have brought their children on to become AML employees. At the company’s Christmas party, there were 67 kids under the age of 14. “So it’s a family thing, and we truly believe we are a team. A family and one person can’t get us where we need to be, it takes everybody,” says Welch. With this group mentality in mind, AML is an active member of the Kentuckiana branch of the Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc. AML is also a member of the Associated

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The Next Level This change in job control began with the new UPS facility in Louisville. The companies that want to be close to it have hard-walled buildings, opening up a great opportunity for AML. “By becoming a general contractor, we needed to take the baby step approach. So we started diversifying. We did institutional, manufacturing, distribution, retail and still do subcontracting,” Welch remembers. “Our hope was it would

give us experience to step into the next level of business. And just in case one sector got cut off, we would have those other four to rely on.”

This approach worked well for AML; the company’s average annual revenue falls around $36 million. “But we had nice projects that bumped us up to $60 million,” adds Welch. “But we want to be the best, not the biggest.” Depending on the size of these successful projects, AML subcontracts most of its steel erection, masonry work, drywall, steel studs, floor coverings, painting, electrical, and mechanical work. “We do some site work, but for larger projects we sub out. If it’s big enough, the operators are needed to take care of the foundation work. And we do finished carpentry in-house,” Welch summarizes. As a 50 percent design-build company and a 50 percent plans and specification company, AML looks at the departments differently. “Plans and specs help us keep a notch on reality, where the market is. But when we go to biddings now, so many people are low bidding. When you use the low guy, you don’t always get what you needs. Sometimes they go belly up and cost the contractors,” says Welch. Despite bidding challenges, AML has several upcoming projects to look forward to. The firm is about to wrap up a three-year project in Floyd Knobs. This project consisted of renovating Floyd Central High School’s existing 80 thousand square foot space and adding an additional 100 thousand square feet. In addition to this school work, AML also completed a recent green project at Harshaw Trane, in Louisville, Ky., and another green project for Trane DSO. “Both of these projects are LEED-certified,” says Welch. On the distribution side, “we just did a project for Caterpillar Logistic Services Inc., a big arm of Caterpillar,” Welch shares. Thriving after the success of these projects, AML is now focused on maintaining its goals and supporting its customers. “We consider them a partnership, not a customer. We are very conscious of how we spend our clients' money. We might be able to save them some money and my job is to bring it to their attention,” says Welch. With this client-conscious philosophy, family-based support and long history of skilled work, AML has the tools to build on its success. 

DBIA

Educating and Augmenting Construction's Developments Design-Build Institute of America Produced by Chuck McKenna & Written by Molly Cohen The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), headquartered in Washington, D.C., has been spreading information regarding its namesake construction approach throughout the country since its founding in 1993. “Designbuild” represents a contract made between a project owner and only one company that will provide the design, architecture, and engineering tasks for the project, as well as that project’s construction management services. By using

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only one company for all of these tasks, a project owner can streamline the process, often making it more efficient and possibly reducing costs. The design-build approach can be used on any type of project and has been recognized in the United States for the past 25 years. DBIA continues its role as the industry’s leading resource for information regarding anything design-build related, whether it be legislation, education, or networking.

Providing for Its Members The DBIA is comprised of individuals in the design and construction industries, as well as anyone whose work is related to design-build. They seek the DBIA’s assistance and guidance in this growing project delivery approach and rely on its Designated Design-Build Professional certification as a way to acknowledge those in the industry who are skilled in design-build practices.

interested members looking to enhance the design-build industry through their membership in the DBIA. The DBIA’s members are broken into 16 different regional subcategories to update those members on the local level and on the larger scale. Additionally, by using a regional system, the DBIA can distribute information or assist project owners in those specific areas. DBIA regions include Florida, the Great Lakes, Mid-America, Mid-Atlantic, New England, Northwest, NY Tri-State Metro, Ohio Valley, Pennsylvania, Rocky Mountain, South Central, Southeast, Southwest, Upper Midwest, Upstate NY and Western Pacific. While each region supports the national organization, they also focus as specifically on issues affecting its own members. For example, the Southwest regional — currently led by Drew Yaggy, also on the team at mechanical construction/facility management company TDIndustries Inc. in Dallas, Texas — represents New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

The DBIA works to proliferate the concept that designbuild is a collaboration of innovative designs and successful construction management for not only the residential and private industry, but also for civil, industrial and infrastructure projects. To promote the industry’s successful projects and useful practices, the DBIA offers training programs and annual conferences to its members. It also distributes publications, successful tools in its Manual of Practice, and information regarding legislation The DBIA also has special changes for the federal, state, and local levels. interest sections, which are informal groups that Overseeing all of these initiatives rarely meet, but tend are several types of committees to communicate via the that fall under the DBIA umbrella. Internet to discuss recent Members can become involved in industry challenges or any of the committees through its triumphs. Topics may include four levels of participation. The sustainability or technology organization's standing committees are ongoing and intensive. They are and Building Information split by category into legislative, Modeling (BIM). owners’ councils, education, membership, public relations, EXCERPT annual conference planning, and research. These committees assist the DBIA’s daily efforts. The market issues committees educate DBIA’s staff on what is happening in the industry and on any budding issues soon to arise. As of the summer of 2010, these committees include water/wastewater markets and transportation markets. The DBIA’s task forces are created for specific topics or projects and are disbanded once that issue has been covered effectively. For the summer of 2010, there is one DBIA task force focusing on value engineering. The DBIA also has special interest sections, which are informal groups that rarely meet, but tend to communicate via the Internet to discuss recent industry challenges or triumphs. Topics may include sustainability or technology and Building Information Modeling (BIM). These different types of in-house groups are made up of

“We have two members right now that are on the national boards of directors, another applying this year for a three-year term on the national board of directions, and several members, including myself, on national committees for administration. I’m on the sustainability committee that discusses design-build and sustainability interface,” says Yaggy. “We have lots of weekly contact with the national organization, and when education courses from the national level are held in our region we encourage our regional members to attend.”

In addition to working with the national organization, the DBIASouthwest chapter has several goals inherent to its specific region. These goals include growing its membership and urging its current members to be more active. “We’re one of the most active and most successful regions because we actually have more chapters than anyone,” says Yaggy. “A lot of people in the national organization have looked at our region as a maverick. We’re at times a little more aggressive than a lot of the regions and we’ll try things quicker or attack things with more energy, and we know when to move on and try something else. It’s just the attitude of companies and individuals in this area.” Understanding this enthusiasm in the area, Yaggy made a point to revitalize or enhance committee action when he first became chairman of the region. “We had committees set up to handle programs and legislative activities, but they weren’t very active or were virtually only one person. So I’ve stressed

DBIA

that committees should act more like committees; I haven’t been shy to push some stuff off myself and onto others to help,” he explains. “When it’s a volunteer organization, it’s a lot of coaxing and trying to get people to meet their promises. I’m not cracking the whip, but constant reminders on our goals helps. And that’s meeting with some success, the focus on making these committees function better.”

for federal and other governments to recognize and accept it, and now it’s a large majority of state use,” Yaggy explains. “In the private sector it’s been used for a long time; it’s just becoming more publicly known and used. It’s a lot faster and saves money. Talk to the Corps of Engineers — they still get great value, speed and quality at a lower cost.” Affecting Change

Along with placing more responsibility the hands of members, Yaggy has also worked to communicate more openly about the organization’s achievements and goals, as well as industry issues in general. “It’s mostly e-mails and website, but we do have a public relations company to handle media exposure in trade magazines and newspapers in the region.” And the Southwest region requires personal public relations support because of the work that is only available in that area. “We have better opportunities right now than other regions because of military spending on bases in Texas and New Mexico. And a large part of that is being spent on designbuild projects through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,” Yaggy explains. Opportunities also abound in Louisiana, where recovery money is still in play after Hurricane Katrina. “Design-build was virtually unknown in Louisiana and by state law was not permitted; some of that has changed with the federal government’s ability to revitalize in those areas.” While design-build is just becoming popular in Louisiana, this construction approach is nothing new. “It’s probably the oldest project delivery method in the world. The Industrial Revolution separated construction and design and now it’s come back together. It took a long time to get laws changed,

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In all of its regional chapters, the DBIA is proud of its ability to bring together professionals and organizations in a plethora of fields. No matter what type of background each member has, they all receive discounts on DBIA products and services and are privileged to attend any of the organization’s educational courses. Members also have access to the DBIA’s internal business growth tools, which include its pipeline, which allows members to learn about and win more government business; a legislative database that covers all legislation regarding design-build at the federal, state and local levels; and the membership directory to research other involved organizations. Members can also attend the DBIA’s annual conferences, which all include a platform to hear from speakers, discuss design-build tactics and network. The organization has three conferences: its Design-Build Annual Conference, the Design-Build Transportation Conference, and the DesignBuild Water/Wastewater Conference. Dateline is the DBIA’s journal, distributed monthly to its members to keep them up to date on trends, industry changes, and successful projects. The DBIA has two types of members: the individual member and the industry partner member. Individual members

design-build approach through DBIA’s education courses. These are available nationwide and cover a plethora of related topics. The DBIA has three core courses that are necessary to form the basis of information on the designbuild approach, and they are also required of all professionals aiming to become a Designated Design-Build Professional. These three courses are: fundamentals of project delivery, principles of design-build project delivery, and design-build contract and risk management. Other DBIA educational programs focus on: super-charged source selection, conceptual estimating, post-award designbuild, managing the design-build process, design-build sustainability, certification exam prep course, and other courses like performance requirements: the key to effective RFPs and high-performance contracting. The DBIA can also assist with customized training for any business’s particular needs. This includes fast-track certification for a large group of employees, or a focused class on a specific part of the design-build approach. cover all architectural design and construction professionals. People like architects, engineers, specialty contractors, owners, consultants, lawyers, business development professionals, and students fall into this category. Industry partner members is for overall companies like general contractors, architectural or engineering firms, specialty contractor firms, manufacturers, suppliers, insurance companies, legal firms, government agencies, private owners, and academic institutions. The DBIA is also a major supporter of students in the design and construction industries. Students are urged to join the DBIA Student Chapters, available through: Brigham Young University, Cal Poly State University, California State University - Chico, California State University - Long Beach, Clemson University, Colorado State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, George Mason University, Iowa State University, Lawrence Technological University, Purdue University, Southern University School of Architecture, Stanford University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, University of Florida, University of Nebraska-Omaha, University of Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, and Washington State University. Through these chapters, the DBIA hopes to endorse the design-build methods of the nations’ architects of the future. Through their membership in any of these chapters, students can gain support from design-build professionals, learn more about the approach, get involved with national DBIA services, and excel in their personal education of design-build.

In addition to its educational courses, a large part of the DBIA’s initiatives focus on legislation and advocacy. Through 2010, much of the DBIA’s efforts have been to promote the use of the design-build approach specifically in the public market for local, state, and federal associations. The DBIA also started its Strategic Policy Initiative Fund to spread the word of design-build and its benefits to the public and anyone thinking of construction or renovations. Through the Fund’s support, DBIA can continually increase its outreach efforts and gain support for design-build across the nation. And, to celebrate its internal successes, the DBIA gives annual awards to its members, noting their best and most useful projects. These awards include: the National Design-Build Project Awards, the Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award, the Distinguished Leadership Awards, the Transportation Awards, the Region Awards, and the Committee Awards. With its strong internal support, ambitious and effective outreach programs, beneficial legislation efforts, committed members and burgeoning student organizations, the DBIA has proved itself an irreplaceable organization in the building industry. As exhibited through its successful history of promoting industry evolution, and it plans for future industry alterations, the Design-Build Institute of America is ready to continue guiding innovation within the nation’s architecture and design businesses. 

Students and members of the architecture or construction industries can improve their skills and knowledge of the

DBIA

Designing Nationwide Energy Efficiency PGAL Inc.

Produced by Chuck McKenna & Written by Molly Cohen Since its founding in 1946, Pierce Goodwin Alexander & Linville (PGAL Inc.) has diversified far beyond its beginnings as an architecture firm to include civil and structural engineering, programming, design-build and project management services. In addition to its service expansion, the company has also expanded beyond its Houston, Texas, headquarters to sprout nine additional offices throughout the United States and in Mexico.

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Although PGAL is now a far-reaching company, it is still a tight-knit firm. “One of our approaches is that all of our offices work together. We are able to share resources across regions depending on office workloads and depending on the type of specialty or expertise a project requires. We’re really good at sharing resources throughout the firm,” says Cindy Roth, PGAL’s marketing manager.

DBIA Ranging Expertise Between PGAL’s 211 employees, the firm covers numerous markets. “We do pretty much everything: aviation is a huge market for us, health care, higher ed, K - 12, airport concessions, retail, hospitality, data centers and office buildings,” says Roth. For example, a Boca Raton office concentrates on architecture and interior design, working on projects such as secure, creatively skinned housing facilities for local universities, while Houston involves civil/structural engineering heavily.

will be at least Gold, “but we’re hoping for Platinum,” says Roth. “We just won an American Subcontractors Association award for Best Project $5 million to $15 million for our building.” To reach its certification goal, the new headquarters was oriented to make the best use of its site, including reclaimed and recycled materials. Additionally, instead of clearing trees, PGAL relocated existing trees to new places on the site. This process not only saves the trees, but also reduces the building’s "heat island" effect.

And the firm’s design-build specialization, led by experienced principals Ian Nestler and Dave Moss (both AIA), has been used for many of those sectors, specifically civil projects, some healthcare buildings and recent higher education jobs. A strong focus in Building Information Modeling assists conceptualization/conflict identification on these endeavors, as well as the firm’s emphasis on sustainable design. “It’s huge for us,” Roth says.

Sticking with its dedication to sustainability, PGAL also completed another local project, the Greater Harris County 911 Emergency Building, which achieved LEED Silver. To build the new facility, PGAL disturbed as little of the wooded construction site as possible. The project included reduced waste, recycled materials, low-emitting volatile organic compounds (VOC), day lighting and energy-efficient mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

Currently PGAL has 55 LEED Accredited Professionals. And to prove its support of energy-efficient design, the firm just completed its own new Houston headquarters. The new building invoked as many sustainable aspects as possible. It

Aviation is also an area of focus for PGAL. The firm is in charge of architecture for 14 new aircraft gates at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nev. This 2 millionsquare foot, $1 billion project will be used for numerous

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capabilities. For LEED-certified projects, PGAL prefers to work with companies and people experienced in sustainability. “If there’s someone who’s only done one LEED project you may not want to team with them; it might make your team weak, but it’s a case-by-case basis,” says Roth. However, PGAL is open to working with new companies or companies it does not have a pre-established relationship with. “For relationship-driven type projects, often there are other parameters that go into effect. You would want to team with the firm that’s got a good reputation with a client or done previous work with the client, even if they haven’t done previous work with us. It just depends on the project,” Roth adds.

types of aircraft and will have the flexibility to create more room for additional gate capacity. Lastly, PGAL was also the lead member of a joint venture for the Consolidated Rental Agency Complex at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport. With PGAL’s guidance, the new facility holds 10 rental car companies, multiple garages, customer service areas, and roadways. With these projects completed, PGAL is looking to begin work on a specialty care clinic located outside of Houston. Teaming for Sustainability For each project, PGAL works with a select group of consultants and subcontractors to support its in-house

Despite this open approach to team building outside of the firm, PGAL has felt the challenges of the “dwindling amount of work out there for everybody. One thing is the increase in competition. You used to go after a job that you’d maybe have 10 submittal responses for, now there’s 60,” Roth explains. However, Roth is hopeful for economic changes. “I always try to be positive and optimistic. I think things are getting better. If you don’t think that, nobody will ever think that and it won’t turn around because it’s all about perception,” she says. To overcome the challenges from increased competition while PGAL waits for the economy to reach expectations, Roth says “we’re pursuing more federal work, so we have strategically thought about what we’re doing for the next few years.” Even though the company plans to head toward the federal sector, PGAL will not give up its traditional core market segments. Instead, the company’s plan for the future is focused on increasing its LEED experience. “It’s a big plan for us; all new employees must become LEED certified within 90 days of employment,” says Roth. “Even technical people benefit from having that certification. Some of our marketing staff is LEED accredited as well.” With this plan set, PGAL Inc. will be able to easily increase its foothold in the nation’s LEED initiatives and promote sustainability while becoming a front-runner in its chosen markets. 

DBIA

The Science of Design-Build Benham Constructors LLC

Produced by Chuck McKenna & Written by Molly Cohen The design-build approach has been a prime business draw for Benham Constructors LLC, especially during the economic recession. “We’re about 800 strong of engineering, architecture, environmental, systems integration, advanced communication and construction [personnel], so we’ve got the full services deal covered,” explains Wally Hunt, the company’s vice president. “The opposite end of the spectrum is the general contractor who — and there’s many good ones who do excellent work and survive quite well — subcontract the architectural and engineering professional services. That’s two separate companies having to schedule to come together to do one service, and we are not that way.” The system must be working. Benham is celebrating its 100-year anniversary, though it has gone through changes of ownership. It was family-held until 1990, when a small group of employees purchased the company. Later they sold the company to an off-shore organization. Three years after that, a staff consortium purchased the company back, and in 2007 sold Benham to the Science Application International Corporation (SAIC). “The logic behind the merger of those companies was to take the science and solutions component that SAIC has and marry it with Benham to create the ability to deliver those science and solution facilities,” Hunt shares. Designed and Built to Thrive A fully integrated Benham is thriving under its new ownership. “We have a revenue of $200 million and we’re ranked in Engineering News’ Top 100 Builders,” Hunt says. That distinction is based on the company’s employees and its comprehensive capabilities. “When we go after a project, I can go down the hall and immediately talk to the structural guy,”

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says Hunt. “Everyone says they’ve got that communication capability, but you don’t have it unless you have everyone in the room. We have everyone in the room. We don’t have to make a phone call or fly on an airplane. And we call that co-located.”

“It would be presumptuous on our part for us to go to, say, Columbus, Ohio, and move our own forces there and think they could do

LEED-certified building. For this, Benham won the DesignBuild Institute of America (DBIA) 2009 National Excellence Award. In 2005, Benham won another DBIA National Excellence Award for “a very unique energy-efficient cooling system that is one-of-a-kind and never to be done again,” Hunt insists. This geothermal cooling system was for the Ford Motor Company facility in Lima, Ohio. The system takes water from nearby quarries and circulates it through a heat exchanger. The water then flows through the plant to cool the air and is finally returned to the quarry.

it better than the brick layers that have been there for generations,” Hunt presents. “So it’s our business model to use local business contractors.”

Benham is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla., and it also has satellite design-build offices in Charlotte, N.C.; St Louis, Mo.; and Walled Lake, Mich. The Michigan location was created almost exclusively for working with the automotive industry. However, with the economic downturn, the satellite offices around the country are looking across sectors for work, as even the company's historically consistent markets are down. “We have been doing federal work for 60 years, we try to keep a balance of 50/50 [governmental projects], but right now it’s very difficult to do,” Hunt explains. Helping the company through difficult periods is the fact that Benham’s diverse services are available nationwide, and it has the ability to travel internationally. “We follow private sector clients overseas if they request us to go with them,” explains Hunt. “We built a Coca-Cola plant in Moscow, Russia. We provided professional services work to Gatorade in China.” Certified Trendsetters In addition to its proficiency in the design-build trend, Benham also has experience with the green movement. Benham has been designing and building with an eye toward sustainability for 30 years. In fact, 50 of the company’s employees are certified as LEED Accredited Professionals. Recently Benham put those practices to use for the Boral Brick manufacturing plant in Terre Haute, Ind. At this grassroots, $50 million plant, Benham “hit about every button that can be hit in terms of delivery approach; it was a collaborative effort with the client, we even helped pick a site near clay deposits that met their criteria,” Hunt recalls. The location also happened to be near a landfill, and Benham expertly incorporated the methane gas from the landfill to supplement natural gas running the plant’s kilns, making it a

Creating Opportunity Across the Board To complete projects like these, Benham relies on local trade labor. “It would be presumptuous on our part for us to go to, say, Columbus, Ohio, and move our own forces there and think they could do it better than the brick layers that have been there for generations,” Hunt presents. “So it’s our business model to use local business contractors.” As Benham is the prime, at-risk contractor working with subs across multiple markets, the company must count complete construction management among its services. Benham project managers oversee the flow of a project from drafting to finishing, and incorporate subcontractors accurately. These abilities will continue to prove invaluable, as Hunt sees the construction industry continuing its current path for several more years. After 43 years in the industry, he has experience reading the economy. “I think there’s a little pick-up this year, though I think it's 2012 before we’re back. But where there’s chaos and confusion lies opportunity, if you pick your shot. [They're] very competitive markets,” he asserts. Hunt, however, is prepared to keep Benham working and knows which sectors the company will need to prioritize. “We’ve been in the federal business and understand what it’s all about and are active to bid there. We are seeing some movement in the refinery industry and are active with a couple of clients there. But the reality is the federal government writes checks these days,” he admits. Whether through federal work or from private sector projects, Benham is garnering the work it must to continue profitably. The company has proven for over a century that it is resilient and that it has the internal strength to continue until the economy recovers. As evidenced by its awards and accolades, Benham Constructors has a strong grasp of design-build and environmentally aware efficiency trends, which are vital to maintain its position in the industry for years to come. 

Spotlight

Laying Solid Foundations for Washington’s Subdivisions Integrated Concrete Systems Inc. Produced by Hanim Samara & Written by Molly Cohen homes in one subdivision. The company also does custom systems, multi-family facilities and cast in place retaining walls, which require special aluminum forms. Overcoming Obstacles Based in Puyallup, Wash., Integrated Concrete Systems works throughout western Washington. We work Skagit County, which is in northern Washington, near the Canadian border, and down through the Puget Sound area to beyond Olympia. It also does the peninsula including Gig Harbor. Despite its wide ranging target service area, Integrated Concrete Systems competes against other companies with unsubstantiated low prices. “We’ve never been the lowest price but we provide quality and speed which are selling points when things are so slow. We have good prices but we’re definitely not some of the competitors’ low ball prices,” Amanda compares.

Amanda Nelson joined Integrated Concrete Systems in January of 1997, as she finished college and business school. Her father, Roger Moore founded the company with a partner in 1996. “We were the first in our area to do turnkey pricing. We offered builders, once they did the excavation, w would come in and do everything in one lump sum, one price until backfill. It worked well and we focus on some large home builders who do several foundations at one time,” she says. Now Integrated Concrete Systems has four owners: Roger, Patricia Moore, Amanda and her husband, Justin Nelson. As vice president, Amanda “runs the office and Justin runs the field,” she says.

Competition is not the least of Integrated Concrete Systems’ concerns. “Product prices haven’t gone down at all during the recession. Builders need lower prices and the products we’re putting in aren’t going down at all while everything else is. We cut our overhead ahead of the curve. But, we owe no money as a company, we knew this was coming and have kept ourselves in a position to stay afloat during the recession,” Amanda says. Before the recession, Integrated Concrete Systems had 120 employees; it now has about 32. According to Amanda, all of the company’s crew leads have been employed there for many years. She attributes their hard work, professionalism and quality of craftsmanship to the company’s strength. During an average year the company makes between $10 million and $12 million. Forming Community Bottoms

Integrated Concrete Systems, who is also registered under the name Intecon, focuses on the residential sector, with a special focus on working with large buildings who do many

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To complement its in-house capabilities, Integrated Concrete Systems brings in suppliers for concrete and

concrete pumping. “We don’t have our own concrete pumps. Everything else we can self-perform,” Amanda says. And Integrated Concrete Systems has a core group of suppliers it relies on. “Our construction supplies like ankle bolts and straps we buy from one company. All the rebar we buy mill direct in 30 or 40 tons at a time. We’ve worked with our suppliers for many years,” Amanda says. These relationships are helpful when Integrated Concrete Systems works on large projects. One such project is the Northwest Landing, a 3,000-acre mixed-use planned community in DuPont, Wash. “That project is a subdivision that’s been going on for more than 10 years,” Amanda says.

In the coming years, Amanda hopes to “get back closer to the size we were before the recession,” she says. “I know we won’t ever be at that high of a peak, but just to keep the company running and expand into multi-family and keep providing to our residential clients. When there’s a few more houses going on, we can get a lot of stuff going for them.” With this specific expertise and its base of skilled and trusted employees, Integrated Concrete Systems has a future full of opportunities to meet its growth goal and return to its position in the industry preceding the recession . 

Integrated Concrete Systems works on subdivisions spread throughout much of western Washington. For example, the company is also working on a subdivision called Trail Run in Auburn, Wash. “It’s a mixture of multifamily and single family homes,” says Amanda. Integrated Concrete Systems is also known for its interaction in the community. The firm donated two foundations for Vision House, which provides housing for single mothers. It also worked with Centex Homes to create the foundation for a home on an episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition.

USGBC

Opening Up Building to Energy Efficient Glasswork W.S. Nielsen Co. Inc.

Produced by Chuck McKenna & Written by Molly Cohen Mike Nielsen spent part of his youth working as an installer in his father’s skylight company, W.S. Nielsen Co. Inc. (WSN) in Alpharetta, Ga. Taking a break to attend the University of North Carolina at Asheville, Nielsen returned to WSN following graduation and has now been with the company 18 years, the last 10 years as its president. Now, under Nielsen’s direction, the 30-yearold company has diversified from its history as a skylight and slope glazing company to offer specialty contracting services through turnkey solutions on architectural features, including custom grillwork and sunshades, building skins and green screens, plus louvers and sun control systems. “Maybe one out of 100 projects has skylights, so with our diversification we get projects where there are other unique architectural features we service and sell. We are growing our company, but not leaving our niche,” explains Nielsen. WSN offers its diversified specialty contractor services throughout the United States' southeast region, including Florida, the Carolinas, Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia — which accounts for 60 percent of the company’s overall work. “We don’t market outside of that area,

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but if we have relationships that want us to go out of those areas we will. We’ve done work in Michigan, Minnesota, Connecticut, etc., but it’s more relationship-driven requests,” Nielsen says. Upholding Traditional Virtues WSN garners its customer requests because the company prides itself on the customer service it has developed over the years. “You’re going to get the highest quality and integrity from the lady who answers the phone to the gentleman who installs the final pieces on your project. You’ll never get a machine here; we’re still a family business and take pride in servicing our customers,” Nielsen promises. “If a contractor wants a building with one two-foot by two-foot dome skylight, or 1,000 of them, they will get the same level of service and care that they would get for either project.” Supported by WSN’s approximately 30 employees’ efforts to uphold this tradition of service and high-quality installations, the company’s finished projects makes an annual $6 million to $10 million in sales. For most of its projects WSN is a subcontractor to a general contractor. However, about 20 percent of its work is direct,

based on relationships with organizations like Turner Properties, “which is the CNN Center and many of the Turner Broadcasting facilities in Atlanta,” Nielsen explains. “We do a variety of glass services for them, from mirrors in bathrooms to replacing curtain wall systems to maintenance on the doors. So we have those owner relationships and those are fantastic, though our bread and butter is servicing architects and bidding as a subcontractor on new building projects.” According to Nielsen, one of the company’s core strengths is its turnkey solutions. “We’re not just bidding the product or installation, we’re giving them the specialized product furnished and installed complete with any requirements,” he says. Based on this approach, WSN does not subcontract any work, but handles it all in-house. Considering that the features or products that WSN specializes in are usually challenging for the project manager or estimator, the company strives to provide professionals with excellent safety records and necessary equipment to make the project run smoothly and efficiently. “We try to make the scope of work they don’t like dealing with simple for them. And we try to bundle — do a skylight, louver and green screen on one project under one

USGBC contract instead of three or four contracts to get that done,” Nielsen says of the company’s approach to making a project easier for the general contractor. Two-Fold Opportunities Despite carving out its atypical niche with its canopy and daylight systems, etc., WSN has faced today’s common industry-wide challenges of more bidders and less work. But Nielsen has found several benefits from the current economic recession. For example, after other companies were forced to cut staff, WSN was able to find quality labor forces for the field. “We’re a small enough family-owned business that we’re financially strong and have been able to take advantage of some of the benefits that come out of a down economy, like the service and/or renovation type work that continues to be done,” says Nielsen. “There have been skylights installed at monument levels — like malls 15 to 20 years ago — that need maintenance or service. When the economy slows down a little we find a little more opportunity in pursuing those outlets because of less projects to bid and more to compete with.” Even with the recent challenges, WSN has had several opportunities to provide its usual expertise on specialty features, according to Ian Strickland, the company’s sales and project manager. “All the products we provide fall into the green category, so we’ve been building green when green was just a color and not a movement,” he shares. Indeed, the allowing of daylight into a space cuts down on the energyhungry artificial light systems, as well as promotes a healthier, more productive environment. WSN has a LEED AP on staff to help summarize and achieve the project credits that can be achieved through specific product implementation, as well as the recycling/reuse of certain building materials. And these green products were recently used on several projects throughout Georgia. For example, WSN partnered with Brasfield & Gorrie for Atlanta’s Piedmont West development, where it supplied a green screen for the project. “A green screen is a panelized 3-D trellising system you can attach to parking decks where you can let the plants grow up the side of it, acting as a screen wall,” Strickland explains. Similarly, WSN worked with R.J. Griffin & Company Inc. on the Medical College of Georgia, located in Augusta, where the company provided green screens, as well as translucent canopies and skylights for the building. “We also just finished Conrac, the consolidated car rental facility at the Hartsfield-Atlanta International Airport. I’m not sure if they got any LEED credits for that, but we provided architectural louvers, canopies and skylights on

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that as well,” Strickland says. There are also several projects in WSN’s history that highlight the company’s ability to work with innovative concepts. For the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, WSN partnered with international construction company Skanska and renowned architect Renzo Piano in developing and installing 1,000 skylights and light wells. “The skylights used a specific glass and were pointed directly north with an “eyebrow” feature behind them to the south so there’s never direct sunlight hitting the glass. This means you are getting pure daylight without getting any of the brightness of sunlight,” shares Nielsen proudly. This project garnered the company the Associated Builders & Contractors of Georgia 2006 Award of Excellence, just one of many accolades from the ABC (Glass Magazine has also featured the company’s expansive projects several times). WSN was also part of the tremendous clean-up and repair effort required after Atlanta was hit by a tornado in March of 2008. “We replaced close to 1,200 plates of glass at the CNN Center that were affected by the tornado,” Nielsen says. During this replacement process, which involved more than 42,000 square feet of vertical glazed panels on several different elevations, WSN added the sustainable feature of higher energy efficiency with a type of laminated glass. Currently, WSN is continuing its tornado recovery efforts at the Westin Peachtree Plaza, which is part of the Westin hotels in downtown Atlanta. This building is a 72-story monumental glass tower that requires total glass replacement. “We teamed with Skanska and Harmon Inc. to replace and upgrade [the tower] to make it more energy efficient and patch holes,” says Nielsen. With so many interesting projects at hand, the only thing that keeps Nielsen awake is “just concern about the economy and keeping the business strong. We’ve been blessed to not really be impacted by the economy to date, and I just stress that I can continue that pattern,” he admits. Surveying WSN’s projects and foothold in the industry’s green trend, it appears the company is positioned to maintain successful growth. With its family-based history and eye toward diversified services, the W.S. Nielsen Co. has the support and ambition to continue improving energy efficiency throughout the Southeast. 

Spotlight

Dominating the Industry in Paradise WASA Electrical Services, Inc,

Produced by Victor Martins & Written by Eric Gunn It really doesn’t matter which island you’re on in Hawaii, if you ask for a recommendation for an electrical contractor, chances are, if the person is in the construction industry, he’s going to recommend Wasa Electrical Services. Wasa, the Aloha State’s largest electrical contractor, was founded in 1950 by two brothers. From its humble beginnings, the firm has grown into a Hawaiian powerhouse with roughly 350 employees and offices on the eight major islands of the state. The company has been headed by Ron Yee for the last 10 years. Except for an 8-month stint at Westinghouse immediately after college, Yee has been with the company since 1971. He maintains that the firm has been somewhat isolated so far from the downturn in the economy. “We’ve had three pretty good years consecutively. We grossed about $100 million last year. This year will be okay, but we’re not seeing much come in for next year. We’re usually about a year to two years behind whatever happens on the mainland. I’m looking for a full recovery sometime in 2012.” Wasa was bought out by one of the world’s largest electrical contracting firms, Kinden Corporation, in 1987. Yee reveals, “Officially, we are called US Kinden, but we’re doing business as Wasa Electric. I told them if they changed the name to US Kinden, no one will recognize us. Wasa Electric is pretty well known here in Hawaii. We’d lose a 60-year history.” Beauty and the Beach The relationship with Kinden has benefited Wasa tremendously. Kinden built Disneyland Tokyo, and when Walt & Co. decided to open a

Spotlight

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resort in Hawaii, they turned to Kinden’s US operation. Yee maintains, “I think it’s the largest building project going on in the United States right now. It’s a very large project for us.” The resort, Aulani, located on Oahu, is the result of collaboration between company engineers and input from locals who wanted a place celebrating

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Spotlight Hawaiian culture and history. And because Hawaiians layer rich meaning in their words, the name “Aulani” has more than one meaning. It is “the messenger of a chief,” and also “the one who delivers a message from a higher authority.” Aulani will have 359 hotel rooms, 481 time-share units, restaurants, a convention center, a 15,000-square-foot spa and a massive water play area boasting a volcano tube slide and snorkel lagoon. It sits on 21 acres on Oahu's Leeward Coast in the Ko Olina development, known for its white sand beaches and lagoons, scenic golf course, and colorful sunsets. Ko Olina is about an hour west of Waikiki, where many tourists typically stay. Hawaii’s First Light Rail System In addition to the Disney project, Yee is hoping that Wasa wins the bid for Hawaii’s first light rail system. Yee says, “It’s a large project. It will be the largest in our company’s history if we win this project. I’m headed to Japan, to one of Mitsubishi’s factories, to learn how to build the cars. It will be part of our work to not only install the system but to construct the cars here in Hawaii.”

