Headquartered in Smyrna, a town in Tennessee’s Rutherford County, Dow Smith Company is a design-build firm specializing in church, healthcare, and commercial construction. Decades of experience have taught the company that not all project types are handled the same way. There are, in fact, many differences between commercial and church projects, says Chief Marketing Officer Taylor Loyal.

Many voices
Working with the CEO of a business on a construction project isn’t the same as dealing with churches, where groups of stakeholders are involved. Some church committees are healthily focused on common goals, while others aren’t necessarily the best decision-makers. “You’re hearing different voices when you talk to a church, and you’ve got to know which voice to pay attention to,” says Loyal. “Sometimes it’s the pastor, and sometimes it’s not the pastor.”

To ensure church projects run smoothly, the Dow Smith team brings together leaders and other key decision-makers for a Three-Day Design Charrette with its design-build specialists. During these sessions, all project details are discussed, from design concepts to budgeting, blueprints, and church construction. “The goal is to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard, all concerns are addressed, and the final plan reflects the unique needs and aspirations of your congregation,” writes Loyal in Want to Build a Church? First, You Must Build a Consensus, a company blog post.

A vital first step, the design charrette allows multiple voices to be heard. As Loyal says, this is the time to align everyone’s vision and goals. It builds trust and confidence, reduces stress and disruption, and saves time and money.

In addition, church projects move slowly compared to commercial projects, and the language is different. “It’s a different lingo, a different mentality, and it’s a different mission,” says Loyal. “A good church knows it has to follow all the basics of a healthy business organization, but they have something else of concern: how can we take care of our people, our flock? It’s tough to balance both of those, but a good church has to figure that out. They have to conduct healthy business and take care of people.”

To streamline church construction as much as possible, Dow Smith Company dedicates an entire section of its website to Church Construction, alongside blog posts such as Building for Tomorrow: Key Considerations for Church Congregations. “In three days, we can do what takes other church design firms three months, sometimes six months,” says Loyal.

More than building
Construction, says Loyal, is probably the easiest part of church-building. Unlike commercial or healthcare jobs, churches face other hurdles, like getting approvals and financing the project. Building for Tomorrow discusses not only building the structure, but other vital elements in today’s churches, including secure childcare facilities, flexible multi-purpose spaces, new technology, and state-of-the-art integrated audio-visual systems.

“The interior design and décor are just as important as the design of the building itself,” Loyal explains. “It’s like icing on the cake; you can have a great cake, but if you don’t have any icing, or bad icing, it’s not a good cake experience. So we get involved in the pews—that’s the core, and we are part of that. The security in a church is very important, as is the AV system. The AV person needs to be on board day one of the design. Quite often, a church will bring in the AV person when the job’s almost complete, and it’s the little things like that that you need to be aware of for a successful church project. The earlier we can get AV people involved, the better. That’s such a big part of churches now.”

Church designs, like Dow Smith Company’s many other design-build projects, vary widely. Some, such as the LifePoint Church Stewarts Creek, have a more traditional façade, while others—such as the recently renovated lobby and restroom interior of the LifePoint Church Smyrna—incorporate sleek, high-end epoxy floors and polished concrete.

Humble beginnings
Another way the company keeps its clients informed is through its website, dowsmith.com, and the popular From the Ground Up Podcast. Launched in 2021, From the Ground Up features fascinating guests and valuable information on the design-build business and projects the company is working on. The first episode, “Starting a Business in a Little Red Truck,” discusses founder and visionary Dow Smith’s start in construction.

“I discovered my love of driving nails working with my dad and building decks,” he shares. Starting off studying engineering at Auburn University, Smith soon realized it wasn’t for him and switched to courses on building science, which helped him immensely with hands-on commercial construction training.

Doing residential jobs with his father, Smith recognized he needed to discover his own path. A friend, Frank Carlson Jr., told him of a job happening at the Smyrna Airport in 1992. Dow landed the project and hasn’t looked back since.

“Commercial construction was my calling,” says Smith, whose first office was his red Chevy truck. This led him to another job in an office building and to setting up an office of his own in the same building—essentially a one-to-three person operation to start.

A strong mission and core values
With a purpose to serve and a mission to serve Christ, and with core values that include “passion, caring, hustle, and detail,” Dow Smith Company is unlike other general contractors. The company is a Certified Best Christian-Owned Business by the Best Christian Workplace Institute (BCWI), and a member of C12. Designed for Christian CEOs and executives, the C12 format helps the business with a framework, and to align—on its signature five-point alignment matrix—revenue generation, operations management, financial management, organizational development, and ministry in and through the business.

Today, Dow Smith Company’s culture of service, streamlined processes, and transparent communication remain instrumental to its success after more than 30 years in business. These values can also be seen in the company’s subcontractors.

Taking on projects in Middle Tennessee and marketing specifically to Rutherford County, the company is experiencing growth in healthcare and commercial work, owing mainly to population growth in the area. “Our work follows rooftops, and there is a trend to that,” says Loyal. “Church-building is a unique sector.”

As a design-build firm, Dow Smith Company handles everything, including design. Whether it’s church, healthcare, or commercial, we are your one call, and we will take care of everything,” says Loyal. “As soon as you can write your idea down on the back of a napkin, that’s the right time to call us.”

Building community
A big believer in giving back, Dow Smith Company is proud to be a part of worthy organizations in its community, and of supporting its local schools. In late February, the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce celebrated Smith as Businessperson of the Year. “That’s a huge community honor for us, and a great honor for him, and something he shares with the whole company,” says Loyal. “It’s not a company award, but Dow will treat it as a company award. Dow believes in growing where you plant, and we are in a thriving community and a thriving geographic area. We are blessed to be right here, and as this community grows, we’ll grow right alongside it.”

Treating its employees very well, the company enjoys a low turnover rate. Some employees have been with the company for 25 years, unusual for the construction industry, and much of the reason comes down to respect.

“When people start here, they stay and grow here,” says Loyal. “A big part of that is our commitment to what we call people development. We actually have a couple of people on staff whose entire job is people development. They help our employees set personal and professional goals and work with them to grow—not just in their careers, but in their lives. That’s a big commitment we have—to help people grow.”

The post Words Matter: The Power of Communication<p class="company">Dow Smith Company</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.

For CSM Group, this has meant that, as global supply chains have shifted, with many manufacturers reshoring and strengthening their domestic footprints, CSM has built the capacity and expertise to lead even the largest, most complex projects to success across industries and sectors. The $515 million Kalamazoo Event Center—a 453,000-square-foot sports and entertainment complex developed in joint venture with Barton Malow—stands as a defining example of exactly what that means in practice. How does CSM Group get there? By doing things differently.

Focusing on its people and its purpose, on the relationships it builds and the projects that are its lifeblood, CSM Group has set the bar higher for safety and performance and advanced a model for workforce development within its own ranks that redefines how the construction industry can attract, retain, and grow talent at a time when demand is at its highest. This is a model built from the inside out; it is rooted in how CSM hires, supports, and develops its own people and extends those same expectations to the trade partners and subcontractors it brings into the fold.

