CCR Issue 7

FEATURES

38 Pushing the brand forward

From a pushcart to a community hang out, how Dutch Bros Coffee continues to engage with its consumers

62 The win-win approach

How adaptive reuse projects save time and money

74 The jewel box

Unlocking the hidden potential within One Financial Center

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Can I get some more towels, please?

The drive from Atlanta to Orlando was long—eight hours-plus long. Between dodging rain in spots, traffic barriers in others and what seemed to be free T-shirt Thursday for 18-wheel truck drivers up and down the Georgia/Florida line, we finally arrived at our destination. A little weary. A little perplexed. And a whole lot

Like scores of other travelers, you dock your car in the docking area and head to the check-in line—an experience that for many feels like a scene from "Planes, Trains and Automobiles." You smile; they nod. They smile; you nod. And the dance continues.

But this time, things felt a little different. In this new post-pandemic groove we're living in, the hospitality world seemed to be hitting on all cylinders. The nodding seemed a little more genuine. The speed and efficiency was off the charts. There was, dare I say, a feeling of "I could get used to this."

Here's the deal, average hotel occupancy in the US is on track to reach 63.8%—a number that is (check notes), just shy of the pre-pandemic levels of 65.9%. Look around and you will see that leisure and business travelers are flocking to hotels in record numbers for the second consecutive year.

And, as for my incredible hotel team in Orlando—working mercilessly to appease the scores of visitors taking in Disney and one of the country's largest competitive cheer competitions—they rocked.

Truth be told, today's hospitality has risen to the challenge (and then some) by gearing up on customer service. According to the recent J.D. Power 2023 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index (NAGSI) Study, staff service garners the highest level of satisfaction among all guest experience factors measured. Driven mostly by the post-pandemic hiring surge (you read that correctly) in the leisure and hospitality sector, new and returning hospitality workers are providing overall positive hotel stay experiences.

So, when I wanted more towels, but didn't want to be disturbed in the morning with the knocking squad, they obliged every morning with a friendly hello and towels. Everything in the hotel, the lobby and the amenities were whistle clean. The food and service was outstanding. Everything just felt right.

If there is one thing we, as travelers, want is the ultimate in guest experience. We want our lobbies, common areas and everything in between to ooze with satisfaction. It matters, especially when you drive eight-plus hours and then get up at all hours to attend the competition for two highly competitive cheer teams (Go Macy).

If you get a chance, check out the J.D. Power study. Or, book a room and snuggle up to the new world of hospitality–extra towels included.

of "get-me-the-hell-out-of-the car-ish."

From Midtown to Manhattan Beach.

We’ve expanded to the West Coast Bringing decades of experience building high profile retail and office environments for the world’s largest brands.

We’re ready to build for you.

Tom Fenton, Business Development Manager (914) 244-9100 x 322

tfenton@schimenti.com

F&J PUBLICATIONS, LLC

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EDITORIAL

EDITOR: Michael J. Pallerino

678.513.2397 • mikep@ccr-mag.com

SENIOR ART DIRECTOR/AD PRODUCTION MANAGER: Brent Cashman 404.402.0125 • bocdesign@me.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITER: Ron Treister Rontreister@gmail.com • 207-712-2233

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678.765.6550 (fax) 678.765.0886

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678.765.6550 (fax) 678.765.0886

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LIST RENTAL: Brian Clotworthy • bclotworthy@inforefinery.com 800.529.9020

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CCR EDITORIAL BOARD

RETAILERS

AARON ANCELLO

Facilities Asset Management

Public Storage

DEDRICK KIRKEM Facilities Director Fragracenet.com

BOB MEZA Senior Construction Project Manager Target

DAVID D. DILLON Director, Facility Standards Store Planning & Design Development Walgreens Company

LAURA GROSS Retail Facilities Manager American Signature Furniture

KELLY RADFORD VP Retail Construction and Development Ascend Wellness Holdings

RESTAURANTS

RON BIDINOST Vice President of Construction Bubbakoo’s Burritos

DAVID SHOTWELL Construction Manager Atticus Franchise Group

HOSPITALITY

JOHN COOPER Principal Executive Vice President

Stormont Hospitality Group LLC

SAMUEL D. BUCKINGHAM, RS AMS CMCA President of Construction Devco Development

GARY RALL Vice President of Design and Development Holiday Inn Club Vacations

ROBERT RAUCH Chairman Brick Hospitality

JOE THOMAS Vice President Engineering Loews Hotels

LU SACHARSKI Vice President of Operations and Project Management Interserv Hospitality

ANDY BRIGGS, CHA Managing Principal A14 Capital Management

REAL ESTATE

ROB ADKINS, LEED AP CDP Senior Tenant Coordinator, Retail Peterson Companies

MARIE ANTONETTE G. WAITE

Founder and CEO Finest Women in Real Estate

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

DAVID THOMPSON

Vice President TCB Construction Group LLC.

