Commercial Builders You Can Rely On in Ohio and North Carolina
This category is for posts specifically about construction news and updates in the NC region. Posts in this category should only pertain to construction projects taking place in NC. Posts in this category may also be featured in the North Carolina category, but should focus specifically on construction.
Examples of posts for this category include:
– New construction projects in NC
– Construction updates in NC
– Construction news or information about the NC area
KANNAPOLIS — As part of the implementation of the Imagine Kannapolis Strategic Plan, the city council Monday night approved several budget amendments, including one that will allow for “upfits” or adjustments in space to accommodate growth in city hall.
Read more at: https://www.salisburypost.com/2024/08/14/kannapolis-approves-money-for-realignment-of-city-hall-to-accommodate-growth/
Our work in nonprofit construction covers a wide variety of different structures, including community centers, parks and healthcare centers. While nonprofit construction is incredibly rewarding, at times it can present a variety of unique challenges. Proper planning and strategy are key.
In this blog we outline our top tips to help your next nonprofit construction project go smoothly and be successful.
Before ever breaking ground, make sure all goals, objectives and uses for this space are clearly defined. Will the space have multiple uses? What purpose will it ultimately serve? What budget constraints could arise? Making sure everyone is on the same page as far as vision is incredibly important, and when it comes to nonprofit construction, that vision must remain agreed upon and consistent amongst multiple people, including nonprofit staff, board members, community leaders and stakeholders.
Funding is a crucial part of construction in any industry, but it can be especially complex for nonprofit projects. Nonprofit funding usually comes from a combination of grants, donations and loans, and all of that should be secured before construction begins. All involved with funding should receive full transparency about the project’s goals, timeline and financial needs, and project teams need to develop a detailed and realistic budget that accounts for all aspects of the project, including permits, materials, labor, contingency funds and potential delays.
Because nonprofit organizations have a variety of different stakeholders they must answer to, keeping detailed records of all communications, contracts, permits, change orders and financial transactions is essential. This documentation will be invaluable for accountability, and reporting to funders, the board and government agencies.
We’ve said this before, and we’ll say it again – transparency should be a priority on any construction project! Establish a communication plan from the very beginning that includes regular updates and open lines of communication for the key players involved. This builds trust, ensures everyone is on the same page, reduces mistakes and builds excellence.
Don’t forget that the end goal of nonprofit structures is to support the community, so let the community know of important updates! Showcase on your website, newsletters, emails and social media platform all of the milestones of the project. The community will love hearing about the progess of the project, and may have valuable feedback that could be useful!
Nonprofit construction has a special place in our hearts, because making an IMMPact in the community is an important part of our values. In fact, as a company we support 58 non-profit organizations, provide paid internships, offer apprenticeships and mentoring, support our employees’ causes monetarily and allow them to volunteer during work hours.
Contrary to earlier predictions of a recession in early 2024, the AIA and FMI now suggest a potential slowdown in the back half of 2024. While our indicators do point to a deceleration, our internal data and anecdotal evidence consistently demonstrate the robustness of the construction industry, which does not align with the notion of a significant downturn.
To summarize the AIA and FMI reports, they expect an increase in construction spending between 2-3% in 2024, followed by a rise of 1% in 2025. Accounting for the anticipated slowdown of construction over the next two years, the AIA points to three factors that, when combined, cause banks to tighten up lending, resulting in difficulty in getting projects started:
Despite the AIA Billing Index remaining below 50 for 9 consecutive months and the Dodge Momentum Index staying low for the past 10 months, the Charlotte and Columbus construction markets are still brimming with potential. Contractor backlogs, as measured by ABC and FMI, saw an increase at the end of Q1. This positive trend is mirrored at Miles-McClellan, where our backlog is higher today than it was at the end of Q1.
As you read the full report, you will learn more details about these numbers and trends.
Immediately below is a summary from one recent bid effort, but it indicates what our teams are experiencing as they continue to price projects for our clients actively.
