In what has become a highly competitive field, Starnet Commercial Flooring Partnership (Starnet) is a dynamic marketing cooperative that provides invaluable support to its members, freeing them to do what they do best on the customer-facing sides of their businesses while enabling seamless product and service procurement behind the scenes.

Because of modern structured end user agreements, “members don’t have to haggle; they don’t have to negotiate. Products have already been approved, and they can just buy off the menu,” says Mark Bischoff, President and Chief Executive Officer. “There’s no compliance risk, there’s no friction in the transaction.” The organization offers all this while supplier members grow their customer bases by securing longstanding clients.

Starnet’s commercial flooring members serve a wide range of industries, including education, healthcare, hospitality, retail, and office facilities. Many of those serving the latter sell office furniture, while there are also real estate-focused operations serving multi-family and mixed-use properties. The materials used include a spectrum of resilient flooring types like poured and polished concrete with or without epoxy finishes; terrazzo, a hardwearing stone composite; and other engineered materials alongside ceramic, broadloom and tile carpet, and wood. There are also members focused on sports facilities who are installing synthetic turf, running tracks, and providing other specialized services such as fitting protective padding, acoustics, and locker rooms.

Meanwhile, Starnet Floor Care teams, mainly comprising members in installation and product sales, service vast areas of flooring space.

Starnet also helps to address longstanding problems in the industry through technology—for example, the company has a current project to develop and source an exoskeleton for hauling onto sites and protecting fragile rolls of flooring material weighing up to 700 pounds, upon request of its members who have been battling this specific challenge for over a century. Of course, end users also benefit from the savings that are passed down to them. They also enjoy accessing professional, trustworthy installation as part of the purchasing process. Then there is the fact that members can negotiate installation times on new builds to be in sync with those of other trades, entirely erasing the chaos that often reigns on building sites.

Moreover, once people learn that renovations and revamps in existing buildings, sometimes on extremely short notice, are far easier when done by a Starnet member, they never go back to old-fashioned bidding and contracting. As members have access to a host of trades, end users can bypass the bidding process by employing a member to complete projects in record time with significantly reduced hassle. “That’s part of the reason why we like these cooperative agreements, because there’s not a lot of red tape or friction to that transaction, so it can occur right away,” Bischoff continues.

Helping its members handle everything from managing their teams to maintenance, repairs, and operations, Starnet helps free up time and capital on back-end infrastructure. This ensures smooth front-end operations, which enables a job well done and delivered on time and within budget. This makes it easier to offer higher value on projects that outsource an increasing number of functions, while also having easier access to the latest technology to further support this process.

“We’re in a strange time where traditional industries like construction and commercial flooring are more difficult because of the regulatory framework and the complexity of the business world. Part of our job is to help our members deploy technology to reduce the friction in the traditional model,” Bischoff explains.

Complete with its own online university, the organization provides connection, education, standardization, and profit sharing to members in the industry. Starting as Comspec in the 1980s as an initiative among select companies and fabricators in the industry to establish best practices and protocols and create networking opportunities, the organization was later formalized as IMG International Marketing Group. This gave operators in different parts of the country an opportunity to compare notes, join forces, and expand their reach. As a result, the organization began closing agreements with fabricators and developing products it found niches for in the industry before taking it from being privately owned to member-owned as a cooperative in 1992. Now operating as Starnet, the organization went on to expand its range of services, its products, and its reach.

Today, Starnet members benefit in myriad ways beyond improved processes and purchasing strategies. Two annual meetings and a flurry of get-togethers throughout the year allow members to connect with other operators outside their field of expertise or area of the country, providing opportunities to network with members and manufacturers. There are also training sessions, installation and technology workshops, webinars, and other similar gatherings. Each member receives dividends paid annually according to their branch-level purchasing support, which is reflected in incentives paid to the organization by the participating manufacturers on every purchase by a member.

Beyond purchasing, Starnet forges other close ties with manufacturers and material partners. Joining forces to audit and critique processes for its Starnet Floor Care division, they weigh in on product composition and equipment. These collaborations offer important insights and opportunities for improvement and fine tuning of chemical compositions and fabrication processes, while establishing members as trusted service partners for manufacturer-approved aftercare following installations.

Member committees act as data capturing mechanisms, keeping the organization up to speed with developments in the Canadian and American sectors on an ongoing basis. Based on this information, Starnet then develops relevant initiatives to inform, educate, and inspire its members to continuously evolve.

In this way, Starnet keeps members abreast of the latest technology and developments in related industries like real estate. One case in point is the notion that the commercial real estate space stands to be monetized in a similar way as Airbnb monetizes private property as guest units. To this end, Starnet is keeping its finger on the pulse of a trend that can be a considerable game-changer for its industry. “If [operators in flooring] continue to operate as they did in the ’80s and ’90s, they’ll be left behind,” Bischoff says of the technology, information value, and education Starnet provides.

Of course, one of the main member benefits remains driving value through cooperative purchasing. Having established trusted working partnerships with cooperative purchasing groups like Sourcewell and OMNIA, the organization’s buying power translates into robust savings for its members. “Government entities have a lot of regulatory oversight around how they buy things, because they’re trying to eliminate corruption and still get the best deal,” explains Tanner McHugh, Manager of Marketing and Member Services.

As the cooperative buying process eliminates formal bidding on each individual project, the onboarding process is greatly simplified while the amount of complexity and risk usually forced downstream onto subcontractors by general contractors is mitigated. “The advantage there is the end user is using the cooperative agreement to take the complexity out of their business,” Bischoff says.

The organization is also home to the Starnet Design Awards. Led by McHugh, these awards acknowledge members for outstanding performance in their fields. “We saw a big spike this year in the evolution of some of our tech providers, who make execution so much easier for our members,” he says. From easing administrative tasks to improving project flow, products like Spec-ID and Cyncly are changing the way flooring providers operate. There is even an application, CLīMIT, which monitors the real-time humidity and temperature of building sites, saving costs by helping operators choose the right day to call teams onto site to ensure they can execute in ideal conditions. Another sophisticated system, Independent Floor Testing & Inspection (IFTI), uses laser technology to map floor topography, or flatness, assisting in preventing injuries through improved safety in tiling by eliminating sub-product cavities caused by natural undulation of concrete, which can lead to damage of ceramic, terracotta, and porcelain floor coverings.

Other partners include Pittsburgh Paints—a respected coatings brand providing quality high-performance paints and finishes, who recently joined Starnet—and MDC, an exciting commercial interiors expert that leads with outstanding customized architectural finishes.

Bischoff is clear about Starnet’s continued contribution in modernizing the world of flooring, which has certainly left an indelible mark on the industry. “Our message to members is simple: lean on Starnet for the latest and the greatest, and we’ll build the frameworks that allow you to deploy so you can spend more time, energy, and resources making things real for your client,” he says.

As for Starnet’s advice to members to future-proof their businesses, its guidance leaves no room for confusion. By keeping operational costs to a minimum, flooring specialists free up cash flow crucial for field operations and new technology as industry changes forge ahead.

As field teams grow alongside project scopes, Bischoff believes demand for wider ranges of trades from a single operator will become a trend as clients develop trust and comfort with seamless servicing, not to mention the overall time and money savings involved. “Everything that they deploy inside these cooperative systems so that they work seamlessly is better for the end user because then they can focus on what they do best rather than construction or renovation projects outside of their field,” he says. With a focus on cost reduction on one hand and driving evolution on the other hand, Starnet Commercial Flooring Partnership continues refining its offering and revolutionizing the flooring industry as we know it.

The post Polished to Perfection<p class="company">Starnet Commercial Flooring Partnership</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

From modern townhouses to traditional single-family homes, the Ridgeview team takes pride in seeing every project from their client’s perspective while going the extra mile to deliver every project on time and on budget. Thanks to vigorous growth, the builder is now also exploring multi-community expansion. And its custom support does not end with designing and building; the company also helps new arrivals to its service area making the transition from their cities of origin to the Waterloo Region.

