This week was my first trip on a commercial flight in 15 months, and it sure did feel good. I traveled to Denver to meet up with my FMI peer group, which consists of construction leaders from around the country in non-competing markets. We meet twice a year to discuss what we are seeing and …
Last evening, I had attended a presentation given by someone I hadn’t had the chance to meet just yet. After the presentation, I found her in the crowd, tapped her on the shoulder and told her how much I enjoyed what she had to say. I make it a point to do this whenever someone’s …
“If only I knew then what I know now, I would have done things differently,” is probably something many of us have said more often than we wish to admit. In my own life, I have at times found myself so concentrated in the future, that I have had a tendency to forget about the …
The pandemic didn’t necessarily lay the groundwork for changes in retail, but it was a disrupter for sure. In-store, there are more cashless transactions and curbside pickup. For the short term, success will require adapting. Within our retail division, we recently completed a Best Buy store that flips the traditional concept. This hybrid model drastically …
We recently completed an adaptive reuse office project in an area that is both urban and residential. The owner wanted to ensure that site lighting was functional, attractive and minimally intrusive. We ended up going with the Limelight outdoor lighting control system by Lutron using LED fixtures by Cree. Limelight is a wireless lighting system …
We have all gone through more in the last year than we would have ever imagined possible. If there is anything I have learned, it is to stay nimble and be thankful. There are things in life that one can prepare for, and others that require you to think on your feet. It seems like …
Serving on the board of DesignAlabama for the last few years has been a great privilege. The organization is all about purposeful design, making wise choices and thus creating better communities. Each year, we host the Alabama Mayor’s Design Summit, where mayors from 5 moderate size towns or cities come together to discuss a design …
I’ve been in business long enough that I can speak with confidence when I say the actual construction is just a part of the formula that gets a building constructed. It’s all about relationships. The better the relationships, the better chance for success, at least most of the time. In my opinion, this applies to …
Whether we wanted it or not, the pandemic has accelerated so much change. Some of it was good, and a lot of it was not so good. We’re almost at year now, and I think for some, these last months have meant spending even more time indoors than normal. It might have been the work-from-home …
When I first started in this business, the idea of personal branding was in its infancy. Create a niche and a reputation for your company? Of course. But we didn’t necessarily expand the thought process to ourselves, or at least put words to the concept. The Internet has really leveled the playing field, making it …
We are in the preconstruction phase for a new adaptive reuse project which involves converting an existing steel fabrication operation, about 80 years old, into a mixed-use facility with office, restaurant and entertainment. This week, our customer and I were talking about several current initiatives that I was not familiar with at the time. I …
As I mentioned last week, I recently had a phone call with a sharp group of professionals from our region. I shared takeaways related to the vaccine and business operations. I also have a few notes regarding the service sector and real estate: It appears that across the Southeast, restaurants are beginning to enjoy increased occupancy in …