Sharing a recent bidding experience, Brad Bloomberg, MM Vice President, expressed, “Our most recent bid was for a local office remodel in downtown Columbus. The project primarily focuses on updating elevator lobbies, restrooms’ finishes, lighting, and ceilings. We had a prequalified list of limited subcontractors invited to the project. While the coverage was average on drywall and fire suppression, we received feedback from painters, electricians, and HVAC contractors that they were too busy with the existing backlog over the summer months to take on any new work.”
This level of bidding activity is typical for the summer months. We will monitor the trends and report on contractor backlogs in Q3.
Construction projects are complex and require effective management of many different moving parts, such as groups of subcontractors, estimating costs and supervising work to ensure it is of the highest quality. Our owner’s representation services offer support during the planning, design and construction cycles of a project, and allow a project to meet the owner’s expectations in terms of scope, quality, schedule and budget. We customize our owner’s representation services to be flexible based on the owner’s needs, and the owner decides how much involvement and decision-making authority we receive. This leads to exceptional results with a project completed on schedule and on budget.
In this interview with Miles-McClellan Construction director of field operations Steve Parsons, learn about his experience being an owner’s representative and how it has allowed him to “save the day” for his clients.
Q: What experience do you have as an owner’s representative on projects?
A: Greasecycle’s Charlotte facility was my first assignment as an owner’s representative. I look forward to my next opportunity as an owner’s representative.
Q: Why do you like being an owner’s representative for clients?
A: As a contractor, it is rewarding and challenging to experience the owner’s vision and assist them with their project’s planning, financial and schedule goals.
Q: What do you bring to the table – why would a client want to work with you?
A: Experience. I have fourty-four years of commercial construction experience with a diverse and long list of successful projects.
Q: Can you name an example of “how you saved the day” for a client?
A: During COVID-19 and Greasecycle’s project, we were advised that the lead time for the electrical switch gear equipment would be twenty-eight months after it was approved and released due to severe supply chain issues. This was unacceptable for a project with a goal of completion within nine months. Through my electrical supply contacts, I sourced a used and refurbished switch gear from a supply house in California and finished the project by the nine month deadline.
Q: Do you have any specific advice for those in the construction industry working as an owner’s representative for clients?
A: Be a good steward. Treat concerns and your client’s money like you would your own. Think outside the box of a typical contractor and bring creative solutions to the table. Listen to the owner’s concerns and draw down on all your experience. Pride the owner with your professional advice. Advise the owner of the risks before they become a problem. Always be fair but firm with everyone.
For over 46 years, our customers have trusted us to build excellence and find smarter solutions for all their construction needs to ensure the best possible outcome for any project. With comprehensive Construction Management at Risk (CMR) services, our strategic approach to crucial components of a construction project that include project and risk management, project cost estimate and budgeting and design and engineering services, we help our customers minimize risks, control costs and get projects completed on time and at the highest standard of excellence.
As with all of our projects, the process begins with one of our talented leaders serving as Project Executive and committing to delivering a construction project within a guaranteed maximum price (GMP). From there, the Project Executive takes on the role as consultant throughout the development and design phase, and does everything possible to ensure a project is prepared and ready to enter the next phase.
In our experience, CMR with Miles-McClellan Construction provides several benefits that ensure a project is successful from beginning to end. These include:
We believe in building excellence before construction ever begins and have the talent and expertise to provide a seamless and efficient design process that leads to exceptional results. Contact us to learn more about our CMR services and experience on time, on budget construction!
Commercial construction projects are complex and involve multiple moving parts. Tasks such as organizing logistics, estimating costs and supervising the quality of work take time and experience. The result if not done correctly? Construction mistakes that can cost an owner millions and completely derail critical deadlines and schedules.
At Miles-McClellan Construction, we consider ourselves an extension of your team, and our owner’s representation services offer full support and service throughout the lifecycle of a construction project. We offer these services at varying levels based on your needs, and as the owner, you decide how much involvement and decision making authority we have as your representative.
Team Building- Creating a cohesive construction team you can trust.