Established in 1997 by George Mouradian, Ridgeview Homes has built over 1000 signature homes stretching from Kitchener to Woodstock and London to Stratford. And, as quality never ages or goes out of fashion, its timeless designs make for homes that people genuinely relish living in. “Our homes are thoughtfully designed for the way people live today, creating spaces that balance beauty, comfort, and functionality for modern lifestyles. While a dedicated drafter creates the drawings, the overall design is a team effort. We are creating a product that people love and enjoy for years to come,” says Aleena Kabajouzian, Office Manager.

As a result, the company’s products are extremely popular, often being snapped up almost as quickly as they can be built. A recent project in Cambridge’s Moffat Creek community illustrates this momentum perfectly—entire blocks of townhomes were purchased in what felt like the blink of an eye. Buyers can visit the Moffat Creek Sales Centre & Model Home at 210 Green Gate Blvd in Cambridge, Ontario to experience the community firsthand.

In Westwood Village, the same excitement surrounds a subdivision of single-family detached homes. Demand remains strong, with a new model home opening soon for prospective buyers.

The company is also seeing great interest in its Heathwoods community in London, Ontario. Homebuyers can explore the Sales Centre & Model Home at 6973 Heathwoods Ave in London, Ontario, where thoughtfully designed homes offer modern comfort in a growing neighbourhood.

Lucky for customers ready to secure their dream home, even more developments are on the horizon. For more information on all of Ridgeview’s communities and upcoming developments, visit www.ridgeviewhomes.com.

While the company’s business model appears at first to focus on an “exclusive” approach, this is really just a great way to ensure that the team builds real, in-person connections with those who reach out to its expert sales teams. In this way, Ridgeview’s approach provides discerning locals with architecturally refined homes that are thoughtful and inclusive, especially considering the attention to detail the company puts into its efforts.

The approach is working. Ridgeview’s reputation has cultivated a loyal following, with many new clients discovering the builder through referrals from friends, family, and colleagues who have experienced its homes firsthand. In addition, property owners often seek out the company to develop land they own, resulting in a steadily growing list of prospective clients. With its sister company, Studio 334, handling interior design and décor, Ridgeview offers all-around contemporary excellence. To deliver an optimally comprehensive service, it also shares its showroom with Tricity Wholesale Flooring. The showroom offers a one-stop shop with a wide selection of outstanding flooring, home décor, small furnishings, bathroom fixtures, vanities, and tubs. There is something to suit all tastes, and this service comes with complimentary quotations.

Complementing Ridgeview’s offerings, Studio 334 turns renovation visions into reality, providing a seamless, full-service experience from concept to completion. From initial design consultation to project management and final finishes, the team ensures every detail is carefully executed, delivering homes that are as functional as they are exceptional in style. Studio 334’s impressive showroom, located at 334-A Manitou Drive in Kitchener, offers an inspiring destination for homeowners, designers, and builders alike. The thoughtfully curated space invites clients to tour and experience unique home décor pieces, premium bathroom fixtures, stylish vanities, and quality flooring—each display designed to spark inspiration and help bring every design vision to life.

Ridgeview Homes provides end-to-end service, handling structural design and permitting to deliver a truly streamlined and stress-free building experience. Each home also comes complete with a comprehensive design meeting where every detail, from flooring to cabinet finishes, is discussed and decided upon. To ease the process, a selection of harmonized design packages offers distinct styles that help save time and make the experience less intimidating for those looking for expedited style. “Clients have the opportunity to personalize every detail from start to finish, with our project coordinators, Erin and Katrina,” Kabajouzian says.

While many new homeowners are wary of what appears to be a daunting process at the outset, they have the reassurance of being supported every step of the way by the Ridgeview team—all while being protected by a new home warranty, backed by Tarion. “We all try to follow the Tarion Home Warranty Guidelines to make that transition easy for homeowners,” Kabajouzian continues. With expert guidance tailored to suit every client’s vision and investment goals for their home, there is simply no room for hesitation when working with this formidable team.

Focused on expansion, the company’s team has welcomed the recent second phase of developments at their Westwood Village site in Cambridge, which is well underway. As one of its highly desirable communities, many of the buyers here are returning customers who already live in the area. On the flip side, newer buyers also favour the Moffat Creek site, especially for its strategic location in Cambridge, conveniently located near urban amenities and the 401 highway.

To truly appreciate Ridgeview’s quality and design, prospective homeowners are invited to explore the company’s meticulously staged model homes, where every detail reflects the firm’s commitment to excellence. The most recent is a fully-staged, detached four-bedroom model home in Westwood Village, Cambridge, containing everything its standard homes would include, featuring an intentional floor plan that delivers exceptional value. Homes like these have brought the company significant recognition when it received the Builder of the Year WRHBA Grand SAM (Sales and Marketing) Awards of Distinction from the Waterloo Region Home Builders’ Association in 2020 and 2021. Winning Most Outstanding Two Storey Design; Most Outstanding Bathroom in a Home; Most Outstanding Indoor or Outdoor Living Space; Most Outstanding Home Renovation or Conversion; Best New Homes Sales Office/Presentation Centre; and Best Interior Decorating – Model Home/Suite, the team has made its mark on the local construction industry, proving that its skills and expertise are second to none. It even won an award for Model Home/Suite Under $30,000 when a unit called The Forest House took the limelight a few years ago.

The team is not all work and no play, however. Beyond being a close-knit group that spends ample time together outside of work, it also enjoys a good celebration, and so the company’s 25^th anniversary was celebrated in style with a memorable gala where suppliers, stakeholders, and trade partners joined to toast the great achievement.

As a committed part of the Waterloo Region Food Bank’s support network, this team also takes great joy in gathering donations around the holiday season. In this way, it has collected more than 400 meals for community members in need, and is also a collection point for its local toy drive.

With its noteworthy legacy in an ever-evolving construction landscape, Ridgeview Homes is dedication personified. From its office staff to its field teams, people here aim to please—no matter how much time and effort that takes—an attribute the company acknowledges with great appreciation for the people behind the work. “We have great site supervisors who really do work around the clock to make sure everything gets done in a timely manner for clients,” Kabajouzian says. As a company where establishing authentic connections and real-life experiences are more important than simply doing business as usual, nobody is ever reduced to a number at Ridgeview Homes.

The post Over 25 Years of Designing, Building, & Achieving<p class="company">Ridgeview Homes</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

During our conversation, one thing was certainly clear. Stasi Brothers is a team driven to do their best daily rather than make a quick buck.

As a resourceful family business with sufficient manpower to execute every job properly the first time, this is also a place where staff retention is as high a priority as customer retention. Self-performing around 80 percent of its work within a 10-mile radius of its office on Maple Avenue, Stasi Brothers takes its responsibility as a contractor to heart in every possible way. The evidence of this sentiment is impossible to miss on a quick tour of its offices. A beautiful wood and brass plaque displays the names of long-time staff members in reception, while a lovely collection of frames displays historic photographs of significant moments. There is even a framed, handwritten invoice from decades ago—a recent gift from a kind customer who reached out to refresh a previous installation.

The company’s creativity is as impressive as its legacy. As one enters the boardroom, you are welcomed by a retired asphalt roller that forms the base for a large, clear glass tabletop. This is flanked by a vintage MACK truck face transformed into a beverage fridge and drawer storage unit—all set up for comfortable, productive meetings.

Back in his office, it quickly becomes evident that this is not a gig Sal simply plays for a living. On the contrary, his undeniable commitment to the company and the work rings clear and true throughout our conversation. “We have a reputation for great work, and reliability, and getting things done. That’s huge for us,” he says.

The company’s history is one of adventure, hardship, and perseverance. Waving his home province of Naples, Italy goodbye in search of greater opportunities, Saverio Stasi could not have imagined the success he would establish in the United States when he left behind everything familiar on that fated day in 1960. Brave and enterprising, the young brick mason finally landed in Westbury, New York, where he founded a landscaping firm after deciding to set down roots.

