11 minute read
BUSINESS
McCarthy Building bringing training facility here
BY KEVIN REAGAN Arizonan Staff Writer
McCarthy Building Companies, one of the Valley’s most prominent construction firms, has broken ground on a new training facility that will educate the region’s aspiring carpenters and builders.
Located in a 40,000-square-foot building near Kyrene Road and Erie Street, McCarthy’s new workforce center will house the company’s education program that caters to more than 400 local craft workers.
Local dignitaries last month met with McCarthy’s leadership team to commemorate the groundbreaking by donning hard hats and breaking down a wall with sledgehammers -- a skill that will likely be learned by the center’s future students.
The facility, which is projected to open early next year, includes multiple classrooms and workspaces for McCarthy’s staff to learn new trade skills in prefabrication, technical training and solar power production.
Known as “Builders U,” McCarthy’s training program will soon have access
to newly renovated rooms and more space to partner with local institutions that provide career and technical education classes.
Amber Shepard, McCarthy’s self-perform assistant manager, said the workforce center will be a great recruiting tool for attracting the next generation of builders.
it’s going to support (the) future workforce.”
Shepard was born into the construction industry and credits her father with introducing her to the many career opportunities that exist in the local market.
McCarthy Building Companies Vice President Antonia Williams addressed the groundbreaking for her company’s new training facility in Chandler. (Pablo Robles/
Staff Photographer) “I’m really excited for this facility and bringing in the community, not only is it going to support the development of our current workforce but it’s going to support (the) future workforce.”
– Amber Shepard
seeMCCARTHY page 26
Chandler gym Fit Society prepares for 10th anniversary
BY DREW SCHOTT Arizonan Staff Writer
MJ Reavley describes himself as a “pure-blooded entrepreneur.” He began working in fitness as a personal trainer and eventually rose to vice president of Pure Fitness, which sold in November 2010. During his time at the company, Reavley learned about entrepreneurship and leadership, inspiring him to go out on his own and start a gym.
His project, Studio Fit, gradually developed a passionate fitness community. Reavley built up his company to three stores, but has since sold two of them while maintaining the Chandler location at South Alma School Road. On August 16th, the gym — now named Fit Society — will celebrate its ten year anniversary.
Fit Society offers numerous opportunities for prospective clients. The gym offers both Group and Personal Training, as well as Orientation and Onramp to acclimate new members. With additional services such as Move+Correct — a program with exercises to reduce or remove pain — and fitness challenges, Fit Society’s philosophy of catering to each individual’s specific needs has contributed to its success.
The goal of connecting, challenging and inspiring people through fitness has created a loyal client base. According to Reavley, the average Fit Society client stays with the gym for over four years. He added that three of his employees have worked with him for more than eight years.
The tight-knit community plays a key role in the gym’s functionality during the COVID-19 pandemic— a public health crisis that has led the closing of 25 percent of gyms across the country.
Fit Society moved all its operations online during the opening stages of the pandemic and gave each client one-onone sessions with a coach. In addition to working through exercises and discussing equipment, coaches made sure to check in on the physical and mental well-being of their clients.
Following three closings last year due to local pandemic directives, Reavley recalled the smiles and “Thank Yous” when he re-opened Fit Society’s doors.
“Because we choose to… try and do the right thing at the right time all the time
Now she wants to offer the same guidance to high schoolers and college students who may be hesitant about seeking out jobs in construction.
McCarthy is known for building schools, bridges, and hospitals across the country and has contributed to several projects around Chandler. The firm recently built a new elementary school for the Chandler Unified School District and a five-story parking garage in the city’s downtown region.
Shepard said the work done at the training center will provide support for McCarthy’s projects by supplementing materials that can be incorporated into the construction of buildings.
“We use it as a training opportunity as well as a direct support to our job sites across the country,” she added.