Investing in people
Unceasing investment in people and new skill sets is the mark of the highest achievers across industries and sectors, especially since the shortage of skilled labor has become more pronounced in fields like construction, prompting leaders like CSM Group to radically shift their approach to talent attraction, retention, and development.

“Labor is a big challenge, and so, in manufacturing and construction, we have to think differently,” says Todd McDonald, Principal and Project Executive.

‘Differently’ in this case means several things. It means giving people second and third chances, looking beyond the actions of the individual and instead focusing on the person and their situation to understand what may be acting as a barrier to success. It also means working with partners to collectively address these systemic issues.

As McDonald notes, “Those who might be underserved, or in poverty—we may not understand their situation. We have to ask them, and then we have to be able to put wraparound services in place, which we have, but it’s teaching our trade partners to ask those questions as well.” For instance, when employees are repeatedly tardy, instead of viewing them as unemployable, efforts can be made to understand why they are late and to make accommodations where possible. Bus schedules change. Life and responsibilities can become overwhelming. Sometimes it’s just as simple as adjusting a person’s start and end time to help them succeed so they can get their kids to school or catch the bus at a more reasonable time.

Doubling down on its purpose
CSM Group is also working with other firms to secure the required numbers to undertake projects of the most imposing size and scope. The company hosted four Contractor Resource Forums, issuing public invitations to any smaller minority-owned or veteran-owned businesses interested in partnership opportunities, present and future.

“They could come to this resource forum, which we used not only as an informational town hall about the project and the benefit it would have for the community as a whole, but we also used it as a networking opportunity,” says Senior Director of Marketing and Sales, Katrina Reed, noting that the efforts have had impressive results.

Three years into a five-year plan, CSM Group is starting to see the impact of changes implemented over the last several years. These have enabled the organization to align itself more accurately and better serve what CEO Stuart Mason refers to as “complicated, high-barrier-to-entry markets,” like biopharma, advanced technology, and other global clients who are reshoring their operations.

A big part of this push has to do with technology—not only staying connected and optimizing efficiency internally, but also building experience with the advanced technology and controls required by complex projects.

Tying this all together in a perfect package is safety, which is an overarching priority at CSM Group that extends beyond physical safety to include psychological security for staff and partners in knowing that their investments are being managed to the highest standards of care and skill.

“We are constantly investing, training our people, putting processes and systems in place, and training our managers to create psychologically safe environments for our colleagues to do their best work,” says Mason. “We go back to the intention of working with industry-leading clients, which then pushes us to change, to improve at every level of complex sophistication, and we bring that knowledge and change back to our people, our processes, but more importantly, the confidence and capability of our teams and our partners.”

Limits and how to push them
Part of CSM Group’s growth strategy has been knowing when and how to pursue projects at the outer edge of scale and complexity—and building the partnerships needed to deliver them. The Kalamazoo Event Center is a case in point. Undertaken as a joint venture with Barton Malow, a nationally recognized construction firm, the project reflects both CSM’s expanded capability and its disciplined approach to complex delivery. Large-scale, high-barrier projects of this nature are commonly structured as joint ventures, combining complementary strengths to serve the client and community at the highest level. As Mason puts it, “The timing for this project was perfect for us. Our team was ready.”

Beyond the numbers, the Kalamazoo Event Center represents something deeper: the culmination of a 20-year relationship and shared ambition between CSM and its client, one that will irreversibly and positively impact the lives of a grateful community.

“This has been a project that was a vision 20 years ago. It’s taken a long time to come to fruition, and we’re very fortunate to have people in our community, such as our client, who are willing to personally invest in the community and in organizations within the community to have this sort of impact,” says McDonald. Through projects like the Kalamazoo Event Center and the Kalamazoo Country Club, CSM Group is truly having a substantial impact on the communities it calls home.

The Kalamazoo Country Club project seeks to provide a world-class experience for members, including course updates, the addition of a golf performance center, indoor and outdoor tennis and pickleball facilities, a bowling alley, and a theater, as well as four pools, a splash pad, and waterslides, making it a destination for the whole family.

Mason credits the Country Club project for having an in-depth sustainability plan before construction and a very clear objective of improving member wellbeing and health through building design. Built from mass timber, it is a marquee project for both the firm and the community.

In discussing the uniqueness of these projects, Mason emphasizes the pride felt by everyone involved. “There will not be another event center like the one that’s being built in downtown Kalamazoo. There will not be another Country Club built like this anywhere, probably on the planet. The level of complexity needed to bring all of those parts and pieces together to create that 100-year kind of vision that you know is the best-in-class customer experience is a hard thing to do successfully. There are very few organizations and companies that could do that in a safe and sustainable way.”

Success worth replicating
Whether it’s people, processes, or projects, CSM Group has raised the bar for the industry in a big way and continues to do so by leading with intention.

“We’re always seeking out what ‘can’t’ be done; it’s in our DNA. Clients want to work with companies that care about what they do, care about the people, care about their partners, and care about the outcomes,” comments Mason on the purpose and drive that lie behind the firm’s ability to be successful.

This is especially true of CSM’s workforce development model, which can be replicated on future projects in different markets. “That’s certainly what we’ve been working to do with our ecosystem partners,” says Reed of the company’s innovative approach to talent acquisition and capacity building.

As it stands, CSM Group holds a commanding presence in the Southwestern Michigan market, but it continues to look to new horizons and possibilities, including Texas, where, true to the state’s reputation, big things are happening.

Acknowledging that the “how” and “why” behind its approach might be more important than the “what” it does, CSM Group continues to evolve while staying true to its core values and relationships, ensuring that its purpose is fulfilled and that clients’ projects are second to none. As Mason says, “Our legacy is that we want to do projects and programs that have a longstanding positive impact on the country, on society, so we’ve got to be very intentional about it.”

The post Delivering What Others Can’t: Inside CSM Group’s Approach to Complex Construction<p class="company">CSM Group</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Founded in 1991 by brothers Pete and Wayne Peters, who were drawn to timber framing and committed themselves to learning the craft, Cornerstone Timberframes operated out of a tiny barn in the early years, with the brothers manually unloading timbers and using a single-sided planer to surface and square the wood, while hand saws, ship’s augers, and chisels were used to cut joinery. Cornerstone expanded along with growing demand, and in 2002, the barn was replaced by a larger shop with contemporary equipment after a successful tradeshow in Minneapolis, allowing for the completion of more challenging projects with exacting attention to detail.

After joining Cornerstone in 2001 to assist with office operations, Pete’s daughter Tanya Bachmeier became engaged in the design and finishing aspects of the company, offering clients advice on stain and finish options, eventually applying finishes to timber frames. Tanya took over as Cornerstone’s CEO in 2015 when the brothers were ready to retire, and her husband, Nevin Bachmeier, joined the company in 2016, bringing with him a love for innovative ideas and a planner’s approach. Adhering to the family’s fundamental principles of honesty, excellence, and service, this leadership has brought Cornerstone into a new era of mass timber and commercial work.