Saverio did not only find his fortune here, however; he also discovered good people who helped him build his business, establishing a firm with a reputation for serving its community and a warm, multi-generational presence that says, “We care.” By 1964, he was offering masonry and asphalt driveways in addition to his other services. The ’80s saw the company expanding into local public works, which led to a rapid expansion that took it from a handful of staff to a team of 20.

Today, the company employs more than 100 people in the summer. Ripping and site preparation teams handle pre-installations while two paving crews do commercial and residential paving. Two concrete crews take care of concrete paving and repairs, and three masonry teams handle bricklaying on construction projects. Then there is a striping team, alongside a trucking department comprising dozens of vehicles. A regular snow clearing service serves many of Westbury’s sidewalks and entrances during winter—often done as a courtesy service to the town, providing fellow citizens with improved safety as they navigate the season’s slush.

“Stasi Brothers is a third-generation company that was built on quality, service, loyalty, and relationships,” Sal says. Sharing why he loves the work so much, this leader, who joined the company in 2003 as a teenager, lights up with pride. “I love to take something old and turn it into something beautiful and worthwhile. It’s interesting,” he says of the career that gives him untold joy. By now, his kids are sick of being reminded of every job he and the teams complete across Long Island.

Erin Abbatiello, Sal’s assistant, confirms this company trait. “[These guys] all remember every single job that they’ve done—all of them. All you have to do is mention the address, and if they look at a picture of the house or the street or the school, without fail, every single time, they will be able to recall it off the top of their head,” she says with a smile.

As a result of the pride the team takes in its work, the company visited PAVE/X in New Orleans in February this year, where staff could familiarize themselves with the latest in paving technology and equipment. “We’re constantly updating and trying new things, just to make everything more efficient, faster, and to offer better availability for our customers,” Sal says. The rationale behind such investments is straightforward: the work goes faster, staff have an easier time completing tasks, and quality improves.

With top quality comes good relationships, and to this end, Stasi Brothers has made it a priority to build healthy relationships with organizations in its community including schools, churches, colleges, and other institutions. Having been here for over six decades, the firm is committed to continuing to give back to the people of the area who have made the business what it is today. “We don’t require half the money upfront [for residential projects]; usually it’s a very, very minimal deposit, if any,” Sal shares. “I always tell people, ‘you don’t have to pay me until the job is done. So if you’re not happy, you don’t pay me.’ And they laugh,” he says. “They’re always happy!”

The company is as generous in showing its appreciation of its employees as it is with the local community. Big milestones are typically characterized by gifts of dinners, gift cards, individualized gifts for employees’ children, and group meals and outings. Birthdays are marked by restaurant gift cards for employees and their families. And the company’s management is deeply respected for the loans it extends to employees when big life events bring unexpected expenses.

When it comes to large commercial projects that impact the broader community, Sal is proud of the proven skills in minimal disruption that the teams have developed to complete jobs seamlessly—even during peak times like Thanksgiving and Christmas, where foot traffic could not be heavier in a commercial setting.

With most of its skills finely honed over decades, this company believes in continuous evolution by keeping its equipment fleets well-maintained and modern. By buying new machines and vehicles every three years or so, the team knows it can perform even the most demanding work with confidence. “The newer equipment has better GPS, lasers, scanners, sensors, and they’re able to make [surfaces] smoother and flatter and cleaner so that every job ends up being so much better,” Sal tells us. The same approach applies to the company’s use of software and AI.

As the company’s structure evolves with the third generation, Sam Stasi—who, at 31, has increased the company’s real estate developments by around 300 percent so far—Fran, and Augie, stepping up to take over the reins from Joe Stasi, its projects are also growing in size and complexity. The team couldn’t be more pleased with the continuity, as Sal points out. “Having a full crew of young [bloods], hungry to build on their name and their legacy is really interesting.” For a company that situates the satisfaction of its teams and customers at the core of its mandate to succeed, Stasi Brothers has most certainly done, and continues to do, an exceptional job.

The post Partnership, Passion, Professionalism<p class="company">Stasi Brothers</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Always exploring new ways to enhance customer service, Shannon Construction approaches preconstruction with the same level of attention to detail as the construction phase itself. By guiding project owners beyond their initial expectations, the team has refined its services into a sophisticated offering that fosters long-term client relationships, often spanning decades.

“We try to help customers ensure that the space they’re going to end up with will meet their needs,” says Ken Schultz, President, emphasizing the importance of identifying potential issues early. “In this way, we believe we provide more value than someone who simply quotes the drawings,” he adds. As a Purdue University graduate in Construction Management, Schultz has overseen more than $2 billion in completed projects across a wide range of sectors.

Shannon Construction considers strong relationships with subcontractors essential to its long-term success. These partnerships are cultivated with care, treating subcontractors as valued collaborators rather than transactional vendors. Schultz likens construction teams to a symphony orchestra, where each trade is an instrument, playing a vital role in delivering a cohesive result. Many of these relationships span four to five decades, dating back to the company’s earliest days.

Committed to innovation, Shannon Construction invests in advanced technology to improve both its services and the client experience. The company utilizes 3D imaging for visualization and rendering, along with weekly video inspections to monitor progress. Building information modeling (BIM) is also leveraged during preconstruction, where laser scanning enables virtual walkthroughs and overlays engineering and architectural drawings to identify and resolve design conflicts early in the preconstruction process.

Founded by Schultz’s grandfather, a carpenter who became a developer-contractor in the United States, Shannon Construction is now welcoming its fourth generation of leadership. Christian Schultz, Director, holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, as well as an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University. He spent a decade in the medical device industry, building a strong foundation of professional experience and bringing a well-rounded perspective to the family business.

Construction runs deep in the Schultz family, and Ken is generous in sharing the knowledge gained over generations. “Construction is incredibly gratifying—being able to create something tangible that serves someone’s needs,” he says. From conceptualization and planning to building and delivery, the process is marked by meaningful collaboration. “There’s a real sense of satisfaction in seeing our hard work result in a useful product for the client,” he adds, noting that client success ultimately drives company success.

A non-negotiable principle at Shannon Construction is doing the right thing—regardless of convenience or cost. “Maintaining our organizational ethos and the relationships we have with our clients in a way that our ancestors would be proud of is important to us,” says Christian Schultz. For the company, upholding time-honored values is just as critical as technical execution.

The company also remains deeply committed to supporting its communities. Contributions include natural disaster relief efforts, repair work for nonprofit organizations, and support for initiatives such as Stockings for Soldiers, March of Dimes, and the Boy Scouts of America.

Sustainability is another key focus. Shannon Construction works closely with clients to promote energy-efficient solutions and long-term operational performance. “HVAC systems are a major driver today,” Ken explains. “It used to be lighting, but now heating and cooling demand significantly more energy.” The company addresses this by improving building airtightness and increasing insulation, supported by a team of professionals who collaborate with engineers and architects to deliver high-performance buildings.

The firm also brings significant expertise to complex construction management projects, including public-sector and multi-prime work. Notably, Shannon Construction has completed multiple Family Service Centers for the second-largest public school in Pennsylvania. These projects, typically ranging from $10 million to $50 million, require extensive coordination and documentation. “Multi-prime projects demand a deeper level of management than traditional general contracting,” Ken explains. Many of these projects involve the adaptive reuse of former office buildings or school structures, resulting in modern, dynamic service centers that support collaboration and learning for students and their families.

Shannon Construction has built a strong reputation for revitalizing historic structures and modernizing legacy facilities, blending craftsmanship with contemporary performance standards across the Mid-Atlantic. One of Shannon’s most notable historic renovations is the transformation of 412 Boulevard of the Allies, a nearly century-old landmark in downtown Pittsburgh. Originally home to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, the building underwent a full core-and-shell redevelopment (~157,000 square feet) and has been repositioned as Class A mixed-use space, featuring high-end fitness amenities, conference facilities, and modern collaboration and meeting areas.