Plans for creating a new workforce center in Chandler began not long before the construction industry was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
As McCarthy was closing on the center’s property, the rest of society was shutting down and the future of economic development became clouded in uncertainty. Chandler city Councilman Terry Roe took a few whacks at a wall during the unusual gorundbreaking last month for McCarthy's training facility. (Pablo Robles/Arizonan Staff )
Justin Kelton, president of McCarthy’s Southwest region, said McCarthy continued to push the project forward during the pandemic because the company knew it needed to invest in the region’s workforce.
“There was no way we weren’t going to do this,” Kelton said.
A workforce center can help McCarthy put out a better product, he added, and result in better price certainty for the projects they build.
“This is a culmination of what we’ve been doing for years,” the president said.
McCarthy expects the workforce center to assist Arizona in filling the many construction jobs that will be generated in the next few years.
According to the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation, Arizona will need 228,000 craft professionals by the end of 2024 to support all the development that’s projected across the state.
More than 80 percent of employers currently struggle to fill hourly craft jobs or salaried positions in construction, per the Associated General Contractors.
Justin Dent, the company’s senior vice president of operations, said the industry needs to engage with young workers and McCarthy’s new workforce center will offer more opportunities of engagement with prospective builders.
“We have to invite and get people to join our company and join the trade,” Dent said.
McCarthy believes its new facility will help its workers to learn about the many pathways that exist for them to advance their careers. The city’s elected officials approve of McCarthy’s plans to boost the local workforce and are excited to see how the training center assists locals in moving up the career ladder.
Councilman Terry Roe said he’s proud that Chandler gets to house a safe place for McCarthy’s construction workers to learn their trade in a controlled environment. “I’ve been a fan of McCarthy for a long time,” Roe said. “Chandler is the city of innovation and I see that in McCarthy.”
FITSOCIETY ���� page 25
in business and make those tough decisions, it paid off,” Reavley said. “It is really what got us through those shutdowns. There was never a time that people needed fitness and people needed social stimulus responsibility (more than) during the pandemic.”
An annual tradition is already in place for the gym’s decade anniversary. Reavley returns to his training roots by allowing his staff to leave in the late afternoon. He then teaches classes 5-8 p.m.
Families are also invited to attend a pool party and barbeque.
For employee Jacqui Hanford, her tenyear anniversary with Fit Society will come in two months. She joined the gym in October 2011, shortly after its opening.
The membership director and person in charge of administration, Hanford has the perspective of being a coach and serving in a management-level position throughout her time in Chandler. She believes that Fit Society has become a home for its members, thanks to the strategy of differentiating itself from gyms across the East Valley.
“We put a lot of time and effort into creating the product and experience that we have,” Hanford said. “We categorize ourselves as the micro gym because we’re smaller, not like the big bucks. And so, we’ve through the years made a concerted effort to make sure that it is more family-feel as opposed to a number-feel.”
Fit Society off ers both Group and personal training, as well as orientation and onramp to acclimate new members, along with
The 44,000-square-foot medical building in the front right of this photo was recently sold for $10.2 million. (Courtesy of Orion)
Chandler complex near Intel sells for $10.3M
ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF
Amedical building not far from Intel’s Ocotillo complex recently was sold for $10.3 million. Dobson Town Place, 2705 S. Alma School Road, was sold by Off Five LLC to Stratton Road Realty, an Irvine, California real estate investment company.
The 44,000 square-foot single-story medical and professional office was built in 2007 and was fully occupied at the time of escrow, according to James “J.T.” Taylor of ORION Investment Real Estate, which represented the seller. Orion said in a release that the building’s proximity to the Intel campus, which is undergoing a $20 billion expansion, and the new Banner Ocotillo Medical Center made it an attractive property. Stratton was represented by Ken Elmer of Commercial Properties Inc. “The tenants benefit from the property’s strong location in south Chandler,” Orion said, calling Chandler a “magnet for significant office relocations and expansions.” “This property was highly sought after due to its high demographic location in south Chandler, its tenant mix and quality of construction,” added Taylor, who will remain as the complex’s leasing agent.
“Stratton Road Realty LLC, has tremendous experience to professionally operate the seller’s namesake property so its tenants can continue to serve the Chandler community,” he said.
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