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Yee’s also proud of a design-build contract the firm completed about three years ago for the U.S. Military. “We built the Pacific Command Center. It's where, if there was ever a war in the Pacific, headquarters would be. All of the generals and admirals would go. We had to build it into the side of a mountain.” The project is classified, so Yee is unable to provide more details about the Wasa project. A little Bit of Everything Wasa’s experience over the last 20 years has been pretty extensive. “We’ve worked on a lot of the bridges, most of the major

Spotlight

hotels, virtually every condominium that have come up, and all of the highways.” Yee is confident the firm will retain its prominent role in the near future, but is hesitant to increase the firm’s size. “We’ve had up to 500 employees in the past, but I find that this company does best when we have about 350. It’s controllable. There are only roughly 1,400 licensed journeyman and union electricians here in Hawaii, it’s not like I could grow to be a 1,000 strong anyway.” Considering Wasa Electrical Services has been involved in almost every major project on the islands for more than two decades it’s no surprise that it is the largest electrical contractors in Hawaii. The only surprise would be if WASA doesn't remain the number one choice for contractors and developers. 

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ACEC Nebraska

Making Life Easier for Nebraska’s Engineers

American Council of Engineering Companies of Nebraska Produced by Chuck McKenna & Written by Molly Cohen Like any group within the construction industry, consultant engineers banded together in 1909 to create an organization to connect consulting engineers nationwide. Through this organization, known as the American Council

of Engineering Companies (ACEC), consulting engineers can learn together, share information and join forces to change the entire industry. The ACEC now represents organizations in 51 states, which is more than 5,600 independent engineering firms throughout the United States. All of these different state-based branches of the organization are doing their part to make positive changes for the engineering industry. But the ACEC is the only national organization of engineers focused specifically on consulting engineering. Recently the ACEC of Nebraska (ACEC/N) used the national organization’s annual conference as a base point to lobby and meet with state representatives on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Providing for Members Like the rest of the organization, the ACEC/ N’s main goals focus on being a source for private consulting engineering firms to find the information and learning opportunities to become better members of the industry and understand their businesses’ potential. The ACEC/N’s mission mirrors the organization’s goals on the national level. It aims “to improve the quality of life in Nebraska by strengthening the business environment for and image of the consulting engineering profession,” as stated on the website. The ACEC/N is headquartered out of Lincoln, NE, where its nine Board of Directors members meet to discuss the organization’s initiatives. Jackie McCullough is the ACEC/N’s executive director and Kyle Anderson, of Felsburg Holt

ACEC Nebraska & Ullevig, in Omaha, NE, is the ACEC/N’s 2009-2010 president and national director. The ACEC/N’s 45 consulting engineering firms in Nebraska represent expertise in a myriad of engineering specialties. These members look to the ACEC/N for assistance in numerous areas. In regards to legislation, the ACEC/N is a representative body at the local, state and national levels where it promotes bills that protect the interests of engineers. Through this representation, the ACEC/N works as a communication tool between member firms and state agencies and city governments. The ACEC/N then takes the initiatives that pass and distributes the changes to its members so they can learn about the new changes and make the necessary accommodations internally or expect the changes to occur on the jobsite. The ACEC/N also spreads any discounts or savings to its members in an effort to help firm owners control their costs and have more funds to make purchases that can improve their company. The ACEC/N also publishes an annual directory with each member’s information. This directory is then sent to local, city and state officials to use as a guide when selecting a consulting firm for government-funded projects in the area. To improve its’ members services and understanding of the business side of the industry, the ACEC/N creates seminars and brings in speakers so its members can learn more about business standards, efficiency schemes, maintaining profit levels and always presenting high quality work. These programs are available through the state and national organization levels.

To help create the ACEC/N’s stance on upcoming issues, industry information and state-related information, the organization uses committees to divvy up the work. For example, the ACEC/N Legislative Committee is in charge of monitoring, reviewing and acting on new legislation that could impact the organization’s members. Additionally, this committee must update members on these changes. Other ACEC/N committees include the Membership Committee, which focuses on recruiting and retaining ACEC/N members as well as promoting their involvement in association activities. The PAC Committee oversees the funds for any association members who run for state or local office positions in addition to ballot initiatives that affect the engineering industry. The Business Practices Committee is in charge of creating the educational session for the association’s members so they can gain participation from Professional Development Hours. The Partnership Committees are the communication body between the ACEC/N and Omaha Public Works, Lincoln Public Works & Utilities, Nebraska Department of Roads and Corp of Engineers. The Integrated Practices Committee discusses alternative project delivery options with members and also educates public and private owners on the different types of deliveries. The Environmental Committee reflects on industry-wide consensus positions on the environment and how it affects environmental engineering firms, it also updates members on environmental issues that might affect or change their projects. The Public Relations Committee explains the importance of engineering practices to the public. It also disseminates information about engineering awards and the organization’s activities. Lastly, the ACEC/ N’s Smaller Firms Committee focuses on those issues inherent to smaller consulting firms.

Tackling One Issue at a Time All of these types of programs and activities come together at the ACEC’s nationwide annual convention. At the 2010 convention, located in Washington, D.C., there were about 1,000 business and policy leaders in attendance. The conference featured educational tutorials and keynote speakers from the political venue. Part of the convention was spent lobbying on Capitol Hill on topics including infrastructure initiatives, defense of contracting out and repeal of the three percent withholding mandate. The ACEC/N spent an entire day on Capitol Hill meeting with state representatives and Senators on those specific topics, hoping to initiate discussions toward changes in legislature. The ACEC/N also discussed other issues with its state representatives like continuing the stalled transportation delivery system in Nebraska and its effect on engineering firms and citizens.

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Another ACEC/N initiative is recognition of its members’ accomplishments. Through its awards and scholarships, the organization acknowledges innovative achievements and budding specialists in the industry. Thanks to its skilled and passionate members, the ACEC/N will be advocating for and educating the state’s engineering industry for many more years. The members appreciate the American Council of Engineering Companies – Nebraska’s support and assistance throughout the years and the future of the engineering industry, guided and protected by the organizations’ initiatives. 

Unmatched and Respected Environmental and Civil Construction M.C. Schaff & Associates Inc.

Produced by Chuck McKenna & Written by Molly Cohen M.C. Schaff & Associates Inc. is one of the few civil engineering and surveying companies in western Nebraska. Founded in 1964, M.C. Schaff sees its location as a feature that keeps it ahead of its competition. “In western Nebraska there’s not that much work, but at the same time there’s enough to keep us and our one local competitor busy,” says David Schaff, the company’s vice president. Schaff is also the vice president of M.C. Schaff’s sister companies, Panhandle Geotechnical & Environmental and Enviro Service. So while M.C. Schaff does the survey and civil work, Panhandle offers environmental consulting services and Enviro Service specializes in testing water for different chemicals and works with industrial waste. The three companies all have locations in Scottsbluff, Neb., where the company began, Bozeman, Mont., and Cheyenne, Wyo. Since in many ways M.C. Schaff and its related

companies are the first or only of their kind in this region of the United States, maintaining a strong hold in these locations are key to the companies’ success. Making the Most of Location “It’s a beautiful place, it’s quiet, it’s easy. It’s a great place to live and raise a family, but if you’re looking for big money, big projects, big clients — this isn’t the place to be,” says Schaff. While location is one of the M.C. Schaff’s selling points, it is also an aspect of the business that creates challenges. “I think our biggest challenge is hiring quality people in western Nebraska in terms of education and experience,” Schaff explains. “Getting people to move out here is tough, and that’s what’s driven us to open up the Montana and Wyoming offices.”

ACEC Nebraska On top of employee hiring challenges, M.C. Schaff has started to feel the effects of the economic change. “We started to see more and more of it as the economy is dropping, we see more and more big city firms trying to get smaller city projects, but for the most part it’s tough for them to be as competitive with someone who is right here,” Schaff explains. As a local expert in the construction industry, M.C. Schaff’s 25 employees are well versed in a myriad of sectors. The company has worked on municipal projects like waterways, roads and airports. However its civil work has been included for libraries, religious facilities, and schools — many of these projects are renovations. “You can’t limit yourself out here, it’s pretty much take what you can get,” Schaff shares. “Each office works in about a 180 mile radius around its location.” Using its Resources Beyond learning to make the most of any work opportunity, M.C. Schaff also learned to make the most of its available resources. For example, as a member of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), M.C. Schaff uses the organization for “legislation issues that are going on so we can voice our opinions and we share pretty much the same focus,” says Schaff. Additionally, “we get a lot of professional liability insurance through ACEC, so that’s a benefit for us.” Much like how M.C. Schaff uses the ACEC to support the industry and its employees, the company relies on its sister companies to support its work. While project architects usually come from out of state, M.C. Schaff is the local civil and survey company of choice thanks to its knowledge of local zoning and codes. However, M.C. Schaff can also bring in Panhandle and Enviro Service to help with the project’s tasks. “One of the things that sets us apart is Enviro Service and its analytics laboratory, so we do a lot of water waste analytics for municipals. We do concrete testing and soils … we’re the only Astro-Chem Lab certified out here.” This partnership came in handy on one of the company’s current projects, a regional water system. “It services five communities close to the Wyoming border. All of the water sources have arsenic and uranium issues so we’re developing a well field with good water and we’re piping it into each community separately,” Schaff summarizes. Beyond this project, M.C. Schaff has been maintaining its usual types of projects throughout the region. “There’s some new stuff going on, like a library, and we’re doing the civil portion of that,” Schaff gives as an example. Despite the company’s good fortune so far, Schaff is a little nervous regarding the country’s economic stability. “We’re

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behind the curve out here so I’m a little concerned with economic stability in western Nebraska … but I don’t think it’s going to get as bad as the rest of the country because we’re so driven by agriculture. You don’t see the ups and downs like you do in other areas. I think we’ll be low for the next one to two years, but for the most part I think we’ll be pretty stable,” he says. And this slow, but mostly stable economic situation will match M.C. Schaff’s cautious approach to the company’s future growth plans. “Our philosophy has always been slow and steady growth ... we’re always looking to increase our service area and office locations but right now for the most part it’s kind of slow and steady. And that’s helped us in the last couple of years because we haven’t had any layoffs and we're busier now than we’ve ever been,” Schaff shares. Hopefully as the recession begins to hit western Nebraska and the rest of the company’s usual work areas, Schaff’s slow and steady approach will continue to propel the company. Based on M.C. Schaff & Associate’s knowledge of local construction conditions, as well as its diversified service offerings and history of successfully completed municipal and commercial projects, it seems the company is poised to continue succeeding and growing, bringing its unmatched work ethic and focus on environmental services to new work regions. 

Spotlight

Overcoming Challenges to Build Temporary Homes for Visitors Pride Construction LLC

Produced by Hanim Samara & Written by Molly Cohen Ronny Stage has been working in the construction industry for his entire adult life. “I’ve been doing this since 1967, so that’s quite a number of years,” he says. During that time, Stage has worked for two general contractors. He then formed his own company, Pride Construction LLC, 26 years ago. “I started the company myself primarily to build hotels and be in the hotel construction industry,” he explains. “We have built 120 hotels in those 26 years and we’ve built them all the

way from Colorado to the East Coast, and from Florida all the way up to New England, so we’ve covered a pretty wide territory.” Accruing Loyal Customers As the chief manager for Pride, Stage acknowledges that his company has a well-established client base. These loyal clients have stuck with Pride through the years since it first formed. “When we started we were really small, we just built one hotel at a time, basically one hotel per year. As time went on we advanced to two and then three and then we developed clients whose primary business was hotel development,” Stage explains. “Not all of them build a hotel every year, but at least four or five of them will do a hotel every year, so if we can do five or six hotels every year that’s a good volume for us — our typical project might be $8 million or $9 million.” However, the economic recession has left Prides’ annual revenue wavering. “It really varied in the last few years. In 2008 it was $47 million. In 2009 it was $13 million. On average it’s about $25 million,” Stage compares. “2009 was terrible and 2010 had a slow start. The only projects we have is one in Jackson, Tenn., and another in Ardmore, Okla. We need to have two or three more hotels [for this year].” Pride might get those additional hotel projects for 2010, based on Stage’s belief that the economy is stabilizing. “I just have a sense that things are improving a little bit. There seem to be some projects on the radar screens for developers that I’ve talked to and their attitude is upbeat about the economy,” he shares. “I don’t really have a fixed timeframe about when things will be better, but you just get the feeling that things are improving some.” Thrill of a Challenge This is good news for Pride’s seasonal employees. “When we have five projects going on we might have 75 or 80 employees. Presently we have about 20 people,”

Spotlight Stage says. “Our home base is in Cable, Tenn., and we typically set up an office at each jobsite that is staffed only by field people.” The company’s in-house capabilities include concrete work, masonry, carpentry, steel erection, and specialty insulation. “We’re contractors, not brokers. We don’t contract out every item like many contractors do presently,” Stage says. “We sub out drywall, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, sprinklers, elevators, and things of that nature.”

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The company’s subcontractors are a loyal group. “We have many subcontractors that have worked with us for more than 20 years and follow us wherever we go on any job we do. We have developed quite a subcontractor following,” Stage adds. Many of these subcontractors prefer working with Pride because of its interesting projects. For example, “we did a six-story hotel on top of a three-story parking garage in downtown Greenville, S.C.,” Stage remembers. “It was a very challenging project. It had a limited site size and had a river running through it. It was a unique and challenging job.”

Demanding jobsites are just one of the things that keep Stage awake at night. “It’s a challenging business and you’re always wondering where the next project will come from, so there are a lot of things that keep you awake at night in this industry,” he admits.

improving, it is almost inevitable that Pride Construction will receive more and more work, allowing the company to grow back to its former size and revenue. 

And Stage does not see that part of the industry changing during the next few years. “It’s all about the economy and the availability of business. If the business climate improves, we will get our share. We’re very flexible and cover a large territory. If we can get four or five hotel projects that average $8 million or $9 million a piece, we can get the volume of work we need to survive,” Stage explains. “We’ve been through some tough times before, but since I have been in the industry, I have never seen it this tough.” Despite the obstacles associated with this tricky market, Pride is holding strong. While business may be down, it is still creating hotels to meet its loyal clients’ requirements. And if Stage is correct and the economy is

Spotlight

Changing the World, One Dome at a Time Monolithic Constructors Inc.

Produced by John Carioti & Written by Jane Catoe Monolithic Constructors Inc. is passionate about building dome homes. David South, the company president and founder, sees it as his personal mission to build as many Monolithic Domes in as many places on Earth as possible. From Indonesia to Oklahoma, from Florida to Africa, Monolithic is fulfilling that goal from its home base in Italy, Texas, the same as it has been for over 30 years.

The dome home is going further mainstream, however, as its energy-saving and disaster-resistant qualities are becoming

Building a Better Dome Home South’s fascination with domes began early on. “I was still in high school,” South says. “And I read how Buckminster Fuller was talking about domes that could save the world, could cover more space with less material, and be better, better, better, better!” South abandoned Fuller’s geodesic model for his own creation, the patented Monolithic Dome. After experimenting with polyurethane combinations, he hit upon success — an tough, inflatable Airform for structure with a multi-layer process of polyurethane foam insulation and steel-reinforced concrete applied to the inside. When finished, there are no cracks or holes in the dome, except for where a door or window is, and there’s no air leakage. South, with his fellow dome-enthusiast brothers, built his first Monolithic Dome – a potato storage unit – in 1975 in Shelley, Idaho. Monolithic relocated to Italy, Texas, in 1990. Today, Monolithic is a family of businesses devoted to dome construction, which generates annual revenue of around $4 million and includes an informational branch, the Monolithic Dome Institute. Currently, the company has about 30 employees, though in better times has had nearly 50, and at one point had up to 185. “The last year and a half have been pretty nasty,” South laments.

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more widely appreciated. Another selling point is that dome shell construction is comparatively quick – 30 days

or less for the structure. That's much faster than that of a conventional home, though the finish out can be closer to the same, Smith says. Single-family dwellings, ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 square feet and $120,000 to $2 million or $3 million, are Monolithic’s biggest sellers. The company also does a lot of school work, at 130 to 160 feet in diameter. Monolithic even constructs churches, anywhere from 100 to 300 feet in diameter. The company is capable of doing gazebos to bulk storage to gymnasiums - going up to 1,000 feet in diameter. “You could set a dome over the stadium up here in Dallas and it wouldn’t even touch in any place. It covers 18 acres. But we haven’t built one yet!” South laughs, before adding, “You got some money in your pocket? Let’s get started!”

heat transfer analysis based on thermal conductivity divided by the volumetric heat capacity. In short, South says millions of dollars of heat can be saved over the life of a building. “What normally could take 80 tons of air conditioning can be handled very nicely with 20 tons,” South extolls. Energy-wise, South really wants people to get what a Monolithic Dome is about. “We talked about energy savings and I want you to understand that I’m not kidding. I built a school in Pattonsburg, Mo., and when I talked with the superintendent, she said, ‘We’ve been keeping track of the energy costs. Next year we expect it to pay for the school in total.’ Total total savings is in 13 months!” This is the stuff of which green dreams are made. Smith claims that when LEED numbers are run on a Monolithic Dome, it comes out Platinum or Gold.

Thinking Globally “We’ve built so far in 52 countries and 49 states,” South says. He cites a United Nations’ 50 million housing units shortage estimate as a call to arms. He’s designed a sixmeter diameter, cost-effective EcoShell for developing countries. The size — 29 square meters of floor space — is based on U.N. recommendations for acceptable living space for eight people. The process, designed for temperate or hot climates, is only slightly different from the Monolithic Dome and requires less material.

As for the future, Monolithic is, not surprisingly, committed to domes. Though South says his business is “small spuds,” his vision is large, and he anticipates more interest in domes. “I am really passionate about how we need these buildings. It’s a 35-year-old secret and it’s coming to the forefront.” 

South admits to being “driven crazy by what’s coming out of Haiti!” in the aftermath of its earthquake. He wants Monolithic to build in Haiti like it did in Indonesia. “An earthquake took out a village down there. We had a donor come up with $800,000. We went back and built a hundred houses there. I want to do that in Haiti. I want to do it in Africa.” Domes are virtually indestructible by natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes. Earthquakes knock down “moment connections” where a wall hits a roof, or a floor hits a wall, which domes lack. A dome naturally forms two arches, one of the most stable forms in architecture. Even FEMA touts dome homes for their ability to withstand high winds. This makes domes particularly attractive to people rebuilding in disaster-struck and disaster-prone regions. The Heat is On (But Barely!) A dome home’s energy-saving qualities come from its shape — domes have the least exterior outside area of any above-ground structure. This is what keeps heat in during the winter and heat out in the summer. The concrete and polyurethane Monolithic Dome combination, which reduces air leakage to almost nil, increases a dome’s energy efficiency even more. South touts the concrete’s “thermal diffusivity,” a

Spotlight

Bringing a Water Oasis to the Desert Presidential Pools & Spas LLC

Produced by Hanim Samara & Written by Molly Cohen

Tim Murphy joined Arizona’s aquatic industry in 1984 when he was still a youngster. “I basically did this my whole life since I was in high school. I started cleaning pool tile when I was a kid, and then my junior year of high school I started a pool service company, then it became a pool repairs company,” he remembers. Then a buddy asked me to build a pool for him in 1989 or 1990 and I thought ‘that was pretty easy’ and started building pools and quit doing the other things. I did a lot of work on pools.” Following the success of that first pool, Murphy founded his own pool company, Presidential Pools & Spas LLC. “We went from five pools to 2,100 pools per year,” the proud owner says. “We have built well over 10,000 pools since we started.”

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Utilizing Internal Strengths Even with its history of tremendous growth, Presidential Pools has hit a bit of a rough patch, like any company, based on the economic downturn. “We had 300 employees, but right now we’re down obviously. We have about 100 employees right now and will probably do about 800 pools this year,” Murphy guesses. These pools will be completed through any of the company’s multiple locations. Presidential Pools has three locations in Phoenix: Gilbert, Surprise, and Maricopa and another one in Tucson. Between these locations, the overall company’s annual revenue is $30 million.

Presidential Pools is often the preferred company for its line of work because of how many trades the company carries in-house. “We’re a contractor that actually will do the work; we don’t sub out the whole pool. Most of the other guys sub it all out and have to rely on other contractors,” he says. In-house Presidential Pools is capable of “the most critical phases of the project. We do excavation, shercrete (pool liner), tiling, and masonry. We do not plumb our own pools or do rebar or electric work,” Murphy explains. When working with subcontractors, Presidential Pools prefers to use the same from job to job. “Our subcontractors have been the same ones for many years. We are very loyal to our subs,” Murphy adds. A Multitude of Experience Working with subcontractors can be especially helpful, especially for large projects. For example, “we just completed a pool for the YMCA. We do commercial pools as well,” Murphy says. With that pool completed, Presidential is taking on another large project. “We’re also doing a really large pool for a big celebrity, but I can’t tell you who. It’s probably a $1 million pool. It has a lazy river and an island in the middle that is the putting green for the 18th hole (of a gold course),” Murphy explains. Reflecting on the many pools he has completed, Murphy remembers one pool that was particularly interesting. “It was for a customer on the side of a mountain with a 100 foot-drop- off and gas running off the negative edge. It was just a complicated structural build featuring an 80-foot-long negative edge on a cliff,” he shares. With its obvious flexibility in commercial and residential pool work, as well as its skill in creating customized and distinctive pool designs, Murphy believes Presidential Pools will see “about a 15 percent increase year after year for the next few years. I see us getting back to where it was in 2005 or 2006 within the next five years. We’re up about 18 percent right now,” he says. With this optimistic forecast and the company’s expansive repertoire of completed projects, Presidential Pools & Spas will be spreading an

aquatic lifestyle throughout Arizona for many years to come. 

Spotlight

Moving Forward

Vossler Electrical Services, Inc. Produced by Grace Glendinning & Written by Kelly Matlock Kurt Vossler, president and founder of Vossler Electrical Services, Inc., began his company in 1995, after 20 years of experience in the industry, as he says, “running other peoples’ companies for them.” Founding his own company was a natural extension of his expertise.

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The 15-year-old company is ‘licensed, bonded, and insured’ and works throughout Texas and into parts of Louisiana, as an industrial electrical contractor. Successful in the past, the company still pulls solid annual revenue despite the tumultuous economy; one-time double-digit million-dollar revenue has dipped, but is still strong.

More than 40 mployees depend on the work of Vossler Electrical Services, Inc. The company is diversifying to stay afloat in a swamped market, but is firmly planted in industrial and inplant electrical construction. Working Harder Than Ever Located on the Gulf Coast in Texas, Vossler Electrical continues to rely on relationships with suppliers, as Kurt reports, “Everyone’s hungry right now,” and keeping overhead down and costs cut back is essential to maintaining profitability. Kurt expounds on the fact that economic conditions are hard to predict, however the company is looking at commercial projects, despite additional insurance needs in that market.

Looking Ahead

The company continues to bid on projects intensely, mainly in the municipal market, as the market continues to be fiercely competitive for electrical engineers in the current economy. Vossler is focusing its work on a range of municipal infrastructure projects, working with watertreatment plants for both surface and waste water.

If Vossler Electrical Services continues to bid competitively in the industrial market and garner some new business in the commercial market, the family of employees will rest easy. Given its already 15 years in the industry and past record of success, this should not be a problem for the company.

Vossler self-performs all its work, electrical and installation, except for specialty items such as fire-alarm, those things with special licensing needs. Having a great in-house capacity is important for a strong electrical contracting company.

Under the leadership of Kurt Vossler, the company is ready for whatever the economy brings, impossible to fully predict. Hopefully it brings respite for the entire industry along the Gulf Coast of Texas. In the next five years, Kurt says, “We’re looking to trudge forward. I’d like to see us with some positive growth. We’re trying to make every effort to make that happen.”

Recently having completed a $10 million job for the City of Houston, Kurt says, “We did the infrastructure for the container terminal and bay port.” Last year, a fairly sizable job came from a tank farm — Vossler put in a new facility for a large company on the Gulf Coast. The company stays profitable through, as it says, “a commitment to hard work, safety and dedication to quality workmanship.” As a member of the Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC) trade organization, Vossler Electrical has a leg up on the competition through indispensable industry knowledge, trade information and shared business expertise. The ABC works to strengthen the industry through education and a community of businesses across the nation.

With over 35 years in the industry, Kurt is on the right track at the helm of his company despite the conditions of the industrial petrochemical industry, which he describes as “real flat right now.” Adding that, “They aren’t spending any money unless they absolutely have to.” So Kurt is doing what he can — looking to new markets, new areas that are spending money. Customers and clients may be particularly selective with how they spend their money these days, however, in the Gulf Coast they are hard-pressed to find a more experienced and trusted electrical contracting company than Vossler Electrical Services, Inc. – it is as good a place as any to spend their money. 

Spotlight

Incorporating Beautiful Additions into Hard Surfaces Advanced Concrete Services Ltd.

Produced by Grace Glendinning & Written by Molly Cohen Around 1985 Bill Pickler began working as general manager for Gypsum Floors of Texas. There he met Randy Bronaugh who was a production manager, and Johnny Roberts who was Gypsum’s Houston office supervisor. The three worked at Gypsum for 20 years before the company’s owner decided to retire. “Our accountant came forth with a buyout plan which we felt made sense, so January 1 of 2005, I selected my two key guys and with the help of the bank we bought the assets of Gypsum and formed Advanced Concrete Surfaces. We’re in our sixth year,” says Pickler. “We’ve had a great five years, paid off our loan, and are a debt-free company. It’s a terrible market now but we still have the offices in Austin and Houston and have a good partnership. We get along very well.” Pickler has been in the construction industry since 1983 and serves as Advanced Concrete Services Ltd. (ACS) president. Meanwhile, Bronaugh is the company’s senior vice president while Roberts serves as vice president. ACS is one of the largest underlaying and overlaying contractors for its service region, which includes all of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma out of its three offices in Dallas, Austin and Houston, Texas. “We have an office warehouse in each of those three cities. Austin currently doesn’t have a staff, my partner travels there. The Houston office has a staff. And we will radiate out of those three offices to cover Oklahoma and Arkansas out of Dallas and Louisiana out of Houston,” Pickler explains. ACS has always been recognized as a leader in sound control, water proofing and specialty finishes for the multifamily, single family, hospitality and commercial sectors. “But now we’re just down to a greatly reduced market, it’s 30 percent of what we did. We’re financially strong, we took care of things, we can ride this storm out and we’re trying to diversify,” Pickler shares.

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Diversifying Services Part of that diversification included reprioritizing the company’s work sectors. According to Pickler, prior to his purchase of the company, what is now ACS was largely focused on commercial type floor leveling, and that schedule

interfered with the multifamily sector work. “On the schedule pad in the commercial sector it’s like within a week you have to do it, a lot of time it’s at night and you throw your guys off, working six days a week from 10 to six in the morning. So we migrated away from commercial clients about seven years ago. And even though that market is down, we’re trying to reestablish our commercial business,” Pickler shares. “We’ve added our specialty finishes group that does decorative cutting and stained concrete. We’re trying to expand that because it kept 30 guys busy doing without having to sell out of our contracts that had included as part of the scope of work.”

Expanding the decorative cutting and stained concrete to new clients is a large push for ACS. The goal is to reach “multifamily projects and commercial projects to improve their curb appeal of the property, resurface it, clean it up, and make it look attractive again,” Pickler says. To reach this goal, ACS is turning to a new product that will revolutionize its concrete services. “It’s a ceramic coating that’s really unique, a globally used product for the last 15 years. No one has really tried to market it to the construction field. It’s a noncorrosive insulated coating to reduce the cost of energy to heat or cool a building,” Pickler explains. “It is used to heat a vessel with a chemical in it that they have to keep at a certain temperature. It keeps a railway from melting the plastic on a train. For ships it’s used on boiler rooms to keep heat in boilers, not in the rooms where people are working and also to prevent them from being burned. It has a multitude of applications but no one has ever tried to go out and market it.” For this new product, and its other services, ACS keeps all of its work in-house and typically never subcontracts work. As for its suppliers, Pickler says the company works with a select core group and uses a couple of ready-made suppliers. “Our Gypsum suppliers are very specialized and limited so we can’t shop the pricing. We have pretty fixed costs and the only thing that’s not is our profit. We’re not a general contractor or a sub who subs its work and gets bids from various other jobs,” Pickler says. Expansion Plan ACS continues to keep its tasks completed in-house, despite the economic downturn. Before the recession, ACS had 155 crew members and 20 staff members. Now it has diminished to 79 crew and 17 staff members. “We probably could lay a few more crew people off and a more staff if we didn’t try to expand. We’re just hunkering down to ride out the storm. But since we’re trying to keep core talent in the field and expand our business, we have to invest in it. We probably have more people than we need but we hope that will change,” says Pickler. The recession has also had an effect on ACS’s revenue. “The last two years we did $30 million and $32 million. The year before and $28 million the year prior to that,” Pickler shares. Several of ACS’ recently completed projects will contribute to 2010 year’s revenue. One such project, headed by Trammel Crow Company, was located on the top of a mountain in Vaught Ranch. “It was a

Spotlight

ACS also worked with Amicus Construction in Fort Worth on a job called the SO7 Development that “turned out to be a real nice project; it revitalized Forth Worth off Seventh Street with office retail and multifamily housing built above it. We did all the toppings, the concrete work, elevation and stain work,” says Pickler. These projects help sustain ACS until the economy recovers. “I have people that are higher up in the food chain in the development business and they feel its going to be 2011 when the market recovers. I hope it’s 2010, but taxes will impact the industry and may slow it down,” Pickler acknowledges.

very difficult project because of the elevation. During early construction, before the road was built, it was D9 cats trying to pull things up the hillsides to bring supplies to the jobsite,” Pickler remembers. In Austin, ACS completed a job known as the Domain Project. “It’s a large multi-use commercial, retail, apartment development. The name came from IBM, who owned the property and turned it into this mixed-use property,” Pickler explains.

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And when the economy does recover, ACS will be ready. “We’re looking at projects in the current market in El Paso and taking on some of those. We might do a temp office, who knows, it could turn into a perm office,” Pickler hints. No matter what its next step, ACS hopes to build on its reputation as one of the largest concrete services contractors in the area. And, based on its impressive past projects, the region’s construction industry will greatly benefit from Advanced Concrete Services’ continued work and expansion and diversification plans. 

Designing and Improving Nationwide Brands Chipman Adams Architects

Produced by Chuck McKenna & Written by Molly Cohen John Chipman got his interest in the architecture industry from his father who did interior design. In 1979 he took his father’s company, Debbie Chipman Principals/ Partners into a new direction. He was joined in 1988 by fellow architect and college roommate Daryl Adams. The 1990 company name change to Chipman Adams Architects (CAA) portrayed the company’s growing services, which were enhanced in 2005 with the addition of a third principal, Daniel L. Tessarolo. Guided by these three titans of industry, CAA stands out from its competitors for a myriad of reasons, including one specific feature. “It’s really simple, our clients come first … we work with their staff in designing the stores or restaurants, etc.,” says Chipman. Some of CAA’s major clients include Chipotle, McDonalds, Panda Express, and Red Robin. CAA has experience working at the corporate and franchise levels. It is clear from these well-known clients that CAA works mostly in the restaurant and retail design sectors. “Prototypes and branding start at the beginning,” Chipman shares. “We use Revit design then move to design and go from there.” Designing Nationwide CAA works throughout the entire nation and into Canada and Europe. The firm has also done some sketches for Mango, a European company. International work is handled out of several offices: one in Pasadena, Calif.; the headquarters in Park Ridge, Ill.; and the offices of an affiliate, Gary Metzger & Metzger in New York, N.Y.

CAA has 30 employees split between these offices; eight of those employees are LEED certified in accordance with the company’s focus on sustainability. Whether LEED certified or not, CAA’s annual revenue ranges between $5 million and $6 million. While CAA is up to date with industry trends like LEED, changing technologies have proven to be a challenge for the firm. “As a front runner you need to leverage technology to make new business,” says Chipman. Another challenge for the company has been making “the transition from the current management structure to the next group management,” Chipman explains. However, to balance these challenges, CAA relies on its proven supply chain. The firm keeps its architectural services, interior design, planning and LEED services in-house. For all other trades, CAA “uses three firms nationally that have a

Spotlight 25-year relationship with us.” These subcontracted services include mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and structural national firms. CAA prefers using companies that work as more of a one-stop shop, rather than finding subcontractors for every separate craft.

Based on the success of these projects, CAA plans to increase its LEED work on major chains across the nation. Additionally, Chipman plans to focus on “commitment to our younger staff and building the branding and design focus of the business. We will train the new staff to learn the business and grow the firm,” he says.

Adding Green to Brand Names CAA relied heavily in the mid 1980s when it designed a Blockbuster Video location. “We started with design and ended up doing more than 3,000 stores,” Chipman shares. This type of project gave way to other large, influential designs. For example, CAA designed Yum! Brands’ first LEED Gold certified Kentucky Fried Chicken — Taco Bell location in Hampton, Mass. “We implemented sustainable parts for all the restaurants,” Chipman says. In the same vein, CAA used the same techniques for a Houlihans restaurant in Springfield, Mo. “It was LEED certified, but the franchisees are doing the LEED effort on their own versus as a corporate effort,” Chipman explains of the restaurant’s singular sustainability choice.