Historic renovations hold particular significance for the company, as they preserve community heritage while creating new opportunities. One such project is the Cambria Iron Works redevelopment in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where Shannon Construction helped stabilize and restore a long-vacant structure that now serves as a school for iron arts. “We’re helping revive an important part of Pennsylvania’s history,” says Alexis McCormick, Marketing Manager. The building, which survived devastating floods in the 1800s before sitting vacant for decades, now stands as a testament to regional resilience and preservation.

To maintain quality and cost control, Shannon Construction self-performs a significant portion of its demolition and carpentry work. At the same time, its longstanding subcontractor relationships ensure seamless collaboration across all projects.

Looking ahead, the company aims to grow revenue by 10 to 12 percent annually while expanding its service offerings and geographic footprint across the Mid-Atlantic. By continuing to build strong client relationships and executing projects with care and integrity, Shannon Construction is well-positioned for sustained success.

The post Built on Trust, Accountability, and Doing the Right Thing<p class="company">Shannon Construction</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Following years of climate change and the growing threat of urban flooding, cities across the Netherlands have been forced to confront the consequences of excessive paving and concrete. These hard, non-absorbent surfaces prevent rainwater from soaking into the ground, leading to significant runoff during heavy storms and increasing the risk of damage to both public infrastructure and private property.

In response, a broad consensus has emerged among Dutch urban planners, who are now working to remove non-absorbent, man-made materials from sidewalks, city squares, and parks. By exposing and revitalizing the underlying soil—and reintroducing plant life—planners aim to make urban spaces more permeable and resilient. The goal is to create cities that function more like sponges, better equipped to absorb heavy rainfall and withstand extreme weather events with less disruption and destruction.

So far, the country has come up with what seems to be the most playful yet ecologically sound and effective way of achieving the goal—one that is well worth emulating here in North America. Now, while bitterballen, Gouda cheese, clogs, tulips, and a love of cycling are only a few of the things that shape the Dutch identity, the “Nederlanders” are also known for their outstanding water engineering and, more recently, the National Tile Whipping Contest.

The concept is delightfully straightforward and a lot of fun. Every year from around March 21^st until the end of October, 203 municipalities out of a reported 342 compete for the honor of winning the “tile whipping” (tegelwippen) contest’s golden spade. The initiative, developed by Amsterdam’s Frank Lee, a creative agency whose innovative idea came about during a COVID-19-period brainstorming session, has caught on like wildfire as people and cities leap at the opportunity to create more regenerative spaces where they can spend time connecting with nature.

Today, it is common to see neighbours across the country take to their sidewalks with crowbars and wheelbarrows full of plants, turning dreary no-man’s lands into green spaces of community, creativity, and human connection. It is no wonder, therefore, that tile whipping is now just about considered a national sport.

The Dutch, and more recently, the Flemish, have been competing since 2021, removing nearly 6 million and 1.5 million tiles respectively in 2025 in what is known as the Derby der Lage Landen, a name given to any sporting match between the Netherlands and Belgium. Supporting the initiative is an informative website that guides citizens on what to do and what not to do, while explaining how soil is enriched and plants are grown. Local municipalities also provide tile taxis to remove pavers from such sites. Last year, citizens in Utrecht removed nearly 440,000 tiles, making it the winner in 2025.

Removing hard surfaces is not the only strategy cities are using to address the problem of non-absorbent paving. In many cases, paving remains necessary for accessibility, transportation, and public use. Rather than eliminating it altogether, some municipalities are exploring ways to make those surfaces more permeable.

One such initiative comes from Aquipor Technologies, which has developed permeable concrete pavers designed to absorb and filter rainwater. Made with a catalytic aggregate, the material allows water to pass through the surface instead of running off into storm drains. If more cities were to replace non-essential paving through tile whipping, while upgrading essential paved areas with an absorbent alternative, the impact could be significant. Urban flooding could be reduced, easing pressure on stormwater infrastructure and the public systems and services that are often overwhelmed during heavy rainfall.

If the goal is to recreate paradise in cities, it could be argued that natural options should be explored whenever possible. This is because they take advantage of an ancient and complex natural system. Soil genesis is interrupted when crucial natural components are removed from the cycle (and all natural components are crucial to soil formation), and manmade paving materials are thus not sufficiently sophisticated to help soil maintain its natural cycles, and so nature is still disrupted. Of course, how alternative pavers are used and in what volumes would ultimately determine the scale of the impact.

When natural cycles are altered, soil formation suffers and the remaining ground performs poorly overall. In turn, when planners and engineers modify these systems without carefully planned, pre-emptive solutions in place, the consequences can be severe, often leading to environmental damage, infrastructure failure, and even human displacement.

So, how is soil formed, and what gives it its tremendous sponge capacity that the Netherlands is now leveraging in the climate change struggle? All organic matter, from decaying invertebrates and other creatures to leaves, rocks, and sediment, combine in a slow decomposition process, driving bioturbation or soil formation. This is supported by a host of soil-engineering micro and macroorganisms like mycelia and insects like arthropods (known as soil flora and fauna, respectively). Plant roots are also a form of soil flora that further support the process.

The beauty of this system is that the healthier the soil, the healthier the supporting matrix that supports it, and vice versa. Now, one might ask why this health matters and how this natural system of soil genesis protects urban landscapes from flooding? Because, without us giving any thought to it at all, silent, near-invisible helpers create the conditions needed for soil to become absorbent, making the creation of urban paradises and the natural reduction of flooding possible at a far reduced cost over commercial solutions. They achieve this by decomposing organic matter, burrowing, aerating, and “gluing” the microparticles of soil into a living substrate.

Microbial glue, or extracellular polymeric substances produced by fungi and bacteria, is a collective term for biopolymers that form the basis of biofilms. Typically excreted as protective sheathing for these organisms, microbial glue prevents flooding and erosion by holding soil together at a microscopic level, giving healthy soil its characteristic staying power, porosity, and water-holding capabilities. Moreover, as it traps water and nutrients, microbial glue conveniently promotes further microbial health, making uninterrupted soil genesis a slow, yet perfectly self-sustaining geological process.

And what says “paradise” better than an automatic, self-sustaining system that costs nothing but a healthy sense of non-interference? In initiatives like tile whipping, we can see that soil genesis appears to be gaining the respect it deserves within urban regeneration policies for its role in maintaining healthy ecospheres while protecting human infrastructure and assets. By getting out of nature’s way, natural processes are free to do their jobs beautifully and efficiently.

Having come this far in our collective understanding of paving versus soil within a regenerative urban construction context, one trusts that the Dutch trend of tile whipping will only gain further momentum—even if simply to ensure that the part of Mitchell’s song that describes paying an arm and a leg to visit a tree museum remains a figment of the imagination forever.

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As it turns out, many of those asking these questions have been providing practical, well-researched solutions for decades. Connecting with one of Canada’s most respected pro-environmental icons, Herb Hammond, forest ecologist and co-author of the 2024 book, Nature-First Cities: Restoring Relationships with Ecosystems and with Each Other, yielded fresh insights. I asked him for insight into practical tools to support those in the construction industry in making the shift toward regenerative design and building.

In Hammond’s experience, developing a sufficient frame of reference to understand regenerative design and how to achieve it demands education and a reset of perspective. Beyond his most recent publication, he cites another important read in developing this understanding—Earth Democracy: Justice, Sustainability, and Peace by Vandana Shiva, PhD in quantum theory from the University of Western Ontario. In Hammond’s opinion, this book is so crucial to the greater mission of urban ecological regeneration and saving the planet at large that it ought to be a prescribed work in high schools.

“For those [who] have already passed high school, her book [should] be required to be part of [design and construction] professions and all other occupations, particularly the occupation of politics,” he says. “Along with the brilliance of ecological apartheid, another of her important observations is ‘In Nature’s economy, the currency is not money, it is life.’”