Cornerstone started using glulam beams in 2016, with the first of two CNC timber cutting machines added in 2018, and shortly afterward, cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels that could span large distances as walls and floors were introduced.

Additionally, the company remains dedicated to cutting back on waste, promoting ecological health, and being worthy ancestors to future generations.

“Cornerstone Timberframes was started by my father and my uncle, who had a passion for timber framing,” says Tanya Bachmeier, Chief Executive Officer. “It started as a very traditional timber framing company, and over time, it grew in size. They spent a lot of time blazing a trail in Manitoba and the surrounding areas, because timber framing was a very new concept there.”

Making awareness a priority, the brothers spent valuable time educating people and helping them understand the benefits of moving to timber framing. As the company slowly grew and added more employees, it moved from small to slightly larger production shops, where everything was done by hand.

“About 11 years ago, my dad and uncle were ready to retire, so they sold the company to my husband Nevin and I, and I took over the company,” says Bachmeier. “At that transition, we introduced automation to take some of the heavy lifting of the timbers and do some of the generalized, larger, more challenging saw cuts for the joinery details.”

A used CNC machine was employed to start that process of automation, and eventually, over time, a brand-new machine was added. At the time, that machine was the largest CNC equipment for mass timber fabrication in the country. “It really launched us more into the commercial world of mass timber and mass timber fabrication,” Bachmeier says. “The new CNC automated equipment allowed us to push through timber sizes and lengths that weren’t possible for us previously, and gave us the capacity to do more large-scale commercial projects.”

As the company’s capacity and capabilities changed, it shifted its focus away from smaller residential projects (although it still does small residential heavy timber custom cottages and similar projects) to focus more on the commercial side and the sustainability of using mass timber as a structural component, as opposed to concrete and steel in large projects.

Major accomplishments early on in commercial endeavours include assisting on a six-storey mass timber building in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the first of its kind. “We felt privileged to be a part of that project as it was the commencement of using mass timber in a multi-story structure in Manitoba,” says Bachmeier. “We were really excited to be a part of that.”

The company is also proudly female-led in an industry that has historically been primarily male-dominated (but is “definitely” changing). “It’s certainly been really exciting to see new female engineers, architects, builders, and general contractors enter the construction space,” Bachmeier says. “It’s been a fantastic transition for the whole industry.”

With just over 60 employees, more than 50 percent of Cornerstone’s employee base is female, but Bachmeier stresses a focus on having a diverse employee base and including a variety of people with wide-ranging skill sets and strengths. The company aims to place each employee in a place where they’re able to best use their strengths and feel comfortable.

“We’re always looking to hire the best person for the project or specific position,” adds Bachmeier. “As far as it being a contributing factor to the industry or the success of the company, being female-led, I don’t know that it’s necessarily that much different than a male-led company. I try to lead with integrity, compassion, and respect for my co-workers and clients. I don’t know that that’s because I’m female or maybe that’s good leaders in general, but those are some of the things I try to highlight.”

While there may still be some surprise expressed toward her position within the industry, Bachmeier says she doesn’t think about it much. “It’s what I do. I do the best that I can, but it’s not something that’s constantly top of mind.”

Respecting Cornerstone’s family history, however, is something she thinks a lot about, consciously embracing the ways she approaches different situations and opportunities based on the foundation she received from her dad and uncle over the years.

“I’ve been here for a long time, working together with my dad and my uncle, and I learned a lot from them,” she says. “From the way they led and from the examples they were for me—making sure to put employees first, giving them as much opportunity and giving back as much as possible, was a primary concern for my dad and my uncle, and it’s something I do as well.”

For Bachmeier, it’s been important to honour the company her family started, and even though it’s a very different company now than it was then, it’s been vital to recognize the values they instilled while ensuring its success.

Maintaining the longstanding company culture is an important element as well. “It’s something we put a lot of focus on,” Bachmeier says. “We have two different streams within our company: the sales and design side, and then the production, fabrication, finishing, and installation side. There are a lot of different components and types of positions within the company, and we try to make sure we stay united as a team and focus on a common goal.”

Encouraging company unity also entails arranging excursions or events once a month that include the entire group, while a biweekly video presentation features different fun happenings, highlighting individual employees and special projects to keep everyone informed and connected.

Indeed, keeping employees united and passionate is key to Cornerstone’s mission of designing and delivering timber and mass timber structures across Canada and the United States, with a “very rapid” growth pattern seen in the company over the last eight years or so. As the company evolves and grows, its expertise and strengths do so as well, says Bachmeier.

“Our background as traditional timber framers has given us a focus on quality and precision, and with the ever-changing landscape in the mass timber market, we’ve found our deep knowledge and experience in the mass timber and heavy timber industry has been a huge asset for us to guide clients through projects, taking them all the way through from the design, to production, to the finishing and install phases of the project,” she shares.

Even though mass timber is still a newer concept in the commercial construction space, having that foundation and experience in Cornerstone’s team has allowed for the smooth execution of various types of unique and challenging large-scale commercial projects. With growth comes its own challenges, and Cornerstone has had to deal with the integration of automation, a big step and a big challenge, but certainly a very worthwhile advancement.

“It’s similar to educating the industry about mass timber in the same way my dad and uncle originally educated the province and surrounding areas about timber framing in general,” explains Bachmeier. “Now it’s the same idea with mass timber, with it being in a commercial space where it’s a structural component. That’s new and different for a lot of general contractors. Getting information in the hands of people who need to see it—engineers, architects, and general contractors—has definitely been a challenge.”

Maintaining the pace of growth Cornerstone has been operating on is also vital, she stresses. “Because it’s an exploding market right now, we want to stay at the forefront and make sure we’re increasing our capacity for the demand.” The company has handled it well by bringing together an “incredible” team of people who are all focused on a common goal: successfully executing a number of large-scale commercial projects and playing a role in advancing the mass timber market.

Looking ahead, Cornerstone aims to expand its reach in the U.S. market while staying focused on continuing growth and advancing the mass timber sector. And Bachmeier stresses that this is all made possible due to an amazing, talented staff that ensures clients’ dreams and visions become reality.

It is those employees, armed with extensive knowledge and experience coupled with an integrated process, that will help determine future success.

“Most companies in this space do pieces of the process, but we’re able to take a client right from connection to detailed design and procurement, through component fabrication, pre-finishing and installation,” Bachmeier says. “Having that all within our portfolio is something that’s definitely more unique to the industry, and allows us to ensure a smooth process, because we have all of those stages within our company. That’s something that definitely sets us apart.”