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This internal focus will be useful as the economy improves ,which, according to Chipman, will occur sooner than later; “2010 will be better than 2009 — things are getting better, we are doing more surveys and planning, so I see a much better year.” As the economy improves, CAA will receive more opportunities to meet its goal of more national chain LEED designs. These designs will not only improve the appearance of the buildings, it will also improve the buildings’ effects on the environment. As a company with these skills, Chipman Adams Architects is integral to the architecture industry in the United States and seems poised to continue spreading its successful work nationwide. 

Construction to Protect the Nation Custom Mechanical Systems Corp. Produced by Victor Martins & Written by Molly Cohen Mercedes O. Enrique and her partner Khush S. Mander purchased Custom Mechanical Systems Corp. (CMS) when the company’s original owner decided to retire in 2004. Now, with Enrique as the company’s president and CEO and Mander as its vice president and COO, CMS is a general construction company with extensive in-house designbuild and mechanical services, including value engineering, as-built drawings, risk and project management for new

construction, renovations, retrofits, and more. It also holds a full portfolio of civil improvement/site preparation and finishing services. “When a construction contract has a large mechanical component, we are very competitive. When it comes to delivering a project with quality, safety, and on-time or ahead-of-time, that is our specialty,” Enrique explains.

Spotlight Located in Bargersville, Ind., CM works only on federal government, industrial, and commercial projects. “We follow the federal government and the federal dollars,” explains Enrique of CMS’ footprint. Right now, the company is focusing mostly in the southeast and southwest areas of the country, specifically in Arizona, Mexico, Nevada, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana, plus Guam. Besides the corporate office in Bargersville, other offices include Bloomington, Ind.; Del Mar, Calif.; Waukegan, Ill.; Dayton, Ohio; and Barrigada, Guam. Nationwide Partnerships

of the Whole Center Repairs at the Marine Corps Reserve Center in Brook Park, Ohio. This $7 million renovation is a perfect example of a joint venture project that CMS prefers. “In the federal market teaming is critical for small businesses, and we have several joint ventures,” Enrique shares. Indeed, knowing the value of partnerships, CMS conducts repeat business with some subcontractors that are very important for each project’s success. CMS usually subcontracts any concrete, excavation and ceiling insulation necessary in facilities. Working with subcontractors and joint venture partners “is really important to us; our teaming partners are what allow us to win, and the proposals are quite extensive. You don’t pursue them and spend $50,000 on a proposal unless you really believe you can win,” says Enrique. No matter what the project or who is on the jobsite, CMS has a strong commitment to safety, as exhibited by its multiple awards for zero OSHA recordable injuries.

Despite this large footprint and 47 employees, CMS is still classified as a Small Disadvantaged Business and Minority Business Enterprise. But this status does not keep CMS from winning large projects. In fact, it is a benefit when qualifying for certain government work, and 95 percent of its work comes through the Department of Defense working for the Air Force, Navy and Army. Through these projects, CMS has virtually doubled its revenue each year. In 2009 it finished around $13 million, and next year Enrique hopes to be around $25 million. “We follow CMS hopes to meet that ambitious revenue goal through several large projects. One is a $20-million Indefinite Quality contract with the National Guard,which will last for three years. “This is our third year winning that contract,” Enrique says proudly. CMS was also awarded a design-build project called the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center Design Build Cave Complex, located in Muscatatuck, Ind. This facility will be used to train soldiers for possible cave scenarios in Afghanistan.

the federal government and the federal dollars,” explains Enrique of CMS’ footprint.

A third project Enrique is looking forward to is a project with the Naval Facilities Engineering Command's (NAVFAC) Midwest command in Crane, Ind., — one of the largest Navy weapons manufacturing and storage facilities in the world. “We do quite a bit of work there,” says Enrique. “We have a mechanical service contract that showcases our range of skills.” CMS' skills include HVAC, steel fabrication and installation, process pipe fabrication and installation, welding, boiler alterations, hydronic systems installation, as well as repair and maintenance services. One of CMS’ largest projects outside of Indiana is a contract with the NAVFAC Midwest command for the design-build

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Aiming for New Targets Despite these healthy, contract-winning partnerships, CMS faces challenges. Under the current economic conditions the company has been most successful winning certain projects in the federal market, but “we want to be doing work … unrestricted against anybody and doing more than small business work,” Enrique shares. “We want to pursue large contracts and win them.” With this goal in mind, CMS is in pursuit of several task orders through the Navy’s work in Guam. “The government has given Guam $15 billion in appropriation money as it move soldiers from Okinawa to Guam. There’s a big push for small business to participate,” Enrique says.

In addition to Guam and a task for the U.S. Coast Guard, CMS hopes to penetrate more deeply into the southwest and southeast parts of the U.S., since those areas are receiving money from projects through the Army Corps of Engineers. Additionally, the company will explore opportunities through associations such as the Society of American Military Engineers and the U.S. Small Business Administration. These projects give Custom Mechanical Systems Corp. targets to bid, and, using its teaming partners of subcontractors and joint ventures, the company should be able to achieve its goal of expanding services to programs supporting the nation’s defense and economy. 

Sized to Succeed Raus Construction

Produced by Chuck McKenna & Written by A.J. Robinson As the economy takes its time to regather momentum, there are those sizable construction firms competing for massive residential developments and large-scale roadway projects just to crunch the numbers. Raus Construction, however, prefers to concentrate direct, hands-on attention to projects involving many family-owned businesses, including restaurants and churches. Getting a Start Raus Construction is a young and up-and-coming company located in Houston, Texas, but one backed by considerable experience. The company was founded in 2000 by Jack Raus, who has been in the industry since 1960. With 50 years in the construction industry, his experience spans several

companies that have a combined 2,000-plus construction projects completed. Johnny Raus, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vice president, is an equally knowledgeable source on the subject, having been in the industry since the age of 13. Raus started his career in construction and went on to obtain an industrial design and development degree. He has valuable insight into the history of Raus Construction, its current work, and future goals. Undoubtedly, Raus brings a lot to the table. At present, Raus Construction is still a small firm, employing just 22 people. Despite its size, it has a decent geographical footprint, licensed to work in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. Furthermore, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s modest size has not stopped it from consistently generating sizable annual revenues. Currently, the company has average annual revenues of $15 million.

Spotlight Working and Maintaining Staff Being a small company, Raus Construction has carved out a specific niche. Contributing to the company's success. The company focuses primarily on the commercial area, and over the years has built several storage facilities, various restaurants, retail facilities, banking institutions, country clubs, fitness facilities, community churches, and a plethora of family-owned businesses. The company’s policy is to have one person manage the project from start to finish, ensuring personal responsibility. Project managers know that if the project fails they will be held responsible.

construct block wall buildings (both retaining walls and simple concrete block walls). These handymen can also pour concrete for various small jobs, including sidewalks, foundations, and the like. Beyond that, Raus Construction subs out about 90 percent of its remaining work. As with any company, Raus Construction views managing its supply chain, its tradesmen and vendors as very important to the overall success of the business. The company tends to use the same subcontractors and vendors, but has also opened up to the idea of new strategic partnerships. Tackling Challenging Projects

Maintaining a small company demands attention to efficiency and personnel. In the case of Raus Construction, techniques are in place to improve overall productivity — company employees complete training through the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), and estimators get specific project training. The company also helps employees to keep their out-of-state licensing, offering any and all required continuing education. In terms of recruiting quality managers and staff, Raus Construction does it the old fashioned way: newspaper ads. The company has also started working with Texas A&M University and looks to recruit recent graduates from that college and other universities and community schools. Collaboration with Subcontractors & Vendors Given the company’s stature, Raus Construction is not able to keep everything in-house. The company keeps 10 handymen available to hang doors and hardware, do warranty work, handle clean-up, perform general installation work, and

When it comes to recent Raus Construction work, one project stands out above the others: preparing for the grand opening of the British Airways First Class Lounge, the seventh lounge for the airline. The project features a contemporary European-style design, with extremely hightech design work. The lounge is equipped with Wi-Fi and outlet stations for clients to charge wireless phones. The particularly interesting and challenging part of the project can be summed up in one word: security. As the British Airways Lounge job was at an airport, Raus had to deal with the Transportation Security Administration. For example, workers would need to cut a piece of vinyl, but the security personnel wouldn’t let them bring a knife onto the job site. Workers had to deal with the security issues for nearly five months. Looking Toward the Future Raus Construction is making an effort to go green by looking to an international estimators program and association. In addition, the company is looking to get three of its project managers LEED Accredited. However, with the economy weak, the company is eyeing upfront expenses in the next one to two years with caution. The company has scaled back because the economy has stalled certain projects, but it is hoping to expand as the economy recovers. Also, Jack Raus has voiced his intent to semiretire. Subsequently, Johnny has a lot to think about for the future. While considering cash flow and the company’s bonding capacities, he is looking toward a future of bringing in additional qualified people to handle tough workloads in order to further deepen the “young” company’s already impressive record of service. 

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Design-Building the Power to Succeed The Perry Group Ltd.

Produced by Chuck McKenna & Written by Molly Cohen Headquartered in Wadsworth, Ohio, The Perry Group Ltd. is a one-stop shop for construction services. The company is skilled in services including construction management and general construction, with a heavy focus on the designbuild approach. To accomplish these services, Perry Group works hand-in-hand with its sister company, Louis Perry & Associates, Inc., which specializes in engineering and architecture. Both companies are owned by Louis Perry and are closely linked. “We basically have the niche for the design-build and Louis Perry & Associates is the consultant we use exclusively for any construction design-build work we do,” explains James T. Calderone, executive vice president of The Perry Group.

Partnering for Success Calderone, who has been working for Louis Perry companies for 14 years, holds positions in both Louis Perry & Associates and The Perry Group, where, overall, he runs designbuild work. “So I’m involved in both engineering and construction,” he says. From these years of experience in the industry, Calderone attests The Perry Group’s ability to stay ahead of the competition with its business approach. “I think we run lean; it’s one of the benefits of having Louis Perry & Associates and keeping our overhead costs down. We competitively bid everything and we do a good job in our bid package preparations of trying to get the right numbers from our subcontractors. Our key to design-build is to get the scope upfront so we can eliminate change orders,” Calderone explains. For its projects, the Perry Group has experience working as the general contractor and as a subcontractor. For example, the Perry Group has a long working history with The Babcock & Wilcox Company (B&W). “We have been doing engineering work with them for over 10 years and we’ve started to do construction with them in the last five years. We do the balance plant work, while they do equipment design — electrical foundation, civil, architectural and that kind of stuff — so it’s a good balance,” Calderone says.

Louis Perry & Associates was founded in 1985 and has about 120 employees, while The Perry Group was founded in 1996 and has between 20 and 30 employees that operate nationwide. “In the last five years we’ve gone into heavy industrial power plant work and some commercial work,” Calderone specifies.

This partnership is especially useful for the larger power industry projects. “We team up with B&W because it’s their equipment, but they need someone else to do the work. We’re a great fit for each other and we’re local to each other. From the industrial standpoint we’re the prime, while in the power industry we’ve done prime, but on a smaller level, so we’ll be the sub on bigger

Spotlight jobs,” Calderone explains. But no matter what the project, when the Perry Group does construction management it always takes the constructionat-risk approach. “We do contracts that are open book and not to exceed and then have cost sharing at the end with the owner. We do whatever will make the owner feel better, share the risk or take on all the risk,” Calderone says. Part of this management involves coordinating the Perry Group’s in-house capabilities with a large pool of subcontracts. “We self-perform on general trades, but we are not an affiliated union or nonunion, so we do a majority of construction management-type work and break the job into multiple pieces that go to subs,” says Calderone. This system is obviously working. Each year revenue from the Perry Group’s project roles hits near the $35 million mark. Planning the Next Step This year a large contributor to the Perry Group’s annual revenue is a large power plant project in Wyoming. This project falls under the Perry Group’s design-build approach, so, drawing on the skills of Louis Perry & Associates, the firm coordinated the architecture and engineering in addition to the construction services. For this project, the Perry Group is part of a consortium agreement that includes B&W. “We teamed up for this project, which was over $180 million total, of which we’re doing $55 million,” says Calderone. “We’re about one year into the three-year project. It’s a coal fire power plant; they’re putting in new scrubbers and we’re doing all the electrical.” In addition to the Wyoming power plant, the Perry Group is also working on a smaller power plant with B&W in Arkansas. This $5.3-million project is also design-build; however, it is just an architectural package consisting of roofing and siding. Certainly enjoying continued success in the power plant sector, the Perry Group is also beginning to look beyond its usual target scope. “We have not gotten into government work lately, but that is something we are looking into. We’ve been doing Ohio Department of Transportation work on the engineering side, and we were just talking about going into design-build in that,” shares Calderone, who believes the design-build avenue will become an increasingly strong pull for project owners of all sorts. “They really want a single point and we push that, sell that, and put the risk on our end versus their end. They want one lump sum number to go to. Where we seem to do better from a profitability standpoint of having those opportunities, and owners seem to be going

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in that direction,” Calderone explains. “Besides, we’ve been doing it for 20 years.” Despite his company’s experience in the burgeoning trend, Calderone still has sleepless nights. “I was just up at 3am this morning writing a to-do list because I couldn’t go to sleep. There are concerns that there’s not an energy plan out there right now. Customers are waiting and there’s not a lot of action happening,” he says. “A lot of our work is fixing environmental issues on plants. We’re also looking with B&W once again on their smaller nuclear side, so that’s another niche that probably won’t happen for a few more years, but we hope to team up with them." Plans in place, the Perry Group is ready to take on new challenges and extend its skills in the design-build approach to new sectors and industries. With its history of successful projects and ability to partner so well with other companies, the Perry Group has the key traits that allow its desired growth. 

Covering the South’s Facilities

R.L. Murphey Commercial Roof Systems LP Produced by Hanim Samara & Written by Molly Cohen

In 2002 Rick and Sally Murphey combined their individual talents to found their roofing company, R.L. Murphey Commercial Roof Systems LP. Rick had been in the construction industry for 30 years, while Sally had a business degree and experience in corporate marketing and finance. “We are equal partners in the company,” says Rick. “She runs the financial side of the company, and I run the operations.” R.L. Murphey is a full-service contractor that specializes in installing TPO single-ply roofing systems, “a new trend in the market,” explains Rick. “It’s an energy-efficient white membrane with reflective qualities, and it meets EnergyStar guidelines. Being hot as it is down here [in the South/ Southwest], it’s a very good alternative to the conventional built-up [tar and gravel] roofing.” Planning for a Bigger South “Down here” for R.L. Murphey is specifically Justin, Texas, part of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, which Rick believes is a great spot for future growth. “There are so many people moving to the area, there’s constant growth here. I just read an article in the Dallas Morning News saying we currently have approximately 6 million people in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area, and by 2050 there’s going to be 12 million people. This means housing, retail, hospitals ... and that’s why there’s always work.”

Although it operates from one location, R.L. Murphey does new construction and re-roof services throughout the state of Texas. “We go into other parts of the country too — Pennsylvania, Virginia, Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas but we’re selective, and we don’t go soliciting those areas for work. Most general contractors we travel with are from the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and sometimes they request us,” Rick explains. Much like its diverse geographic potential, R.L. Murphey also serves a varying range of sectors. “Our niche includes warehouses, manufacturing and distribution facilities, as well as hospitals, retail and hotels — everything needs a roof!” says Rick. Despite its vast experience in numerous regions and markets, R.L. Murphey has seen effects of the economic decline. “The average roofing company does about $3 million to $5 million, and we’re projecting about $7 million to $9 million for 2010,” Rick explains. “But we have peaked at about $19 million.” The company’s employee numbers followed a similar trajectory. Currently, R.L. Murphey employs 30 people. But the company peaked two years ago at 110. Still, R.L. Murphey’s growth is impressive, doubling for over half a decade. “It went from a little more than $2 million to $19 million in six years,” says Rick.

Spotlight From Factory to Jobsite Despite the downturn in revenue and employee numbers, R.L. Murphey always keeps busy. Its fleet of trucks and high-reach skytracs can be seen lifting material to roofs constantly, and the company has certified applicators for Carlisle SynTec, Dow Roofing Systems, GAF Materials Corporation, GenFlex Roofing Systems and John Manville Roofing — several of whom have recognized R.L. Murphey for excellence in application. The materials R.L. Murphey uses “come directly from the factory, because we buy enough product to buy direct,” Rick explains. “Some of our smaller jobs are purchased through distribution supply groups, but the majority of the material is purchased directly from the manufacturers in truckload quantities, which goes directly to the jobsite. We unload it from the tractor trailer to the roof, so there is very little handling,” Rick explains. Besides materials, R.L. Murphey’s biggest expenses are labor costs and insurance. “Safety is our number one priority. We provide a variety of safety and product training for our employees — from roofing-specific to general construction industry to CPR and First Aid. We have always maintained a safe work environment for our employees from the very start of our company. When you have an effective safety program your injury rate is reduced and this helps manage

your insurance premiums,” Rick says. Helping assist these safety and continued education initiatives are organizations including the National Roofing Contractors Association, the North Texas Roofing Contractors Association, Roofing Contractors Association of Texas and more. With a focus on safety at its core, R. L. Murphey has been taking on some big jobs. “Our average project size is 220,000 square feet. We just completed the new Caterpillar Engine Facility Plant in Sequin, Texas. It will produce engines in south Texas, and at 850,000 square feet it’s a nice large job,” Rick shares. The company also did some work for Baylor hospitals. One was an administration office building in Dallas that required a new 28,800-square foot thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) single-ply roofing system. The other building was a medical pavilion in Plano that needed 23,500 square feet of TPO. “We also roofed the Hilton in the Southlake Town Square; it’s a four-story building with a 34,000-square foot Carlyle fully adhered white TPO roof on it,” Rick adds. Recently, R.L. Murphey attached 375,000 square feet of Johns Manville TPO to the Dallas Cowboys’ corporate office and merchandising facility near DFW Airport. “We just completed the project; it’s visible from the north end of the airport,” says Rick. To complement its installations the company offers a full range of repair and maintenance services, including 24/7 emergency leak repair. Now R.L. Murphey is in the process of making plans for future growth. “As the economy comes back we’ll grow as the new construction picks up,” Rick foresees. “Financing for new construction projects is still difficult to come by... there are a number of projects that have been delayed or put on hold because companies simply can’t get funding. However, there is still a percentage of companies that have cash or other funding sources to build projects and they are able to take advantage of the soft market. “Right now I tell people we’re walking, pretty soon we’ll be jogging, and in a few years we will be running again,” continues Rick. “It’s just how life cycles. You just have to hang in there and wait. It’s going to come back, but you have to wait and be patient and not panic.” It is clear from R.L. Murphey’s continued success that the company has the patience and resources to wait and ride out the economic recession, while maintaining a solid footing in the industry. And, once the economy recovers, R.L. Murphey Commercial Roof Systems will have the foundation and internal strength to grow and set a new peak in its history. 

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Complete Construction Services through One Company Power & Construction Group Inc. Produced by John Carioti & Written by Molly Cohen Phil Brooks understands the perfect compilation of construction and power services required to provide customers with all the necessary construction components under one entity. Prior to joining the construction industry, Brooks says he was busy “growing up.” Then in 1995 he founded Power & Construction Group Inc. (P&CG), a utility contractor, in Scottsville, N.Y. As the company’s president, Brooks says his company manages to stay ahead of the competition based on price and service.

Contractors Equipment (MCE Transportation). Between these organizations, Brooks employs about 140 specialized professionals in two locations. Combining the revenue from the five entities, P&CG has annual revenue of $20 million. However this year’s revenue is challenged by effects of the economic downturn. Brooks says the company has struggled with pricing and services from its competitors. To overcome these challenges, Brooks advises to “stay close to your customer.”

Customer Contact P&CG is comprised of five entities: KBH Construction Co. Inc., Livingston Lighting & Power (LL&P), Valley Sand & Gravel Inc. (VS&G), KBH Environmental LLC, and Monroe

Another important aspect of P&CG’s success is its ability to manage its subcontractors. “They have to offer quality service and good prices and they have to do as well or better than us,” says Brooks.

Spotlight processed sand and unprocessed material (topsoil, clay, fill dirt), to jobsites throughout upstate New York. VS&G has its own line of 6-wheelers, 10-wheelers and tractor trailers to deliver products. It also has slinger trucks capable of placing material over 50 feet away and a mobile concrete mixer so concrete is available on the jobsite. In addition to these three divisions, P&CG now includes KBH Environmental, an environmental service organization. This company specializes in assisting with 24-hour spill response, vacuum truck services, industrial cleaning, asbestos abatement, underground/above ground storage tank management, hazardous and non hazardous waste management, sub-surface investigations and remediation, and blood borne pathogen cleanup services. It has many years of experience and is a leader in these types of services.

The Components One of P&CG’s original entities, KBH Construction, was founded in 1970 as an equipment rental company. In 1993, it diversified and became a utility contractor handling services that include gas, utility underground systems, site work, mill wright and rigging, steel, conveyor, overhead cranes and skilled contract labor. The company can even work on budding technologies like wind turbines. In 2004, KBH construction combined forces with LL&P and VS&G to create P&CG. Through the combination of these initial services, P&CG was able to provide a full range of construction services to commercial and residential customers. LL&P, one of P&CG’s flagship components, is an expert in electrical construction services, both overhead and underground. Its specialties include installing wiring, poles and fixtures for locations like residential streets; working on overhead power lines and underground electric conduit systems; and security and visibility lighting for areas like parking lots and athletic fields. LL&P’s services have been used on a plethora of institutions including colleges, hospitalities, libraries, and health care facilities. The third division of P&CG’s original group, VS&G, supplies products, including crushed gravel, washed round stone,

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In 2007, PC&G purchased Monroe Contractors Equipment (also known as MCE Transportation). This latest addition to the group handles larger dimensional equipment and machinery and is also a utility pole storage and delivery facility. MCE has experience handling domestic and international destinations using its specialized trailer equipment to move cargo. The company’s in-house machines are maintained through its on-staff trained mechanics to provide the best and most efficient service. For the utility poles, MCE works with local and large utility companies in the northeastern U.S. as well as Ontario, Canada. The 25foot to 120-foot poles are delivered to MCE by truck and rail. Then MCE unloads the poles and transports them to its storage facility. From there they are shipped to customers, as needed, by transport trucks that are capable of self loading and unloading. Creating Opportunities Most recently, PC&G has made the most use of its gas construction, lighting construction, and hydro rebuild services. However, Brooks names a gate dam replacement in Rochester, N.Y., as the most interesting project the company has ever been involved in. And Brooks is confident in the services and capabilities his group can handle. Nowadays, the only thing he worries about is “hoping everyone is safe,” he says. With this confidence, Brooks hopes to spend the next one to two years in a growth pattern, spreading the group’s services to new clients and finding new services for repeat customers. And although Brooks sees the country’s economic outlook as getting worse, it is clear that customers appreciate P&CG’s one-stop ability to meet construction needs. This flexibility of services gives Power and Construction Group a solid base to pick up more business when the economy does improve. 

Building with an Eye to the Recession RCS Construction LLC

Produced by Hanim Samara & Written by Molly Cohen After many years on their own in the contracting business, William “Bill” Clegg Jr. and Timothy Chapman joined together to found RCS Construction LLC, a general contracting company in Hixson, Tenn. After 10 years together, “we approach our job a little different than most contractors that we know in that we go into work at 7 am and put in 10 plus hours every day,” says Chapman.

keeping our company going. For that reason, we have been able to. Even through the last two or three years when the industry has really slumped we’ve had our best years,” Chapman explains. “We’ve been blessed, but we don’t sit back on our haunches and wait for something to happen, we make it happen.” Building Up

This approach to the work is what has maintained RCS’ position in the industry over the years. “We’re working our jobs trying to make sure everything runs smoothly, meeting customers, bidding on new jobs, and being proactive on

And one of RCS’ proof of hard work during this period of recession is Timber Ridge Townhomes located in Soddy Daisy, Tenn. “Our goal was to bring a house in at a cost that would attract people,” Chapman explains. And Timber Ridge Townhomes meets that goal. “This is an entry level townhouse. We’ve discovered there’s not a whole lot on the market right now ,and it’s in a rural setting which is also kind of unique, — most townhomes are in the city limits, closer to town,” Chapman shares. “We have around 126 lots. We started in the summer and even in this down market we’ve already sold nine, so we did find a little niche here in this area and the sales seem to be consistent and fairly strong.” Each townhome is one and a half stories or two stories with a small footprint to make them less expensive. “We made it two levels to keep the cost of construction per square foot down and pass savings on to the customer. Most of them have a bedroom upstairs with a living area downstairs and a one-car garage. We have one model

Spotlight that does not have a garage and has the master bedroom downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs,” Chapman explains. Timber Ridge Townhomes does more than just serve the citizens of Soddy Daisy. The city borders Chattanooga “so when you’re thinking of a small town, Soddy Daisy has its own police department and city hall and all that but it's close enough to Chattanooga that … a lot of the people who live in Soddy Daisy work in Chattanooga,” Chapman says. “We’re not trying to serve the needs of that one small community; this neighborhood services Soddy Daisy and Chattanooga.” As the general contractor for this project, RCS partnered with a developer with which it already has a wellestablished relationship. “This is the fourth neighborhood we’ve partnered up with this developer for and we’ve been working hand in hand with this developer for about 10 years. So he develops it and we build and we are exclusive in the neighborhood,” Chapman explains. Strong Reputation Soddy Daisy is located in RCS’ traditional general contracting services area, which includes all of Hamilton County. Additionally, “we will do some work out of the county, but not very much,” Chapman says.

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Throughout Hamilton County RCS specializes in residential and some small commercial jobs. “We have one project going right now at Ooltewah at Honors Golf Course. We’ve done several projects for them including the one we’re doing right now,” Chapman gives as an example. On any of its projects, RCS “keeps a small staff to do the trim work, punch out work, cleanup work, and equipment work,” Chapman informs. “We sub out the framing, sheet rock, electrical, plumbing, paint and things like that.” With its history of successfully completed work and numerous repeat customers, Chapman has faith in his company. “It’s tough to make a living. I’m sure everything is, and I don’t know if I’ve been here long enough, but I don’t lay awake at night worrying about it. I just do the best that I can do and let it go at that,” he says. It is clear that RCS Construction’s efforts are successfully received and that the company will continue to find opportunities for contracting, even during periods of recession. 

Midwest

Repurposing a Negative Byproduct into a Postive Future Full Circle Solutions Inc.

Produced by Zach Smith & Written by Molly Cohen The coal industry takes flack from alternative energy supporters with regards to the products left over at the end of the coal-burning process. However, one company is working to make a difference in that area. Full Circle Solutions Inc. (FCSI) is focused on taking coal combustion products (CCPs) and turning them into materials that are sustainable, cost-effective and useful in the agricultural, horticultural and commercial areas. Turnkey Solution Bob Waldrop, FCSI’s president, is the head of the company’s endeavors, which are run from four locations: Jasper, Ga.; South Boston and Petersburg, Va.; and Rocky Mount, N.C. With support from his 43 employees, Waldrop is leading FCSI to make a big difference with coal utility runoff. Partnering with utilities and other coal-burning industries, FCSI offers economical and full-service answers to collecting CCPs from plants and transforming them in innovative ways. FCSI did extensive research in the field and now has two patents for processes that take CCPs, something other organizations might throw away, and turn them into useful products. Unlike other companies, FCSI’s products can come from boilers of all sizes — large and small and anything in between. And, FCSI’s products have no leftovers or burn-off from its production processes. These processes were created according to the company’s philosophy, which aims to create 100-percent beneficial reuse of CCPs and other industrial byproducts. By making these substances, FCSI offers the industrial sector useful savings, as well as increased

environmental stewardship. Not only does FCSI make a profit (for example, in 2008 the company generated $12 million in revenue), but the company generates positive press for CCP generators by getting them involved in a process that is environmentally conscious. Building on Coal FCSI’s products are aimed at three main areas of application: agricultural, horticultural and construction. The company has its own fleet of trucks with differing specifications for each of FCSI’s products. The fleet can bring the company’s products to any jobsite, farm, business, or residence. On the agricultural side, FCSI’s products take the nutrients found in some CCPs to create calcium- and sulfur-rich soil. This soil makes a large difference for certain crops, including peanuts, sweet potatoes, ornamental shrubs, grasses and pasturelands. Working with an affiliated company, FCS AgServices LLC, FCSI developed and sells CacliPlast, an inexpensive material that can replace powdered land plasters and liming materials for better growth. During the coal-burning process, sulfur gas becomes a byproduct. To control these emissions, the gases are sprayed with a liquid lime. Calcium sulfates and calcium sulfites form as a result of this process. The remains are the base for CacliPlast, which offers an alternative for land plaster and lime while also offering nutrient supplements. FCSI has a similar process on the horticultural side of its business. The company works with numerous horticultural

Midwest companies located in the southeast United States. The companies use FCSI’s CCPs to aesthetically enhance landscaping soils and mulches, while also increasing the drainage qualities of composted materials. The CCPs can also assist with pH adjustment to ensure high-quality soils. FCSI’s products are mostly used for potting soils, landscape soils and mulches. As for construction materials, FCSI creates relevant products for the earthwork, building, and utility industries. The company’s construction-related products include fine aggregate, pipe bedding material, drainage material,and structural fills. Structural fills may mean building foundations, engineered backfills, or road stabilization. Recently FCSI’s products were involved in a $4 million business park. Additionally, its products have been used to build city parks and recreational facilities in Virginia. These projects show the range of use for FCSI’s CCP materials. And the best part is how beneficial they are to the environment. FCSI researches and tests its products to monitor and trace any affects it may have on surroundings. For example, when constructing projects, FCSI plans them to eliminate any potential threats that could occur from changing groundwater quality. The company handles rainwater that might come into contact with CCPs during the construction process. To continue monitoring its products 'affects, FCSI voluntarily initiates an underground water collection system at all construction jobs. And, FCSI continues to record information regarding groundwater quality at one of the company’s largest projects, Peter’s Pointe Business Park in Petersburg, Va. If any changes are noted in this project’s groundwater, FCSI would be able to follow up with the rest of its projects and prevent any issues that may arise. Overall, FCSI is willing to take any measures necessary to protect the environment, its employees, and its clients. So far the company’s efforts have been successful. In fact, it has been acknowledged on several occasions by the State of North

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Carolina’s Department of Labor. The company received an Award Certificate for Outstanding Safety Performance four consecutive years. FCSI’s initiatives help the coal industry deal with waste responsibly so people living off the coal energy industry do not have to find new energy sources. Additionally, FCSI’s products have a positive impact on the environment, not only protecting it, but improving it. Full Circle Solutions Inc. is leading the way to improve the perception of the coal industry, and to continue to support a domestic source of energy. 

Spotlight

Getting Projects In (and Off) the Ground Efficiently Woodco Inc.

Produced by Victor Martins & Written by Holly Alexander Woodco Inc., a general contractor based in Republic, Missouri, made national headlines on July 30, 2009 by completing the first affordable housing project funded by federal stimulus monies. The Associated Press reported that credit shrank so rapidly after the economy went into a recession in December, 2007, that some projects already underway were slowed and some stopped. One affected project was Woodland Hills Estates in Osawatomie, Kansas, which spans the Missouri-Kansas border about 60 miles from Kansas City. This project — a contract held with Dean Development of Overland Park, Kansas, a company with whom Woodco has a long, close relationship — was about 75 percent complete in the spring

of 2009 when funding dried up. Woodco, however, was ready to go as soon as new funding came through (in the form of the federal stimulus). The company was able to share the grand opening of Woodland Hills Estates, an affordable housing project, with dignitaries that included U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Neal Wolin and Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson. Affordable housing credits are important because they underwrite the building of apartments and homes for lowincome seniors, families, and disabled people. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) stands by the same belief of reputable financial advisors and mortgage lenders — housing that consumes more than 30 percent of an individual's or family’s income leaves too little to adequately meet other basic expenses such as utilities, food, clothing, transportation, and medical care. Outlining the need for affordable housing on its website, HUD says, “An estimated 12 million renter and homeowner households now pay more then 50 percent of their annual incomes for housing.” Building a Reputation Woodco builds both apartment and singlefamily homes doing design-build work or coordinating construction. Most projects are apartments for low-income individuals, age 55 and over. One important aspect of the work is allowing seniors to stay in communities where they have roots and families. This is especially important in states like Missouri and Kansas with many rural areas and smaller communities. Dolph Woodman, CEO, founded Woodco in 1994, though he was hardly a newcomer to the development and construction industry. He jokes that he worked with his father in the

Spotlight family construction company, “starting at the age of 4.” While he’s been a part of building everything from bridges to theme parks, his current focus is on affordable housing with Woodco, which Woodson says comprises about 95 percent of the firm’s business. Woodco usually averages about $30 million in annual revenue; 2008 and 2009, however, did not quite live up to the average. As a result, causing Woodman to had to cut back. He acknowledges that it has been painful to lay off employees. The company currently has nine employees, but he hopes to bring back valued laid-off workers. He knows that Woodco has been very fortunate in finding seasoned employees with excellent experience. Woodman says about 75 percent of subcontractors work on all projects with Woodco, the exceptions being some companies that don’t cover quite as big a geographic area. He says those relationships are “like a marriage for Woodco as a contractor, and one of the most important keys to our success.” The company uses BuildSoft for project management and Microsoft Project for scheduling. In 2009, the firm further developed these programs and its website so it could post all working documents for subs to instantly access. Bid information is also available online.