For designers and those in the construction industry who find themselves stuck in outdated world views and ways of doing things, Hammond counsels establishing a connection with nature. Walking in nature, he suggests observing the self-regulation and self-maintenance that underscore biological processes and their seasonal changes—that we should notice how interconnected, interdependent ecosystems seamlessly combine to form larger systems. “Note that ecosystems exist at the full range of spatial and temporal scales, and, thus, when we plan activities in ecosystems, we must consider and accommodate the full range of spatial and temporal scales,” he says.

Once the basic experience and understanding of whole, intact ecosystems become clear, the need for equally complete service systems and their mechanisms—to develop genuinely healthy cities that are good for people to be in and resilient to flux—becomes obvious. He also notes that nature’s services to accomplish many such tasks are far cheaper than man-made and engineered solutions that are not resilient to change and cost a fortune to maintain.

For those in the construction industry looking to make a difference but uncertain of where to start, he also has a few suggestions. “Start with restoration of the natural composition, structure, and function of ecosystems in locations that are amenable to nature. Where people see her advantages [as opposed] to technical engineering fixes,” he says. He also suggests testing concepts on private land that is preferably free and easily accessible. “This restoration will lead to nodes of restored ecosystems, which become anchors for a network of fragments of nature and restored ecosystems.” Within the larger ecological matrix, these nodes include and connect to what Hammond refers to as the natural water movement network, originating in the backyards of private homes, which serve to restore and balance the impact of urbanization.

Equally imperative is realizing that regenerative design and construction are impossible without the valuable and powerful voices of industry leaders. As part of the education process that must underpin such involvement, Hammond’s advice is to consider collaborating with “practical ecologists able to think in the range of spatial and temporal scales within which nature exists.” In this way, industry leaders gain access to the academic, practical, and intrinsic understanding necessary to work harmoniously within the frameworks of ecological complexity rather than against it.

“Start by learning about natural ecosystem composition, structure, and function; ecosystem diversity; and the breadth of benefits, [such as] services provided by intact, natural ecosystems. Then compare that with the breadth, cost, and equity of engineered technical services,” he says.

In Nature-First Cities: Restoring Relationships with Ecosystems and with Each Other, an outstanding collaboration between academics from various disciplines, the authors provide practical solutions for inviting nature into cities without “disowning” inhabitants. The authors’ motivation for writing it invites the industry to deeper contemplation on the whys alongside the how-to of regenerative design. “People in cities want nature nearby. But when developers and city planners seek to incorporate nature, they often settle for the wrong nature (homogenized green space), in the wrong location (isolated patches determined by economic considerations), and in the wrong amount (not enough),” they write.

The solution underscoring the book’s thesis is led by the science and practice of Nature-Directed Stewardship (NDS). As the creator of the NDS system, developed in collaboration with First Peoples over decades, Hammond suggests becoming a respectful part of the ecosystems we ultimately embody, making NDS a field of study that will hopefully find its way into all civil design courses and even high schools. Because, as mainstream designers, architects, and construction experts inch ever closer to reimagining the wild side of urban human spaces and their impact on our wellbeing on a more intrinsic, wholesale level, meaningful resources and thought leadership like NDS stand to make it possible for just about anyone in the construction industry to contribute positively to this new epoch in the evolution of space making.

The key, however, is to bring home the message that we, as a species, are not at the top of a pyramidal food chain, but rather an integral part of many complex systems. David Suzuki perhaps put it best at a recent Broken Promises rally in Nelson, British Columbia. “We’ve shifted from an eco-centric way of seeing the world to an anthropocentric way. We think that we’re at the top of the pyramid. [That] we’re at the top [and] everything [else] is down below us,” he said. Therefore, to take regenerative urban development from the fringes of design (as the World Economic Forum describes its current position) into the mainstream, universities and other tertiary institutions must embrace the subject, as some institutions in Canada and elsewhere in North America are doing.

As this exciting new era of regenerative urban design takes root, the Universities of Calgary and Vancouver appear to be the most active so far. Some cities are also working hard to bring about change. One outstanding example of an American city that has committed to integrating environmental wellness into its development is Dania Beach in Florida, through its Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program (BCSTCP). Along with the county, the city and its locals act as true stewards of the loggerhead, leatherback, and green turtles that nest along its beaches. Even though these efforts are perhaps not a pure example of regenerative design per se, the passion and commitment with which Dania Beach and its communities work to provide extensive lighting ordinances, raise public awareness, and monitor initiatives to protect these vulnerable species—all while actively finding ways of adjusting urban development plans and the local lifestyle to safely accommodate these wild animals—is nothing short of commendable and an example to other cities across the continent.

Albeit slow, industry changes are becoming evident. In the world of architecture, the green wall concept is morphing from a futuristic design statement to an increasingly common feature. Interior design has seen many avant garde homes and even offices, like Google’s in Dublin, which features enough greenery to make it reminiscent of the Amazon on a massive corporate terrarium scale. Now that the world has awakened and biophilia is evolving into a recognized subject as regenerative urban design, the concept of smart cities appears to be reverting to the original definition of the word in the wake of technology failing human well-being.

Firmly rooted in social cohesion, regenerative urban design also stands to play an integral role in reestablishing the equilibrium that we lost during the brutalist post-World War design eras, which are ultimately the sources of social decay in many communities. By actively listening to the needs of communities and considering questions like those posed by Mahmoud Keshavarz on the obscured racialization of humanitarian design, civil designers aiming to establish social ownership of functional natural integration projects are more likely to achieve successful, sustainable outcomes in the long run when they become aware of the unconscious bias often involved in designing for multicultural societies.

Hammond agrees that it is helpful to remind ourselves of our unconscious biases. “The ecological, social, and economic benefits that flow from [the regenerative] process will convince virtually anyone that cities and urban areas that protect and restore nature work for everyone. One important caveat to this statement is that this process must be rooted in equity, where all benefit,” he says.

And so, the final takeaway is simple. While regenerative design may be a shiny new buzzword, the reality is that achieving it will take a commitment to changing how we think about establishing nature within urban settings. Successfully creating connected, thriving ecosystems within the urban landscape demands closer collaboration between landscapers, architectural and interior designers, and even nature conservators and the preservers of traditional knowledge of the land—as we see in the range of academic schools of thought that brought Nature-First Cities to life.

As Herb Hammond says in this timely book, “Nature belongs where we are, and we belong in nature. From that premise flows an invitation that enhances cities, restores our relationship with nature, and rebuilds our relationships with each other.” While these ideas may appear foreign to us now, his team’s research shows that combining nature with higher density through regenerative design is the secret to success. “Most importantly, [regenerative urbanization] needs to be built on reciprocity. We’re given a gift. We have an obligation to give back,” he adds.

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John W. McDougall Co., Inc. (JWM) of Nashville, Tennessee is recognized for its outstanding architectural work and state-of-the-art processing facility. JWM is built to handle large fabrication and installation projects. Currently, the company is busy contributing to both the appearance and function of the burgeoning data centers that spread from Georgia to Virginia to Utah to Texas, and beyond.

As a company providing premium architecture and engineering products and service with outstanding customer care, reduced lead times and lean operations are standard practice. As a result, JWM is proud to have some of the country’s most respected OEMs, architects, and construction leaders among its clientele. “We’re a proudly American company that’s investing in its production facilities to be able to offer products throughout the country,” says Chris Ball, COO.

Growing to meet needs
In addition to JWM’s field operations and wholesale parts supply, longstanding vendor partnerships, including those involving custom resale lines, have positioned the company to make substantial internal investments. Just over two years ago, the company invested $10 million in a 27,000-square-foot powder coating facility offering eco-friendly, AAMA 2605-certified finishes. As of 2025, this powder coating facility is officially home to one of the largest batch oven setups in the United States.

These powder coated finishes provide superior durability and a cleaner, safer alternative to traditional solvent-based liquid coatings. This environmental awareness extends to the company’s preference for doing bus1iness with LEED-certified vendors and stocking recycled metal whenever possible.