The post Honesty, Excellence, Service: A Family Business with Common Goals<p class="company">Cornerstone Timberframes</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

In a very short time, the Kentucky-based company began making a name for itself in the utility sector, mainly through word of mouth. Initially hired by DC Power for sales, Jesse Tyree, out in the field and speaking to potential customers about their needs, quickly realized that many opportunities in products, services, and solutions were missing from the market. With an extensive background in running and managing businesses, Tyree soon developed hiring strategies, and, with DC Power’s owners, investigated new opportunities opening up and the many services the company could offer.

Hitting the ground running
DC Power started off small, providing industry-leading mobile dielectric testing and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) inspection services to power contractors across America.

“We travelled, interacted with our customers, and found a huge need for many services that we felt we could offer, and could do so in a way that catered to these companies and their hectic and unique schedules—because everybody is different,” says Tyree, DC Power’s Operations Manager.

Much of the company’s work started with clients having equipment breakdowns. While out on site performing dielectric testing, DC Power crews frequently saw clients experiencing various equipment stoppages that urgently needed the attention of a skilled mechanic. “Not only could we offer a certified mechanic to come to them in a fully equipped service truck, but we could rent a piece of equipment to them, and even fully tool that equipment with everything they needed to get the job done,” Tyree says. “That could include anything from light or heavy-duty utility trucks to earth-moving equipment in our shop or mobile.”

Soon, demand led to the establishment of a full equipment rental program alongside a range of other services, including repairs and a body shop. DC Power has materials on hand or will order as needed. Customers can rent a basic bucket truck, use customized tooling services, or purchase tools and personal protective equipment (PPE).

To meet all customer needs, DC Power has a full, well-stocked warehouse and a massive body shop accommodating several trucks. Investing in a state-of-the-art paint booth and paint-mixing system, DC Power can perform everything from entire paint jobs to touching up scratched fenders. And since the paint system is highly efficient, the team can mix just enough paint, with no waste.

Covering the entire United States, the company can also arrange shipping for clients. “That goes back to us being a one-stop shop,” says Tyree. “We will never say no to anything our customers run into.”

One-stop benefits
DC Power provides services that are wide-ranging and designed to meet all the needs of its customers, even during unexpected situations. Recognizing that equipment breakdowns can happen anywhere at any time, the company offers 24/7 Emergency Response Field Maintenance services to minimize downtime. Fast, friendly, and professional, DC Power’s highly skilled technicians address customer repair issues quickly to get them back on the road again.

The company’s Field Maintenance Service handles everything from repairs to inspections and maintenance, and is complemented by an extensive parts department stocking OEM parts as well as high-quality aftermarket parts. Along with being a leader in Utility Material, Tooling, & PPE, DC Power’s full-service Body Shop & Fabrication service takes care of everything from minor dents and dings to major collision repairs. Combined, these professional services fit well with the company’s mission statement.

“Our mission is to be a one-stop shop for anything in the utility industry that our customers may need,” says Tyree. “We’ve grown quickly by investing everything back into our company from the start to offer as many services as we can to our customers. From providing them with a piece of rental equipment to urgent testing and inspections, we have them covered all while offering safe, fast, and courteous services.”

In addition, anticipating customer needs saves them money and frustration, and makes life much easier by having just one invoice. “It cuts down on confusion for our customers and saves them a lot of time.”

Staying safe
To ensure everyone gets home safely at the end of the day, DC Power has a safety consultant with over 30 years of experience and in-depth knowledge of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

“Our biggest thing when it comes to safety—and this is how we’ve looked at it since day one—is we are all in it together,” says Tyree. “We don’t take shortcuts with anything. If a customer asks us to, we are very upfront in saying, ‘We’re not going to do that’ if it’s something we don’t consider safe ourselves.”

Even if a client calls for mobile repair, and DC Power technicians see something unrelated, like using conductive lines instead of non-conductive lines, they will let them know it is unsafe on the spot. “That’s not to sell our services; it’s a safety issue.”

Modern marketing
Now, DC Power is growing and is about to embark on a massive social media campaign. Along with traditional advertising tools like paper flyers and online videos, the company’s staff wear shirts with QR codes on them. “If somebody is in a picture with the shirt on, it’ll pop up and say, ‘DC Power services,’ and show them everything we offer,” Tyree explains. Back when he was in the automotive industry, he was the first to come up with using QR codes on vehicles so they could be scanned for information.

The company will also have a booth at the upcoming Utility Expo. The largest trade show and conference for the utility construction industry, the Utility Expo will be held this October 7^th to 9^th at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.

For DC Power, the Expo will be a valuable opportunity to connect with existing and potential customers. “We want to provide any meaningful solution we can for anything somebody might run into in the field,” says Tyree. The DC Power team plans to continue educating customers into the future on everything from the importance of keeping inspections and testing up to date to safety in the field.

“Our goal is to centralize many important services needed in this industry without having to contact and coordinate with many different companies, especially when you’re in a time crunch,” Tyree says. “This saves time and cuts down on communication breakdowns which can lead to delays, and in extreme cases, to unsafe situations out in the field for those working to keep important services online. We want to be the first company you think to call, no matter what your issue is, and we will offer a solution.”

The post Powering the Industry That Powers America<p class="company">DC Power</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

“We’ve grown quite a bit in the last year—we added something like 30 employees. Things are growing pretty quickly,” notes Jean-François Landry, engineer and head of the firm’s energy and sustainability team.

Collaboration rules
Over 150 people now work for DWB (up from 120 at the time of our previous profile) in over a dozen offices based in Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick. The company still operates in a decentralized, non-hierarchical fashion. Collaboration between offices and departments is strongly encouraged, which helps explain recent growth, says Landry.

“Let’s say the structural department is doing a new building, and they need somebody to do energy modelling, so they ask me to do the model. As one department grows, the other departments grow too because they bring more work for all the other departments,” he says.

An eco-friendly company, DWB also excels at energy modelling (using computer programs to forecast energy use in a building that hasn’t yet been constructed) and retro-commissioning. In a retro-commissioning study, DWB personnel examine HVAC, control, and electrical systems in an existing building with an eye to finding efficiencies and saving energy, Landry explains.

The firm can handle a wide array of specific tasks including project management, cost analysis, feasibility studies, preliminary and final plans, estimates, and site supervision. This “one-stop shop” model is highly appealing as it means customers enjoy multiple services from a single source.

From a zoo to the bowels of the Earth
The company’s burgeoning popularity also stems from its ability to accommodate a wide range of assignments: “We’re getting more and more robust in the services we offer, taking on larger and larger scale projects,” notes Landry.

One of these larger projects involves the Zoo de Granby (the Zoo) located in the city of Granby in Quebec). DWB has also been hired for a big job at the LaRonde complex in northwest Quebec. For the Zoo de Granby assignment, which commenced in April, DWB is performing “a large-scale energy saving study where we look at the entire site. It’s an interesting site because they have three different areas: there’s the Zoo and also a water park and amusement park.”

