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Building Excellence requires communication, collaboration and connection. As part of your IMMPact team, it’s my job and my commitment to you to set the right expectations and gain your trust as you approach your construction project. You can have the confidence in knowing that the success of your project is as important to us as it is to you. We take pride in the final product, and if my name is behind the building, you can be assured I will do everything possible to make sure the work is done right and on time and budget.

Your best money and time spent is during the pre-construction. Everyone has their own opinions about how to get projects done, so creating a shared vision and plan is a great starting point. This can be accomplished by walking the property early in the process, as well as after drawings are completed, to make adjustments and to get on the same page prior to project approval and permit submissions. Once construction begins, it’s very difficult to stop or change, so let me share some tips on creating the vision and expectations for your project before construction begins.

Have a Blueprint for Construction Success

Nothing slows down construction progress more than change orders and revisions. Therefore, it is important to have your drawings complete prior to starting construction. Avoid changing the plan if possible. Finalize the details of your project early on to ensure it is “buildable” and to provide more inclusive plans to sub-contractors, so they can provide their most accurate bids.

One thing to consider before starting construction is that unforeseen circumstances are bound to happen. They always do. So, trusting your construction team and making sure there is enough contingency in the budget can help to avoid uncomfortable conversations and surprises throughout the process.

Be Realistic About Your Involvement in the Construction Process

Construction is time-consuming. Be realistic in assessing how much time you can devote to the project and be sure to choose a contractor you trust so you can give the right amount of attention to your project and to your company’s operations and overall well-being.

Don’t Judge a Bid by Its Cover Price

My mother always told me, “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.” Seemingly minor details can significantly affect the price you pay in the end. For example, a low bid may look attractive on the surface, but it may not include things like materials and installation costs. Make sure to ask questions about what is included in the pricing and where the project team costs can be found. You will need to be able to put each bid into perspective to accurately assess whether you are getting a fair price per square foot. Working with a construction company you trust can avoid costly surprises.

Ask Questions About Your Project — Lots of Questions!

Clear communication is vital in any partnership, and we know you need a clear picture of what is happening with your investment. As construction professionals, we sometimes use industry jargon or explain techniques and processes using technical terms. It’s a second language to us, and we often forget that we are speaking a language not everyone knows. So, ask questions! Ask until you understand the answer! Ask until you have no more questions! Your construction team should guide you through the process and take the time to explain everything so everyone is on the same page and there aren’t any assumptions that can turn negative.

Remember, your project’s success is also a personal success to every construction professional who works on your facility. Your team at Miles-McClellan wants to make sure your project is set up for success from the very beginning. We are on your side. That’s why Miles-McClellan strives for Building Excellence through relationships with communication, collaboration and connection that results in exceeding client expectations.

Contact Miles-McClellan to learn more about how we strive to resolve issues before they become problems.

While technically speaking, all our construction projects start with building materials at a job site. Our projects really start with our incredible employees who come together to form experienced and reliable teams that plan, facilitate and complete dynamic projects that are customer-centric.

So how does Miles-McClellan Construction (MMC) stand above the rest?

With our hands – Our team uses our hands to build quality structures and each project has our unique MMC thumbprint on it. Our construction projects are a major part of our clients’ stories and our company’s story and legacy.

With our heads – We offer our employees opportunities for career and leadership development, which help them with planning and problem-solving in their positions.

With our heart – The positive impact our projects make for people in local communities means everything to us. Client satisfaction is of paramount importance; it guides our work and recruitment. We believe in hiring the best people who will bring their valuable experiences and skill set to every project. Combine this with a purpose-driven heart and you have the answer to why Miles-McClellan has been a leader in commercial construction for over four decades (and counting!).

We are proud of our relationships with our employees and our clients. Simply put, pride is why we do it!

Below are a few ways Miles-McClellan distinguishes itself from other commercial construction companies with how we approach our team, starting with recruitment. Building excellence starts with attracting and supporting excellent employees.