In Burns, Tennessee, JWM’s facility is within easy reach of the company’s fabrication facility, and with the ability to operate three shifts on a seven-day work week, the company has the capacity to scale and meet all customer needs. This dedicated powder coating operation is fully integrated with JWM’s fabrication workflow, allowing clients to benefit from reduced handoffs, streamlined timelines, and a seamless, one-stop manufacturing process.

Employing cutting-edge technology that affords impressive custom fabrication, the company’s line of equipment includes a Trumpf 7000, sophisticated Trumpf punches, robotic welding capabilities, seven Trumpf press brakes, CNC routing tables, Trumpf flat and tube lasers, and much more, enabling the company to excel in terms of complex geometry, custom fabrication, speed, scale, precision.

JWM’s commitment to precision begins in its processing division, which achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification in 2019. This rigorous quality management system ensures that high-volume industrial services, such as rolling, leveling, and contract manufacturing of metal components, are executed to meet the most demanding industrial tolerances.

While processing provides the technical foundation, the architectural division focuses on specialized solutions, most notably custom parking garage screens. As bespoke metal façades become the new standard of modern architecture, JWM utilizes fabrication-led design assist to bridge the gap between aesthetic trends and structural realities. This approach allows the team to translate complex, geometric designs and images into high-performance perforated systems.

Turning these ambitious designs into reality requires a team that thrives on technical challenges. “What I really love about this team is that it’s driven by problem solvers,” says Ball. When JWM partners early in the project engineering, its design assist services consistently optimize material usage, create innovative custom panel systems, and streamline construction deadlines.

The team’s problem-solving capabilities are rigorously validated in private laboratories for challenging applications such as ensuring compliance with the stringent building codes of Florida and other hurricane-prone regions. Such high standards of execution have earned JWM the distinction of being one of only three approved American installers of advanced German Metawell® panel systems. This expertise extends across the company’s entire architectural portfolio—from design-assist and fabrication to final installation—and encompasses everything from ACM and perforated panels to sunshades and louvers.

80 years of resilience, innovation, and family
Founded by John W. McDougall in 1938, JWM has a proud history of being adaptable and resilient—and of working on some considerable projects. It was first established as a manufacturers’ representative agency before evolving into precision metal fabrication work. In the 1940s, during World War II, the firm pivoted toward heavy production and sheet metal work, notably providing 1,000 tons of ductwork for the Manhattan Project, the most stringently secret program of WWII and source of the first atomic bomb.

In a rather different vein, 1982 saw the company’s completion of Spaceship Earth, Disney World’s Epcot Park’s marquee attraction. JWM also worked on Disney’s Monorail and Contemporary Hotel, employing aluminum composite.

In 2001, Alec McDougall, the third generation, took over day-to-day operations of the company, continuing to strengthen JWM’s legacy by navigating modern challenges and supporting its further growth. Notable projects during this era include the FedEx Forum in Memphis and the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, each showcasing JWM’s evolving expertise.

And today, the company is proud to have on the team the fourth generation, Project Manager, Wylie McDougall, great-grandson of the founder, who will soon be joined by his brother, Roger, in learning the family business.

Employees—the best recruiters
To be sure, the family atmosphere extends beyond the McDougalls themselves; JWM works hard to create a culture in which all its people come to work with a sense of belonging. Building an enduring company means genuinely looking after its people, holding them accountable, and empowering them in the process, Ball explains. “When you don’t have a clear standard, and you don’t have transparency, holding people accountable becomes difficult,” he says. Setting the standard, together with ensuring that people have the opportunity to advance in their positions, fosters a hardworking, dedicated team of can-do people.

Indeed, management’s commitment to building a healthy work environment is paying off in the best way possible. By training staff in the finer details of recruitment, they are now taking up the task of finding the best cultural fits for the growing company. To achieve this, thought-leading training is provided by WELL BUILT Consulting of Baltimore, and is proving to be just the staffing solution the company had been hoping for. “They offer training on how happy employees can recruit just from being open in the marketplace. We’re always looking for good people,” Ball says.

Finding these good people means looking beyond stereotypes and collaborating with organizations like Nashville Rescue Mission, a life recovery program that helps people who have fallen on hard times and need help getting back on their feet.

“I’m proud of the growth and grit our team shows every day. I see team members pushing themselves and growing in every corner of the company,” Ball says. “The talent we have within this team is real, and as we stay focused on our goals and executing our vision, there really is no limit to what we can achieve.”

Prestige projects
This is evident in the range of prestigious projects and ongoing work seen in the company’s portfolio: the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Hub for Collaborative Medicine, completed in 2018, was a partnership with Flad Architects which saw the JWM team complete the exterior façade of an eight-story, 310,000-square-foot building that accommodates more than 1,400 physicians, nurse practitioners, researchers, and healthcare staff in a dedicated, central workplace. For this project, JWM provided 75,000 square feet of 4mm Aluminum Composite Material (ACM) panels, utilizing a coil-coated anodic clear finish to create a sleek and modern aesthetic.

The company has also been contributing to the ongoing modernization and expansion of Nashville International Airport (BNA), a landmark in the city’s southeastern corridor. JWM’s work here has comprised fabrication and installation across approximately 608,000 square feet, incorporating a variety of systems, including ACM 600 Series panels, perforated metal panels, Genesis system, insulated metal panels, ACM and stainless-steel column covers, limestone panels, and terracotta. This work has been in support of BNA Vision, the airport’s initial $1.4 billion renovation phase, which added a new international arrivals facility, a satellite concourse, and enhanced parking structures. With the airport moving into another billion-dollar initiative, the New Horizon phase, JWM’s focus “remains on quality and precision as we assist in transforming Concourse A, expanding gates in Concourse D, and advancing infrastructure upgrades,” says the firm.

And for the Google New Albany Data Center in New Albany, Ohio, completed in 2023, JWM provided both fabrication and installation services, utilizing its 600 Series Dry (Reveal) system. The company’s aluminum and phenolic panel installation delivered durability and precision, enhancing the center’s functionality and robust design, with work that included approximately 1,089 aluminum plate and phenolic panels, covering a total of 30,433 net square feet. The installation supports the data center’s rigorous operational and security environment, which allows this data center to operate under certifications including FedRAMP, HIPAA, and ISO 27001.

In fact, data centers remain a large source of work, with JWM fabricating and assembling fan bases as large as 30’ x 10’. To support data-center cooling systems, the company fabricates 24 massive floor and ceiling base units each week, each measuring 14’ x 13’, in addition to six 37’ x 11’ floor and ceiling bases and eight 10’ industrial radiator fan bases. Due to noise and aesthetic concerns for neighbors, JWM is also developing comprehensive acoustic solutions for these data centers in the form of visually appealing, noise-reducing louvers.

Eyes on the future
Certainly, the company’s breadth of expertise has led to its success in a wide range of fields. This is a company unafraid to take on the big projects, the showpieces that stand out from the pack. But while JWM has seen continued record growth over the past few years, as a longstanding family firm, balancing technical skill with family values remains of primary importance. At the end of the day, it is the continued evolution of the company’s culture that truly drives its performance and growth.

As John W. McDougall Co., Inc. looks ahead, its sights are firmly set on expansion, innovation, and leadership within the architectural metals and advanced fabrication space. The company’s continued investments in technology, vertically integrated capabilities, and scalable production position it to meet the varied demands of complex architectural projects nationwide. Underpinned by a strong foundation of nearly eight decades of experience—yet never afraid to evolve with the times—JWM is not simply responding to market growth; it is helping shape how America’s most visible and mission-critical structures are built, how they perform, and how they endure.

We look forward to seeing where the next 80 years take this dynamic and enduring company.