Open year-round, the Zoo facility houses over 1,800 animals grouped by geographical origin. The water park, open in the summer, features pools and slides, while the amusement park accepts visitors in the summer and fall, and boasts a carousel, rollercoaster, and a “7D movie theatre” among other attractions. The Zoo facility has “huge ventilation requirements” thanks to the presence of vast numbers of animals, Landry tells us. This system consumes plenty of energy, as does the air conditioning infrastructure in buildings throughout the entire Granby site; the pools in the water park also need to be heated.

The Granby locale already utilizes hydroelectricity, geothermal wells, and heat recovery solutions; as such, DWB’s mission is to go beyond what they’ve done already. “The study is about halfway done. We are hopeful they will be able to save a lot of money and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.”

Owned by Agnico Eagle Mines, the LaRonde complex mines gold and, to a lesser extent, silver, copper, and zinc. The LaRonde mine features a shaft that extends 2.2 kilometres below the Earth’s surface—the deepest single-lift shaft in the Western Hemisphere, according to Agnico. Some of the mine’s operations extend even deeper, to over 3 kilometres. “When you go that deep, it gets pretty warm, so they have a very sophisticated ventilation and cooling system to keep the mine cool so the miners can work in safe conditions,” notes Landry.

For its part, the processing plant produces doré bars (bars containing a mixture of precious metals, usually silver and gold) and other services.

DWB began working at LaRonde complex in January of this year. As with the Zoo de Granby, DWB is carrying out a large-scale energy study at the site, which uses natural gas and hydroelectricity. Mine management wants a precise accounting of energy use in all the buildings at the complex. “We’re proposing an energy management system that would look at the energy consumption of each building every 15 minutes and natural gas consumption every 15 minutes, so they can better understand who uses the most energy and then act on it and find ways to save energy.”

Making buildings better
Some projects that were underway at the time of our previous profile have since been completed or extended. These include a retro-commissioning study at the University of Waterloo in Southern Ontario, a study that began as a pilot project and has grown since then. “I think we were pretty successful with the pilot because they decided to go with a second round of retro-commissioning,” says Landry. “We’re seeing quite a bit of potential to save energy, but also to improve the comfort of the users and students, and improve the overall operation of the buildings. We found lots of stuff that can be done.”

DWB also wrapped up a campus-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction study at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). The firm compiled its findings regarding emissions and energy conservation into a document which was presented to TMU. “I think TMU is now taking that information and working with partners to be able to implement some of those measures,” says Landry.

A finished project cited in the previous article involved a building at L’Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) campus in Mont-Laurier, Quebec. This innovative structure features geothermal power and ample use of natural light. DWB has completed its work at UQAT, which happens to be based in Landry’s hometown.

“I worked on the life cycle analysis at the end of the project. It makes me very proud that my company worked on that project,” he shares. “It’s probably one of the most beautiful buildings in my hometown now.”

A life cycle analysis aims to estimate the long-term impact a building will have on the environment. Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) panels were used in the construction of the UQAT building for their positive environmental impact. CLT panels are fabricated by glueing together multiple layers of lumber, making them both sturdy and sustainable, and as wood can store carbon, the carbon footprint of wooden buildings is smaller than structures made from concrete, steel, and other materials.

DWB has embraced Cross-Laminated Timber as part of its green ethos. Staff from DWB recently gave a presentation about the merits of CLT at the Cecobois Conference in Quebec, which showcased low-carbon and bio-based construction methods and materials.

And the firm’s caring mentality extends beyond the environment. DWB is highly supportive of its staff, with offices offering side benefits in the form of ping pong, video games, yoga, and organized sports, depending on the locale. The goal is to provide some relaxing diversion and encourage interpersonal relationships.

With a branch in Moncton and having recently opened an office in Ottawa, the company is pondering whether to offer additional services in Ontario and New Brunswick. Currently focused on eastern Canada, DWB will take on tasks farther afield. A page on the company website highlighting completed projects cites a 450 cubic meter water tank the company worked on for a mining complex in Nunavut Territory, in Canada’s Far North.

Growing differently
Ironically, DWB’s success has presented a new set of challenges.

“As the company is growing, we are trying to add structure and some new procedures,” says Landry. The goal is to provide more of a template outlining roles and responsibilities regarding hiring, IT, and other aspects of the business. At the same time, DWB wants to continue to “do things a little bit differently so that people feel like it’s a nice place to work and they want to belong,” he adds.

As for the type of employee DWB hopes to attract, “We’re looking at people who want to grow, people who are creative and curious,” he shares.

An independent mindset is also a big asset at DWB Consultants; if someone has a good idea, DWB is prepared to provide them with the budget and tools required to bring their vision to fruition. DWB staff have the authority to open new offices in new locales if the market warrants such a move.

Regarding the future, the company’s preference is for natural growth, with, as Landry hints, no limits. “Ideally, we’ll continue to grow organically. At some point, maybe we start new offices. It could be as far as Calgary, Vancouver, who knows. Currently, that’s not in the plans, but if there’s an interest and some of our folks want to open new offices out West, that’s always possible. Technically, we could embrace the entire Canadian market,” says Landry.

The post A Collaborative Model for Growth<p class="company">DWB Consultants</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Established in 2010 by co-founders Thiago (TJ) Davila, Chief Executive Officer, and his wife, Michelle Sanchez, President, the business is the couple’s second enterprise, focusing on smaller boutique communities, single-family residences, and townhomes. With US Aluminum—a Screen Enclosure company that builds pergolas, sunrooms, pool enclosures, outdoor kitchens, pavers, and more—as part of its portfolio, Davila Homes benefits from having access to top-notch products including patio pavilions, awnings, and other hardware.

As a general contractor with a keen sense of attention to detail, TJ Davila began his construction career building homes in the early days, growing the business based on effusive customer referrals, which have had a key role to play in taking the team to where it is today.

Now, more than 800 residential units later, Davila remains as well-known in the Central Florida construction industry as ever, running a successful company alongside his wife and business partner. Thanks to their vision and the stalwart dedication of their team, the company has forged a reputation for bringing designers’ wildest visions to life. With owners who know how to inspire their team to achieve the impossible, Davila Homes’ capabilities come as no surprise.

The results of their combined efforts are many happy customers and awards recognizing the firm’s commitment to excellence and the industry. These honors include the Grand Award by Parade of Homes, which the firm received in 2019 in the Custom Homes category for its Lakeshore Model. The same model won first place in the same contest that year for units between the $1.8 million and $2.2 million range. The following year, the team brought home the Merit Award for its Florencio Model in the Custom Homes division of Parade of Homes.

Following these successes, in 2023, Davila Homes won first place for its Savannah Model in Parade of Homes—again in the Custom Homes category for units priced between $1.9 and $2.9 million. This year was in fact no exception on the awards front, with the company bringing home the Parade of Homes Lake-Sumter 2025 Merit Award for Best Outdoor Living Space for a custom home with its Savannah model.