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Because the affordable housing industry depends heavily on bonds it has been especially hard-hit in the last two years. But, Woodman remembers how he and his dad weathered a bad economy in the 1980s, and Woodco is doing the same in the current recession. Woodco does negotiated bids for most projects, and Woodman realized that 2008 was the first year in the company's 16 years that “I’ve seriously looked at needing new business.” On the bright side, he says that Woodco’s business area, Missouri and Kansas, has been “insulated from the big swings on the coasts,” allowing for faster recovery as business picks up. “And we’re a pretty conservative company, with current debt of less than $50,000.” He plans to continue to build on the firm’s excellent relationships with banks and may develop some projects with a partner to leverage both companies’ financing assets as the economy rebuilds. Directing Energy Inwards Another business development strategy Woodman is investigating during the recession is using existing warehouse space to become a Midwest distributor of solar panels and wind energy equipment, neither of which has been readily available in his states. He’s following a friend’s company that recently developed an apartment building using a significant amount of solar energy. He is interested to see whether it reaches the goal of generating 75 to 85 percent of the building’s electricity. There’s not much Midwestern data on the performance of solar energy. A constant wind speed of 13 miles per hour is ideal for wind energy, making Missouri and Kansas great wind states. Woodco may use wind energy in an upcoming project in Liberal, Kansas," Woodman says. Woodman also investigated geothermal energy, which he says is suitable for single-family homes but not for apartment buildings, because it doesn't allow residents to adjust heating and cooling to individual preferences. Aiding in the navigating and networking of these many potential avenues, Woodco is a member of a number of organizations, including Kansas City Contractors, Springfield Builders, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the National Association of Construction Contractors Cooperation, and the U.S. Green Building Council. The latter recently certified the company. Woodco has been using Energy Star products in recent buildings and is looking at possibly doing a Silver- or Gold-rated project meeting NAHB’s Green Building Council standards. Woodco is well-positioned for both recovery and a new business line as the economy rebounds. 

Founding Values Build Success Chris Woods Construction

Produced by Victor Martins & Written by Tiffany Nichols Chris Woods Construction (CWC) was founded by Chris Woods in 1975 with a focus on residential construction. By 1980, Woods transitioned the focus of the company to commercial and industrial construction, but he used the same principles that had made him successful in the residential industry — the value of pleasing your customers and maintaining a good reputation. Today, the company specializes in all aspects of commercial and industrial construction, servicing a 400- to 500-mile radius around Memphis, TN. CWC operates on a foundation of seven principals, which it has deemed “The Chris Woods Advantage.” Under this

label, the company includes reputation, responsibility, accessibility, commitment, track record, project analysis, and team orientation. These seven components are part of what keeps customers flocking back to Chris Woods and his team for their construction needs. Everyone in construction knows that their business is only as successful as the staff delivering it. That is why CWC makes working as a team a top priority. Under this concept, company employees, project owners, and architects all build better better relationships. Impressively, the four superintendents who were with the company at its founding are still there today, proving that longevity of employees is

Spotlight of the utmost priority. In speaking with Grant Mills, a project manager at CWC, it's clear that the company has a great deal of enthusiasm about its past success and its potential for growth. The company has maintained throughout the country’s financial crisis thanks to a wealth of backlogged work that CWC has seen in the past 18 months. Mills said the company has also seen a resurgence of industrial work in the last two to three years. In its early days, CWC performed select trades in-house, but eventually began working primarily with subcontractors because they found that it increased quality and schedule adherence. “They have also increased our productivity without compromising the high standards of quality that we require,” explains Mills. The company has 22 employees on staff. Chris Woods Construction also got involved with the Exxon Safety Program in the 1980s because of its quality and stringency. An in-house training program that is currently administered to employees is an adapted model of this Exxon program. The company makes sure that it stays informed on the latest safety practices and procedures by receiving information from its insurance and equipment providers. Safety manuals are also provided to subcontractors. Chris Woods Construction is committed to delivering a quality project, and is excited about some of its current projects. The company’s largest is Southern Thunder Harley Davidson in Southaven, Miss. This project is particularly exciting because the building will be LEED certified and

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will be one of the first LEED certified Harley Davidson dealerships in the United States. This expansive 55,000-square-feet facility makes it the fifth Harley Davidson dealership built by CWC. The building will feature a high-efficiency HVAC system and low-flow water fixtures. Preference for building materials are being given to those with a high recycled content and that are manufactured near the construction site. The space will also feature an outdoor stage that will provide optimal use of space for concerts and events. The dealership is owned by Lisa Rossmeyer Wade and Bruce Rossmeyer, who also owns the largest Harley Davidson dealership in the world in Daytona Beach. In addition to the Southern Thunder Harley Davidson Project, CWC recently completed a building renovation for AERC Architects, on one of only two buildings in the state of Mississippi to be LEED Gold certified. In 2008, Chris Woods Construction won the company’s sixth Excellence in Construction Award. This recognition comes from the Associated Builders and Contractors, and is a premier award that generates competition throughout the construction industry across the country. The competition is open to both general contractors and subcontractors, with local winners being eligible to compete on a national scale. CWC competes through the West Tennessee chapter of ABC, which represents 250 commercial construction organizations. Awards and accolades, as well as the repeat business of satisfied customers, speak to the caliber of work delivered by Chris Woods and his team. Chris Woods Construction prides itself on delivering quality structures to its customers, and Chris himself looks to remain at the forefront of green building and quality work in his field. 

Northeast

One-Stop Shop for Architecture and Construction Zausmer-Frisch Construction Co. Inc. Produced by Victor Martins & Written by Molly Cohen Before founding their design-build company, ZausmerFrisch Construction Co. Inc. in 1971, Garson Zausmer and Robert Frisch graduated from Syracuse University with industrial design degrees. “We went to work for Syracuse University Research Corporation in military development, human factors, and then I moved to New Jersey as a designer for Union Camp Corporation and Bob went to Chase Design Inc. in Skaneateles, N.Y. About a year after that we started our own firm in Syracuse, N.Y., and have been going since then,” says Zausmer, the company’s president.

Joining Forces Zausmer-Frisch Construction is one of two divisions under the Zausmer, Frisch, Scruton & Aggarwal, Inc. umbrella; the other division is the architecture firm. Together, the two divisions combine to create the design-build approach for the company’s commercial, institutional, and multifamily residential projects. Overall, Zausmer says his company is a great choice thanks to its reputation for delivering high quality, creative, on-time and on budget projects over and over again. “And reputation is all you’ve got, the rest you can get rid of,” he adds. In addition to these service promises, Zausmer-Frisch Construction is known for “projects that require or desire attention to detail, creativity, interesting design sense and budget. Much of our work is medical, veterinary and dental work. We do tons of doctor offices, lawyer offices, accountant offices and advertising agencies,” Zausmer shares. “We also do some creative work for the Turning Stone casino owned by the Oneida Indians. We do most of their design work for restaurants, gaming floors, fitness centers, spas and golf clubs.”

In 1993 Sheila Aggarwal and Raymond Scruton were added as principals “because they had been with us for so long and were responsible for so much work, they deserved to be added to our name,” says Zausmer.

Zausmer-Frisch Construction works primarily in central and northern New York, “but we’ve done projects all the way up and down the East Coast when we used to do retail stores. But that business is soft,” Zausmer says.

Northeast Zausmer-Frisch Construction has a long history of design-build work in the area. “We’ve been doing it for 40 years, before it became popular with architects we were doing it,” Zausmer attests. “Most of our work is design-build. Everything is inhouse: architectural, interior design, construction management and construction itself. People who use us like the one source to design it, build it, plan it, do the space planning, get permits, furnish it, everything.” This approach has been very successful for Zausmer-Frisch Construction. “Most of our work comes from wordof-mouth, we don’t advertise and never have. We do projects over and over again for families and individuals,” Zausmer shares. Through these repeat and referral jobs, Zausmer-Frisch Construction has annual revenue between $6 million and $7 million. Renovating Commercial Business Although the company keeps so much of its work in-house, Zausmer-Frisch Construction uses a select group of core subcontractors for crafts like electrical, HVAC, plumbing, heating, masonry, elevators and sitework. “We do self perform ceilings, doors, frames, floors, etc. For small jobs we do more internally than for bigger jobs,” Zausmer explains. With these great subcontractors and 23 capable employees (many of which have been with the company for more than 15 years), Zausmer-Frisch Construction has not been greatly affected by the economic downturn. “We’re uptick … rather than down. Some of our projects take two or three years to nail, but we’re out front with a repeat client base. We get one call a day and it could make a difference one year from now,” says Zausmer. However, Zausmer-Frisch faces a more intrinsic challenge, the death of a partner. “Four months ago, Bob Frisch passed away after nine years of battling cancer. That’s been the biggest transition, moving from a two-person partnership to one person,” Zausmer explains. Despite the internal loss, Zausmer-Frisch Construction recently completed several impressive projects. One project was the national headquarters for Eric Mower & Associates, an advertising company based in Syracuse. “We’ve done their space two or three times and they just moved their space to a new facility. The new space is a 400,000 square foot building that used to be a gear manufacturing factory. Now

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completed, the building has a two-story atrium surrounded by three stories of offices. Zausmer-Frisch Construction also completed the new Wladis Law office in Syracuse. Most recently, Zausmer-Frisch Construction completed the 50,000 square foot building for the not-for-profit organization, Liberty Resources. This building is located in the center of Syracuse. When working on projects, such as these, and in general, Zausmer does not stress very much about the business. “I have a good staff, they’re great people, we have a decent backlog, good banking relationships, a good lawyer and no lawsuits,” he says. And Zausmer plans to continue maintaining this solid base. “Our direction won’t change, we’ll just do more with fewer people. We likely won’t hire, nor will we fire. Our backlog is fairly strong and I see it growing. We may subcontract more and construction manage more, but I don’t see much change,” he clarifies. And there is no need for the company to undergo any major revolutions. With almost 40 years of successfully completed projects, loyal customers, and a host of upcoming projects, Zausmer-Frisch Construction has perfected its services and skills to meet customer needs and hold its own in New York’s design-build industry. 

A Smooth Road to Success DelSignore Blacktop Paving Inc. Produced by Victor Martins & Written by Molly Cohen Some people are just born knowing what they want to do in life. And Dewey M. DelSignore III, is one of those people. Immediately after finishing school in 1981 Dewey founded DelSignore Blacktop Paving Inc. in Troy, N.Y. Serving as a seal coating and patch-work company, DelSignore was incorporated in 1984; soon after the company began expanding its services into paving, site work, and curbing.

stamped concrete, and underground sewer, sanitary and water systems.

Dewey continues as the company’s president and is proud of how much the company has grown since he founded it. “We’re deep-rooted, honest, and a cutting-edge company,” he says. And to give back to the area that has supported it for so many years, DelSignore supports several philanthropic and community organizations in its target service area, including: the American Cancer Society, Brunswick Little League, Brunswick Softball, Juvenile Diabetes, Regional Food Bank, and the Rensselaer Sherriff’s Department. Wide Service Range DelSignore’s services are available to the municipal, institutional, town, state, private and small commercial sectors in the Capital District of New York, southern Vermont ,and western Massachusetts. However, the company is also willing to work outside of that area, if requested by a client. The company’s services are broken into three divisions. In regards to its asphalt paving abilities, DelSignore handles asphalt paving, resurfacing, curbing, pavement marking, repairing, parking lot design, layout and decorative asphalt, which includes several materials, patterns and colors from which to choose.

The maintenance division is more seasonal since this part focuses on snow plowing, snow removal, street and sidewalk salting, and sweeping.

The second division is site work, and for these services DelSignore has capabilities for concrete, excavation,

But DelSignore’s services go far beyond these basic offerings. Some of DelSignore’s specialty work includes highway

Northeast reconstruction, building excavation, flat work concrete, sanitary systems, storm systems and water lines. To complete this work, DelSignore employs around 40 people, whose efforts lead to revenue of $12 million each year. While these employees handle most of the work inhouse, the company subcontracts some concrete work and miscellaneous tree work. Relationships with subcontractors and vendors have been important to DelSignore, especially recently during the recession. “In tough times people tend to reach out. Relationships are tested in tough times,” Dewey says. Using Its Strengths The recession has certainly led to more challenges for DelSignore. “We’ve had an increase in asphalt prices,” says Dewey. And the company is competing against “bigger contractors doing smaller jobs, including contractors coming in from over 100 miles away.” Despite these concerns, Dewey maintains confidence in his company. “I sleep pretty good at night,” he says. Perhaps this confidence comes from several recently completed projects that represent perfectly the scope of work DelSignore can handle. One of these projects was an $800,000 field park rotary in Williamstown, Mass. To complete this project, DelSignore was responsible for the realignment of the existing rotary, as well as creating new concrete sidings, complete with granite curbing and drainage infrastructure remodels.

“We would like to build more relationships in the private sector,” Dewey shares. “We would like to be more efficient and gain more profitability and acquire a small residential company.”

Another recent project was the Church Street renovation in Saratoga, N.Y., a $2.5 million project that will ultimately widen part of the street and add a turning lane and left-turn signal at a pivotal intersection. These changes will make the flow of traffic smoother in the area. And, an interesting point to note is that part of the funds for this project came from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

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Another large project for DelSignore was the $700,000 rehabilitation of Runway 3 and Taxiways A and E at the Columbia County Airport in Hudson, N.Y. The rehabilitation work covers 460 feet of Runway 3 and 1,080 feet of Taxiways A and E. The process to complete this job includes crack sealing, asphalt overlay with surface cold million and partial full depth asphalt pavement reconstruction. These procedures require pavement milling, excavation, grading, drainage and pavement markings. When completed, thenew airport features will be lighted in accordance with FAA requirements. Now that DelSignore has added these impressive projects to its portfolio, Dewey looks to the company’s next steps. “We would like to build more relationships in the private sector,” he shares. “We would like to be more efficient and gain more profitability and acquire a small residential company.” With these goals in mind, Dewey will continue to guide DelSignore into the future, expanding services and carving a deeper niche in its target area. With Dewey’s passion and understanding of the industry, DelSignore Blacktop Paving is ready for the opportunities to move into new blacktop areas and bring greater services to its clients. 

Providing Interior Plumbing to New York’s Boroughs Bay Ridge Mechanical Corporation Produced by Victor Martins & Written by Molly Cohen “I think I was born with a wrench in my hand,” jokes Chris Tsamasiros, who has been in the mechanical industry since 1974 when he worked summers in his father’s Brooklyn, N.Y.-based plumbing business. In 1979, when his father retired, Chris took over the business with a partner, Carmine Pampalone. They changed the name of the company to Bay Ridge Mechanical Corporation and have been perfecting its services ever since. After Mr. Pampalone passed away, Chris’s brother Tommy joined the business. Chris now owns 70 percent of the company and acts as president, while Tommy owns the remaining 30 percent. “I hold a New York City plumber’s license and a New York City fire suppression license, and we do interior plumbing work, sprinkler/ standpipe build-outs and hydronic heating work,” explains Chris. Indeed, Bay Ridge takes advantage of its flexible within a niche industry. “We’re pretty diversified. We don’t discriminate against jobs. If it’s a smaller job we’ll do it; a row of one-family houses, we’ll do it; a big apartment building, we’ll do it. We’re also proud of the fact we were one of the first non-union contractors to do a skyscraper,” Chris says. Borough-ing for Opportunities Bay Ridge’s mechanical services are available throughout all five boroughs, where Bay Ridge has cultivated a solid portfolio. “We’ve been very fortunate; we have very good clientele and they keep us quite busy,” Chris shares. “Most of our work is in Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx, but we go into Queens and Staten Island as work arises.” The company has peaked with 135 field personnel, but currently has 80 based on the economy and season. These employees work out of the main Brooklyn office or the smaller Staten Island office. Each year Chris counts revenue between $12 million and $15 million.

Northeast This revenue is based solely on the work performed by Bay Ridge’s workforce. “I made a decision a long time ago that if I can’t do something myself, I’m not going to take it on, because ultimately we’re going to be responsible for it,” Chris explains. “If I can’t service it myself and need to depend on someone else, that’s going to affect my reputation. The only thing we sub out is subsurface work coming in from the street (the water main, the sewer mains). Anything in the building we do ourselves.” In order to reinforce its quality commitment, Bay Ridge has very strong relationships with its suppliers. “People we used for shop drawings, for coordination purposes, we’ve always had a good relationship with, and it just got a little bit stronger with the economy. Everyone is trying to protect their leads, their contacts, so we’ve been pretty close with all of our vendors and the people we use. We’re happy with them,” Chris shares.

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And these relations have been particularly helpful as Bay Ridge finishes up some of the jobs that were able to get financial backing from banks. “The high-end jobs we were

As exemplified in these projects, Bay Ridge is called upon because of its reputation for delivering top-quality work. “I don’t think you’ll find a person I’ve worked for that wasn’t satisfied with what I did. We don’t advertise … we very rarely will work for a new client if he hasn’t been referred by someone else,” Chris explains. And Chris hopes his two sons, who recently joined the company, will get their licenses and continue building on the company’s reputation. “We’re very happy in what we’re doing. We’d like to get into some larger projects; we’re looking into some multi-million sprinkler projects that are coming around. Hopefully they’re going to be funded and we will have a chance to do them,” Chris says. With the company’s history of happy clients and highquality projects, it seems that any job would be lucky to have Bay Ridge’s expertise. And as the company continues to find opportunities for work, it will also find ways to maintain its strong foothold in the mechanical industry, ensuring the Bay Ridge Mechanical Corporation legacy through future generations. 

able to finish or are currently finishing. There have been one or two that have died due to lack of funding, but it looks like they are probably going to wind up coming back. We’re not seeing a lot of new, private projects, though,” Chris says. Diversifying for Future Growth Some of those large-scale projects Bay Ridge was able to complete include two skyscrapers in Manhattan through contractor Times Square Construction & Development, who was building long-term hotel, corporate housingtype facilities for companies out of Scotland and Ireland. “They built one at 785 8th Avenue that consisted of about 130 rooms on 44 useable floors with mechanical space on top, that took it up to about 500 feet,” says Chris. “Then we did another one on 34th street that actually is a 34-story building. We did plumbing and fire suppression in those buildings. It went along pretty well and I think everyone was happy at the end of the day.” Bay Ridge is also working on a large project of 96 high-end apartments for a developer called Alchemy Properties Inc. “We’ve done several projects with them; this is one of their largest ones. It’s on 10th Avenue. It’s a very large footprint and a very interesting project because it’s got gardens all over the place and a lot of green space,” says Chris.

Northeast

Steady Growth through Diverse Building Capabilities Johnstown Construction Services LLC Produced by Victor Martins & Written by Molly Cohen Although Johnstown Construction Services LLC (JCS) was founded in 2001, the company’s president, James Vasilko, has been in the industry “since forever. I think I started

a myriad of services, including general construction, construction management, estimating, renovations, and pre-construction consulting. Vasilko is particularly proud of his company’s niche in the design-build approach, specifically in the commercial sector. “We also do commercial insurance restoration,” Vasilko shares. “The other day a sprinkler line broke in a country club near us and wiped out their kitchen and offices and we went back and fixed them up. If your building catches on fire we go and fix it.” JCS also has a big maintenance division working mostly in central Pennsylvania. “We do repairs for The Limited stores, Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works, and Fashion Bug. We do anything from change a light bulb to anything up from there. We do it for the properties we own and others for,” says Vasilko. Combining all of its construction services, JCS has annual revenue of $10 million. Keeping Promises

working in 1982,” he says. Before founding JCS, Vasilko worked for Zamias Services Inc., a retail developer. Thus Vasilko had plenty of experience ,which helped to jumpstart JCS and offer support as the young company entered the recession. JCS works in central and western Pennsylvania and western Virginia. Beyond its myriad of construction services, it also develops and manages 600,000 square feet of buildings in its target work areas. Thanks to this diversity, JCS is quickly growing to be a well-known and respected company throughout its work sectors and regions.

To match its range of construction work, JCS relies on a select group of trusted subcontractors to handle any electric, HVAC, plumbing, sprinkler or site work a project may require. “We do the rest ourselves,” says Vasilko. One of JCS’ recent projects that used its subcontractors was a 115,000 square foot build-out for Kongsberg Defense Corporation (KDC), Norway’s largest defense contractor. For this project, JCS was the general contractor chosen to build the main facility in the United States. By successfully partnering with Frank Dachille Architects and East Hills Engineers, the new $6 million facility was completed ahead of schedule.

Meeting Any Building’s Needs Vasilko’s guidance has served the construction service company well. JCS’ 52 employees have capabilities for

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This project shows some of JCS’ best characteristics. “We are a contractor that’s … actually going to do what we say we’re going to do. I won’t tell somebody we can get it done

tomorrow if I know it won’t be done until Monday,” Vasilko states. This approach has obviously been working for JCS. “People, after eight years, see a brand new building we built from ground up faster than somebody can renovate a building down the street. So that person calls us for their next job. You can’t do it overnight. We're plugging away and do well and we’re successful,” Vasilko says. And JCS has plenty of projects tucked away in backlog. But Vasilko keeps those projects close to the vest and is protective of his future projects. JCS attributes much of its success to Vasilko’s ability to think ahead. “I think we’re doing good but [we] have to do a lot to overcome the stupidity of other people — other contractors or politicians,” he explains. JCS will continue to think ahead as it grows. Vasilko relies on the company’s estimators to bring in the company’s next projects. “They do a good job for us,” he says. By sticking to its tried and true plan of offering diverse construction and management services and working with trusted subcontractors, Johnstown Construction Services seems poised to continue its steady growth to become a large and recognized name in the construction industry. 

Northeast

Sustaining the Big Apple PM Architecture PC

Produced by Eric Gunn & Written by Molly Cohen Parag Mehta began his career in the architecture industry in 1990 doing medical facilities for Russo Saunders. Over the next five years Mehta worked with several notable architecture firms. In 1995, he was ready to start his own company, PM Architecture PC. Located in New York, N.Y., Mehta is still running his company of seven employees. PM Architecture does most of its work throughout New York City’s five boroughs — mostly in the Bronx, Queens and Manhattan. However, the firm has also worked outside of this area, with a large focus on Waterbury, Conn., and Davenport, Iowa. Throughout these areas, PM Architecture offers its architectural and interior design skills to multiunit residential buildings, the hospitality sector, and the commercial sector. From these types of projects PM Architecture’s annual revenue hits around $7 million. Employing for Green Expansion “Basically my personal experience was in health care when I worked for other offices, so when I went on my own, I started doing low-cost housing for New York City. Then we got into rehabs and when we do rehabs, we do lots of them. The market changed so we got into condos, office spaces, restaurants, full-cost housing, and computer labs,” says Mehta. With expertise in so many market areas, PM Architecture began looking beyond the basics of designing functional and attractive buildings. The firm is now known for its involvement in the green design movement and is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council. The firm developed a philosophy that projects of every size should incorporate energy efficiency into its designs. Thus, PM Architecture urges its clients to include energy efficient systems and aspects into their buildings. The firm is also respected for its tree planting on job sites and knowledge of energy saving tools like green roofs, storm water retention, and use of solar panels. This dedication to the green movement is part of the reason PM Architecture rarely uses marketing tactics to find work. In addition to its green expertise, the company is known for several other notable traits. “We can start and finish [any

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job] in a short amount of time. We can fix the buildings that are collapsed, finding existing conditions from old photos. That’s something,” Mehta says proudly. To accomplish these feats, Mehta employs two registered architects and several on-staff consultants to assist with the company’s continuous work. “We look for candidates who like the oral aspects of architecture. We get kids from state colleges who are moving back to New York City,” says Mehta of his staff. And maintaining a contented staff is an important part of PM Architecture’s business. “They like it here because they are given opportunities to work on all aspects of the job —

they see the project from start to end. There’s no disconnect. They make the drawings, site meetings and are part of the whole process. We offer really decent pay, health insurance, and a good office environment,” Mehta shares.

Energy Efficiency on a Budget Mehta’s employees all support his focus on sustainability, which is useful since many of the firm’s clients do not have the money required for extremely energy efficient buildings. Thus the architects, who are LEED Accredited Professionals, incorporate as many green aspects as possible into each project, while staying within the clients’ budgets. One such recent project was a LEED certified, mixed-use building in Waterbury, Conn. This project was a large restoration of the facility, which was originally built in 1890. “We gutted it and put in new use apartments on the upper floors with commercial space on the lower floor,” says Mehta. “It got a good amount of press coverage.” Similarly, PM Architecture completed some new construction on another mixed-use building. This building, located at 2360 Amsterdam Ave. has 29 new dwelling units and a medical office on the first floor. Now that these projects are completed, PM Architecture is looking to take a bigger slot in the market. “In the current housing market, there’s a saturation point. But there might be still some need for low-income housing,” says Mehta. For now, PM Architecture will be focusing on more than housing. It will also work on schools and assisted living homes. “We are also focusing on design-build jobs, where we can acquire a site and put it back to use, like we did for the project in Waterbury.” With these specific plans in place for the company’s future, PM Architecture is ready for ample opportunities to continue spreading its energy-efficient designs and goals throughout New York and its other target work areas. With PM Architecture as inspiration, hopefully many projects in New York will incorporate budgeted, sustainable aspects into buildings to improve the city’s environment. 

Northeast

Redeveloping Community-style Developments Southway Builders Inc.

Produced by Hanim Samara & Written by Molly Cohen Willy Moore, the vice president and part-owner of Southway Builders Inc., a general contractor, says his company stands out from its competitors based on the mantra “quality, dependability, integrity.” “It is under our name for everything we put our name on,” illustrates Moore. “We expect all of our employees to embrace those characteristic traits, and the ultimate expectation is that in the event of a problem or decision-making situation, if any of our employees are making a determination, it should be based on those three principles for the benefit of the client and end product.” Founded in 1991 by Paul Littmann, Jr., the company’s current president, Southway Builders has concentrated its work in the State of Maryland, operating out of its Baltimore

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office. However, the company has recently been awarded a project in Delaware, Moore shares. For this job, as with all others, Southway Builders will utilize its construction managers and anywhere from one to three laborers. In total, the company has 24 salaried employees, and it always subcontracts for trades, using carpenters, cement masons, and drywall hangers, for example. The experienced staff, combined with extended resources, allows Southway Builders to remain active in two divisions: commercial and multifamily residential. As head of the multifamily division, Moore says his group performs a wide range of work on multifamily, single-family and projects for the elderly, and construction types will vary from new construction to historic renovations.

An Example of Expertise Currently, Southway Builders is working on a multifamily residential project in the historic district of Annapolis that began construction more than a year ago. This project, known as the Obery Court Housing Complex, is comprised of four buildings. One building has 20 units, another two buildings have 15 units each, and the $7.5 million complex also has a community center. Moore explains, “It’s a partnership between Pennrose Properties, a Philadelphiabased developer, and the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis.” The Obery Court complex was completed in early July of 2010, despite some initial challenges based on the location’s soil. The project originally called for aggregate piers, which are installed to intermediate depths of 5 to 20 feet for the support of new loads. “We ultimately were able to have a specialized geotechnical engineer come in and do some site surveying that allowed us to eliminate aggregate piers and saved the project a significant sum of money — about $200,000 — which of course afforded the opportunity for additional improvements to the project,” says Moore. Parts of these improvements were directed around Southway

Builders’ “mission toward sustainability,” Moore says. As part of this mission, the company incorporated sustainable aspects into the Obery Court complex, even though it was not slated for LEED certification. “Obviously there’s a lot of trash that’s generated on jobsites and we recycle everything we can. This particular project meets additional Green Communities criteria,” Moore says. Another interesting aspect of this project is that it is a lowincome tax credit project, and is also a partnership between a private developer and the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis, which is not an everyday event. “That partnership has required far more community input than would maybe otherwise be required, and I think the end result is that the community is very proud and happy with the end product,” Moore says. From Blight to Beautiful Sight The Obery Court complex is only one of a multitude of Southway Builder’s multifamily housing projects. “We have a similar public/private partnership-type project in Hagerstown, Md. with Pennrose and the Hagerstown Housing Authority — a 60-unit building that just broke ground — and we just started a 72-unit project with Telesis,

Northeast a Washington, D.C. developer that has partnered with the Housing Authority of Baltimore City in the Barclay-MidwayOld Goucher neighborhood of the City,” Moore shares. The

company is also midway through construction of a 70-unit artist housing project near the Maryland Institute College of Art, nine new modular townhomes in the City of Westminster, Md., and the commercial side of the business is working on two schools, and two retail projects. A project Southway Builders recently completed with Pennrose was a $12.5 million, one square block development for East Baltimore Development Inc., just north of Johns Hopkins University Hospital. “It’s a major redevelopment plan; I think it incorporates over 20 square blocks, and includes a biotech center and some elderly and low-income apartments,” Moore explains. For Southway Builder’s block, the company did a 32-unit garden apartment building, 19 historic rehabilitations, and 12 new construction townhomes that surrounded the whole block, completed in July 2009. “That whole

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area was terrifically blighted. The master plan is to redevelop the entire area to increase the quality of housing for current residents, and to make it more desirable so that Hopkins

to have suitable accommodations for doctors, interns, and employees because [the Hospital] is the largest employer in the state,” says Moore. These beneficial, large-scale residential projects are impressive, but a key to Southway Builders’ success has been that it has constructed buildings just as striking for the commercial sector. “When the cyclical pendulum swings in one direction or another, diversification allows us to move our forces to whichever market is predominant,” Moore says. “A lot of times in the last several years we were 50/50 on multifamily and commercial, though now we’re about 80/20 toward the multifamily side.” Based on this flexibility, Moore remains optimistic about the next one to two years. “I would say that as a company we have been very fortunate to be busy right now, while much of our competition is not. “And we like to think that if the economy is on the cusp of picking back up again, it

Northeast puts us in a better position than most contractors because we’ve been busy through one of the worst economic downturns on record,” Moore continues. “If we have stayed busy through that, we have terrific growth potential and opportunity for when things start to pick up again.” Indeed, Southway Builders is receiving more and more opportunities to offer its construction management services in Maryland and beyond, and the company is perfectly situated to dig further into new renovation sectors. 

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Leader by Design

Venturi Scott Brown and Associates Produced by Eric Gunn & Written by Kelly Matlock It is hard to capture just how significant a contribution Venturi Scott Brown and Associates (VSBA), an international design firm, has made to the architectural world; for more than a half century and with over 400 completed projects. More incredible is the firm's contributions when put in context of size related to influence; the firm is comprised of 18 individuals who work as ‘one team’, from a single office in Philadelphia. Founded in 1957, and taking its current name, in 1989, the firm is continuing to build on its success and meet the demands of the 21st century.

to Benjamin Franklin, and constructed for the U.S. National Park Service, brought honors the firm’s way for over a decade, as it was given a Presidential Award for Design Excellence in 1985. The use of ‘ghost houses’ — full-scale frame structures — that depict only the outline of Franklin’s original house and print shop are strikingly well done.

It is, however, easy to see how complexity and out-of-the-box design stems from the two principals at the helm of VSBA, Robert Venturi (founder) and Denise Scott Brown, both widely known for their role in architecture as ‘observer-designertheorists.’ The duo has published a collection of books in their field as they strive to increase discussion on architecture’s various meanings. Along with thinking, philosophizing and writing, the duo leads VSBA in bringing rule-breaking concepts to life by providing design, programming, decorative arts, and planning within the commercial, municipal, institutional, and residential sectors. Great for Half a Century VSBA has received numerous awards, grants and citations for of its work over the past five decades. By looking at a cross-section of notable projects over the past 50 years, one can start to grasp the breadth of VSBA’s success in its field. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) selected VSBA as the recipient of the National Honor Award (1977) for its civic, adaptive-reuse project, Franklin Court, which also received an Urban Design Case Studies award that same year. Franklin Court, a Philadelphia museum and memorial

In the 1980s, VSBA’s versatility was ever-increasing. Projects included various facets of design and planning from large-scale lighting assignments to private residences, and from public zoos to private universities. By 1988, the firm received an Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award, for its lighting design for the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, the previous year (1987). Earlier that decade numerous awards were garnered for the design of private residences on Long Island, N.Y. (House on Long Island Sound, Stony Creek, and Petrie House). Its design of Gordon Wu Hall, at the Butler College of Princeton University, was extremely well-received and a National Honor Award winner in 1984.

Northeast primarily in restoration, as many institutes for education and higher learning become decrepit and need to be modernized to meet the needs of the 21st century. By specializing in academic planning and design, VSBA has worked on many well-known and highly regarded institutions: Harvard, Yale, Villanova, Dartmouth, and Brown; the list goes on.