Budgeting- Providing accurate and conservative budgets.
Inspections- Evaluating quality and specification conformance.
Schedules- Monitoring timelines and managing decisions.
Meetings- Meetings allow us to make client needs our focus and priority through the entirety of a project.
Greasecycle®, a company that provides comprehensive grease services and sustainable waste solutions, partnered with Miles-McClellan Construction on a new 9,000 SF recycling facility for cooking oil and grease trap waste in Charlotte, NC. This project included the complete renovation of an existing building, site work, new process equipment and below ground storage tanks. Through our owner’s representation services, we guided them throughout the project in the following ways:
Permitting- Miles-McClellan Construction led the design team in securing permit approval from the County’s zoning, traffic, civil, architectural, mechanical and electrical departments. We also worked closely with the County Fire Marshals to secure their approval.
Team Formation- We vetted, selected and interviewed all contractors to build the best possible team. We ensured that there were industrial process professionals on-site and managed every part of the construction and the process systems to maintain timely project completion.
Change Order Review- We required all change order requests to be broken down in detail and thoroughly reviewed to ensure fair costs for additional requested work.
Contract Resolution- Miles-McClellan Construction resolved all contract disputes by leading all negotiations without the need for expensive legal actions.
The Result? Owner’s Representation That Paid for Itself
Our owner’s representation services saved Greasecycle® 7%, a total of $457,330, of the overall construction budget by dividing all work into numerous contract packages and providing thorough and detailed scope descriptions and schedules within the bid packages to the prospective contractors. Pretty impressive when you consider that our fee was $164,185!
Check out our case study to learn more about his project.
The follow excerpt it taken from the FMI 2024 North American Engineering and Construction Industry Overview, First Quarter Edition.
“Best case assumptions for our forecast is for a recession in 2024, likely sometime during the first half of the year. These expectations are based on a range of predictive economic indicators, but especially the inverted yield curve. The duration of the economic contraction will depend on the U.S. policy response, but as with historical cycles, the impact on the construction industry will likely be longer lasting.”
All the lead indicators presented in our Q4 2023 Economic Indicator continue to reflect a downward trend and support the statement made by FMI above. Additionally, what we are experiencing in the market only supports this story further.
Building excellence and exceeding client expectations has been our core philosophy for over 45 years, and it is our exceptional team that allows us to accomplish this mission. Throughout the years, our team members have worked on a magnitude of different complex projects for clients of all sizes in all industries. This provides our clients with many advantages. Whatever your construction project or needs, we have the skills and expertise to ensure your satisfaction!
Let’s explore how we can make our construction experience work for you.
From residential, commercial, healthcare, higher education, manufacturing, and hotels, we have done it all! Having this knowledge and experience allows us to handle different project complexities and requirements effectively. Wherever there is a construction challenge, we have a smarter construction solution.
Our range of experience means we know the intricacies of a variety of industries and their environments. Every industry has unique needs that must be met, best practices that must be observed and certain technology that is required to help operations run more smoothly. We have had years of experience working within these different guidelines depending on our client, which is why we are confident we are more than prepared to handle even the most complex details of your construction project.
Being a top construction company since 1978, and having numerous team members with a vast array of broad construction experience, means we have built strong relationships with our clients, suppliers, subcontractors, architects, engineers and other industry partners. This also allows us to provide a variety of different services that other construction companies can’t offer. Whatever your dreams are for your next construction project, we know an expert that can turn that vision into a reality!
Having broad construction experience means our project management systems and processes have been refined to be as efficient as possible. Every Miles-McClellan project is guided by some of the most respected and experienced construction professionals in the industry along with an IMMPact team that shares insights and knowledge with each other to achieve building excellence.
Experienced construction firms recognize the significance of pleasing the client. This is why at Miles-McClellan Construction, we stress communication, transparency and collaboration throughout the life of a construction project. We want to know all of our clients’ needs, get their feedback and help them with tough decisions. This results in building lifelong relationships.