Naturally, it takes strong leadership company-wide to achieve such prestigious recognition.

One of these outstanding leaders, Otavio Camara, Chief Operations Officer, has been with the firm since 2019, starting as just its fourth employee. At the time, the company was completing around 15 to 20 custom-built homes annually. Today, Davila Homes employs 35 people, a truly formidable team of professionals. “We grew pretty quickly,” says Camara. “We have a great staff, and I think that’s a big part of it.”

Davila Homes doesn’t exclusively build custom homes, however. With its years of experience in designing custom plans, the team has selected a few such plans to add to its portfolio and make available for clients who want to build their dream home without going through the process of designing a custom home from the ground up. Clients can incorporate a number of high-end, custom options as standard offerings, saving them money and precious time. This is where the firm’s design team shines in presenting the vast range of available material and finish combinations in a warm and supportive way. Once visualization presentations are complete, clients meet their project manager while permitting gets underway.

This process is followed up with scheduled site walks at specific stages to ensure that customers are up to speed and able to give their feedback, and to guarantee that they are satisfied with the final product by the time it is completed—just about a month or so later. During this time, a project manager is always on call during business hours. Thanks to modern technology and the company’s dedicated project management software, it is possible to digitally access real-time project information and make changes to the design as needed.

Davila Homes decided to further hone its processes by ensuring that it has full control of these in-house multi-unit development projects, putting material choices, timelines, floor plans, and every other design and construction aspect into the hands of its team rather than external contributors.

The result of this decision has been a wonderful selection of marquee projects. These include, among many others, the Golden Oaks Reserve, a collection of seven custom luxury, single-family homes starting at $4 million each. There is also Preserve at Lakeside in St. Cloud, a community comprising 10 single-family units that start at $1 million. Moreover, Lakeview Village Estates boasts a boutique community featuring 14 townhomes and 26 single-family homes in downtown Winter Garden, starting at $600,000 per unit.

A far cry from the typical profit-based development strategy one sees so much of around the globe, Davila Homes is motivated by quality instead. “We are trying to create a different identity. Even though we may have 50 to 100 homes in one subdivision, we want high-end products—houses that stand out,” Camara says.

With a dedicated sales team always ready to assist, Davila Homes provides its natural sense of good service with as much elegance as the rest of its offerings. Cultivating a relationship of trust and respect with every customer, this relatively new team has already proven its worth, demonstrating professionalism and dedication with every project and every client interaction.

Indeed, the company’s commitment to creating robust internal systems that form a safety net for project success has been integral to its success. Camara is especially proud of the firm’s ability to keep everyone on the same page by providing ample information and design capabilities in sleek, modern ways. “I think that this transparency with clients and being able to give them what they expect of their dream house is very important,” he says.

These standards of excellence and clear communication apply not only to clients but reach every employee of the firm as well. By creating a healthy and mature workplace ecosystem, Davila Homes’ creativity and problem-solving skills have the space to shine. Moreover, its sincere sense of care for its employees and theirs for one another makes it an even better workplace where design and construction could be called a happy team sport. “Part of our success is bringing in people who are in line with our core values,” Camara adds.

A key aspect of these core values includes doing genuine good in the world. Davila Homes’ non-profit organization, Above and Beyond for Change (ABC), was founded by President Michelle Sanchez during the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization facilitates everything from Cultural Day to holiday parties and STEM Club, alongside providing essential items, clothing, and food to underprivileged children. Having identified a need for digital and financial literacy, parenting skills, health and wellness information, and more, Sanchez’s dream is to create a community center for the group that will provide education and skills training to youth and adults. “We hope to make life better and easier for as many people as possible,” she says, highlighting the importance for the Davila family to be part of something bigger than themselves.

The company also has its own expansion plans underway. Set to house its stunning new office and design center, its new facility will inspire all who visit. Another exciting project is its new Richmond Model home in Bella Collina—an idyllic place that’s perfect for its most recent creation.

Beyond this breathtaking new address, Davila Homes aims to further diversify through new projects that continuously explore sophistication, beauty, and quality in ever-evolving ways. By blending classic craftsmanship with leading technology, and by empowering its team with rich opportunities for work-life balance and ample room to grow and develop both professionally and personally, Davila Homes is inspiring and transforming its future—and that of its clients.

The post Ready to Empower, Inspire, and Transform<p class="company">Davila Homes</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Transitioning the company from a handful of owners to an ESOP means Matern’s employees have an ownership stake in the business and a hand in its future and financial success. The move has deep meaning for Strandquest, who started with the Maitland, Florida-headquartered firm as a mechanical engineer 27 years ago, working his way up to President.

“ESOP is a six to eight-year process,” says Strandquest, “and we are in year two. We are considered an employee-owned firm in progress.”

Douglas P. Matern founded Matern Professional Engineering in 1984 and remained sole owner until 2013, when he invited three senior leaders to become shareholders and subsequently Senior Vice Presidents. Strandquest and Senior Vice President and Director of Engineering, Adrian Baus, were two of those shareholders. The third shareholder retired after 25 years with the firm in 2021. Like other successful engineering firms, Matern has been approached to sell by larger firms; but for this company’s leadership team, money wasn’t the key factor.

“The motivation was, we didn’t want to sell and have our culture change,” says Strandquest who, along with Doug and Adrian, decided it was more important to sell back to the employees rather than sell out to another firm and be acquired. In the next few years, Matern will completely transition to a 100 percent employee-owned company. “My hope is employees realize that and have a more vested interest in the firm and its success,” he adds. “Working diligently to make us profitable also makes their retirement fund even bigger.”

Although Matern is still in transition, it is already seeing benefits of the new ESOP. The business is more transparent as Strandquest conducts a quarterly debrief with the entire company, along with Director of Marketing & Business Development, Erica Shay. “Every three months, we go over the projected numbers for that quarter or the previous quarter, talk about what’s projected for the future, and look at where our revenue stands,” he explains. “There’s a lot more transparency in this process than there was before when just three of us had stock, and employees have also been more willing to speak up.”

Steadily building its offerings over the decades, Matern offers a wide range of services including mechanical, electrical, plumbing, energy, commissioning, fire protection, and technology engineering. The company executes sustainable design, lighting design, and project management, among other pursuits. With a team of 65 dedicated staff, Matern tackles building system assessments, leads design and construction teams for MEP upgrades, and engineers systems for aviation, commercial, community, corrections, energy, government, healthcare, higher education, public safety, and other markets. The key to its success, Matern has earned a reputation for its outstanding work in aviation and K-12 education, with such professional services delivered through the dedicated aviation and education teams.

“We understand the unique requirements of efficiently maintaining buildings that are in perpetual use while maintaining occupant safety and comfort. This knowledge and the partnerships we have developed have enabled us to have an average 75 percent repeat client base,” says Shay. “Doug laid a secure keystone for us to build upon for generations to come.”