The 1990s brought considerable honors to VSBA for its work on the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery in London, England, including the National Honor Award (AIA), The Queen’s Award for Export Achievement (Burlington Slate Ltd.), and The Design Award for Natural Stone (Stone Federation, Great Britain), among others. Prince Charles was also in praise of VSBA’s work on the National Gallery, having been quoted as saying, “The Trafalgar Square elevation is a great success, but the interior spaces of the gallery are a triumph.” A Certificate of Appreciation was given to Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown by The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts for ‘lifetime’ contributions to architecture and art — worldwide. This honor came in 1994, though many more contributions lay ahead. Currently Continuing on Past Success This last decade, and the first of the 21st century, was no exception for honors and merit awards. One of VSBA’s most distinguished projects came in 2008 with the renovation of Rockefeller Hall at Harvard University Divinity School, which was a $10-million and 26,700 square foot job. By no means a large project for VSBA, the National Gallery assignment extended beyond 100,000 square feet and reached nearly $50 Million in costs. What was particularly significant about VSBA’s work on Rockefeller Hall was that it was restored, true to form (1960s modern), and LEED Gold Certified. Although VSBA completes work in many sectors, it has done the majority of its work of late in the educational sector,

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Although the educational sector seems to dominate current work, the firm has many roots. Robert Venturi’s “Mother’s House” (indeed a house for his mother, Vanna Venturi), in 1964, widely became landmark of its era. Its ‘unusual’ post-modern form has been studied, lectured on and written about extensively, and internationally. The firm describes the work as, “complex and simple, open and closed, big and little” — true to its dedication to embracing various meanings. No end in sight There is no telling where VSBA will go from here. As new principals add new takes on architecture, the firm is still in high demand. However, the next 5 to 10 years are bound to bring more renovation work to VSBA, particularly in the academic field, as the firm is proficient in this type of work, and in this sector. Across many sectors and many cities, VSBA’s passion is firmly to take ‘a fresh approach’ to each and every project, with its own set of ‘complex and contradictory problems’. There is no formula, no mold the firm uses. Instead of trying to make every project fit a mold, VSBA embraces the uniqueness of each one. Amalgamating the ‘tradition of the institution, the requirements of the program, and the characteristics of the site,’ VSBA conjures a design appropriate to fulfilling those philosophies, needs, and contexts. The ‘one team’ approach means that all principals and senior architects and planners are involved, together to make this happen. The firm does not split into separate, specialized teams. Collaboration with various architecture firms continues to be integral to VSBA’s success. Together, VSBA is set on continuing the same path of success it has been on for five decades, bringing passion and commitment to architectural dynamism to every project. 

Southeast

A Prototype for Success Dills Architects

Produced by Hanim Samara & Written by Molly Cohen In 2000, after graduating from architectural school, Clay Dills became a principal in his father’s business, Dills Architects, founded in Virginia Beach, Va., in 1983. “My dad started this firm way back when and talked me into coming to work for him,” Dills jokes. The firm’s 12 to 15 employees are strictly architects, relying on engineering and specialty trade consultants to complete the firm’s projects, which can be found worldwide. “Not so much with private jobs, but all of our government work takes us all over the place; we’ve done international work in Iceland and Puerto Rico,” Dills explains. “We’re pretty diverse. We do some government, DOD (Department of Defense), a lot of public schools, sustainable projects, churches and some historical work.” Designing for Future Generations Recently Dills Architects proved its design skills on the College Park Elementary School in Virginia Beach. For this project, Dills was the official project architect and Dills Architects was responsible for “the full design of the building and construction administration. We take it from programming and planning all the way through construction documents, and administer design teams for construction,” he explains. The project is just breaking ground now and the school will be completed in May 2011, with site work completed the following November. When Dills Architects set out to design the school, it was presented with the challenge of

making it as sustainable as possible; the school is slated for LEED Platinum. “We worked with [the school] on another project that was LEED Gold and pushing into Platinum that is halfway through construction now. It was a consolidation of a transportation and bus facility. The school has been increasing its awareness of sustainability,” Dills explains. Additionally, the College Park school will be a prototype elementary school. The designs used for the building will be replicated to replace older schools anywhere in the country

Southeast for the next 5 to 10 years. “Their thinking was that if we design to Platinum right now, Platinum will probably be the minimal requirements in 10 years. We went for the highest certification we can right now knowing we'll have to set the bar even higher down the road,” Dills says. Many Virginia Beach schools were built in the 1960s, according to Dills, and had “terrible energy performance. And the layout wasn’t the best. But if you

tear down a school then build a school, you have to put those kids somewhere while you’re waiting for the new school to be built,” he says. “So part of the design of this school was to build behind, or in front or onsite of the existing school. So students stay in the old building and watch the new one being built. Then everyone is transferred into the new school and the old one is torn down over the summer.” Innovative Energy Reduction This process makes transitioning to the new school more efficient for students and in teachers. It also gives the new school users the opportunity to watch the new school being built and perhaps understand the new sustainable aspects of design the building includes. One of the school’s major difference in energy usage stems from its solar and radiant heat sources. “It’s projected to use 75 percent less energy than what code requires,” Dills explains.

getting done than is actually happening. We work hard with our clients to do it,” he explains. Because of this concern, Dills Architects will spend the next couple of years expanding into new markets looking for sustainability-knowledgeable architects. The next step will “probably be into higher education; those guys have been very proactive, universities are very into that. We haven’t done a lot of it at that level so we’re thinking we’ll be involved heavily,” Dills foresees. With the College Park elementary school added to Dills Architects’ list of completed projects, it seems the firm will have continued success through its sustainable buildings, no matter what the sector. And as Dills Architects continues to get opportunities to be creative and innovative within the sustainability trend, other budding sustainable architects may be inspired to follow suit and make a difference in the country’s energy consumption. 

The new elementary school also includes innovative processing in regards to its water usage and sources. The building is designed to collect 100 percent of the rainwater that hits it; this water is collected into underground cisterns and is cleaned and reused for flushing toilets, irrigation on green roofs, and washout areas in the kitchen. “The storm water management is a net zero storm water site, so no storm water leaves the site, and the underground collection areas hold up to 100 years of storm water onsite. That’s a major undertaking,” Dill shares. Lighting is also a major area of focus in the new school. The gym and cafeteria have large roof monitor windows and the entire inside of the school has occupancy and daylight harvesters. So when natural light is at certain level, the lights in the school go off automatically. “The gym and cafeteria will essentially never have the lights turned on,” Dill explains. “The majority of the hallways and a good portion of the classrooms are the same. We think the majority of the school will be naturally lit most of the time.” Dills Architects pulled out all the stops for this project’s sustainable aspects, but the payback will be exponential for the school district. “All of the systems and things we’re doing in the building, the lifestyle payback system for those things that get the energy savings, is 6 to 8 years. If you look at a building that will last for 40 years, there’s a lot of money to be made just by increasing your energy designs,” Dills points out. Based on the success of Dills Architects’ energy designs, the firm will continue working with the school district on future sustainable projects. But while these sustainable projects are exciting for the project owners and architects alike, it is cause for concern to Dills. “All this sustainability stuff, the more projects we do with that, the more we think about it, the more concerned we become that more of that should be

Southeast

An Expert on Waterway Designs and Requirements Coastal Systems International Inc. Produced by Chuck McKenna & Written by Molly Cohen Coastal Systems International Inc. was originally founded in the mid-1980s to fill a niche in coastal engineering civil and environmental permitting construction requirements. “We’ve since expanded into a full range of project management services as well as engineering environmental permitting. And we have a design-build subsidiary called Coastal Systems Development,” says Christy Bush, the firm’s director. Coastal Systems is located in the perfect area for such services, with headquarters in Coral Gables and a secondary office in West Palm Beach, Fla. From these locations, Coastal Systems exercises its expertise in coastal and waterfront properties. “We work with developers who are doing mixed- use developments like marinas and hotels, as well as publicsector clients who are improving infrastructure,” Bush explains. “And we’re definitely seeing a preference in our experiences for design-build contracts.” Understanding Responsibilities Coastal Systems clients look for design-build opportunities as a way to reduce risk and time. “The goal is to ultimately save money. And the time and risk factors are weighing pretty heavily into that as well,” Bush adds. To meet its clients’ needs, Coastal Systems has a full range of inhouse services. “Clients like using us because we are fully responsible for design, permitting, and project management, so there’s no finger

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pointing at another entity or subconsultant. We have the full responsibility and the integrity for the project being executed, from beginning to end,” Bush says. The company’s in-house capabilities include engineering and project management. “The only things we don’t have in-house are architectural for vertical design, landscape (if it gets complex), electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and geotech.”

To be clear, Coastal Systems is not a general contractor, but serves the owner as an entirely different type of consultant. “For the design-build projects we’re involved in, we typically work directly for the owner, who separately hires a GC. We usually are involved before they bring the GC on board in terms of feasibility, schematic design and things of that nature so we would act as an independent rep for the client to advise them on the environmental aspects of the project,” Bush explains. Thus, Coastal Systems does not do design-build itself, but does the preemptive parts of a project so that a design-build firm can move forward from that point. Coastal Systems advises project owners on which projects are appropriate for designbuild. Its strength is in “highly specialized projects where there are extra layers of permitting and regulation. We get the project to a point where permits are secured or there’s conceptual approval from environmental agencies. That way a designbuild contractor can come in and bid the project with a solid foundation of project feasibility from a regulatory and entitlement standpoint,” Bush explains. As an independent consultant, Coastal Systems helps project owners through the more complicated or challenging parts of the pre-construction process “so that a very precise scope can be developed and bid on without the risk of change orders, or unknown factors increasing the cost." Coastal Systems’ standard projects usually include road improvement projects, basic shell buildings and land development that, from a price standpoint, are very appropriate for design-build. “We’ve worked with different municipalities on projects that, because of their specialized nature, not just anyone can come in and bid for. So we might do schematic-level plans for something like a marina project since the average GC does not have a lot of experience with that and may need specialty contractors,” Bush gives as an example. “We help clients set up bid documents so that qualifications and experience requirements are clear. In southeast Florida we have a lot of wetlands issues and know the special storm water design approaches unique to the area.” To accomplish these appointments, Coastal Systems has almost 40 employees. Some are familiar with LEED certifications and put their knowledge to use for vertical structure. “Certainly for some of the buildings on these

sites [LEED] comes into play. We have a LEED-certified environmental consultant on staff who can assist clients with that and we are seeing the public sector clients looking for LEED certification on their projects; private sector as well but not as strongly,” Bush says. However, LEED does not come into play for all of the company’s projects. “Right now LEED doesn’t really apply to horizontal infrastructure.” Whether LEED or not, all of Coastal Systems’ projects contribute to the company’s annual revenue of $6 million. Designing Protection Even with pretty regular annual revenue and a specific niche, Coastal Systems faces several challenges. “Everybody likes working in south Florida, so we’ve always had a lot of competition. We’re dealing with a lot of the same issues that are ubiquitous to the industry overall in terms of pricing and the economy and contracting,” Bush shares. “It’s like the housing market, once you set a new standard, and cut down to bare bones, it begs the question. Is this helping or hurting the industry overall?” But these challenges have not kept Coastal Systems from lending its expertise to exciting projects. Recently the company worked with the City of Miami Beach on the South Pointe Park project, “a 20-acre urban park redevelopment project,” as Bush describes it. “It’s partially on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean so it has beachfront and special elements to it. The other side is on the inlet on Government Cut,” Bush says. “You can see cruise ships come in and out and container ships — it’s a really unique intersection of Miami Beach. It's a public space that was in great need of a facelift.

Southeast That was completed just a few months ago.” To complete this project, Coastal Systems created a storm water management system, including drainage retention areas and injection wells used to prevent runoff into the connected bay and inlet. Additionally, Coastal Systems added potable water and sanitary sewer services to the area. Working with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Coastal Systems negotiated coast construction and environmental resource permits for this project. The finished park meets the lighting requirements associated with marine turtle nesting zones. With such an awesome project recently completed, there is very little to keep Bush awake at night regarding the company’s business. But the industry’s future does give her concerns. “No one knows what’s happening so really the unpredictability is tough. We’re used to knowing what’s coming down the line in terms of trends and have the ability to go with the flow. The volatility has been very difficult,” Bush admits. To beat these concerns, “we’re trying to do what we do best, keep our fundamentals in place in terms of providing customers’ service and providing good value

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for our clients’ through creative solutions — those are our hallmarks.” As the economy improves, these concerns will subside. “We feel like we’re still at that low point and see a lot of potential energy and smart business people making substantial efforts to move the economy in an upward direction. I’m an optimist and usually it serves me well, but it has been tough for the last year or so,” Bush reflects. “I hope that everything will break loose and all the positive energy and positive efforts in south Florida, around the country, and around the world will move us in the right direction.” Coastal Systems’ services will become more and more desired. As developers look to build on waterways and coastal shores, they will require Coastal Systems to assist with the permitting, design and bidding processes. As people realize the opportunities for building on oceanfronts, while protecting those precarious environments, Coastal Systems International’s services will be in high demand, giving the company opportunities to spread its services throughout Florida. 

Spotlight

Brokering Sound Investments ALTEL Systems Inc.

Produced by John Carioti & Written by Tony Ware Countless audio-visual companies have resumes padded with corporate boardroom installations. But only ALTEL Systems Inc., headquartered in Brewster, NY, can claim to have run sound for the Chairman of the Board, in Ol’ Blue Eyes, himself, Frank Sinatra. “ALTEL has a very deep history of touring sound, which includes 20-plus years as Frank Sinatra’s sound and technical

Minnelli, Steve & Eydie, and most recently during the past 15 years we’ve supplied rental equipment and services to Tony Bennett.” Of course, being a highly respected name in concert sound is only one facet of what makes ALTEL a well-rounded company. ALTEL was founded in 1954, when Al Miraglia, an engineer at Dictaphone, decided to start his own business. “His thought was that since he would be installing internal telephone systems he would call his company ALTEL, short for ‘Al’s Telephone’,” discloses Musci. In 1972, Musci’s father Larry partnered with Henry Cattaneo, a longtime friend, and purchased the business from Al. Larry’s background was in accounting and sales with NCR, while Hank had spent many years working in the recording industry at A&R Studios. The pair soon started expanding the business into intercoms, public address and sound reinforcement systems [ALTEL even installed the sound systems in Sinatra’s home in Palm Springs, but hasn’t made residential installations a regular occurrence]. The younger Musci began working at ALTEL part time right after high school, continued on weekends and afternoons while pursuing a bachelor’s degree, then started working full-time in 1979 — first making deliveries, then working on installations, moving into sales and then moving up through the administrative ranks.

production company, managing virtually all aspects of sound, lighting, staging, and video at shows throughout the world,” recounts Andrew Musci, company president. “We also had extensive experience working with Paul Anka, Liza

In 1984 Musci left ALTEL to get “involved in the industry from a different perspective,” he says. He worked in sales capacities at various amplifier and loudspeaker manufacturers before realigning with ALTEL in 1989. Since that point Musci — along with business partner Stefan Cattaneo, Henry’s son — has helped ALTEL maintain consistent, controlled growth. The company currently has 27 employees — with 20 in Brewster, and seven in a smaller office in Tampa, Fla. Together these offices generate around $10 million in annual revenue.

Musci has promoted ALTEL as a leader in systems design and integration, and also dedicated countless volunteer hours to help further important industry agendas and initiatives as a long-time member of leadership councils within both InfoComm and the National Systems Contractors Association (NSCA). Musci is currently serving a term as president of NSCA. One of the indispensable aspects of ALTEL’s relationships with its trade association partners has been gaining access to important employee education opportunities. A welleducated workforce has been a key ingredient to ALTEL’s overall long-term success. ALTEL’s employees understand their jobs well and have the proper skills to achieve success in their roles. The Bigger Picture Nearly 15 years ago ALTEL began doing more and more business in the audio-video spectrum, which has included designing and installing audio-visual systems in corporate boardrooms, network operation centers, providing audio teleconferencing and videoconferencing systems, and most recently designing and installing digital signage solutions for a variety of clients, (including retail facilities and casino operations across the country.) As the sound reinforcement business has been dramatically changed by the advent of DSP (Digital Signal Processing), so has the audio-visual business changed as it has moved more into the domain of IT (Information Technologies). “The blending of AV and IT has required integrators to put employees through a wider range of training in order to be successful partners with network administrators,” states Musci. “We understand now that in the IT world audiovisual gear merely represents additional bandwidth and nodes on the network, and as such we are oftentimes coming under the purview of the client’s IT group as we define the systems’ uses and capabilities. We now need to work closely with a new client in many respects as we move into these new project opportunities.” Working in IT is part of ALTEL’s organic expansion. Handling all aspects of labor, excepting electrical contracting and rigging, ALTEL has overseen countless high-profile installations, such as substantial audio and audio-visual systems in New York’s Jacob Javits Convention Center and Lincoln Center, including the Juilliard School, plus many airports, including JFK, LaGuardia, Savannah, Ft. Myers, Sarasota and Tampa — not to mention numerous casino properties including Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun and the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, Pa. Working outside of the United States, ALTEL has installed many sound and audio-visual systems in Atlantis properties in the Bahamas and Mexico, and in Dubai at the Mall of the Emirates. Further customdesigned jobs include a wide variety of systems installed

in college auditoriums, sports facilities, theaters, churches, cruise ships and museums. Working in both the design-build and bid markets, ALTEL follows an agile boutique model. The company selects projects that allow the showcasing of creative solutions and innovative technologies, while retaining suitable profitability to ensure the future viability of the business. “I’ve always said that the one thing we do wrong is building our systems so well,” laughs Musci. “We have systems in the audio side of the equation that have experienced a life cycle of 25 to 30 years, requiring only periodic testing and calibration to make sure everything is performing to its intended specifications. Equipment and systems on the video side tend to be considerably different, usually experiencing more dramatic changes in equipment and shorter upgrade cycles for installed projects. “We’re definitely looking at the Matrix scenario, as things are evolving rapidly,” continues Musci. “There’s a lot of change, and we as a company must be ready to embrace it and implement it. Oftentimes the newer technologies are much more than the average end-user can handle. There’s really nothing “plug-and-play” about these systems, and that is undoubtedly one of the reasons that an expert firm like ALTEL continues to prosper. When a system is finished we spend a lot of time handing it over to the end-user, making sure that the proper training is done and that the client is satisfied with the results and understands how to fully access all their new technology. We take a lot of pride in that aspect of the process, and it is a big factor as why we’ve been successful, and hope to be for many years to come.” When asked, 'What single thing do you consider most important to ALTEL’s success?' Musci states, “Relationships! No doubt about it. We have several layers of very important relationships, starting with key clients such as Pfizer, USMA, Pepsi-Cola, the Jacob Javits Convention Center, and many others; business partnerships with firms like Sportview Technologies, Specialized Productions, Inc. and the Barnycz Group; strong ties to industry designers, consultants and architects; and let’s not forget our major vendors, such as Shure, Tannoy (The TC Group), and Mitek/IED/Atlas, without whose equipment and support we would not be able to build our systems. We work hard at maintaining these relationships, making certain that their ultimate success lies in a ‘win-win’ attitude for all parties.” Integrating the acoustic and electronic, making sure that signal flow and the physical environment cooperate efficiently, ALTEL turns and tunes diverse technologies into exciting systems that continue to benefit customers with dynamic impact. 

Spotlight

Staying Connected SAIA Electric

Produced by TaMeka Marshall & Written by Eric Gunn

A lot has happened in 50 years. In 1960: America elected a very youthful John Fitzgerald Kennedy as President of the United States. Cassius Clay, who would go on to change his name to Mohammed Ali, won his first professional fight. Ford Motor Company introduced its latest model, the Falcon. U.S. audiences were introduced to Barney, Fred, Wilma, and Betty on the Flintstones. In Baton Rouge, La., Tickie Saia founded SAIA Electric, Inc., which over the next 50 years would grow into one the region’s largest, most respected electrical contractors. Tickie’s grandson, Frank Brian, has been successfully running the company since 1984. The market downturn over the last few years has affected the company, like much of the rest of the country, but Brian has guided SAIA to a respectable $10 million in revenue for the previous year.

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Strong Relations The commercial electrical construction field is a highly demanding one, requiring innovative ideas and welldesigned projects. Brian attributes some the company’s success to its strong ties to subcontractors and vendors. “We have a lot of relationships with general contractors that we’ve benefited from on projects that we’re able to negotiate, versus jobs where we have to bid on the open market. On the other end, we have vendors that have been with us for a long time and they have given us a competitive edge on some jobs. Relationships, that’s one thing that hasn’t changed in this business over the years that I’ve been in it. It’s a key to doing business; you have to have good relationships with both the vendors and the contractors that you work with.”

Being around for 50 years has afforded SAIA the opportunity to work on a multitude of projects. When asked which project he found most interesting, Brian says, “The Department of Energy had the Super Collider project in Waxahachie, Texas. That was the project that was supposed to revolutionize the energy industry. It was a superconductor they were trying to come up with, and we did some work on that — on the testing and manufacturing end of the project. Unfortunately, the Department of Energy pulled the plug on the project as it was about complete, but that was an interesting project. Technologically, that could have made a big difference in the way people live now.” Projects over the Years A few of the more noteworthy projects that were fully funded include: The electrical construction on the Louisiana State University Assembly Center; the Baton Rouge Hilton Hotel; the Russell B. Long Federal Courthouse; the Mall of Louisiana; the Old State Capitol; the Baton Rouge Centroplex; the Woman's Hospital, the Baton Rouge Community College; and No Limit Records. Another key to its success is how SAIA has learned how to streamline projects in terms of time and budget by utilizing

Spotlight effective planning, engineering, energy management, and telecommunication. This design-build approach to construction minimizes design oversights and labor and

materials cost overruns during construction. It also ensures a strong working partnership with the project team while eliminating up to a year of the construction process. SAIA is not just the region’s premier electrical contractor, it has a fully formed subdivision that stays abreast of changes in the constantly evolving telecommunications industry. SAIA Communications designs, installs, and maintains voice and data networks for its customers. This includes Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN) systems. SAIA provides low-voltage installation and wiring services for large-scale computer and telephone systems as well. What the Future Holds Brian’s plan for the near future is to expand his firm’s market share. “We’re not a company that’s looking to grow our business or sales by a certain percentage number every year. If we have a dollar value that we’re comfortable with, our mission is to complete that project at that dollar value, and to support our customers to the "nth" degree. Our growth would be measured by the market share in the markets we work in.” Brian certainly knows SAIA; he’s worked there his entire life. He worked during summers when he was attending school, and part-time as an estimator while he was attending Louisiana State University. He joined the firm full time as an estimator after graduating with a degree in Construction Engineering, and worked his way to the top from there. Brian thinks SAIA has definitely made it through the economic wilderness of the past few years. He notes that sales have picked up dramatically, but, tThere are always problems — problems when you do have work, and problems when you don’t. But I definitely prefer ‘we have too much work problems,” jokes Brian. Fifty years is a long time, as earlier noted. But you know what’s also noteworthy, those world-famous events from the first paragraph? SAIA Electrical Inc’s commitment to quality, service, and effective leadership have created a company that has endured longer than all of those events. 

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Piping in Healthy Systems J.L. Roberts Mechanical

Produced by Victor Martins & Written by Shelley Seyler Since 1950, J.L. Roberts Mechanical has been serving the great state of Mississippi with its expert plumbing, HVAC, process piping services and more. Founded by James Leland Roberts, and now including Leonard Roberts as owner/ president and his son James L. Roberts, Jr. as vice president/ project manager, this family-run company got its start in the residential market and started expanding its niche in the 1980s.

"We even have our own [fabrication] shop to value engineer and build all of our [ductwork, sheet metal piping]," explains Roberts Jr., who has been working for the company since high school summers. He went to college in the area, and in 1993 entered the industry and the family business full-time. Building More Than Mechanical Systems J.L. Roberts operates with an important tenet in mind: building relationships that will last. It does so by ensuring that it is equipped with the people, resources and capabilities to tackle any project. The company knows that the success of its clients is also J.L. Roberts' success. Also aiding its success is its membership with the Mississippi chapters of the Associated Builders and Contractors, Associated General Contractors of America, and the American Subcontractors Association. J.L. Roberts offers an impressive list of services, including design-build, pipe fabrication, sheet metal fabrication, computerized estimation, computer-aided design, project management and value engineering.

By 1985, J.L. Roberts began focusing its efforts on the commercial market and in this specialty it continued to grow as a full-service, licensed and bonded company serving both the private and public sectors. In 2003 this expansion went even further, to include the acquisition of another commercial HVAC firm, which was merged into the original plumbing and heating company. Today, J.L. Roberts works mainly in the commercial market as a mechanical contractor handling plans and specifications through negotiated design-build methods. The company has a special niche completing medical projects. Headquartered in Richland, Miss., J.L. Roberts works heavily in Central Mississippi, but, especially in the last two years, the company has been completing work not throughout the state and into Louisiana. From its early days in the housing market, J.L. Roberts has undergone some impressive growth. The company employs anywhere from 130 to 240 (depending on season) and has annual revenue of approximately $30 million. In-house J.L. Roberts performs all of its trades [from computerized estimation to project management] with exception of control and insulation.

For its commercial heating and air clients, J.L. Roberts galvanized ductwork, spiral ductwork, stainless steel ductwork, black iron exhaust and curb fabrication, among others. Commercial plumbing clients can capitalize on the company's expertise with its medical gas systems, sanitary sewers, fire mains, process piping, gas piping, and hydronic piping, among others. The company also has a service department, ensuring that its clients' facilities are well-maintained, and it offers a 24-7 emergency service that completes system repair, retrofits, replacement and tenant improvements, whether dealing with damage by water, fire or ice. An interesting project for J.L. Roberts was for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. The company completed the heating, air and plumbing on the project for a contract amount of $3 million. On this project, J.L. Roberts worked for the general contractor Yates Construction. Recent projects for J.L. Roberts include an addition to Baptist Health Systems. General contractor Brasfield & Gorrie expanded the west tower by five stories, and J.L. Roberts

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Spotlight completed the heating, air, and plumbing systems for a contract amount of over $7 million. In Lafayettte, La., J.L. Roberts has worked on one of its more interesting projects. The company has installed the heating, air, and plumbing systems for a brand new regional medical center, Our Lady of Lourdes, a campus that spans 400,000 square feet. "It's a ground-up project. It's a big job for us," says Roberts Jr.

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Maintaining Quality Over Quantity

as Mississippi's premiere firm to walk a project from drafting table to completion. ď §

Even with big projects on the books, J.L. Roberts is facing and overcoming some of the same challenges as other companies across the country in today's tightened economy. "Low bidding and lack of funding... and it's also hard to find good people, good help. You can get a good sub or a bad sub," explains Roberts Jr. That said, the company has managed to stay busy even in the throes of today's challenging market. And Roberts Jr. has a realistic view of the immediate future. "In the next two years, I will be happy maintaining with all of our core people." These people are key because, when asked what sets J.L. Roberts apart from its competitors, Roberts Jr. replies without hesitation: "We are going to get it done on-time, onbudget, and it's going to be right. We have more qualified people than the others." It is this approach that has established J.L. Roberts Mechanical

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Supporting Arkansas’ Economy and Food Production Caldwell Milling

Produced by Matt Duncan & Written by Molly Cohen Everything needs food. Food provides the fuel to be productive and finish each day’s task. Animals and fowl are no different than people in that respect. And Caldwell Milling

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is the company to fill those animal feed needs. Located in Rose Bud, Ark., most of Caldwell Milling’s customers are located throughout the state and are serviced either from the

“All your relationships in the business are important so you work to maintain good relationships on all levels — both suppliers and customers. In this day and time you buy the best products available and sometimes they’re not right next door,” says Caldwell.

Rose Bud location or Caldwell Milling’s secondary location in Conway. Henry Caldwell, the company’s president, has been head of the company since 1994. “We make beef cattle feed, dairy feed, chicken feed, horse feed, and pig feed,” he says of his company’s niche. Community Effect As a large company in a “very small community,” as Caldwell says, Caldwell Milling seems to have a large impact on the local economy. “Here at Rose Bud we’ve got 40 or so employees, including the truck drivers,” says Caldwell.

Caldwell does not expect any major economic changes occurring that would affect his business. “Locally with our business I would think it would not change too much either way. I don’t think it would get real rosy good or too much worse than it has been,” he shares. Knowing the economy will not change too much could be a boon to Caldwell Milling because the company can maintain its business in the current economic climate. As Caldwell Milling becomes more and more comfortable functioning by a leaner standard, it can also increase its clients and spread its feed throughout a broader target area. 

Caldwell Milling maintains successful and stable relationships with the people it does business with. “All your relationships in the business are important so you work to maintain good relationships on all levels — both suppliers and customers. In this day and time you buy the best products available and sometimes they’re not right next door,” says Caldwell. Beating the Economic Downturn Despite positive and beneficial relationships, Caldwell Milling faced challenges recently due to the economic downturn. “It’s been very difficult,” Caldwell explains. “When your customer is having difficulty then it will bleed over into the suppliers.” Additionally, Caldwell shares that the pig and beef businesses have been slow lately. “That’s our two main lines of feed, so it will show up in your operation as well when your customer is not having great success. Then the horse business is usually tied to people’s recreation, and when the economy is not good at times, people won’t spend as much money on recreation.” To overcome these challenges, Caldwell Milling adjusted, internally, to help support the business. “We just tried to be very careful in purchasing and still try to manage on a lean basis,” Caldwell says.

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Giving a Historic Landmark a Refreshing Facelift Superdome Enhancements

Produced by Hanim Samara & Written by Molly Cohen Team Work The current updates for the Superdome are the product of a joint effort between Ellerbe Becket – a nationwide design firm based in Kansas City, Mo., that specializes in sports facilities — and a local design firm, Eskew+Dumez+Ripple. Ellerbe Becket and Eskew+Dumez+Ripple are working together as the joint venture architect of record for the 20092011 enhancements. “We are joined as a single design team working on the design documentation and construction support for the enhancement project,” says Allen Eskew, FAIA, founder and director of Eskew+Dumez+Ripple. The head of Ellerbe Becket’s stadium practice is Paul Griesemer, AIA. “I’ve been in the sports architecture industry since 1987, so for about 23 years I’ve been doing sports design, and in particular stadium and NFL work,” says the firm is principal. “This project was recently bid and awarded to a local joint venture contracting firm and construction is under way on the first phase.”

In 1975, the Louisiana Superdome opened, and held its first NFL game and its first Sugar Bowl. And the New Orleans' landmark entertainment facility did not stop there; over the years the Superdome has become known worldwide as a great location for epic football games and unmatched performances. In 2005, it even became a temporary home for 30,000 evacuees in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Over the years the Superdome has undergone numerous bouts of construction, updating and renovating the facility to accommodate an ever-increasing influx of visitors. Now the time has come again for the Superdome to have damages repaired and new amenities added.

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Griesemer has past experience working on the Superdome. “We’ve been working at the Superdome since about 2001 with various small improvements. Following Katrina, we were brought in as the first responders to assess the building — its level of damage and its ability to be brought back. Then we were the lead sports architect for rehabbing the building following Katrina,” he explains. Working off that preliminary experience with the building, Ellerbe Becket initiated a design from a master plan the firm did in 2002. “The largest, most notable improvement will be a significant widening of the main plaza level concourse and construction of a new lower seating bowl that will raise the capacity. At the same time, we'll triple the width of the concourses along both sidelines of the Superdome,” Griesemer explains. “There will be new concessions, new

toilet rooms, and new club spaces built at the event level for high-end premiums to sit directly behind team benches. In addition, the press box will be relocated to the upper terrace level making room for more luxury boxes at the 300 level.” While these interior renovations occur, the Superdome’s exterior is also getting a facelift. According to Bill Curl, the coordinator of media relations at the Superdome, approximately 30 percent of the facility's exterior was damaged during Hurricane Katrina by projectiles blown in the wind, or by pieces of the roof that were ripped and then slapped over the side against the aluminum panels, denting them. “To replace only those panels that have dents and dings would have been a bad mismatch [to existing panels] and we really couldn’t come close to matching what was there. The decision was to replace the entire side of the building, which is 365,000 square feet of aluminum, and that project is in progress now and will continue into this summer and as long as is necessary to complete it,” Curl shares. To make the external changes, scaffolding had to be constructed to fit the unusual contour of the side of the Superdome. The scaffolding was placed on rails at the top and bottom so it could be rolled around to add additional insulation and replace the siding and panels. “We’ve been given assurance that the new anodized aluminum surface paneling is one that will sustain

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Southeast its color for years into the future,” says Curl. For the renovations to the Superdome, Eskew says LEEDrecognized initiatives are up for consideration to be folded into the work, but “adaptive reuse is the ultimate act of sustainability. The reinvestment in this facility, which not only enhances the crowd and fan experience, but also enhances the revenue stability of the building, is sustainable. With careful decisions and reinvestments you can continue to maintain your competitive edge and don’t have to throw these stadiums away.” Ripple Effect With such a great team effort exhibited by both firms, it is hard to imagine this project will have any insurmountable issues. It won’t be without its tests, however. “I would say the largest challenge we have is the level of goings-on the dome has. It is a highly active building and has many events it generates revenue from, so the biggest challenge is a schedule to get this construction under way and completed,” Griesemer says. Obviously construction cannot interrupt the event schedule since the Superdome represents a large portion of the city’s commerce. But, these major improvements must be completed in time for upcoming marquee events, most notably the Final Four in 2012 and the Super Bowl in 2013. In addition those such major events, the Superdome must be ready for the regular NFL season. “We have a project that is full speed at the site and the work will have to be done all through the summer, then buttoned up and cleaned up to go on hold from September through January, then picked back up in February to be completely finished by September 2011,” Eskew shares. “Having an active construction site that has to stop to host major events in the facility for 5 months is a challenge.” However, Griesemer sees a solution to these challenges. “We’re fortunate to now have a builder on the team that will be proactive in working with us and the schedule and delivery. We’re all in this together now in terms of sequencing when materials can move in and out and where they can be staged,” he says. “We now, thankfully, have the final leg to the stool and can get all the materials and construction activities coordinated with the dome’s event schedule.” This work on the Superdome will prepare it for the next quarter century’s use. “We’re in an era when sports facilities are torn down after 15 to 20 years of life, when they are said to be no longer viable, but the Superdome is going on 35 years and still has the infrastructure and ability to be updated to modern sports facility levels,” Griesemer touts. “That’s really an amazing thing to us, that this is a facility that was a marvel when it was built and remains an iconic marvel today.”