Recruit and Develop Leaders on Our Strong Foundation

One of the best ways to sustain and grow a business is from within. Successfully recruiting talented individuals to join our team is not just about filling a specific position in the present. When we recruit and interview applicants, we focus on their current skillset and experience and their future potential. By seeing the talent and potential of our employees, we provide opportunities for them to develop into leaders at Miles-McClellan, which translates to employees and senior management being on the same page. For example, we work with the Builders Exchange of Central Ohio to provide leadership classes for some of our employees called BXFlex (Field Excellence Leadership Series). Just like we envision the potential of our projects and our employees.

Provide Career Path Development

When a job feels static with little or no opportunity to grow in a company, that can negatively affect employees’ work production and morale. That’s why we pride ourselves on providing career path development. Employees who will feel their work is appreciated and that there are chances for promotions and increased responsibility positively impacts their work and the company. Investing in our people for the long-term is an investment we make in them, and we make to drive building excellence for our clients.

Personal Ownership of Projects

Miles-McClellan ensures our expectations and our clients’ expectations are always being met by taking personal ownership of projects. When people feel personally responsible for getting something done, large or small, it promotes a culture of excellence. Our IMMPact approach illustrates this point of personal ownership by emphasizing knowledge sharing, which allows our team members to trust one another and hold each other accountable throughout a project life cycle.

Client Reassurances

Investing in our people is an investment in our clients’ projects. This level of continued investment and support directly correlates to our more than four decades of building excellence in Ohio and North Carolina. There are many non-tangibles that go into constructing a facility and we make sure to account for these factors to ensure we are always doing things the right way.

We take a lot of pride in our work at Miles-McClellan; it’s why we do it! And our pride is visible in every level of our company and with our great employees throughout their career experiences and development. Miles-McClellan strives for building excellence for a better community, for you.

Every economic indicator for construction tracked by Miles-McClellan indicates strong growth in the most recent quarter, and a strong likelihood of continued growth heading into the 4th quarter of 2021.

To get a read on commercial and industrial construction, Miles-McClellan looks at:

• ABC Construction Backlog: Amount of commercial construction to be performed in coming months.
• AIA Architectural Billing Index: The Architecture Billings Index is an economic indicator for nonresidential construction activity, with a lead time of approximately 9–12 months.
• FMI Non-Residential Construction Index: This index is an indicator that provides a leading look into construction projects.
• Dodge Momentum Index: A unique 12-month leading indicator of construction spending for nonresidential building.

Accelerating Growth and Demand in Construction
From the above publications, not only are all the indicators quite far into “growth” territory, they have all been accelerating on a quarterly basis. The Architectural Billing Index and Dodge Momentum Index decreased slightly in June but are still very far into growth territory.

Construction Outlook for Q4 2021 Going into 2022
Based on the reports, we believe that barring any unforeseen shock to the economy, construction demand will remain very strong in the coming quarters. Lowered costs of financing have allowed many projects that were previously delayed to get started, and many of the COVID-19 oriented constraints have started to ease.

As a result, overall growth remains strong, and the previous issues of bottlenecks have become less of a burden to the construction industry. The largest constraint to the construction industry continues to be labor shortages and escalated pricing.

Are We at Peak Construction Growth?
One question some may be asking is whether we have hit peak construction growth. Many of the indicators tracked within this report have hit highs not seen since before the 2008 financial crisis. Keep in mind, peak growth does not mean that a decline in the growth rate entails contraction, just that the rate of growth is not accelerating beyond the current pace.

Questions over peak growth stem from lingering COVID-19 bottlenecks, reduction in consumer confidence due to many of the consumer stimulus programs winding down, and anticipation of rising interest rates in the future as the economy recovers and government / central bank policies become less accommodative.

While we don’t know whether we’ve hit peak growth yet, the indicators we watch have a long lead time, and provide a lot of confidence that the environment should be in “growth” mode for some time to come. With that said, we may see growth level off or moderate a bit, which may not be a bad thing as we work through labor and material bottlenecks.