“Schools have always been pretty strong for us, about 65 percent of our business, and then we have our government clients,” says Strandquest, who believes government entities—schools and municipalities alike—will continue to see steady growth. “I don’t believe those markets will go down—they are the one constant, always in demand, and the infrastructure will require renewal as a result.” Strandquest also sees healthcare as an emerging market that’s going to continue to grow.

Although it isn’t clear where markets like energy are heading, Matern realizes that public and institutional buildings need to function today and for years to come. “The thing we know is facilities have to be built and have to be renovated and maintained cyclically. You need education, civic services, and healthcare, so those three areas will not go away. We have also seen incentives for workforce education and transportation expansion with the new Brightline High Speed rail coming into the new Terminal at Orlando International Airport. The need to replenish the workforce pool and move people fluidly through Florida is long overdue,” Strandquest says.

A believer in corporate responsibility, Matern’s values include giving back to the community, sustainability efforts, and inclusivity initiatives. Over his years with the company, Strandquest has also seen the benefits of Matern’s client-focused approach. As an engineer himself, he realizes that engineers are often set in their ways: ‘this is how we’ve always done it, and that’s how we’re going to do it.’ “What we instill in our younger engineers is that you listen to the client first, figure out their need, and you give your solution around that need,” he says. “Don’t go into the conversation or design or meeting with a preconceived notion of exactly how it’s going to go. You can have ideas that you bring to the table, but ultimately, listen to your client and figure out the solution based on what they need.”

This client-focused approach also influences the people Matern hires. Technical knowledge and the ability to produce are important, along with the ability to listen. “We also look for project managers, senior project managers, and people in the firm in hierarchy positions that can speak to clients, market to clients, listen to them, and articulate a solution that fits what they need. So it affects who we hire,” says Strandquest. The firm will welcome six new interns this summer, two of whom are returning for a second consecutive year.

Matern has amassed a large portfolio since 1984, including work across Florida, numerous other U.S. states, and Europe. Clients include over 100 government agencies and institutions throughout Florida, nine states, and the Federal Government. For projects in Europe, Matern works with an established team, presently engaged in several school projects in Germany, with more in the works.

The recipient of numerous awards over the decades, the firm was most recently honored at the FEFPA (Florida Educational Facilities Planners’ Association) Architectural Showcase Awards. Matern received the Elementary Schools Award of Merit: Lee County School District Franklin Park Elementary School, and High Schools First Place: Orange County Public Schools Innovation High School.

The company has also seen a lot of work thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, launched under the previous administration with the objectives of boosting energy use and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Initially aimed at transportation, energy, and infrastructure throughout the U.S., it expanded into other areas such as HVAC, solar panels, water source heat pumps, thermal storage, and battery storage. This resulted in growth in the thermal energy storage (ice storage) market in Florida, and more projects for Matern. Recent projects include Flagler County Public Schools, Flagler Palm Coast High School, Seminole County Public Schools, English Estates Elementary, Alachua County Government Justice Center, and the School District of Osceola County, AAA High School.

In recent years, this energy transition has resulted in significant cost savings for clients, and what used to be private has expanded to public facilities. “Under the IRA, tax-exempt entities like school districts and government bodies can now receive a direct payment, rather than a tax credit, for qualifying projects. This means the IRS will literally issue a check back to them, potentially saving schools upwards of $1.5 to $2.0 million, depending on the project’s cost,” Strandquest explains.

The company and its leadership are optimistic about the future. Solidifying its existing footprint and possibly adding more staff is on the horizon for Matern, and there is a chance that, by the end of this year, the first third of the ESOP process will be completed, two full years ahead of schedule.

“For me, knowing that my retirement is coming up in the next 10 years, the future includes the growth of leadership in the firm, and grooming them to take over positions of current leadership,” says Strandquest. “Our focus has to be in that direction—getting them up to speed in how the firm needs to operate, what we need to do, and how to keep the forward momentum.”

With Strandquest and some others in leadership positions set to leave in the next decade, it is important for the torch to be passed to the next generation. “I know that’s a longer-term vision, but we need to do some things now and over the next five years to make that happen,” he shares. “It needs to be measured, our growth. It has to be sustained and smart growth.” It sounds like Matern is on the right path to achieve exactly that.

The post From a Founder’s Vision to an Employee-Driven Future<p class="company">Matern Professional Engineering</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Martin and Howe are also part of a new middle management line to the leadership structure, which acts as a filter for the vision of upper management—like Vice President Ian Scanling—funnelling that vision down to the various production teams so that innovative ideas and day-to-day workload can be better balanced.

For CCW, continuous improvement of its processes remains a significant focus. For instance, the team recently identified that it was lacking in the areas of effective communication and using the technology tools at its disposal (i.e. Microsoft Office and energyERP suites). This deficiency led to an environment wherein the stresses of growth were taking a toll on the company’s leaders, who were stretching themselves thin. Howe says that, with the new ERP skill set implementation, CCW has a lot of data that it is using to create key performance indicators or department scorecards, which are important in driving changes to existing processes.

The ability to make data-driven decisions is already a major factor in making decisions around which company processes need improvement. Thanks to these recent improvements, CCW is now able to find out the cost of an open job at any moment during its process and make timely decisions in response. This is critical in both process improvement and keeping the company agile in its marketplace. “It’s not gut decisions,” says Howe. “It’s data-based decisions for us.”

Martin explains that another ongoing process improvement is in the area of accountability, with very detailed records of who is responsible for what within the internal processes of the businesses. This begins with accountability charts and the establishment of defined rules, then looking at the root cause of a problem, gathering information, finding out where processes can be adjusted, and filling in the gaps to prevent the same mistake from happening again.

For example, Howe says, CCW deals with a lot of metallic laminates because it provides a valued product to customers; however, working with these laminates on the shop floor can be challenging because they damage easily and require a specific skill set to work with. In tracking the company’s work requisitions on damaged product coming through the shop, detailed lists can be populated of incidents on the shop floor and how products like laminates can be damaged. From there, leadership moves into meetings to ensure these products move through the shop in an effective manner, with attention paid to their specific handling so as to create a robust process and workflow.

With regard to general product quality, Martin says that the company’s finishing processes—particularly staining—have been modified to include a number of quality checks prior to sealing and top coating to achieve consistent colouring. This may involve laying out the entire project to make sure the colour matches or using practice panels prior to production. Every project involves a multi-step verification when it is assembled, prior to subsequent disassembly and packaging, and multiple people are part of this process to ensure correctness. In other departments, newer drawing technologies can allow for a faster turnaround for the CCW finishing department by increasing the team’s drawing capacities.

Howe says that, although CCW is most concerned with internal improvement, its current targets are not focused on expanding the company for growth’s sake but on increasing its overall bottom line. Its goals for the next three years are to build a strong business foundation that will be there when the company inevitably experiences another growth period, as well as ensuring that the right people and processes are present in the organization to take advantage of it. This will mean that CCW will never be overly reliant on a single person in a process. “Our bottom line will grow thanks to clear accountability and goals, so there are no more blurred lines for our workers,” Howe says.