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Griesemer’s design partner agrees. “I think the original construction of the Superdome was an impressive set of choices in 1973, and subsequent improvements have done nothing but strengthen the infrastructure that was there. There’s no reason why the Superdome can't have an openended lifespan,” Eskew says. And the renovations on this site will spread through the local area. “Winning the Super Bowl bid for 2013 also gives valuable impetus to the development of the area between the Superdome and the central business corridor,” says Eskew. As anexample ofthis renovationspread,Eskew+Dumez+Ripple is now redesigning the shopping mall adjacent to the Superdome. This shopping center, and its adjacent office tower, were purchased by the Benson family in 2009 (Tom Benson owns the New Orleans Saints), and the area between the Benson Tower and the Superdome will be developed into a festival plaza for pre- and post-game activities. “The result will be the revitalization of an area important to the city’s economy, while enhancing the game-day experience for sports fans,” Eskew foresees. This revitalized area could include “typical stadium hot dog and hamburger fare, but it will also probably have gumbo and jambalaya and chargrilled oyster and some great Louisiana food available and local bands playing and appearances by cheerleaders and mascots,” Curl illustrates. “It will be a great place for fans to congregate and get ready for the event in the Superdome or the arena next door.” The third and final phase of construction will be “looking toward development with the incorporation of a full sportsoriented entertainment district with restaurants, nightlife, probably museums and a hall of fame, maybe a bowling alley, ESPN zone, NASCAR café, or a Dave & Buster’s,” Curl explains. “It will be one of the most exciting developments in the city following the devastation of Katrina. It will take one area that's been left untouched since the storm and turn it into one of the most vivacious, active, vibrant parts of the whole city.” Curl, who has been at the Superdome for 33 years, says, “It’s great to see the construction, and the excitement happening. We’ve done six Super Bowls, 2013 will be our seventh, and it won’t be our last.” Indeed, as Ellerbe Becket and Eskew+Dumez+Ripple toil away to improve the Louisiana Superdome’s ability to seat more people and offer those visitors greater comforts, the firms’ efforts stretch beyond the stadium’s walls to establish positive additions to a city full of history and energy. 

Providing Comfort to Historic Locations and the Next Generation Sullivan Mechanical Contractors Inc. Produced by TaMeka Marshall & Written by Molly Cohen In 1988 Malcolm Sullivan Jr. took over his father’s full-service mechanical contracting company, Sullivan Mechanical Contractors Inc. (SMC) located in Shenandoah Valley, Va. “My father started the business, then I took it over and we’ve been going ever since. I just sold my majority interest in January so it’s now a small, women-owned business,” Sullivan says.

Originally founded in 1946, SMC works entirely in the public sector. “I was in the private sector in the late 1980s when the money problems were out there. We barely survived because of nonpayment on work we had done in the private sector. I decided we’re going where the money is and get paid,” Sullivan shares.

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Simple Promises As the president of SMC, Sullivan oversees all of the company’s services. “We are a total mechanical company offering plumbing, heating and air conditioning. We do a lot of hospital work at the University of Virginia (UVA): med gas, piping, steam, chill water, heating water — we do it all. The only thing we sub out is insulation. Everything else we do in-house, including fabricating our own ductwork,” Sullivan explains. From his experience, Sullivan offers this advice to industry newcomers: “don’t take more work than you can actually do. I’ve been there. You lose quality, and when you lose quality you lose your name, and when you lose your name, you’re gone. You have to keep out there that you’re a quality company. That’s our emphasis here — honesty, integrity and quality, that’s how we work.” These simple promises have kept SMC afloat during the recession with annual revenue around $8 million. “We’ve been at UVA every working day for 43 years, we have stayed at approximately 80 employees for the last 20 years, we have very little migration of employees, our superintendants have been with the company for around 21 years on average, our mechanics have been here 17 years on average, and our helpers have been here on average five years, which is unheard of in the industry,” says Sullivan. “We’re just a high-quality mechanical contracting firm.” Past and Pending Projects Despite its reputation for quality, SMC has been challenged recently by the economic downturn. “There are a lot of market changes and it’s hard to get a job right now. [But] we have a pretty good backlog. We’ve gone to the College of William & Mary (W&M) in Williamsburg, Va.; we’re doing a chiller plant there and I’m going to do a presentation there for a piping job,” Sullivan gives as examples.

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Southeast Currently SMC is working on a cancer center at UVA that is expected to be completed in January 2011. And “we’re finishing up an aquatics chiller plant there now. But we’re still hunting for work,” Sullivan admits.

Luckily SMC has some exceptional qualities that make finding work easier. “The one thing that does help us is our record of quality and performance. We’ve never failed to complete a project on time,” says Sullivan. SMC has even worked on historic locales including Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello plantation in Charlottesville, Va. “At Monticello we did heating and air conditioning in Thomas Jefferson’s home, his library he built off the grounds, and finished the visitor center and museum last year,” Sullivan shares. The Monticello job stands out to Sullivan as one of SMC’s most interesting projects. “We were in every nook and cranny of that mansion and the attic and seeing how it was built. It was so historic. Visitors went through while we did our work. We worked at night and during off hours and it was just a real challenge. Everybody came together and we did

the job and that’s one of my proudest achievements, working a facility like that,” says Sullivan. “And to actually be the contractor, everybody worked for me.” With projects like Monticello and these at UVA completed, and upcoming projects at W&M looking promising, Sullivan has high hopes for the future of Sullivan Mechanical Contractors. “I think it’s just, we will survive this slowdown. It’s not the first one we’ve been through, and I just see bright things for the company based on the quality of the people we have here,” he says. 

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An Expert in Florida’s Bold Colors and Large Buildings Proietto Painting Inc.

Produced by John Carioti & Written by Molly Cohen Louis Proietto was born and raised in the painting business in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia, Pa. “My father was a union painting contractor. I followed him around from an early age and started painting for him when I was about 13 during the summers,” he says. In 1985, at the age of 24, Proietto broke away from the family business and started his own company, Proietto Painting Inc. As president of the company, Proietto saw the need for a high quality caulking and waterproofing company in the company’s target area of southwest Florida. So, he founded Pro-Tech Caulking and Waterproofing Inc., which runs out of the same Ft. Lauderdale office as Proietto Painting. Waiting for Recovery The two companies work hand in hand and “bring an awful lot of professionalism and knowledge our competition doesn’t necessarily have. Because of our longevity in the business and the people we employ, who have been in the business in some cases for over 35 years, we bring a wealth of knowledge on waterproofing and coating and the painting division,” says Proietto. Between both divisions, Proietto employees about 49 employees and counts combined annual revenue at just under $16 million.

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Southeast However, the recent economic challenges might upset those numbers. “Needless to say, the unfortunate side is looking at expenses and making various cuts as needed,” Proietto regrets. However, he does have a tactic to keep from making those cuts. He is currently “looking at other areas outside of new construction in existing markets, both commercial and residential, to increase revenue that we’ve lost on the commercial side,” Proietto shares. “It’s one of those things where you can try a lot of things, but the reality is there’s a loss of revenue that probably won’t come back for a long time.” And Proietto believes 2010 is shaping up to be a lot worse than 2009. “We’re in one of the hotbeds where a lot of this activity went around. It was us, Las Vegas, California, and Arizona. We have 40-story buildings that are sitting completely empty that we’ve

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completed. No one has moved into them,” Proietto says. “They’re sitting there waiting for banks and foreclosure issues to be dealt with. In some cases, they’ve been sitting

there for over two years. There’s a lot that still needs to be dealt with in our marketplace which will take the rest of 2010 and probably parts of 2011.”

fanfare and facility in which it was birthed out of ... it was interesting to be involved in a project like that,” Proietto remembers.

Market Maintenance

“We’ve been doing lots

The effects from the recession have not kept Proietto Painting from working. “We’ve been doing lots of schoolwork, county prison work and some private work, in hotel areas. So it’s somewhat diverse, but the majority of what we’re working on is a lot of public sector work,” Proietto shares.

of schoolwork, county

One of the company’s recent projects was one of the largest cruise terminal sin the world for the Oasis of the Seas. “That was just birthed at the end of the year and was an interesting project at Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale. Seeing the ship come in from Europe and the

prison work and some private work in hotel areas. So it’s somewhat diverse, but the majority of what we’re working on is a lot of public sector work,” Proietto shares.

For large and small projects, Proietto Painting’s employees handle about 95 percent of the work in-house. Many of the company’s employees have been working there for 20 to 25 years, so they have experience handling all kinds of tasks. The only time the company subcontracts work is for something unusual. Examples include concrete removal and blasting off the coating on buildings like parking garages or decks. “We prefer to sub that kind of work out. Those things complement our work, but aren’t something we do every day,” Proietto explains. When working with subcontractors, Proietto Painting uses the same subcontractors repeatedly, “unless something has changed and they aren’t performing. Usually we find them from word-of-mouth,” Proietto says.

These subcontractor relations have been part of Proietto Painting’s overall success, something Proietto hopes will continue in the future. “I think our strategy right now is to keep doing what we’ve been doing for over 25 years and maintain our relationships with customers and wait for the opportunity as the economy does change eventually,” he says. “We will position ourselves for the ability to grow over the next few years as this thing shakes out. We are very service-oriented and customer friendly company and hopefully we’re one of the companies looked toward to help south Florida prosper again.” With his focus on the bigger picture, Proietto understands the important role his company can play in the area’s economic recovery. By helping south Florida’s economic resurrection, Proietto Painting will also get the chance to grow and recapture its commercial and residential markets, carving an unmatched niche in the painting industry. 

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A Surgical Approach to Design PF&A DESIGN

Produced by Hanim Samara & Written by Molly Cohen Companies in the medical architecture field often attest it is one of the most challenging types of design because of the specific and detailed requirements for each project. Established in June 1988, Paul Finch & Associates, PC dba PF&A DESIGN is an architecture, space planning and interior design firm that thrives on the design challenges of hospitals, private doctor’s offices and freestanding medical buildings. The firm offers every service from feasibility studies, code analysis and budget estimates to schematics, renderings and construction administration. Located in Norfolk, Va., PF&A DESIGN works throughout the country on new construction, additions and renovations of existing buildings. PF&A DESIGN also provides interior wayfinding, custom design for signage, as well as finish specification services. “Ninety percent of our work is healthcare design for hospitals, and also includes the design and building of freestanding medical office buildings” says Sharon Szalai, one of the firm’s principals who has been in the industry for 25 years. Designing for the Community PF&A DESIGN also provides design services for private commercial and governmental office buildings, but so much of its niche is in healthcare, with 96-percent repeat clientele in the medical sector. For example, PF&A DESIGN recently completed a project for the Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD): the new CHKD Health Center at Oakbrooke in Chesapeake, Va. The new three-story building is 60,000 square feet and cost $17 million, including equipment, A/E fees, furniture, etc. To complete this project, PF&A DESIGN was in charge of “100 percent of all aspects of design,” Szalai says. “Design of

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the shell building, interior suite buildouts, user equipment planning, furniture selection and signage design.” Such synergy is typical for PF&A DESIGN. Although the project owner was not looking for a LEED certification on the building, “we did apply green principles to the project,” Szalai assures. These green aspects include natural day lighting and water and energy consumption conservation, and are a focus of the firm, which is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and has sponsored additional staff members to get LEED certification. Szalai says that while working on the project, PF&A DESIGN “had strong support from the city and the client, and the contractor team was outstanding all around. This showed in the end result; change orders were minimal, we finished a month ahead of schedule, and everybody was ecstatic and pleased with the project.” As a children’s hospital, the facility serves patients up to the age of 21. PF&A DESIGN deliberately designed the building to accommodate this wide range of ages. “We designed it so it wasn’t too childish, but also not too grown-up so that the younger patients would still find it fun. We used oversized space and bold colors to make it interesting for all age levels,” says Szalai.

and other academic facilities. In 2007, PF&A DESIGN completed the Taylor Academic Center for Norfolk Christian Schools. The new Center is a two-story wing that included a renovation of the middle school area and a two-story high school addition. The firm easily connected the new and pre-existing parts of the building to create an almost 40,000-square foot area including a chapel, an art suite and a business administration area. In addition to this project, the groundbreaking for new residential housing for the Southeastern Virginia Training Center, a project in which PF&A DESIGN is a partner, took place last month. These are just a few examples of ongoing projects for the firm.

While the main hospital campus is located in Norfolk, there are two other satellite medical offices, one in Virginia Beach and the other in Newport News. “This challenged us to design something to pick up on the use of color, materials and aspects of all three locations into the design of this building” says Szalai. In addition to design preferences, the facility required specific amenities, including an MRI trailer at the rear of the facility, a future helicopter drop-off area, an adjustable therapy pool, an x-ray division, a sound booth for audiology and a sleep lab. The building was designed with a central lobby core to accommodate a future 30,000-square foot, two-story addition to the building. PF&A DESIGN met all of the requirements and also incorporated a strong sense of community into the building. The firm asked for child volunteers from the area to be photographed and incorporated into the building’s artwork. “We have murals of Chesapeake children playing soccer and other activities throughout the facility, so there’s a strong community representation for the project. It’s been successful, and when parents come in they’re very happy to see the children depicted in the space,” Szalai says. The main goal of this facility was to consolidate CHKD medical services in the Chesapeake area on one campus. The new medical center opened to acclaim in October 2009. Stepping Forward

Beyond these endeavors, PF&A DESIGN is ready to take on the next challenge. “We have a lot of clients that we are providing front end studies for,” says Szalai. Looking into the next one to two years, Szalai sees several options for the firm’s development “We’ve entertained a little more retail and upper education research/lab facility projects, both of which have been successful for us in the past; we’d like to see these fields expanded further. Hospitality is another sector for us to pursue. We have full in-house space planners, interior designers and the ability to put together furniture bid packages, so we think it would be a viable sector, but it can be hard to get that new client to take a leap of faith.” While the company does not have a deep resume in these two sectors, PF&A DESIGN always has its already impressive portfolio of medical work to rely on, having completed projects up and down the East Coast, as well as in Puerto Rico. “Our attitude is if you are able to do healthcare design effectively as a firm, any new challenges can be taken on successfully,” Szalai says. If the CHKD Health Center at Oakbrooke is any indication of the type of work PF&A DESIGN does, it is clear that any client in any sector would be impressed by the firm’s finished product. As the company looks to expand its ability to redefine spaces as logical and compelling sensory experiences, PF&A DESIGN will find many opportunities to flex its in-house services and dig a deeper niche in the architecture industry. 

While medical facilities tend to be the firm’s current sweet spot, it also has experience working on private schools

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Supporting Georgia through Construction and Donation LRA Constructors Inc.

Produced by John Carioti & Written by Molly Cohen

After graduating from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Building Construction, Jake Reese joined his father’s company, LRA Constructors Inc., located in Albany, Ga. LRA is known for its designbuild capabilities for industrial-type facilities throughout southwest Georgia. “I’ve been in the industry for about two

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years. My dad is a co-owner of the company,” says Jake, whose father, John is the company’s treasurer. LRA’s other co-owner, Ben Barrow Jr., is company president. With Barrow and the elder Reese at the helm, Jake says the company, which was founded in 1978, stands out from its

competitors because it “still has the ability to self-perform a lot of work, as opposed to some companies working as a broker-type, using subcontractors, while we still have the ability to self-perform on some of the smaller work we do.”

While the company does most of its work in southwest Georgia, “we’ve gone further than the state in the past and done work in Florida and Alabama,” Reese shares. “We’re doing a project in Buford right now and are about to start one in Savannah in a few weeks.”

Trusting Internal Strengths Maintaining a Steady Workflow With 75 to 90 employees, based on the company’s workload, LRA’s greatest expense is labor. However, paying for top notch labor is worth every penny since LRA’s in-house capabilities are what keep the projects running efficiently and at the most competitive price. LRA’s in-house capabilities include foundation work, “we usually do most of that work ourselves,” Jake explains. “We do a lot of pre-engineered metal buildings and we have crews to install that ourselves, and certain types of framing, depending on how big the project is.” Based on these in-house strengths, each of LRA’s projects uses a specifically chosen group of professionals with experience on that particular type of commercial building. And after so many years of experience, LRA is now able to offer its clients multi-year warranties on its construction projects. Additionally, LRA trusts its metal roofing so much that it promises at least 20 years of weather tightness.

In addition to those projects, LRA is currently working on a renovation and expansion for a high school in Albany. This project includes 18,000 square feet of new building space and a renovation of approximately three quarters of the existing high school facility. Despite its steady workflow, LRA has faced challenges as a result of the economic decline. "We’ve definitely had some times in the last year and a half when we had to work hard to keep everybody busy and not send anybody home some weeks. We’ve done a pretty good job of that,” Jake shares. Thanks to LRA’s flexible contracts, which utilize American Institute of Architects, Associated General Contractors of America, or other specialized custom documents, the company has been able to offer lump-sum or cost-plus agreements with its clients. Matching this flexibility in contracts with its history of more than 1,500 successful commercial and industrial projects, LRA has been able to maintain its steady revenue of between $25 million and $30 million annually. There is one additional aspect of LRA that keeps its local clients coming back for more work, and makes LRA stand out as the best choice for any construction project. This is LRA’s commitment to local communities. Not only does the company improve these communities through its construction and design of functional and aesthetic buildings, it also offers a portion of its time volunteering, and donates some of its revenue to local organizations and causes. This process gives back to the community and cements long-term associations with local clients. It is this drive to support LRA’s local communities through volunteerism, as well as design-build capabilities, matched with its in-house task performance and experience working on a wide range of commercial and industrial projects, that makes the company stand out. If LRA can hold true to these key intrinsic qualities, it seems capable of surviving the economic recession and maintaining its position in Georgia’s design-build industry. 

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A Family-Founded Multitude of Services Lipham Construction Company Inc. Produced by Hanim Samara & Written by Molly Cohen Lipham Construction Company Inc. (LCC) is a diversified family business dating back to about 1963. Since its founding, the company has maintained its same standards of quality and customer-oriented service, even as industry trends and economic stability change and evolve. LCC was incorporated in 1979 and is based in Texas. “It was founded by my grandfather and father,” says Chris Lipham, the company’s current president. “I am 29, graduated college in 2004. I moved back here after graduating and started fulltime. I had worked part-time in the summers and after school previously.”

In addition to these services, “we’re in the mining business, but only have one quarry left near Herford,” Lipham says. Combining sales from all of its locations and services, LCC has annual revenue of between $40 million and $70 million. And to accommodate all of these services, LCC employs between 50 and 150 skilled and experienced professionals. These professionals keep most of the tasks for each job inhouse, including the use of some in-house trucks. However, LCC leases some trucks to make a project more efficient and gets its asphalt from a terminal or a refinery. Some of LCC’s suppliers include Jones Brothers Inc. and the J. Lee Milligan Asphalt Plant. Making Use of Opportunities LCC makes quick use of suppliers since the company has mostly seasonal work. The busy season “usually runs about a five-month working period with each job lasting 30 to 40 days,” Lipham says. Recently LCC has completed projects in Abilene, Wichita Falls, and Lubbock, Texas. In fact, LCC had two jobs running in Lubbock. Each job was about an $8 million contract that took 30 days to complete. Both projects consisted of around 200 roadway miles each.

Lipham feels as if he has been with the company business for much longer. “Since birth!” he jokes.

While LCC was able to complete these projects with no problems, meeting its customers’ service expectations, they are not part of a company expansion plan. “There’s not a lot of room for growth in our industry,” Lipham explains. “Quarries run out of materials and we don’t want to get back into that business. My grandfather and dad are out, so it's up to me. But the volume of work is down so much.”

Continuing Traditions LCC’s services are available throughout Texas and Oklahoma from its home office in Aspermont, Texas. “We have a branch in Herford, Texas; this office does some residential work. We have another office in Tulsa, Okla., that does strictly liquid oil hauling, asphalt, and seal coat,” Lipham shares. “We do Texas Department of Transportation jobs almost exclusively. We’re doing work for municipalities and cities on occasion; this is about 10 percent of the company’s work.”

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Because of these factors, LCC’s future is a bit murky and Lipham does not see any specific changes occurring for the company in the next one to two years. “It’s hard to say. We’d like to get to about $100 million each year. We’re holding on for the market to change,” Lipham shares. “It’s an interesting time for everyone. We’re just going to keep going and our main goal is to keep the employees that have been here for over 25 years.

Although the company may not have specific plans to diversify or grow in the coming years, Lipham does plan to stay loyal to his long-term employees. In many family-founded companies, like LCC, employees who have been working for the company for long periods of time become an extension of the founding family by embodying the passion and goals of the company. This holds true for Lipham Construction Company, and as it moves into the future Lipham will continue relying on its exemplary employees to maintain the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foothold in the industry. ď §

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A Revitalized Business Model

Levey Development and Construction LLC Produced by Hanim Samara & Written by Amy Bonn Levey Development and Construction LLC (LDC) has earned a reputation in Houston, Texas, as a first rate producer of turnkey, energy-efficient industrial building development projects that are within budget and completed on time, every time. With both a focus on redevelopment and revitalization and ground-up new development, LDC has continued to succeed during the difficult economic times of the last two years â&#x20AC;&#x201D; due in large part to its leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; common sense approach to doing business.

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LDC is a subsidiary of GSL Investments Inc. (GSL), which was founded in 1979 and owns and leases single-tenant office, lab, industrial and manufacturing facilities in Texas. Whereas GSL is a one-stop shop that deals heavily in land acquisition, financing, and management of properties, LDC is a comprehensive shop that handles site review, master-planning, design engineering, LEED certification, construction management, and all the related details. Since 1979, LDC has worked in industrial, business park, and office solutions construction, with expertise in turnkey build-to-

suit and design-build delivery methods, as well as extensive redevelopment of existing facilities. And the company is currently working on expanding its development enterprise. The good business sense demonstrated by LDC is no accident. The background and education of its leaders have prepared them for steering LDC toward success. At the helm is Gustave S. Levey, founder of the company, president of GSL, and adviser on all development operations. Levey holds both a B.S. in Economics and a law degree from the University of Houston. Levey works closely with David R. Ebro, who is his grandson and has been with the company for six years. Prior to joining the company, Ebro, managing member of LDC and vice president of GSL, earned a master’s degree in Economics from Florida International University. Ebro also worked as a residential real estate investor in Florida prior to coming to LDC. In addition to his duties for the company, he is an Adjunct Professor of Economics at Houston Community College. Smart Business Strategies A major key to the ongoing success of LDC is that the company keeps its overhead costs as low as possible by maintaining only a handful of permanent employees. Ebro says, “When the effects of the economic downturn became apparent and business began to stagnate, our company’s lean operation afforded us the luxury of cutting fewer checks than what our competition needed to.” The company has relatively few payroll checks, as the only in-house workers are executives, limited office staff, and one permanent project manager. This business strategy of keeping overhead low has allowed the company continued success. With each new project, LDC subcontracts all trade work, including

repairmen, electricians, and concrete workers. Through this practice, the company has built solid relationships with subcontractors on whom it can depend on to do first-rate work. LDC and GSL have carved out a niche in the redevelopment industry. According to Ebro, “We take functionally obsolete buildings that are non-financeable and make the necessary improvements to make them attractive to end users.” Ebro notes that the limited financing currently available in the market could potentially benefit LDC, given the company’s ability to operate on an all-cash basis and redevelop problematic existing structures. Ebro elaborates that current lending restrictions may serve to the company’s advantage, and that LDC “can buy land and develop it for companies that are otherwise able to obtain financing or underwrite leases for tenants that developers relying on financing cannot.” A Proven Track Record Ebro discusses the types of redevelopment and revitalization projects undertaken by LDC. He stresses that many of the structures that the company takes on are “functionally obsolete,” and explains that, “we take a building that has a clear height that’s too low, and we’ll come in and literally raise the roof. We find those types of projects particularly appealing.” LDC has completed several recent redevelopment projects, including a 100,000-square-foot facility that the company purchased, along with an adjacent 10-acre tract. The company raised the roof of the building, modernized the lighting, added cranes, and executed a five-year lease for the facility with another construction company. For another recent project, the company purchased a 28acre tract of land, subdivided and sold several frontage tracts for smaller retail units, and then signed a 10year lease with a steel company for a 140,000-square-foot building on the main tract. As far as growth plans for the future, LDC’s new developments will no doubt carry on the company’s 30year tradition of excellence in the field. Based on the company’s savvy business strategies and depth of experience with developing, financing, managing, owning, and selling real estate, its future endeavors should continue to meet with success. 

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Installing Electrical Systems, Instilling Faith

George-McKenna Electrical Contractors, Inc. Produced by Chuck McKenna & Written by Kelly Matlock Striving for excellence — that is how some would describe Don George, president and owner of George-McKenna Electrical Contractors, a company that designs, builds, upgrades and repairs electrical systems, and has for nearly three decades. George-McKenna prides itself on its values, reliability, highquality work and commitment to excellent customer service. The longevity it has proven from a base in Irving, Texas, explains its slogan “The Safe Choice since 1981.”

ministry.” Don’s vision is to “construct a successful Christian electrical contracting business that continues Kingdom building for generations.” C12 members meet and form a board of directors. As a member, Don gets support from other Christian business owners in making big decisions. George-McKenna also provides a chaplain that visits once a week, offering one-on-one time with employees. Bringing his personal faith to work is essential as far as Don is concerned.

The name George-McKenna comes from its founders’ last names. Bill George, Don’s father, retired in 2002. Shortly afterward Don bought Clancy McKenna’s share to become sole proprietor, owner, and president. Don had worked with the founders from the near-beginning of the business, and with over a quarter-century of experience was ready for ownership. Since then, he has continued the legacy envisioned by his father and made some changes of his own. He introduced an early form of the current company's vision and mission statements, and began working on achieving the goal of operational excellence.

Serving commercial, industrial and residential clients, George-McKenna continues to grow, steadily increasing annual revenue year after year.

Immediately after taking over full ownership, Don dedicated himself to changing the company’s safety culture. He reorganized the safety committee to include several different levels of field employees, from entry-level helpers to superintendents. The committee meets regularly and reviews incidents, develops processes, and works on improving the program. Almost immediately, the company safety record improved immensely and the company went 1,108 days without a lost-time accident. The company still enjoys a below-average workers’ comp modifier. Recently, Don joined a Christian-based organization, C12, which Don says “helps you make your business your

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Walking the Talk George-McKenna provides electrical contracting for preconstruction, new construction, renovations, and tenant improvements for major projects up to $2.5 million. Its service department provides service upgrades, exterior, interior and landscape lighting, retrofits and service installation. The service department specializes in responding to customers’ needs quickly and dispatching employees to service emergency repairs; standard maintenance; service upgrades; exterior, interior and landscape lighting; retrofits; relocation of electrical interiors; lighting, circuit and panel work; replacement work; and energy-saving installations. Installations of security card access systems, security cameras, and CCTV monitoring systems are also in GeorgeMcKenna’s line of work, along with data and telephone wiring and installation. For some specialty systems, such as fire alarms, the company subcontracts work. Typically, however, the company self-performs all electrical work on any given project.

building provides storage. At the completion of the project, George-McKenna was able to make a charitable contribution of $37,000 to support Catholic Charities serving the community. For the Catholic Charities project George-McKenna partnered with Steele & Freeman, construction manager, in conjunction with the services of architecture firm Hahnfeld Hoffer and Stanford and MEP Engineering of Baird Hampton Brown to facilitate the electrical installation of the project. Facing the Future As George-McKenna continues to grow, business expenses increase alongside success. Don says the biggest company expense, after labor, is health insurance costs, which are nearly impossible to control, and it can be frustrating to watch premiums increase and care coverage decrease. However, the company does its best to offer employees and their families good health insurance at a reasonable cost. Other fluctuating business expenses that are hard to manage are the cost of materials, particularly copper, which can swing between $2 and $4 a pound. This means that in one large project there might be a $100,000 swing on copper pricing.

Working a range of construction sectors, George-McKenna has done electrical work for schools, churches, hospitals, retail outfits, institutions, and government facilities. With around 100 employees, the company is well-equipped to deliver on a variety of projects and service needs. A Sample of the Work Most George-McKenna projects are completed within a 75mile radius of the Dallas/Fort Worth market and surrounding counties. In the past, George-McKenna has seen its share of success and awards. The company has been the recipient of four Summit Awards (2003, 2005, 2008, 2009). One recently completed project involved the electrical systems for Catholic Charities’ new facilities. The new multi-building campus is located in the Seminary Street neighborhood of Fort Worth. The project is comprised of three buildings and associated site work, and was completed on schedule and within Catholic Charities’ budget. Catholic Charities provides services throughout the course of a year for one in five residents of Tarrant County, Texas. The new complex, with a combined total space of 83,563 square feet, was designed and built to provide comprehensive foster care services in the Assessment Center and a wide variety of client services in the Nenetta Burton Carter Building. A third

Another expense, if not watched carefully, can be workers compensation. However, this is an area where GeorgeMcKenna works hard to keep costs down — by keeping employees safe. By focusing on safety through proper training and standard safe practices, the company works to minimize the potential of an injured employee. Employees are recognized annually for working safe. Among the awards gained by the company's diligence is a Safety Excellence Award. In a tight market, Don says the best way to compete is by “managing your people” well. With over a dozen contractors bidding on most projects, the competition is fierce. However, having expert technicians who do reliable and safe work gives the company an edge up, so credibility and repeat jobs follow suit. Current work that will soon be completed includes the Texas Women’s University, along with Texas Christian University, and 14 school remodels. Fortunately, the construction market in Texas is fairing considerably well, and the Dallas/ Fort Worth area in particular “is a reasonable place to be,” says Don. By doing respectable work throughout North Texas while honoring God, George-McKenna Electrical Contractors continues establishing itself as an industry leader in construction, service and data/communications projects, and benefiting the community. 

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An Environmentally Friendly Air Gillette Air Conditioning Co., Inc. Produced by Zach Smith & Written by Molly Cohen Texas tends to have one of the United States’ warmer weather patterns. Summers simmer in the upper 90s with periodic dry spells sweeping across the state. Luckily for central and southern Texas, Gillette Air Conditioning Co., Inc. has all the skills and experience needed to meet those regions’ cooling needs. Founded in 1959 by Vince Gillette Sr. — with sons Tom, Ed and Vince Jr. forming the second generation

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leadership — Gillette Air Conditioning is a family-oriented company located in San Antonio, and one of the larger cooling companies in the local market. Mark Napier, a company comptroller, explains that Gillette Air Conditioning does all of the mechanical work for the company’s institutional niche. “We do schools, hospitals,

office buildings, jails, private jobs and government work,” he explains. Napier has been in the air conditioning industry for the past 25 years, with his entire career at Gillette Air Conditioning. In the company’s past 50 years, Gillette Air Conditioning has seen all sorts of economic turmoil, but it is still holding strong.

Currently, Gillette Air Conditioning has 230 employees and that number has not fluctuated in reaction to the economic downturn. Thanks to the company’s large staff, it does not need to subcontract many tasks. However, it does sub out

Challenging the Economy While many companies’ success is wavering due to the economic decline, Gillette Air Conditioning is not. “I always grow when this happens,” Napier says. “Back in the '80s, that’s when we had our biggest growth.” Anyone in the construction industry during the 1980s remembers it as a particularly slow period that ultimately decimated many companies. Gillette, however, has not only survived the turbulent periods, but has grown into a company that posts annual revenues of $32 million.

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Silver certification. Working on this job requires specific technology and techniques to maintain that LEED rating.

Gillette Air Conditioning uses Texas heat waves and droughts to its full benefit. With its specializations in air conditioning, heating, refrigeration and boilers for commercial and industrial facilities, the company needs these weather opportunities to spur a flurry of business before the colder winter months slow those services.

When it comes to sustainability, Gillette Air Conditioning is ahead of the game. But Gillette realizes that it might be hard for some companies to get started. “I think there’s a learning curve, but it makes you become more efficient.” However, becoming more efficient was not Gillette’s reason for jumping on the bandwagon. “This has been going on for 10 years. I mean, I don’t agree with the carbon tax stuff, but let’s build more efficiently. Why not?”

Once the colder weather sets in, the company is still busy because it has an independent construction division. With both of these departments, Gillette Air Conditioning keeps the funds flowing year round. Using this pattern, Gillette has big plans for his company’s future. “Right now we’re second generation and we’re hoping to go third,” Napier says.

Jolly Green Giant “They need more nuclear power plants. They’re 90-percent

Helping assure that future is Gillette's commitment to customer satisfaction, which is what the company uses as it’s main performance indicator. “If you’re not on time, they’re not satisfied,” says Napier. “Sometimes you think the best deal is when they accelerate timelines. Then you don’t have time to sleep.” To complete all of its job requirements, Gillette Air Conditioning’s facilities are substantial. With 4,000 square feet of office space and 22,000 square feet for fabrication and storage, the company has room for any job size. Gillette Air Conditioning’s construction department is also housed on-site. This division covers system design and planning, as well as installation for residential and commercial customers. To assist the cooling department and the construction division, Gillette Air Conditioning also has an in-house parts department, meeting all of the company’s requests.

efficient,” Napier says. “And I believe we should be able to drill in the United States. I think we should use every drop of oil we have here and when it’s done in 20 years, we can start using an alternative fuel.”