The post So Many Ways to Help America Look Its Best<p class="company">John W. McDougall Co., Inc.</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Appropriately located in Quarryville, Pennsylvania, four decades in the industry has cemented SSI’s belief in doing things right the first time, establishing itself as a trusted voice in the field. Vice President Scott Gartzke is confident in the company’s new product, performance, and the game-changing capabilities it provides customers with. “We have an established track record and reputation for providing high-quality and customized solutions in the aggregate industry,” he says of the new product, a machine the company sees as important to the industry to improve product quality and significantly reduce maintenance.

SSI’s application of this machine is not only beneficial to reduce environmental impact, but also for companies’ operational and mining efficiencies. Higher water consumption increases the need for bigger and more settling ponds for slurry and post-operational water treatment processes to enable recirculation within the parameters of the Clean Water Act (CWA), administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). These ponds also take up an enormous amount of space that could be used for mining. In addition, settling ponds are notorious for demanding continuous maintenance and call for high capital investment in heavy equipment, human resources, time, and effort.

The new system is, therefore, about to disrupt an industry ripe for modernization. Gartzke designed the Mule Screen system himself, noting that it is unique in the market. “We consider this to be the first vibratory machine that’s designed with rinsing aggregates as its primary focus while doubling as a fine material wash screen,” he explains. What sets the machine apart is a revolutionary overhead drive mechanism that runs three 900 RPM vibratory motors. As this eliminates the need for v-belts (flexible power transmission belts) that come with motor bases needing regular upkeep, maintenance is comparatively minimal, with zero oil changes.

Its operation is surprisingly straightforward. While two overhead motors spin toward one another, creating a linear motion, a third produces circular motion. The intersection of these two motions results in a thin elliptical motion that controls travel rate and bed depth for improved washing and rinsing action while minimizing the need for maintenance. With multiple sizes and deck configurations having the capacity to process 300 to 350 tons of stone per hour, the Mule Screen is an adequate size for industrial aggregate processing operations.

With the company maintaining a healthy stock of motors, these are easily replaceable, and older machines can be rebuilt—fine selling points and music to large operators’ ears. “Since you only need a crane and a wrench to unbolt them, anybody can unbolt and fit a new motor as opposed to traditional vibratory screens that mostly use eccentric shafts in an oil bath through bearings, which you have to be able to change,” Gartzke adds. This, of course, means less downtime as the usual lengthy bane of remachining housings is also brought to a timely end with this system.

The machine was also designed to integrate seamlessly into the SSI layout framework for design and setting up aggregate plants. As its system typically favors dry-sizing material first before rinsing, as opposed to doing it the other way around, it saves breathtaking volumes of water from being wasted. And, because rinsing consumes one and a half to three gallons of water per minute and washing takes five gallons per minute, the savings are notable. “We feel that we get more accurate gradation control utilizing dry sizing and then reduce water consumption by utilizing rinsing on sized aggregates,” Gartzke explains.

Stone is not the company’s only forte, however. The company has also built large sand-processing plants that require modular screen towers that it engineered and fabricated. Then there is of course the creative aspect of the business—one that Gartzke enjoys immensely and contributes to prolifically. To this end, technology-wise, the company invests in the best software to support its research and development, engineering, and the design work which underpins its fabrication. This level of attention to detail is part of its heritage.

In operation since 1987, the company was started by Scott Gartzke’s father, Craig Gartzke, and his partner, Rick Welch. Today, their sons run the company. Together, Scott Gartzke and his partner Joel Welch are proud to follow in their fathers’ footsteps. Gartzke remembers his father spending hours at his drawing board in their basement, designing new systems and finding ways of bringing them to life as he and Rick continued expanding the business, envisioning what it would one day become.

With the two founders now retired, the second generation of leaders has been at the helm of the company for the past seven years, to great success. As the grandson of a salesman in the industry following WWII, Gartzke is proud of the 75-plus years of combined expertise the families bring to the company. Performing like a small family itself, the team is comfortable and happy to work shoulder to shoulder. As a low-overhead business, the company’s frugality has translated into job security for the people who are its backbone. Genuinely caring about them means the company is also passionate about keeping its people safe in potentially hazardous jobs. “We want everybody to be safe in the process of doing a good job. It’s a dangerous industry and a dangerous job,” Gartzke says.

Following nearly 40 years of building the company into a stalwart in the aggregate industry, the team of 45 is as engaged as one could ever wish a team to be, committed to the company’s longevity and growing its customer base alongside its reputation. “Everybody is on board with providing a unique and quality product because what we do is exciting. Our people are all skilled,” Gartzke says of the talented engineers and fabricators who take pride in developing premium systems for customers.

For large static aggregate plants looking to purchase the new machine, the typical lead time is 20 weeks, or slightly less in pressing situations. Gartzke is confident in the company’s ability to meet high demand worldwide. “We have no problem working on a national scale and potentially even on a global scale if we have customers in other areas,” he says. Moving ahead, the firm is considering an expansion of its fabrication facility to accommodate its growing clientele. As nearly all its business comes through repeat customers and recommendations, consistency is key. With these customers spending impressive sums for the best crushing plants around, living up to its reputation for excellence is central to the company’s continued success.

By driving its own efficiency, SSI’s commitment to improving and optimizing its customers’ efficiency is a natural response to maintaining its position within the industry. As a result, the company’s quality continues to lead the way, alongside its innovation. “Everything else comes secondary to quality,” Gartzke says. “We’re always loyal to our word.”

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It comes as no surprise, then, that legacy operators are developing innovative ways to expand their reach and secure their stake in this lucrative field. McShea Contracting, a leading road striping firm based in Lehigh Acres, is currently leading the way in establishing Florida’s largest-ever presence in this market.

Following Florida’s rapid population growth boosting road user rates to all-time highs, McShea Contracting spent the past year and a half turning itself into the state’s single largest company of its kind with the help of a few strategic acquisitions and decades of solid business acumen. Specializing in methyl methacrylate paint services for the road infrastructure sector, McShea’s premium UV- and weather-resistant road markings keep road users safe across the state by improving traffic flow and safety management.

In a state that rates third in fatal road incidents with more than 24 million registered vehicles and nearly 19 million drivers on the road, McShea Contracting understands its crucial role in Florida’s efforts to improve road user safety only too well. Now, with this large group dedicated to end-user satisfaction and road safety in the state, fingers are crossed that the people of Florida will continue to see a steady decline in road accidents despite current, widely reported congestion issues.

To this end, the McShea team is committed to playing a significant role in helping to keep traffic across the Sunshine State running smoothly. With federal support implemented through programs such as the Federal Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Safe System Approach, overall traffic infrastructure such as roundabouts and other management and speed control features is also being improved.

With a strategy that smartly defies the old-fashioned way of expansion—where burgeoning organizations become too impersonal to care about remaining in touch with the humans that make them work—this forward-thinking company recently acquired some of its most respected competitors. Going from 90 employees to over 430 and nearly five times its original earnings in revenue, it created a single company powerful enough to serve the 65,758-square-mile geographic region of Florida with personal service delivery that puts a positive customer experience at the heart of its mission. This is achieved with the help of McShea’s highly engaged micro teams, who are familiar with customers and continue nurturing these valuable relationships with the same care the company did when it was a smaller operator.

Growing from four offices serving the state’s southern regions to 10 serving the state, McShea’s goal is simple: to provide a comprehensive road striping service that not only integrates with its road builder customers’ schedules and their overall needs, but also delivers a quality service with a high level of personal engagement. “Of course, we don’t claim to be perfect. But we do handle any mistakes or problems on jobs,” says Dan McWilliams, President, of the company’s commitment to becoming a premium preferred supplier in its market.

True to its roots, open communication leads the way at McShea. The company’s improved capacity now also means extending its reach to new geographies. To achieve this as seamlessly as possible, weekly scheduling meetings serve as gathering posts where plans for such expansion are discussed and implemented.

Officially established in 2009, the family contractor had its earliest origins in Michigan, where McWilliams’ uncle established the mother operation, PK Contracting, half a century ago—a company that is still in business there. Following the striping business to their uncle’s holiday house in Florida, Dan and his cousin decided to leverage their access to generational knowledge and longstanding connections with Michigan road constructors to build their own business. “We started with one little office and just a couple of trucks,” McWilliams says.