CCW’s current direction is taking shape within a period of turmoil and uncertainty for many industries based in North America. Howe says that things in the industry have gotten a lot more competitive in terms of estimating, due in part to ongoing issues in the U.S. such as tariffs and the general political climate, both of which are affecting the company’s native Canada as well as the world at large. Many would-be clients are asking about prospective projects but are also holding back on turning them into anything tangible, as there is hesitancy around how things will turn out in the next two to three years, according to Howe.

Financial aspects like interest rates are also affecting businesses like CCW, again making it harder for prospective clients to start new projects. This is especially true in the condominium market because buyers are not purchasing in the same ways as they used to years ago; in this instance, condominium projects need to have sold around 60 to 80 percent to kick off a project, a figure not achievable due to the current circumstances.

During times like these, the company’s internal practices will continue to be a foundational part of its success. Martin says that CCW sports a truly great culture, one that the team will continue to strengthen by defining it through its values. These values will help the company grow and hire more great talent, as well as manage performance.

“A lot of foundational bricks for the next big growth spurt” are being laid, says Martin. Over the next year and change, CCW will be keeping its bottom line as its priority while looking at some changes to its plant layout and minor planned improvements with respect to modest capital investments. Martin says that the latter will be applied to improve automation as much as possible. The company is looking to build its engineering capacity and further develop its niche in unique products.

A big update that is nearing the end of the approval phase is CCW’s digital integration program, which will help the company go paperless while beefing up the provision of real-time information. The company is in the process of going after an Ontario Centre of Innovation grant that will help this project reach the next level. CCW is eager to make sure that, no matter where its clientele finds out about its expertise in architectural millwork, it will always be ready to follow up with its trademark unified approach.

The post Continuous Improvement and Data-Driven Decisions<p class="company">CCW Inc.</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

“What sets us apart in the industry versus a lot of our competitors is we can actually buy land, build a house, and then sell it to a customer,” explains General Manager Crystal Rothstein. “The reason we do it this way is because we do so many veterans’ loans, and this offers them the opportunity to finance without having a construction loan, because the VA doesn’t have construction money.”

This is a major departure from the industry standard, and the team is careful to mitigate any risks so that its out-of-the-box business model produces a win-win for all parties involved. “Most retail locations around us require a construction loan for a customer to build,” Rothstein says. “I can actually circumvent that. To solidify things, I will turn their contract in [to the bank] with their floor plan,” she explains. “We turn that into the bank of their choice, and they generate an appraisal based on their project, the land they’re buying, and they’ll do a credit underwrite for me. And that’s when they issue me what I call a commitment letter that lets me know I am good to go, and we hit the ground running and buy land or go ahead and order a house for them. Once the house gets there, then we finish their construction and then just sell them the whole project at the end.”

Not surprisingly, North Carolina Custom Modulars is a very popular choice for veterans seeking a home. Many of these customers would not be able to afford to buy a house without the creative purchasing model the company offers. For example, the team recently built a home for a customer who had “tried for two years to build a house,” Rothstein recalls. “And their banker actually found me, and that’s how they’re in a house now.”

This approach eliminates extra steps and extra costs. With a typical construction loan, “you have to have 20 percent down,” says Rothstein. “They’ll make you close upfront, and then any time a builder draws from that, you’re making interest payments. We eliminate that time. So there’s typically just one closing and no payments during their build, and then they just pay us with their loan when we’re finished. The bank will come back out and make sure they have heat, water, everything the house needs for them to move in, and that’s when they’ll schedule a closing for them.”

As the name implies, customization is another factor that sets North Carolina Custom Modulars apart and helps turn a customer’s dreams into reality. The company offers seven different home models at its location and 200-plus floor plans they can also choose from, all of which can be adapted to fit individual needs and tastes. This can include anything from moving a wall to substituting a kitchen from a different model into the model the customer is using for their build.

“We can pick and choose options,” says Rothstein. “What I usually tell a customer when they come in here is, it comes back to your space flow and your budget, what you’re looking to spend. And then we can help them work backwards from there depending on the things that they want to do—if they want to add an upstairs or put a basement under the house, that kind of thing. It really comes back to the client, what they’re looking to do with the home,” she says. As a result, nearly every home the team builds is customized to at least some degree.

This level of customization is unusual within the industry. “Most [modular companies] don’t want to do what we do because it’s time consuming,” says Rothstein. But North Carolina Custom Modulars is set up to go the extra mile. “Each salesperson works with that customer on what they’re looking to do. [For example], we want to move this wall over a foot so that the master bedroom is bigger. We want to stretch the house to 76 feet long so that they have four bedrooms—that kind of thing.” The sales team sits down with customers one on one to design a specific floor plan that matches the customer’s vision, “so they get exactly what they want.”

Customer satisfaction is so high, in fact, that the company largely relies on satisfied customers to attract new business. “We run probably about a 45 percent referral rate here at the office just because of word-of-mouth; we don’t do a whole lot of advertising,” Rothstein says.

“We have our own Service Manager that does a walkthrough when a customer moves into their new home. She handles any service issues with the customer for the first year of moving into their new home,” she tells us. “Our company also has two construction managers to make your site work and home buying experience seamless from start to finish. This eliminates the stress for a homeowner of trying to figure out what steps to take to build a home.”

North Carolina Custom Modulars works with three different manufacturers to create its custom homes. This way, the team is able to select the manufacturer that “offers everything that [the customer is] looking for in a home,” to provide the best, most effective option for each specific build. In addition, North Carolina Custom Modulars’ manufacturers—R-Anell Homes, Champion, and Holmes Building Systems—are all located in North Carolina, so everything is made in America.

Building in a factory, of course, provides some unique advantages, from a quicker build time to long-term savings on energy spending. “The bonus to a modular home is the controlled environment,” Rothstein says. “It’s built in a manufacturing facility, and then when we get it to the customer site, we actually set it with a crane and finish all the site work on site. So the timeframes are better.”

Building materials are also a factor. “They’re actually built with 20 to 30 percent more lumber [than conventional construction],” Rothstein says. “My exterior wall standard for my company is two by six exterior walls. Typical construction is two by four. So it gives them a higher R rating and is more energy efficient.”

The team had to navigate some difficult terrain over the last few years, but has managed to bounce back better than ever. “During COVID, prices were changing,” Rothstein remembers. “At least once a month we would have a price increase. And, honestly, all I could do was call the customer, and they could decide if they wanted to keep going or stop… But after that, everything leveled off, and we’ve been blessed to have had our best year ever last year. We did 44 houses last year.”

Looking ahead, the team expects to continue on this upward trend to deliver customized dream homes through an affordable business model. “We’ve pretty much doubled our numbers every year,” Rothstein says. “The future’s bright for us here.”

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