Serving the Forces and the Future Recently, Gillette Air Conditioning has completed several successful projects. One such project is U.S. governmentfunded defense base realignment and closure work at Fort Sam Houston. Additionally, the company is doing some historic preservation work involving several local schools. In its green division, Gillette Air Conditioning is working on Beverty Green Elementary School, which has a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

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Overall, Gillette has strong opinions on the current energy situation. “They need more nuclear power plants. They’re 90-percent efficient,” Napier says. “And I believe we should be able to drill in the United States. I think we should use every drop of oil we have here and when it’s done in 20 years, we can start using an alternative fuel.” But Gillette sees distinct immediate benefits from the green industry, especially since many companies are hesitant to join the green revolution. “I like guys that think they can’t bite the bullet for the short term,” Napier explains. “I love when they say they can’t do it, because that makes it easier for me.” Although the green industry is still up-and-coming, Gillette sees it as an important aspect of business. “People who don’t do green are whiners, complaining about the recession. You have to embrace it because it’s going to be part of the law,” Napier urges. “I can’t wait until some guy puts in a system and then has to rip it all out because he didn’t follow guidelines.” And in a situation like that, it will be Gillette Air Conditioning contracted to fix the mistakes.

As a company with so much experience and comfort in the green cooling industry, Gillette Air Conditioning has what it takes to beat the economic heat and continue its growth pattern. 

Electrifying New Prospects Partners Electrical Services LLC

Produced by TaMeka Marshall & Written by Molly Cohen Partners Electrical Services LLC “was founded on the back of a napkin,” says Charles Burton, one of the company’s three managers. Burton, Jim Keesling, and Bob Fusco started their company together in 1999. Before that, “we were all involved with a corporate type of company. When the company was getting rolled up we had enough. We said ‘let’s go have some fun,'” Burton explains. “If we weren’t having fun, I wouldn’t be here.” Partners is now known for its expertise in electrical services and its 24/7 service department. The company’s electrical services are available in the commercial sector for tasks like motor controls, repairs, lighting maintenance, security lighting, surge protection, new circuits or outlets, and infrared inspections. Partners is also diversified beyond the electrical specialty to include service in new construction projects, data information tasks, and design-build engineering. Keeping Customers Happy While all three partners hold the same title of manager, each has his own specific role in the company. For example, Burton tends to have a sales perspective on the company. Burton began his career in the industry in 1986 as an electrician in the field before forming Partners. From this experience, he recognizes Partners’ unmatched niche in the industry. “We’re really a services company that our clients trust to do the project. Our name is well-known around town, and they know we’re a trusted contractor that’s going to do the work right for them with an open-book policy,” he says. And this focus on client satisfaction is mirrored in Partners’ 80 to 100 employees’ approach to work. The company works mostly in southeast Texas making annual revenue of $12 million to $15 million. “We have branched out [of the area]

a little bit, but we try to stay there. Some of our clients with negotiated contracts might be an extra hundred miles out of the area and we’ll go to them, but we don’t really go out and advertise to a lot of people. Its more word-of-mouth and most of our clients we’ve done business with for years,” Burton shares. Fusco, one of Burton’s partners, has similar views on what makes Partners stand out from its competitors. “One of the things we’ve always focused on is quality and value. Our intention was always to make the guys knowledgeable of the customers’ needs, give them good benefits, a good place to work, consistent work and run the company in a conservative atmosphere,” he says. “We focus very strongly on safety … in the last few years our workers comp claims have been virtually zero. We are uniformed, safe, on time. But with that we make sure we explain to the customer that we may not always be the cheapest, but in the long run we'll save time and money.” Fusco, who joined the electrical industry in 1992 after a career in manufacturing and real estate, functions as the company’s CFO. From his perspective, Partners maintains its position in the industry, even during the recession, thanks to its conservative cash flow and focus on keeping cash in the company. “That allows us to sometimes help our customers if they need a little more time paying the bills. A lot of construction companies tend to [use] the money as it comes in. So we’ve left it in [the company], which puts us in a strong position with our banking partners. They’re not as much at risk because we’re using our own money for cash flow purposes,” says Fusco. By keeping cash in the company, Partners never breaks the general school of thought in the construction industry, which, according to Fusco, is ‘pay when paid.’ “As a subcontractor you generally are at the bottom of the funnel. You very clearly have to wait for the GC to get paid and have to hope they have sufficient funds to pay you. Your suppliers will play to a certain level, but then say ‘I need my money or I’ll cut you off,’ and then we can’t provide for our other jobs — so we become a financing source for owners and GCs,” Fusco explains. “That’s why it’s always a goal of mine that we reach a point where we slow down [the three

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partners’] personal incomes and keep the money in the company to go after other jobs and in the long run become more profitable.” Sparking Future Endeavors To reach that goal of increased profitability, Partners must keep diversifying and stay current with industry trends. For now the company is focused on becoming a larger part of the sustainable design movement. “That’s where the marketplace is going. I got green certified and that’s helped to open more doors with more clients. We’re trying to help our clients save energy by replacing fixtures and doing daylight harvesting systems,” says Burton. Daylighting refers to a system in which a building’s lights will dim up and down according to the amount of light coming in through windows. “It’s a learning process. Every day that you don’t learn something is a day you’ve failed,” Burton says of the company’s aggressive approach to becoming greener. Partners recently put its daylighting expertise to use on a project for Horizon Wind Energy, a wind farm builder and management company supplying wind energy across America. The company also does a lot of work for National Oil Valero in the southeastern Texas area and just got through a large project on the west side of Houston for Kraton Polymers, a spinoff of Shell Oil. Currently, “we’re doing Humble Surgical Center in Humble, Texas, for the health care community. It’s a day surgery center. We helped the design-build process with their engineer,” says Burton.

And Partners has its next group of projects in sight. “We’ve got some very nice projects we’re looking at. With the downturn in the economy we’re really having to buddy up with people to show them that we’re not always the lowest price, but we are the best price,” says Burton. With this tactic in mind, the company is planning its next steps toward future growth. “Before I get two years out, I have to figure out where the next year is going to go. We’ve hunkered down here a bit to try and see how this thing plays out. We keep enough work on the board to move right back into the market,” says Fusco. “Where I see us going is in the next two or three years is back into a $15 million to $20 million shop. We'll position ourselves with our cash available to tap into some additional markets and find customers that are looking for a stable, well-financed company.” Burton offers similar insight into Partners’ future. “Our future growth will stay in this area. The bigger the monster you build, the less you can see what’s going on. We’re not your large corporate conglomerate where you have meetings every day to see what the next meeting is going to be about. We’re more flexible, we just let everybody go out, build some relationships, and continue doing work,” he says. Meshing the managers’ goals will create a more profitable, but still financially stable, company expanding throughout southeast Texas. Using their own experiences in the industry, Burton, Fusco and Keesling will continue guiding Partners Electrical Services in meeting clients' satisfaction and maintaining its foothold in the electrical industry. 

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Managing Flexibility across Size and Sector Meridian Commercial Inc.

Produced by Matt Duncan & Written by Molly Cohen In 1991, after numerous years as a senior project and property manager for Trammell Crow Company, where he helmed millions of square feet in office space, industrial parks and apartments across 13 states, Anthony Hernandez founded Meridian Commercial Inc., his own construction management company. “We started doing small work, and then we got bonded and can now do bigger work,” explains Hernandez, chronicling the company’s growth. Hernandez, the company’s president and CEO, says Meridian’s niche is “small to mid-size, ground-up, corporate buildings, but we are divers and will do almost anything.” Indeed, Meridian’s construction services have been utilized throughout Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana from its headquarters in Dallas and branch office in Houston. Building on Relationships Meridian has 15 employees and annual revenue of $25 million, though the company recently had to trim its workforce. “Everyone is scrambling to get more profitable business in the door, but this is a relationship business,” Hernandez explains. “So instead of just taking every small job, we are endeavoring to deepen our relationships with clients. Work worth having is repeat work from existing clients.” Hernandez, who has been in the industry since 1980, has a firm grasp on when to bid and when to hold off. “Sometimes we bid public deals, but we stay with the private sector mostly,” he shares. “We look at how many bidders there are, and if there are more than 15 to 20 bidders we won’t bid.”

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Meridian offers its customer-focused construction management, as well as its proficiency in the design-build approach, to the commercial and multifamily markets. The company aims to work hand-in-hand with clients to create a

high-quality product. With its extensive experience in new construction and renovations, Meridian works with building owners, developers, property managers, and tenants, and can take a project from pre-construction consulting and the initial design phases through construction and all the way to owner occupancy. The company works in numerous sectors, including commercial, corporate, aviation, medical, industrial, parking garages, residential, and civic. And Meridian promises honesty and communication at each stage of construction. Combining Strengths Beyond its management services, Meridian subcontracts all craftwork out to other organizations. Managing these groups of subcontractors is a very important part of each project. If a subcontractor performs poorly, it becomes a reflection on Meridian. Thus, it is very important that Meridian chooses subcontractors it trusts to deliver the work as promised. “We prescreen them and keep a list of people who we can trust and have worked with before, but we go with new people sometimes,” Hernandez says. Currently Meridian is combining its management skills, subcontractor relations and technology savvy on a project at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. “We did the passenger stations for the new people movers there,” Hernandez says. Meridian has worked on this airport for many years and has established a relationship that will hopefully lead to more projects there in the future.

positive outlook on the future of Dallas; we know it’s going to come back.” With its positive outlook and ongoing relationships, history of small-and large-scale projects, and ability to successfully work in a large range of sectors, Meridian has several internal strengths to carry it through the recession. Once the economy improves, Meridian Commercial Inc. will further explore opportunities to grow its integrated construction services on many projects, allowing the company to meet its goals in the South-Central U.S. 

Besides a possible continuation of airport work, Meridian has put additional strategic plans in motion. “We expanded to Houston, so that was a step in a new direction,” Hernandez shares. “When work comes up, we’ll get our share.” It seems that for now the economy is one of the only things holding Meridian back from further expansion. “I guess it could get worse, but I don’t know how,” Hernandez says of the current economic situation. “The money isn’t out there and we are surviving. But we have a

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Building Hometown Support O’Donnell/Snider Construction LP Produced by Victor Martins & Written by Molly Cohen Randy O’Donnell and Trey Snider were originally acquainted through their fraternity at the University of Texas. Years later they put their bond to the test when, in 1991, they founded O’Donnell/Snider Construction LP in Houston, Texas, bringing a wealth of experience to the partnership. For example, “My degree is architectural engineering and my family had a home building business, so during summers I worked for for them and learned several different trades,” O’Donnell says of his career in construction. “Upon graduation in 1984 I went to work for Gierhart/Vaughn as a project manager in San Antonio. After four years Gierhart/Vaughn split up and I went to work for Tellepsen Corp. for two years, and then decided to do something on my own with Trey.” Snider, who has a degree in Business Finance, had been working for a real estate firm that had a small inhouse construction company. What he brought to the table was not just construction knowledge, but also his understanding of a business model that would work. He keeps a keen eye on the numbers and that is what makes O’Donnell/Snider run, O’Donnell says. Another key player for O’Donnell/ Snider has been Lance Odom, who joined the company in 1992 and helped grow the company’s client and subcontractor base to allow it to manage the estimating and development of multi-million dollar projects. O’Donnell/Snider is now known for its general contracting services, new construction, construction management, and consulting services for the commercial sector, which generate annual revenue of $70

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million. “We do higher-end tenant finish-out construction, including medical, retail and restaurants, plus we have a small ground-up division, and we’re doing some school work and renovations,” O’Donnell shares.

care of them so that they feel good about taking care of us. We still hard bid probably 65 percent of work, so we know that we’re getting good numbers from subs.” Finding those key subcontractors is also important for O’Donnell/Snider because its subcontractors’ work is a reflection of itself. And, O’Donnell adds, “reputation is the number one thing in Houston.” Because reputation is critical to getting regular work, O’Donnell/Snider also uses specific safety policies for each project to ensure compliance and efficiently. These steps include site evaluations, monthly staff safety meetings, weekly “tool box” safety meetings, and a daily site clean-up checklist. A Variety of Success Those safety precautions were recently used on a $3.8 million project for the Horizon Wind Energy Offices. This project, completed with Kirksey Architects, was a 12,852-square foot renovation of a corporate interior. Once completed, this became the first LEED Silver-certified project in Houston. “We’re hoping for more work with them,” O’Donnell says, reflecting on the success of this project. O’Donnell/Snider also flexed its organizational strength on the recent relocation of a local restaurant, Masraff’s. “We finished in two months; it was a very fast and frantic project,” O’Donnell remembers. Local Assistance O’Donnell/Snider employs 40 people who work primarily in the Houston area, stretching into Galveston, Baytown, Woodlands, Clear Lake, and Sugarland. “Sometimes we even go into Austin for specific client requests,” adds O’Donnell, who expresses pride in his region. O’Donnell/Snider even supports the area’s local charities, including the Ronald McDonald House, Spring Branch Sports Association, Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital — Development Council, Post Oak Little League, and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The company is able to be involved so easily across its area because it draws from a proven pool of local subcontractors that allow the company to tailor its services for each individual project. According to O’Donnell, the company handles preconstruction, design development, permit/construction/ clean-up supervision and punch list completion/project close-out, etc., but holds no trades in-house. Thus, O’Donnell/Snider subcontracts all crafts out to a core group. “I love, on the commercial end, that the companies that we use are viable companies. They are insured and strong. We have five to 15 subs on any given trade, and we solicit bids depending on the scope and requirements. We have great relationship with our subs,” O’Donnell shares. “We’re taking

In the educational sector, O’Donnell/Snider completed a science addition for Cypress Woods High School with PBK Architects. The construction cost for this project was $4.7 million and it will be a much-used portion of the school. “We have 39 projects going from all parts of the process,” O’Donnell shares. “Now we’re getting ready to start a major cancer treatment facility for Houston Metro Urology.” Having projects on the board again is a great relief for O’Donnell, who reflects on the economic times. “I believe we’re getting calls again. I don’t know how much growth we’ll have, but I think the worst has come and gone. In the fourth quarter the calls had stopped and now they are calling again. Contacts with architects and brokers are encouraging,” he adds. With renewed optimism, the company can begin looking for new opportunities for work in its traditional sectors. And, with so many impressive completed projects, O’Donnell/ Snider Construction will not have trouble showcasing its strengths to win new jobs and begin growing. 

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Electronically Forging Ahead Morley Moss Inc.

Produced by Matt Duncan & Written by Molly Cohen Last year Morley Moss Inc. celebrated its 25th anniversary of being an incorporated electrical contractor in 1984. President and founding member William “Bill” Lawrence Morley, explains that Morley Moss originally specialized in electrical work for the commercial industrial sector. But, “about seven years ago we created an IT division and about three years ago we created an engineering division,” he says. “All three divisions work cohesively to provide the end user the potential to stop at one location and gain all the services from one hat.” Morley, who began his career as an electrician and has been in the industry for 35 years, believes the benefit of having the three divisions under one company is “with all three hats working together on the same project, the customer gets more value for the dollar because the divisions can work more closely together than if they were different entities … everyone works in the office with the same tools.” Diversifying for Growth Morley Moss added the new divisions because as the electrical contracting division grew, the company was asked repeatedly to provide additional electrical services. The IT division became a necessity to meet those needs. The engineering department was formed for similar reasons. Morley Moss was asked on several occasions to do designbuild projects in-house “and after you lose a couple projects like that to someone who can do it, you have to make a decision of whether or not that will work for you and if we’re going to compete on this scale we’re going to have to have inhouse engineering capabilities,” Morley explains. “I would

say both [divisions] were complements to the electrical contracting business.” Morley Moss’ services are available from its Sunnyvale, Texas, office and satellite offices in San Antonio and Austin. It is also one of only three electrical contractors in Dallas that is LEED certified. “I wouldn’t say we cover the whole state, but we will. We’ve been as far as Beijing, China. If you need us, we can be there,” says Morley. The company’s employee numbers settle around 170 people, but the company has had more than 300 people at one time, depending on the amount of work it has. “We’re a large medium-sized contractor; we do $30 million to $40 million in revenue per year,” Morley explains. That revenue stems from Morley Moss’ ability to successfully work with others on projects. “We will prime contract a lot of work where we have subs working underneath us. Over a period of time you get to know these people and you can make a good job or a bad job just by the crafts working with you on the job. You migrate to the ones who you have worked with and who have done a good job,” Morley says. Staying Innovative Despite its teamwork approach, Morley Moss faces industry challenges. “The technology for electrical and engineering work changes constantly. There’s new technology that comes out and if the end user likes it you have to implement it and get used to it,” Morley explains. “And as the laws change you have to adjust. It’s an evolution process.” These technology changes have not hindered Morley Moss’ job opportunities. The company recently completed several mission critical projects throughout Texas. Morley Moss does not share its clients’ names for their privacy. But the company finished a holding company’s new data center. For this project Morley Moss designed and installed all of the electrical and IT requirements for telecom infrastructure. To support the high-tech capabilities of this center, Morley Moss used a fiber optic backbone to connect the network to data storage.

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Last month Morley Moss completed a defense contractor project in Dallas. This project called for the replacement of a high voltage switch gear. All of Morley Moss’ certified cable splicers were used for this job, which ran 24 hours per day and seven days a week because of the emergency status of the project. Thanks to Morley Moss’ efforts, the project was completed in two weeks. Making use of its LEED experience, Morley Moss completed renovating a large, corporate cafeteria in downtown Dallas. For this project, Morley Moss designed the room’s light components and increased its energy efficiency enough to make it a LEED-Certified project.

there and back, you can put teleconference in your office, have eight to 10 guys in a conference room, technology and communicate. There are 314 sites going into America right now that are all telepresence,” Morley explains. With Morley Moss providing innovative technology capabilities, Texas is soon to be one of the most technologically advanced states. And with Morley’s foresight, the company will continue expanding and diversifying to maintain its presence as a one-stop shop for design, electrical, and technology needs. 

With these projects completed, Morley Moss is looking to its next batch of projects. According to Morley, the company has $15 million to $18 million on the books so far for 2010. “Right now we probably have $10 million more potentially. We’re fixing to sign contracts in the next month. We’re not super busy, just bumping along, taking opportunities and aggressively pursuing them,” he says. To maintain its cutting-edge technology offers, the company’s IT division is improving its audio-visual and teleconference and telepresence services. “Technology has advanced so much that instead of making a few trips to the East Coast,

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Servicing the Client and Community Musson General Contracting

Produced by Victor Martins & Written by Jane Catoe Founded in 2005, the Musson General Contracting (MGC) team is ready to help its city, Fresno, as well as the surrounding Central Valley of California to “flourish,” as the company puts it. Rod Musson and Michelle BracewellMusson, company founders and owners, have a wealth of experience to help them achieve this goal. Rod has operated as a commercial general contractor in the industry for over 25 years, while Bracewell-Musson has grown the company in a particularly welcoming way: by focusing on green technologies, which MGC intends to help spread in its home region between Los Angeles and Sacramento.

The Wealth of the Work MGC’s staff of almost 20 trained superintendents, electricians, field workers, and additional personnel completes projects within the commercial, municipal, institutional and industrial sectors. Additionally, LEED-certified projects, within all sectors, are becoming a prominent extension of MGC’s work. With Bracewell-Musson as an on-staff LEED Accredited Professional, the company can offer LEED knowhow in-house — a huge benefit to the client and the company. Bracewell-Musson is also the U. S. Green Building Counsel (USGBC) Program Chair for California’s Central Valley (Fresno). Tenant improvements, new buildings, historical renovations and restorations all fall within the range of expertise at MGC. Additionally, the company covers project needs related to underground utilities, concrete tilt-ups and cabinetry (commercial and residential). Consultation services are also offered by MGC relating to plan designs, engineering, interior decorating and exterior design, construction management, prime contracting, and, of course, sustainability and LEED. As a member of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the Building Trades Association, MGC works as a

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respected and connected community member. The company also maintains its charitable focus, as it supports many programs and institutions within the Fresno area, including Central Valley Children’s Hospital, Fresno State Youth Orchestra, Marjaree Mason Center (safe place for abuse victims), EOC (safe place youth shelter), and California State University of Fresno County, among others. Both Unique and Traditional The unique offering of in-house cabinetry work is thanks to on-site master carpenter, Leon Petrenko — artist, tradesman, expert carpenter and immigrant to the U.S. from Latvia — who established MGC’s cabinetry shop in 2002. Styles offered, to both commercial and residential clients, include: “Old World,” European, Laminate and Traditional. In-house cabinetry is an obscure offering for a commercially focused general contractor; the work, however, is of superior quality and makes for an immensely high-value offering to clients. Traditionally rooted, MGC is set on renovating and revitalizing its community. One historical renovation of note was recently completed in 2008: the Fire Administrative Building of Fresno. This project is one of many in the company’s efforts within Fresno’s downtown district. The building’s new location is in the converted Hobbs-Parson’s Building (once a produce market), a century-old structure. The Fire Administration project required close work with the Fresno Historical Society, as much of MGC’s work does. Original wooden trusses were kept intact, and part of the building now houses a historical museum showcasing some of the local fire department’s history. Musson General Contracting received two awards for this commercial retrofit: Real Estate and Historical Society. More of MGC’s work in the Fresno area and Central Valley includes the Superior Court of Fresno County and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which will be LEED-certified (level pending). Focusing on Best Assets Offering a comprehensive experience to specific sectors has allowed MGC to identify strong markets and establish paths for success. “We often represent clients who own properties and who are interested in leasing,” explains Musson of one of the company's specialties. “In other words, we are the gobetween for the agency itself and the owner, making sure that the project is progressing within budget and within the constraints of the lease.”

and land needs, Musson General Contracting can better negotiate work. Musson explains that the company successfully competes in a tough market by offering “a full-service, one-stop [shop].” “We help negotiate the leases, we work closely with the architects and engineers, and most of the time we hire them. When we hire all of the players, we have more control over costs and are able [to ensure] that the owner gets what they’re looking for.” By hiring the architect, versus the commonly reverse practice of the architect hiring the general contractor, MGC has greater control over monitoring and managing the project, and following through on clients’ needs. The comprehensive structure of Musson General Contracting, and its careful consideration of a project’s unique facets, allows the company to continue meeting the various needs of clients in Fresno and throughout the surrounding Central Valley area. 

As MGC moderates these transactions and adds value to the exchange, the company strives to, in its own words, “capture the client’s vision” as its main goal. By listening and using its expertise to accurately budget projects and assess facility

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Mining for Success in the Pacific Northwest Lloyd Enterprises Inc.

Produced by Grace Glendinning & Written by Molly Cohen Randy Lloyd grew up working in his father’s full-service earth supply company, Lloyd Enterprises Inc., located in Federal Way and Milton, Wash. “I’ve been around the industry from a very young age,” says Lloyd, the company’s current vice president. “I started working for the company doing different labor jobs during the summertime when I was 13 years old. And when I graduated … I just went all-in. I’m 45 now, so I’ve been working here for maybe 25 years.”)

The company further evolved between 1985 and 1987 when Randy and his brother took over. “That brings us to roughly today, where we have 120 employees, gross sales of $22 million and a gravel source we own and operate out. It’s 120 acres in the Federal Way area, though it will probably be mined out in five years,” Lloyd finishes.

Lloyd’s father started the company in 1965, it was incorporated a year later, and it has been moving earth for landscaping, site preparation/treatment and utilities, among

Lloyd Enterprises sells its products throughout the state and in some parts of Oregon. “Right now, because of where our gravel source is, halfway between Seattle and Portland, that’s two major metro areas that are doable by truck and very doable by rail,” Lloyd says.

other purposes, since. “He started with just one dump truck, and was going around Auburn Valley digging out areas and selling dirt and gravel to different car dealers,” Lloyd says. “From there he grew, and by 1972 he had five dump trucks, a small construction yard, and about 15 employees.”

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Rock Hard Services

Lloyd Enterprises is a retailer of many earthsourced products for projects, aided by its local partnerships. “The source that we have consists mostly of sand. A lot of the other quarries in the area have more crushed rock, so we work with suppliers and we buy aggregates,” Lloyd explains. “We are fullservice, however, so we not only do we serve as a retail wholesale pick-up for other construction companies, but also do the contracting to put in underground utilities. We do all site work and we started a small paving company, so we can do that too.” These services are mostly handled in-house. However, some projects “require us to carry a concrete guy if they need us to

do sidewalks. And maybe a little electrical for pump stations and underground utilities, though pretty much at that point a general contractor will build the building,” says Lloyd of the company’s project role. Digging into the Next Step Lloyd Enterprises recently completed several notable projects. One particular project was a $4.5 million project completed for the Seattle Housing Authority. In addition, Lloyd Enterprises participated in a project for a very large local church and another, 30-acre project that included site work and paving. “That was a $4 million contract,” Lloyd remembers. However, not all of Lloyd Enterprises’ projects are largescale. “We go from several million-dollar projects down to a few hundred thousand. We try to stay very diversified, and try not to get so big that we turn away any work. “Our view is, if we run a backhoe for an eight-hour day, it’s still work and still money. We don’t lose sight of where we started,” Lloyd explains. But major changes are on Lloyd Enterprises’ horizons. “We just secured a 750-acre gravel source that is permitted and will be opening this year in Maytown, Wash. It’s 25 to 30 miles south of where we’re currently located. We’ve got a 25year permit and $30 million-per-year resource gravel in it. And its got rail access,” Lloyd shares. “We’re pretty excited about the possibility of getting material and gravel on rail, and we’ve talked to a company that controls commodities through rail and all over the United States about possibly

turning over a new leaf here and this will probably be a good plan for the next 20 to 30 years.” This source offers consistent gravel so that Lloyd Enterprises can crush and process its own materials to sell and use, instead of relying on vendors. This new location and rail possibility makes Lloyd to optimistic about the economic outlook in the area. “I think it’s gone on longer than I expected, and I do see this lasting another year, maybe more. It’s been very difficult, but we’re optimistic for the long-term. We’re doing some things right now that could make us look like geniuses when the economy comes back,” he says. While maintaining caution during this economy, Lloyd continues making safe, but adventurous plans for the future of his company. By purchasing a promising new materials source and optimizing the opportunities available through the rail system, Lloyd Enterprises has the resources to solidify its position in the U.S. earth supply industry. 

railing material to Montana, Oregon, Idaho and some places that are short for good aggregate on road base. So we’re

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Offering a Multitude of Specialties PugetWest Corporation

Produced by Grace Glendinning & Written by Molly Cohen After graduating from Central Washington University, Rick Fletcher planned to use his degree in history to become a teacher. “Back in the 1970s, teaching jobs were at a real premium,” Fletcher remembers. “But I didn’t get a teaching job, so I ended up in the construction industry.”

private owners and developers to build a myriad of buildings in the Northwest and Puget Sound areas, where there are still lessons to be learned and examples to be taught on how to conduct business with pride and professionalism in an always-evolving industry.

From 1978 to 1982, Fletcher worked as a project manager and estimator for the Hovde Construction Company in Edmonds, Wash. Drawing on that experience, Fletcher founded his own general contracting company, PugetWest Corporation (also recognized by the dba PugetWest Construction), in 1982.

Repositioning for the Economy

Now Fletcher continues to use his combined 35 years of experience as a journeyman carpenter and construction manager as PugetWest’s president. He works with projects’

Now headquartered about 30 miles north of Seattle in Arlington, Wash., PugetWest has completed a construction portfolio of buildings throughout the Puget Sound/ Northwest region, including medical office buildings, selfservice storage, gas stations, retail centers, warehouse centers, auto dealerships, standalone restaurants, child care and learning centers, single-family residential and multifamily residential. “We’ll hit anything that anybody wants us to build,” Fletcher says. The company began specializing in commercial building projects, but its diversity gives PugetWest an edge over its competition in the current market. With its base of eight to 10 core supervisors, and between 10 to 20 additional employees, PugetWest has averaged revenue of around $12 million annually pre-recession. “But 2009 was only OK, and 2010 has been severely challenging,” Fletcher admits. Despite lower revenue during the economic downturn, Fletcher is not overly anxious. “It’s disappointing we can’t keep all of our people busy all of the time, but we have most of the people who have been working with us for the last couple of years still busy,” he says. “Instead of pulling my hair out, I lowered my expectations to fit economic times and it’s been a lot easier to sleep at night.”

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for jobs, that type of activity — you have to start talking before you can start building, so we’re encouraged by that,” he explains. Business Stability For the projects PugetWest is currently working on, the company self-performs “specialty carpentry work, specialty concrete work, finish carpentry, supervision, general labor, and on average we sub out everything else,” Fletcher says.

For now, Fletcher does not see the economic situation getting any worse. “We’re seeing a little more activity in people calling us, bidding, preliminary stuff, interviewing

And relationships with the company’s subcontractors are important since PugetWest prefers to use the same people from job to job, Fletcher explains. “We have a long history with a lot of subcontractors and suppliers. For some projects we may pinpoint one specific subcontractor or we may invite several to bid. And in most cases its people who have worked for us in the past. We entertain unsolicited bids, but we stick with who we trust; just because you’re the lowest bid doesn’t mean you’ll get the job.” These subcontractor and vendor relations are helpful to business, whether called upon by developers to do small tenant improvements, multi-unit plazas or single-family residential projects. In addition to several private custom homes, Fletcher remembers one recent project as particularly interesting. “We had one project, it was an older Safeway store, and for a private owner we raised the roof, installed a second floor, and converted the whole thing to an office building that the State of Washington occupies,” he shares. With such projects completed and in use, and the singlefamily/luxury townhomes residential sector keeping the company particularly busy, Fletcher knows what it takes to maintain business at its current level. “It’s just keeping stable, trying to keep people busy, and not lose too much money.” With a loyal base of subcontractors and vendors matching its portfolio of diverse and impressive projects, PugetWest Corporation has the infrastructure to ride out any market issues until it can not only recapture, but expand, its market share in its native Northwest. 

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A Controlled Environment of Quality Sunset Air Inc.

Produced by Chuck McKenna & Written by Molly Cohen Peter and Kathryn Fleutsch founded Sunset Air Inc. at their kitchen table in 1976. Since then, the heating and air conditioning company has grown, piece by piece, while maintaining its quality and customer service. Now, Sunset Air serves all of the southwest Washington area from its headquarters in Lacey, Wash., and an additional office in South Bend, Wash.

build on at least a dozen green projects, and if we’re fulfilling that role, guess who does the air conditioning?" Bettridge says of Sunset Air’s synergy as an energy auditor, engineering and installation company. Sunset Air works with local building companies to design and implement sustainable systems into “anything from track homes to custom homes to retrofits, commercial, industrial, office, warehouse, and pretty much all those sectors interested in green,” Bettridge explains.

Over the years there are several people who have been important players for Sunset Air’s expansion and its ability to perform “We certainly have developed a niche in all functions with the design-build on at least a dozen green According to Bettridge, same integrity as when the projects, and if we’re fulfilling that role, sustainability has been a family-owned business core value for the company was founded. Now that guess who does the air conditioning?” since its founding. Sunset Peter has taken a role as Bettridge says of Sunset Air’s synergy Air began “doing geothermal the company’s CEO, his as an energy auditor, engineering and systems 30 years ago, but I son Brian is the company’s kind of saw LEED and the current president. Other key installation company. Green Building Council figures are Kim Dinsmore, come about seven or eight the executive vice president years ago. Being in the with the company for over state capital we do a lot of 30 years, as well as Joe state-leased work as well,” Bettridge, the company’s vice president and director of engineering, who joined the he says. “I got accredited some years ago and we have been doing that type of energy retrofit or upgrade work for the company 16 years ago right out of college. state.” Settling an Example The major inspiration for Sunset Air’s specialty, Sunset Air’s 170 employees — a set of highly skilled, factory- however, came when the company began building its new and union-trained technicians — form the base of the administration building and showroom. “We figured, if company’s commercial and residential services throughout we’re talking the talk, we better walk the walk, so we built the South Puget Sound, with a focus as a green building the first privately owned and occupied [LEED-certified] consultant. “We certainly have developed a niche in design- building in the state,” Bettridge says. “And once we kind of

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struggled through the mechanical and architectural issues on our own building, we thought, we’ve got a service here we can offer, we know how to not just get the [LEED] points, but which points are affordable and have the best pay back on investment, and that’s when we started offering full-blown LEED consulting.”

systems, and we’re starting a photovoltaic part of our company so we can offer renewable energy,” says Bettridge. “We have a window division of our company, so we can offer high-performance windows, water heat (whether it's heat pump or on-demand) or solar water. A lot of those products and services dovetail nicely with our residential division.”

The new administration building was completed about four years ago and achieved LEED Gold with the blessing of Brian Fleutsch and the comprehensive knowledge and perseverance of the extended Sunset Air team. From this experience, Sunset Air developed a spreadsheet tool so the company can focus on different sustainable products and identify what the costs are and then the potential grants — federal, state and utility — that will lower the cost and affect the return on investments. “So at the end of the day maybe you’re spending a little more upfront, but over the next 10 years or 20 years you’re way ahead,” Bettridge explains. “It gives the owner a way to quantify up front before they make the decision.”