The business grew, and in 2021, the family sold both their operations to a private equity outfit, Frontline Road Safety Group. “That was a change for us because we went from a family-owned mom and pop business to a more corporate structure,” McWilliams continues. Having had similar propositions in the past, the family was, at first, not too keen on this one either. Keeping its family-owned character was important, and so was retaining its staff. However, once Frontline made it clear that the acquisition would require the company to continue operating with all its existing staff and management intact, the offer was accepted. The rest, as they say, is history.

In this way, McShea’s company culture was preserved, McWilliams stayed on, and today, the firm is stronger than ever. Following the first acquisition, that of Sanford, Florida’s Oglesby Construction in 2024, owners Tim Parker and his son continued running the operation as they had for decades. Emerald Coast Striping in Pensacola followed only a month or so later. That was followed by another two acquisitions in Tallahassee and Panama City, respectively. There is also Angco Striping in Longwood, all in the state of Florida.

News of McShea’s steady expansion got around as well as its reputation for being a good and fair employer. As a result, the company saw over 70 percent of another competitor’s staff join its ranks following a steady decline in staff satisfaction there. “We had no idea it was going to be the domino effect that it was,” McWilliams says of the en masse walk-over that would enable McShea to open yet another facility, this time in Plant City. Frontline then purchased said competitor’s parent firm, securing a fully operational office space in the same city that the original McShea Plant City outfit could then move into.

Considering the number of acquisitions since July last year, it stands to reason that blending all these teams into a well-functioning unit with a healthy operational culture has taken some careful planning. With every acquired business bringing a decade or two of operational value to McShea, alongside many decades of collective expertise, the company is now in a better position for scaling its operations than ever.

“I’m very proud,” says McWilliams. “We’re still trying to put this thing together operationally in terms of combining our best aspects. It’s a special thing for us all to be on the same side now and have all this knowledge and these resources under one roof.”

Naturally, all this effort is underscored by McShea’s deep understanding of the market—and the importance of pleasing its customers through more powerful capabilities and ever-improving service. As such, it is looking at two more companies it hopes will soon join its stable of service providers. This will enable the team to better serve the entire state, including the region between Gainesville and Jacksonville.

In further developing its service portfolio, McShea is also exploring the addition of rumble strips—a safety feature applied to tarmac where road surface incisions alert drivers to potential hazards. There is also traffic maintenance work lined up in the state’s panhandle region, which will see the advent of package deals that its contractor client base will soon benefit from.

Remaining in stride with its customers’ demanding schedules also means being able to pivot at short notice. By maintaining a well-supervised network of operators across the state, the company’s extended team is able to reach most of Florida. And, with the largest fleet of striping equipment in the state, becoming multi-talented has become a superpower that McShea Contracting is especially proud of.

“We want to be the leading road striper in the state of Florida, providing the best service to all the prime road building contractors,” McWilliams says. Recognizing the sheer volume of expertise and collective time in the field that this company brings to the table, more and more road-building contractors are increasingly turning to McShea for durable industry excellence in roadmarking and other infrastructure services that they know they can count on.

The post Striping the State of Florida<p class="company">McShea Contracting</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

With a four-hour burn rating, high water resistance, and the ability to withstand 250 mph winds, one can see why this method is becoming increasingly popular in response to climate change. As they also offer significant noise reduction, ICFs are ideal for high-traffic areas and highly populated urban centres.

These are all reasons why Habitat for Humanity is pro-ICF construction in the Oklahoma region and beyond. “Insulated concrete form homes have built-in protection from tornado and wind-related damage, wildfires, and earthquakes—all of which are known to affect Oklahoma,” reads the organization’s Rose Rock website.

Owing to these characteristics, global indicators for the sector are impressive. Intel Market Research noted in September this year that the world’s residential market for ICFs was valued at USD 655 million last year. Moreover, by 2031, it is predicted to reach USD 994 million. With reports by ICF Today indicating figures as high as 26,400 to 41,250 homes built using this method between 2022 and 2025 in the United States and Canada alone, the adoption of this technology has been long in the making.

The first ICFs were Durisol blocks, a product introduced to the construction industry by Swiss innovators August Schnell and Alex Bosshard in 1937. This came before the onset of WWII, registering the patent in Holland in 1932. The innovation is said to have been spurred by the need for fast, mainly unskilled construction to provide for the urgent housing needs of people following the geopolitical ravages of WWI which left many homeless and countless cities in complete disarray.

Originally made from wood fiber suspended in a cement substrate, Durisol would be followed by its next iteration, expanded foam-based ICF, in 1966, when Canadian contractor Werner Gregori was awarded his patent in March of that year. Gregori provided his chemical innovation with a wire mesh that added a level of fire safety. Whether made from recycled wood or polystyrene, these hollow blocks are stacked, much like toy blocks, reinforced with steel rebar and concrete, and finished according to design requirements.

With pollution an ever-present problem, using polystyrene soon became a growing problem. Today, in a world where environmental safety is a growing concern, it is heartening for those looking to lighten their environmental footprint to discover that wood-fiber ICFs are still actively fabricated and used in North America. The most notable manufacturer remains the original, Durisol, which is now selling the product under the Nexcem brand. As a purely recycled waste-wood alternative to chemical-based blocks, these affordable blocks offer high performance and durability while being energy-efficient, insulating, and structurally sound. They are based on the original wood-and-concrete mixture better known as Woodcrete these days, and experts cite breathability and lightweight strength as just two of the material’s other attributes.

Whichever material is used, there are a few pluses to using this method. Firstly, it is fast. Secondly, building with ICFs gives homeowners confidence that the final structure will rate well in thermal bridging, air-tightness, and, as a result, insulation. Price naturally also enters into the equation. Costs can vary depending on the finishes used, so it is not a given that building with ICF is always cheaper. What can be cheaper when executed correctly, however, are such buildings’ operational costs following construction, with their utility bills reported to be lower due to higher insulation levels.

While polystyrene has its benefits, its negatives are considerable and therefore important to consider. Due to the high costs involved in the process, polystyrene is rarely recycled. In fact, the sole company in the United States that chemically recycled polystyrene, breaking it down into its simplest form, Regenyx, shut its doors at the end of 2024 after successfully achieving the objectives defined in its five-year formation agreement. Now, only a few facilities remain that handle the process mechanically and sell the material on to firms in need of packaging and other applications.

The material is also known for not biodegrading but rather turning into microplastics that leach chemicals into the environment once such buildings are eventually torn down and dumped in landfills. The material also contains styrene, a chemical proven to cause hearing loss, and memory and concentration challenges, beyond also being a carcinogen. While it may be safely sequestered while encased in concrete, the end-of-life process of buildings that are torn down cannot be ignored and must therefore be seriously considered.

An alternative to wood and polystyrene that comes to mind is mycelium—the fungal networks that mushrooms sprout from. Sylvi Vogel at Open Range Custom Builders believes this could be an ideal solution: “Various studies and tests comparing the thermal properties of mycelium bricks and panels with insulation materials like fiberglass have shown that mycelium has a high thermal capacity, with an R-Value of at least 3 or 4 per inch, and have also found it to be highly fire resistant,” she wrote in an article on the subject in 2023.

Vogel also mentions cyanobacteria, a bacterium that is currently being researched for its potential in creating Earth-friendly bioplastics and foams that could one day help eliminate the toxicity factors presented by styrene.

While products like building blocks that double as decoration are available on the internet, the technology appears to remain prohibitively expensive for commercial use at this point. As adoption grows, however, one can only remain hopeful that this situation will change, making hollow mycelium blocks a commercial construction reality.

And while science catches up with ecological concerns, traditional ICF construction continues. In the meantime, we continue keeping an eye on Earth-friendly alternatives that could help contractors pivot and adapt to new ways of expanding this outstanding, proven building method across the continent and beyond.

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