Location, Location, Location And Sunset Air is in the perfect location for these types of

To assure the quality of its sustainable management, Sunset Air keeps many services in-house, including “design-build, HVAC, sometimes plumbing systems, energy management

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West Indeed, it isn’t all about showcasing engineering prowess for Sunset Air. At the end of its projects, Bettridge looks for one key performance indicator to show just how successful the company’s efforts are. “Occupant comfort is key for the design to work; if people aren’t comfortable, the project has a very low chance of success regarding energy efficiency, because they will bring in portable “It was difficult to convince heaters, etc.,” he says. people to part with capital

services. “This region is fairly progressive and green-wise. We’ve already got a stringent energy code so the energy piece of LEED is not a huge step up. This is a beautiful place to live, we have a lot of wonderful natural resources here, and people in general want to protect that,” Bettridge shares. Despite the support for green, Sunset Air still has challenges. “For whatever reason a lot of folks at the Green Building Council will make the statement that LEED doesn’t cost anything, but that’s just not true. It does cost something, but I think it does bring a greater value once you consider the incentives and energy savings and all those things,” Bettridge explains. “I think there’s some misinformation out there and owners get a little scared and don’t know what to believe. We’re all going to do better if we just tell the truth about what the costs are.” Besides the misinformation, the economy was an obstacle for Sunset Air. “It was difficult to convince people to part with capital right now to invest in upgrades, but when you look at federal and state incentives and utility incentives, if someone’s going to help you pay for 70 percent of the investment, you’re kind of silly to not do it,” insists Bettridge, who also feels this challenge is starting to let up. “I feel like we hit bottom and are starting to turn around. I don’t think things will be rosy for some time, but the worst is behind us.”

right now to invest in upgrades, but when you look at federal and state incentives and utility incentives, if someone’s going to help you pay for 70 percent of the investment, you’re kind of silly to not do it,” insists Bettridge, who also feels this challenge is starting to let up. “I feel like we hit bottom and are starting to turn around. I don’t think things will be rosy for some time, but the worst is behind us.”

These challenges did not keep Sunset Air from working on some interesting projects. For example, the company designed the Washington Public Utility District Association (WPUDA) as the first LEED Platinum building in the state. “One of the things we often promote is to not build a science project — it has to be fairly simple and straightforward [building/system] or it’s not going to be maintained properly and you won’t realize savings from it,” Bettridge explains. “So [the WPUDA] has traditional heating and cooling systems. The major point is the 32kw array of photovoltaic on the roof, the largest in Washington.”

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Sunset Air uses its preventative maintenance division to observe the effectiveness of completed projects. “If we commission a project and turn it over to the owner, we maintain it as well for liability and occupant comfort down the road, and that way we can monitor signs of whether a project was successful or not,” Bettridge explains. Having established these proven success procedures and grown to be the largest independent HVAC company in southwest Washington, Sunset Air has crafted a plan for even further growth. “We’re looking to expand and will continue to offer more and more energy audit type services, and then we will look at performance contracting — where we do projects that will fund themselves by their energy savings. That’s an area of performance contracting that we want to do more of,” Bettridge shares. “I think it’s very attractive to owners because it helps eliminate their risk.”

Based on the company’s long history of profitable and sustainable expansions, any business focus should share the same success. With its longterm commitment to sustainable energies and its groundup understanding of the future potential regarding budding technology options, Sunset Air Inc. has a bright future in the green energy systems industry. 

Midwest

Using Internal Skills to Create Large-Scale Facilities ARCO Design/Build

Produced by Hanim Samara & Written by Molly Cohen After 14 years in the construction industry, Jake Stefan, the vice president of ARCO Design/Build, swears by the company’s approach to a project. “We do all the preliminary design in-house on all the trades: architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection.

We do all of that preliminary work. Then we work with consultants to produce construction drawings,” he says. ARCO believes the design-build specialty saves clients money and makes communication easier since the designs

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Midwest and construction are handled by the same company. And it has obviously proven successful for ARCO. Since its 1992 inception, the company has expanded beyond its original St. Louis, Mo., office to include offices across the nation in Tampa, Fla.; Chicago, Ill.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Kansas City, Mo.; and Philadelphia, Pa. Adding to the Portfolio Currently ARCO has about 150 employees, but “it was a little higher a year-and-a-half ago,” Stefan says. ARCO specializes in light industrial, warehouse, manufacturing and office sectors. Recently, the company put its skills as a designbuild general contractor to work on the Orgil Distribution Center in Sikeston, Mo. This $50 million project was “795,000 square feet … all concrete tilt walls and concrete floors with some hazardous storage and standard class 2 and 3 storage,” says Stefan. The project included about 20,000 square feet of office space. The entire facility is rigged with early suppression fast response (ESFR) fire protection with in-rack sprinklers and the hazardous storage space is also safe for flammable. Throughout the building there are 73 dock positions and 60 trailer storage positions and the building has 32 feet clear height for big equipment. Although the facility was not aiming for any certifications, the designs did include sustainable concepts to make it more environmentally friendly. “Fly ash, recycled content and concrete with the steel and a white roof were all utilized. And it’s all concrete pavement instead of asphalt so that’s a positive as well,” Stefan says. “It used a lot of storm water retention on site, much more than normal. There were a lot of things that were involved that way but it wasn’t necessarily being done for LEED certification or anything like that. It was just a sustainable design.” Forming Relationships The Orgil Distribution Center fits in with the rest of the projects in ARCO’s portfolio. Some of its other specially designed, environmentally friendly projects include a cold storage plant. “We work a lot with United National Foods and finished the first cold storage LEED-certified Gold building in the country,” Stefan shares. This project included 259,729 square feet of food distribution space, 54,000 square feet of cold storage, 40,000 square feet of two-level conveyor system and 15,000 square feet of storage area with a conveyor system. The space was constructed so it could be expanded to 400,000 square feet. Overall the building has 32 feet clear height and a double interlock preaction fire protection system.

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At the time of completion, Stefan says this cold storage plant, located in Ridgefield, Wash., was the largest of its kind. But this was just one project in a long list of United National Foods facilities ARCO has completed. “We’ve done a bunch of LEED stuff with United National Foods for more buildings and looking at sustainable design concepts,” Stefan says. Projects like the Orgil Distribution Center and United National Foods facilities lead to ARCO’s $60 million annual revenue. And Stefan is open to growing that revenue through expansion. “We’re always looking to expand into new markets, but there’s not one we’re planning to go into right now. As opportunities are created and we build relationships or niches we can foster, we will move toward that,” he says. Relationships are obviously an important part of ARCO’s business. And adding projects like the Orgil Distribution Center to its list of completed work can certainly help ARCO build other relationships with similar companies. When ARCO begins looking into new markets for expansion, it will surely be looking for organizations that will fit into its range of current clients, so it can build on its expertise in new areas. 

Building New Housing With Old-School Values Miller Builders Inc.

Produced by Eric Gunn & Written by Molly Cohen After more than 30 years in the construction industry, Denny Miller has a plethora of loyal relationships with subcontractors and clients in a 50-mile radius surrounding Mishawaka, Ind. These relationships have helped to foster business for Denny’s construction and development company, Miller Builders Inc., throughout the recession. “We’re doing the best we can and try to stay on top of things,” Denny says. “And the thing we’ve got going for us is our years of experience.” Customized Experience Prior to founding Miller Builders, Denny was working in wholesale pharmaceuticals, but he had a strong desire “to do what I wanted to do,” he shares. This desire was the inspiration behind Miller Builders, where Denny remains president, sharing a tight-knit office with three employees. Together, this team walks clients through decisions focused “in the more affordable housing, mostly start-up, first-time moveup housing,” Denny explains. And Denny has no regrets regarding his career change. “Most people have trouble understanding why I work so much, morning noon and night, but it’s because I enjoy it,” he says. Part of the excitement in the construction industry is the opportunity to add special details to complete the job. For example, Miller Builders uses high-efficiency furnaces and water heaters to bring a sustainable aspect to new homes. These sustainable details can also be installed in the renovations Miller Builders handles.

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Midwest The company has remodeling experience on kitchens, basements, patios, porches, bathrooms, sunrooms, windows and siding. Miller Builders primarily offers new construction services, however. The company has 14 pre-set floor plans of three- and four-bedroom homes from which clients can choose (and in which it offers all its energy-efficient services). Or, Miller Builders can work with a client to build a custom home suited to individual preferences, plus the company does commercial offices. Sticking with its Signature Miller Builders just completed several projects typical of its usual work. “We’ve been building senior housing, apartments, a few hundred of those,” Denny explains. “They’re for totally independent living, but come equipped with emergency pull strings in the bedroom and bathrooms, and handrails throughout the interior hallways, so residents can walk about a quarter-mile inside without going outside. And they have mail facilities inside, not outside. But it’s independent, so it doesn’t cost a lot and still has the extra safety features that make residents feel more secure.” When completing projects, like the senior housing apartments, Denny looks for one particular key performance indicator that measures the success of his company’s work: referrals or repeat work. “Our single biggest advantage is that most of our business is referrals,” Denny shares. “For instance, a big project I’m finishing here is my third one for a guy I met when I was 5 years old in kindergarten. He’s already given me two referrals. And I’ve done three generations of families before. I have some people who have come back so much they apologize for changing. By then we’re old friends and we laugh about it.” Another key performance indicator at the end of a job is the continued loyalty from subcontractors. “My subcontractors have been here for 20 to 25 years. I’ve built for them, their kids, sometimes they build things on their own and I will help them out, do what I can. If they have anything to do with housing, they call me,” Denny says. Relationships with clients and subcontractors have been extremely important for Miller Builders during the last two years, after the economy began dropping. “It bottomed out about a year ago and is starting to pick up now,” Denny says. “This is the worst I’ve seen, even worse than the other recession in early 1980s. We’re fairly steady in our area; we don’t get big ups and downs.” Although the economy is slowly returning, Denny has unexpected plans for the future of Miller Builders. “We’re going in the other direction, getting ready to slow down construction and do more developing, mainly apartment building,” he shares.

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When the day finally comes and Denny does retire from the business, he will be sorely missed by Indiana’s construction industry. His clients will struggle to find a new contractor that offers the same high-quality product, and his subcontractors will search for a new partner company as loyal and skilled as Denny's. Until then, Miller Builders will continue to provide its services in its current sectors, putting in the details that support the company’s motto: Your Home is Where Our Heart Is. 

Maintaining Traditional Experience While Looking Toward New Trends Mid States Electric Inc.

Produced by TaMeka Marshall & Written by Molly Cohen In 1991, brothers Brian and Jim Henschen, along with their coworker Justin Hamar, purchased Mid States Electric Inc., the contracting company where they worked. Located in South Sioux City, Neb., Mid States Electric is “primarily focused on electrical installations in the meat packing and food processing industry. We’ve also expanded to do things with ethanol and biodiesel and federal work,” says Brian, the company’s president. And Mid States Electric benefits from a large footprint. “We do the central corridor of the U.S.,” says Brian. “But it’s primarily work in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Minnesota.” Brian first started working as an electrical contractor in industrial packing houses in 1987, so he has plenty of experience in that portion of the business. Then in 2003 Mid States Electric moved toward the alternative energy industry. “We did ethanol facilities — one in Lennox, S.D., and one in Macon, Mo. — simultaneously. We did a biodiesel facility in Nebraska and were the sole electrical contractor on that one,” Brian shares. Continuing alternative energy work, Mid States Electric worked on wind generators throughout the Midwest, with a concentration in Ainsworth, Neb., and near Des Moines, Iowa. “We also worked in a crude oil facility down in Cushing, Okla.; it’s one of the largest crude oil facilities in the country. We did a fairly sizeable project putting temperaturecompensated level detectors on tanks,” Brian remembers.

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Midwest “We’ve done work for the Army Corp of Engineers on the Fort Randall Dam in South Dakota, too,” says Brian. “We’re definitely comfortable with federal government work." Structural Strengths The ability to get up and go to a relatively distant jobsite is part of Mid State Electric’s plan for success. That capability is credited to the staff, as Mid States Electric is able to maintain its traveling work gig because its approximately 40 employees hold all trades in-house and do not subcontract any work. “All our guys are used to traveling and that’s how we’re really busy right now; we’re looking to hire some apprentices. We consider ourselves very fortunate to be busy right now while so many people are not,” says Brian. Mid States Electric also benefits from its flexibility in project type. For example, “If you’re taking cattle and hogs apart, there’s not much ‘green’ you can have there,” says Brian, “but that aspect of [the business] is one thing, and we’re part of the green movement since biodiesel and ethanol are green themselves.” Building Relationships Recently Mid States Electric completed work on an ethanol facility in Fort Dodge, Iowa, for owner Tate & Lyle PLC. For this project Mid States Electric wired a 100 million gallonper-year ethanol plant. This plant is only a portion of a facility that takes corn and splits it into 12 different types of starches. The facility removes the ethanol and makes the rest of the corn product into livestock feed. “I would say [it was] one of the coolest projects,” says Brian. “Unfortunately, they never started it up due to economic conditions. The cost of the entire facility was $318 million and it’s sitting there idle.” With that project completed, Mid States Electric returned to more traditional projects and is currently in the process of completing a meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa. “It had been shut down a few years ago due to immigration issues,” Brian says. “It’s a kosher kill [plant] owned by a guy in Brooklyn, N. Y. who is starting the plant up again.” Mid States Electric is upgrading a facility in Sioux City and a water treatment plant in Omaha, Neb., for Tyson Foods Inc. “We do a lot of work for them,” Brian shares. “We do Tyson

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plants all over the central corridor of the U.S. They have plants in pretty much every state and we’ve been in almost every one of them here in the central U.S.” To maintain relationships like the one it has with Tyson, Mid States Electric uses several key performance indicators to track the company’s work. “Obviously, we look at how smooth startup goes and make sure there’s no mistakes made. A lot of the stuff we do is pretty technical and we want to make sure all the connections are done right the first time,” Brian shares. “We have procedures in place to make sure it’s done right the first time, because you don’t want any embarrassments when you flip the switch. Working from its quality-assurance procedures, Mid States Electric is ready to plan for future growth. “We really want to move more into the crude oil pipeline. We think we’d be a pretty viable contractor in that area,” says Brian. “And the federal government work, we want to do more of that. But we’ll keep our roots in the meatpacking industry and the relationships we’ve developed in biodiesel, ethanol, and wind energy.” With this focus on maintaining established relationships and an eye toward future work opportunities, Mid States Electric has plenty of chances to expand into new work sectors and regions. 

Riding a Reputation to New Opportunities Amco Elevators Inc.

Produced by Victor Martins & Written by Molly Cohen After more than 20 years as a public accountant, Garry Moore became the CFO and COO of Amco Elevators Inc. in Indianapolis, Ind. Moore has now been with the company for 12 years, yet he is still considered a “newcomer” at Amco. Some of its more than 30 employees have been there for 20 to 35 years. The core staff has well over a century of elevator experience. Amco itself has been around for an even longer time; it was founded back in 1946 as an open shop. “Our founder was Don Applegate, and now his two sons, Mark and David, and I run the company,” says Moore. “We do both residential and commercial work. In fact, I believe on the residential side we may be the contractors who’ve done it the longest in the state.” With its long history Amco has had plenty of time to expand, and now the company services elevators all over the State of Indiana, culminating in revenue of $10 million annually. This is produced by a statewide network of service technicians that run out of

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Midwest their homes, eliminating the expense of satellite locations. It is ultimately Amco’s people that make the difference. Overcoming Challenges With such a long history, Amco has had the opportunity to successfully create a reputation for its work. Based on that reputation, Amco is trusted to do much of the work in local hospitals, public universities, and 95 percent of the states’ courthouses. “We do it right, the first time,” Moore says succinctly. “We want to be your total elevator solution.” So far it seems Amco has been able to meet that goal for over 2,500 satisfied customers. Moore still has concerns regarding the industry’s evolution. The company runs its own in-house training facility, because “the technology that goes into these things is changing so rapidly,” he says. He admits that “a lot of people don’t really think of joining the industry … so we have to be continually training and recruiting young people. Getting them ready for the next generation [is a challenge].” Other recent challenges for the company are based on “the economy, like everybody else,” Moore says. “I think some contractors are moving in to the state, trying to cherry pick. But we’ve been around a long time, we’re very stable, and we’ve got a great workforce.”

Financial support has also been a sticking point for Amco. “When the times get tough [general contractors] tend to use their subs as their bank. One thing we have that others don’t is stability because of our longevity,” Moore shares. “We have a very large service base. We’re very strong in outlying, rural areas, and we have a good presence in downtown Indianapolis.” Maintaining Long-term Relationships Indeed, one of Amco’s greatest strengths that has led it through the recession is its strong relationships, which extend to those with subcontractors and vendors. Most of the company’s work is done in-house, as the company holds an extensive inventory of parts, as well as a shop to manufacture hard-to-come-by pieces. Occasionally, however, it will use “a driller to drill a hole or sweep a hole if we’re replacing a cylinder,” More explains. “We do some turnkey stuff, where we will go out and get some contractors.” Similar to its lasting relationships with subcontractors, Amco has been with the same bank since 1966. Additionally it has stuck with the same vendors throughout its history. These subcontractor and vendor relations were especially important during one year in which Amco replaced 60 cylinders in one year. Those relationships are useful on Amco projects, such as those at Indiana University’s School of Dentistry, where they have opted to modernize several elevators. Additionally, Amco has worked on the Weatherall Building at Purdue University in Lafayette. “We’ve done quite a bit of work for them over the years,” Moore explains. Always appreciative of the company’s repeat customers, Amco still has a tactic for future growth. “We’re licensed to do business in Illinois, as well, and doing more there would be the logical expansion for us,” says Moore. In addition to expanding into the eastern side of Illinois, Moore hints that Amco may reach more deeply into the further corners of Indiana to fill unsaturated markets. No matter what path Amco Elevators Inc. takes, the company should have little trouble attracting and retaining clients based on its history of successful projects. 

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Engineering Value and Variety Midlands Mechanical Inc.

Produced by TaMeka Marshall & Written by Molly Cohen After 40 years in the construction industry, Bill Kilmer has unmatched insight into industry cycles. As president of Midlands Mechanical Inc., Kilmer has put this experience to work at a company of skilled craftsmen and construction managers that has grown substantially since it was founded by Douglas L. Munter in 1980. Now Midlands has over 100 employees, a number that through conscientious management has not fluctuated much in the last year and a half, Kilmer is proud to report. The plumbing, HVAC, and process piping company coordinates this workforce from its three locations in Nebraska plus one in Denver, Colo. Its geographical footprint extends to Kansas, South Dakota and Colorado, as it has for years. Throughout its range of job locations, Midlands’ work as a contractor holds fast, generating the companys $30 million per year.

Well over 60 percent of the company’s skills are kept in-house, with safety and updating skills assisted by memberships in the Associated Builders and Contractors, U.S. Green Building Council and OSHA; pipe installation remains the main task subcontracted. And the company’s services in new, remodel, and retrofit construction — including plumbing, HVAC, boiler/chiller installations, medical gas/hydronic/hydraulic/fuel oil piping, in-floor radiant heat, solar systems, clean room systems and much more — are available for several sectors. “We would like to do strictly industrial, but can’t because there’s not enough of it. So we do commercial work to keep my guys busy,” Kilmer explains. Obstacles Are Opportunities This necessary diversification is clearly a result of the downturn in the economy. And while Midlands has been

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effected by the recession, “we are somewhat shielded here in the Midwest,” Kilmer shares. While some companies see challenges or obstacles like the recession as a bad in luck, Midlands sees it differently. “Obstacles to us are opportunities to demonstrate exactly how good we are,” Kilmer says. “We find out what we can do and we make sure we can do it better than anyone else and stay on it.” It is that approach to challenges that carries Midlands through the current economic climate. “Typically what happens these days, more so than in the past, are projects with difficult, accelerated schedules,” Kilmer shares. “You never get 18 months, you get 12, and it really is a great opportunity for us to gear up and tell that owner it doesn’t matter what the schedule is, we’re going to get the job done.” This work ethic keeps Midlands busy. The company has several clients who continually come back based on the company’s efficient work. “We have a steel manufacturer that we’ve worked with for about 18 years. We know their plant probably better than most of their people do, and they don’t have to worry or wonder, ‘Are these guys going to get the job done?'” Kilmer says. Having a satisfied customer is the basis of Kilmer’s work philosophy. “You do that by getting the job done on time and within budget,” Kilmer explains. And … you want to generate a profit. You can’t just make wages and expect to

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stay in business. You have to have profit to buy equipment and things you need for the job.” Reviewing Success To be successful a company must produce quality, not just quantity, which Midlands certainly does for its pipe work in the medical sector. “Hospital work is the most challenging and meticulous, because if you do it wrong you don’t get a second chance, that’s it,” says Kilmer.

Based on this economic outlook, “I may not see a lot of growth at Midlands, but I don’t see any shrinking either … we have work in front of us and we have a decent backlog. It’s nothing special, but at the same time we’re doing OK.” Continuing its work from the Midwest’s commercial and industrial markets and into the governmental and institutional/educational sectors, Midlands Mechanical Inc. offers the diligence and commitment to detail that builds trust and teamwork as much as it does facilities. 

In addition to hospitals, Midlands is also working on some school projects and detention centers in Colorado. But, according to Kilmer, the company’s most interesting project it has ever worked on is the Becton Dickinson manufacturing plant in Columbus, Neb. “It was an $8.5 million job that we completed in eight months,” Kilmer remembers. At the end of any project, but especially a large one like the Becton Dickinson plant, Kilmer uses several key performance

“Hospital work is the most challenging and meticulous, because if you do it wrong you don’t get a second chance, that’s it,” says Kilmer.

indicators to review his company’s work. “When the smoke clears and you’re trying to find out if it was successful, one of the first things you look at are labor costs, did you get the job done within your labor allocation, then you look at material and equipment cost, and compare to see how did your estimate turned out,” Kilmer says. Midlands continues to deliver within time and budget expectations. Aiding this, Kilmer has noticed that material costs lately have decreased because there is a glut of products. This glut is another result of the economic decline. “And it’s tough now, but there is work out there,” he says, comparing the current recession to one he previously experienced. “I came onboard [at Midlands] in 1984; that was the toughest time I’ve ever been through.” Compared to the economic activity in that period, Kilmer says, “We’ve absolutely bottomed out, no doubt about it. But that said, how long will it take for a full recovery? I am an optimist and I refuse to see the glass as half-empty. I spend more time than I should listening to the pundits and their 'woe is me' stuff. I think we’re going to be just fine, it will take a little while longer but we’ll be just fine,” he advises.

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Protecting South Florida’s Lifestyles Brothers Fire Protection Inc.

Produced by Victor Martins & Written by Molly Cohen Rick Sheffield and Brian Kenney met in 1988 when they worked for the same construction company and worked together on a 300,000 square foot addition to a Motorola facility in southern Florida. “That’s where we got to know each other. It was a great job for us,” Sheffield says. Since then, Sheffield and Kenney have spent the last 23 years as business partners, working together and developing three different companies. In 2001, they formed Brothers Fire Protection Inc., a fire sprinkler system company and registered engineering firm in Deerfield Beach, Fla. “I don’t know if it’s true, but everyone asks if we’re brothers because we look similar so when we started the company we tried to get both of our names in, but it didn’t work. Instead Brothers Fire Protection stuck and we thought the camaraderie of everyone being brothers worked and the rest is history,” Sheffield explains. Sheffield is currently the company’s president and Brothers celebrated its nine year anniversary in 2010. “Here it is 20 years later and they tore down that Motorola plant down and we did $5 million of work on that land on cities of three-story condominiums and a five-story condominium so that was unique to make money off the same property twice in the same lifetime. To recycle that is amazing,” Sheffield says. Overcoming Economic Challenges Brothers Fire Protection’s initial years were full of success. “We actually started off gangbusters that went from 0 to $14 million in 2006. We had multiple offices, bought our own building, lifts and had good success going on until the market went down. So now of course we closed the Tampa office and laid off 100 people,” Sheffield regrets. Despite the downturn in the economy, Brothers Fire Protection’s 32 employees continues to offer its steel pipe installations to government work, schools and churches. The employees are split between sales staff who sell service work, inspection and maintenance staff who do maintenance on existing buildings completed in the past and a design department to do the company’s own in-house design. “We’re basically a designbuild contractor that takes the project from its infancy all the way to the end,” Sheffield explains. Brothers Fire Protection is now adding to its experience by working on a large project for Bethesda Memorial Hospital West in Boynton Beach, Fla. “It’s going to be moving into the design phase in the next couple of weeks. It’s a project with Moewen Associates with whom we’ve had a relationship with for years and years and they recommended us for it and closed the deal,” says Sheffield. “We’re very fortunate to have something like this in these economic times.”

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Another important project for Brothers Fire Protection was the Midtown mixed-use area of Plantation, Fla. For its work there, Brothers Fire Protection relied on the design-build approach. “The last job we finished up there was with Stiles Construction Co. It was a very successful project and actually they’re thinking of building a phase two on it. They only had a few jobs go in at a time, but that was our hotspot where we had the Kohl’s store, the Fountains residence with Stiles and remodeling the Shops of Plantation all in a two square mile area. It was great for us,” says Sheffield. The rental community there, called The Residences at the Fountains, was two side-by-side towers of 11 and 12 stories and was one of the last big jobs in south Florida “that every subcontractor wanted and we were lucky enough to have the relationship with Stiles and the people over there that we negotiated that deal and it was really a winner for us,” says Sheffield. “We’re really quite proud we were ahead of their schedule and all the subcontractors on the entire job. I’m pretty proud of our foremen and team on that project. It turned out well for us and strengthened our relationship with that subcontractor.” Getting an opportunity to be involved in such a large project like that comes from an array of experiences. Sheffield remembers the Radius Condominiums his company completed in 2007. “It was a 19-story building in Hollywood, Fla., and it was one of our first high rise buildings. Hollywood is a rundown old city and this is probably the shining star. It’s a monument,” Sheffield says. Before this project, “we were doing three story condominiums, cities of them. We would do 58 in this park, 45 in this area and just one after the other so that was really a time that we were running hard and fast and it was fun,” Sheffield remembers. “Now our annual revenue is $5 million to $6 million. Unless we get lucky and get three or four more big jobs that I’m hoping for.” Looking for New Opportunities On large and small projects Brothers Fire Protection tries to keep its trades in-house. “We subcontract the digging or core drilling if it’s a lot on a project to do our holes for us,” Sheffield explains. And this in-house approach will be leverage as Brothers Fire Protection begins to dig itself a niche in the government sector. “I was at Homestead Air Force Base yesterday where we spent the last two days going over remodeling stuff they’re doing out there. After two years we’re finally seeing government money trickle down a little bit to where things are really going to start

moving in that direction and we can help people who really need it,” Sheffield says. The government sector can certainly benefit from a capable and flexible firm like Brothers Fire Protection because of its strong focus on relationships. “Most of our customers are friends of mine that own their own businesses and I feel like we give them a real product based on my knowledge and Brian’s knowledge,” Sheffield says. Each employee is well qualified for the work, based on a four year apprenticeship program that Kenney and Sheffield created. “Brian taught it for 13 years and I did for three years and it got us in touch with our students and they respected our knowledge when they came and worked here. Our first few years were just utopia, just the most amazing time I’ve ever had in my life. We worked hard as a team and put 100 percent out. And the economy was just perfect. At one time we had 142 employees so things were really rocking and rolling,” Sheffield remembers. After the economy dropped, business became a little bit harder for Brothers Fire Protection. “We’ve really bid a lot of work in the last two years. We usually bid 20 million or 30 million a year and we’re doing 30 million or 40 million per year now and not getting the return we had before,” Sheffield acknowledges. “Most of our work right now is our service department with tenant build-out type stuff and remodels of different areas that we’re doing that have really kept us alive for the last year or so.”

But hope is not lost for Brothers Fire Protection. “The beautiful thing is that when we started our company in 2001 we were design-build and of course things were booming back then and we negotiated 95 percent of our work. In 2007 when everything started going down, we really took the strategy of getting out there with all the associations we belong to like the Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. and the Construction Association of South Florida and getting in front of peoples’ face, making sure they know we’re alive and we’re there and ready to service them,” says Sheffield. “We really broadened our customer base that way. They have a lot of general contractor showcases so we’ve been introducing ourselves to contractors and broadening ourselves in that field.” And the future is now looking bright for Brothers Fire Protection. “I’m the eternal optimist and Brian says he’s the realist. But my glass is half full so I see we got one big job already and three or four more that will come our way. So I feel it will pick back but that’s one man’s opinion,” says Sheffield. “We always say that Florida has to come back because we have sunshine and beaches and people love it. Everyone else in the U.S. is freezing and cold and dreary.” With Sheffield’s optimism and the company’s obvious capabilities, Brothers Fire Protection is poised to expand as the economy does return. For now, Sheffield and Kenney will continue guiding their company and employees to build and protect south Florida’s multilevel residences. 

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Overcoming Odds for Continued Success Brothers Paving & Concrete Corporation Produced by Chuck McKenna & Written by Molly Cohen Brothers Development was founded in 1985 and operated as a single entity until 1998, when its two extremely successful divisions separated into Brothers Concrete Construction and Brothers Paving & Concrete

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US Developers Journal

Fall Edition I 2010

Corporation. Brothers Concrete Construction grew into a successful large concrete frame contractor, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;in October 2009 it was purchased by Baker Concrete, one of the largest concrete contractors in the country,â&#x20AC;? says Paul

Bautista, who took over the Manassas, Va.-based Brothers Paving & Concrete Corporation when he bought out the original partners. An independent operation for over a decade, Brothers Paving & Concrete “is a full-service asphalt concrete contractor. We do site work and maintenance work for both asphalt and concrete,” Battista says. “On the asphalt side we do all types of roadway milling, roadway paving, parking lot overlays, repairs, sealcoating, crack-fill and striping. On the concrete side we do a lot of site concrete work and concrete removal and replacement including bond release work.” Additional services include snow removal. Working Toward a Common Goal Battista now operates with two partners. “Mike Hummel – President of H2 Land, a local land development company – owns five percent, and Shawn Boyce, our vice president of sales and marketing, owns five percent,” he explains. Battista got into the construction industry after graduating from college. “I started building high-end custom houses during the boom of the ‘80s … it has basically been my life,” says Battista. From his life-long experience in construction, Battista understands the importance of industry-wide legislative support and training. That is why Brothers Paving & Concrete is a member of the Heavy Construction Contractors Association of Northern Virginia (HCCA). Through this membership, Brother Paving and Concrete gets the networking opportunities, representation in Washington, and training opportunities it requires.

endeavors. “Volume fluctuates, but our average [annual revenue] is close to the $20 million mark,” Battista shares. Battista attributes the company’s success to “our attention to detail. We self-perform 98 percent of what we do. We may bring in the occasional site guy to do some grading, but we normally do everything. We have foreman that have been with us for 15-plus years. They understand ‘The Brothers Way’ of doing business.” And to ensure the best possible products for its customers, Battista maintains communication and solid relationships with his vendors. “I work very hard to partner with our suppliers. I will meet with them four or five times a year to make sure they know how we’re doing and what improvements need to be made to help us meet our goals. I stress with them we’re all in this together,” he explains. “We have great relationships with suppliers and they’re key to what we do here.” Local Partnerships Even though Brothers Paving & Concrete has these great relationships, the company has been forced, like most companies, to overcome recent marketplace obstacles. “Most of the challenges we’ve had are on the commercial side. A few of the contractors have gone out of business, so we’ve taken a hit trying to collect receivables from companies that have gone out and/or filed bankruptcy,” Battista shares. “Cash is moving slower right now too. Instead of getting paid in 15 to 45 days, it’s 30 to 60 now. We had to react by staying even more alert and paying

Thanks to its membership in the HCCA, Brothers Paving & Concrete successfully services a large area that stretches “from Baltimore, Md., to Frederick, Md., to Richmond, Va., to Charlottesville, Va.,” as Battista explains. The company’s 120 employees work out of the Manassas location, which is a three-acre facility and includes a brick two-storey main office building, a two-bay freebase shop and a 20,000-gallon fuel tank farm. From this location the company engages in highly successful

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Southeast attention to the details. The year 2009 was decent, and this one looks like it’s going to be really good considering the current economic situation.” One reason for Brothers Paving & Concrete’s success is its financial guidance. “There’s not a lot of money out there so you need to partner up with a good banker at times like this. Luckily, I’m with Virginia Commerce Bank and they’re absolutely phenomenal. They’re a local bank so they look at more than just numbers – they look at the company, people and our track record,” Battista shares. “I think its key to be with a good bank that understands your business. I talk to our competitors and a few are with larger institutional banks and they’re getting roasted.” Compared to some of its competitors, things are looking good right now for Brothers Paving & Concrete. “I’m not really losing sleep about our backlog of work right now. The Lord has blessed the team over here with enough quality work to meet our goals,” Battista says. Battista’s well-rested nights can also be contributed to some of the company’s recent projects. “Most of what we do is in the private sector. A few commercial jobs include Culpepper High School, Fauquier High School, the Minnieville Road expansion, and we’ve done some

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Defense Base Closure and Realignment [BRAC] work on Fort Belvoir in Virginia,” he shares. Other projects have taken place at retail centers, subdivisions, hotels and industrial complexes all over the D.C. metro area. Looking toward the company’s future, Battista is preparing for “very strategic growth. We’re keeping our growth at eight- to 10-percent per year. A primary focus here is quality-of-life, well-managed systems, and being at an annual volume that is profitable,” he explains. “We don’t have more work than we can handle and our operation is running smoothly with the team we have in place. The short-term goal is to continue tightening up our systems. A little growth is good and will help add to the bottom line.” With these specific growth goals in mind, Battista will confidently and aptly lead Brothers Paving & Concrete Corporation to continued success delivering professionalism throughout its large service area. 