MATT SCHIMENTI President

Schimenti Construction

JOHN STALLMAN Marketing Manager

Lakeview Construction

JEFFREY D. MAHLER RCA Advisory Board Member

DEVELOPMENT/PROJECT MANAGEMENT

KAY BARRETT NCIDQ, CDP Senior Vice President Cushman & Wakefield

CLINTON “BROOKS” HERMAN, PMP Construction Project Manager Hill International, Inc.

PAM GOODWIN Goodwin Advisors, LLC Goodwin Commercial The Pam Goodwin Show

KEN DEMSKE

Vice President Jones Lang LaSalle

PERMITTING

VAUN PODLOGAR

CEO, Owner, Founder State Permits, Inc.

ARCHITECTS/ENGINEERS

MICHAEL MAGEE

Studio Leader

Retail, Store Design Senior Associate Little

FRED MARGULIES Director of Retail Architecture

Onyx Creative

STEVEN MCKAY Managing Principal, Global Design Leader DLR Group

STEVEN R. OLSON, AIA President CESO, Inc.

ADA

BRAD GASKINS Principal

The McIntosh Group

ACADEMIA

RON VOLSKE Development Director Focus Brands

BOB WITKEN Senior Project Manager Fox Restaurant Concepts

MEGAN HAGGERTY Founder Legacy Capital Investment

GINA MARIE ROMEO Senior Consultant, Key Accounts Rarefied Real Estate Partners

JIM SHEUCHENKO President Property Management Advisors LLC

CHRIS VARNEY

Principal, Executive Vice President EMG

STEPHEN HEKMAN Executive VP Kingsmen Retail Services US

DR. MARK LEE LEVINE Professor Burns School/ Daniels College University of Denver

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

CRAIG WEBER

Director of Business

Prime Retail Services, US Prime 3 Retail Canada, Inc.

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AroundtheIndustry

RETAIL Target Stores

Target’s concept store in Katy, Texas, which is larger than the typical store and includes bigger aisles, natural light and other sustainable features, is expected to be the design foundation for all remodels and new stores next year. The bigger space means the new format can feature expanded food and grocery sections and in-store shops for Apple, Disney and Ulta Beauty.

Claire’s

Claire’s will open an upscale store in Paris that will feature exclusive handbags, makeup and a content creation studio for social media posts. The new store highlights the mall-based retailer’s evolving strategy of appealing to a broader swathe of global shoppers with product offerings in retail channels ranging from Walmart and CVS to high-end shops.

Under Armour

Under Armour is poised to open a new location on Oxford Street in the UK this year. The sportswear brand is currently embarking on a store opening spree in the UK, as it seeks to increase its bricks-andmortar footprint across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Fender

Fender will open a four-story flagship in Tokyo’s HarajukuOmotesando, marking its first presence in Japan. In addition to its instruments and equipment, the brand also will debut a fashion line called F is for Fender, which will be made in Japan.

Academy Sports + Outdoors

Academy Sports + Outdoors is expanding its store count in the state of Illinois with the opening of its latest location in Peoria. This will be the second store Academy has opened in 2023. Academy plans to continue its expansion efforts with the goal of opening 13 to 15 stores this year, and a total of 120 to 140 new stores by the end of 2027.

True Religion

Denim brand True Religion will team with Aurorae Group to launch a presence in China, with plans to start opening freestanding stores next year. The partners expect to have a mix of 108 branded stores and in-store shops in China by 2028.

IKEA

IKEA will invest $2.2 billion to grow its US presence over the next three years, including opening eight new full-line stores and nine “plan and order points,” which are small storefronts that act as planning studios with in-house designers. The retailer’s new investment plan also will focus on growing omnichannel shopping, adding pick-up locations and increasing IKEA’s presence in the South.

Coach’s

Coach has opened a new store concept in Chicago called Coach Play Chicago, which is designed to increase shopper engagement and reflect the brand’s luxury positioning. The store will host workshops with local artists to create personalized products, and the company plans to roll out more Play stores in the US and Asia in the coming months.

RESTAURANTS

The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory’s 2023 growth plans call for as many as 22 new restaurants this year, most of them under Fox Restaurant Concepts banners, including Flower Child and North Italia. The portfolio of brands has about 12 restaurant concepts, including Olive & Ivy, Zinburger and Doughbird.

Bodega Taqueria y Tequila

Florida-based Bodega Taqueria y Tequila will expand to a new market with the opening of two Chicago locations. The concept combines a fast-casual style taco counter with a tequila lounge, and some locations boast live music and a high-end mezcal bar.

Subway

Subway has signed 15 new master franchise agreements over the past two years that are expected to result in 9,000 new international units (4,000 in China) in the coming decades.

Jack in the Box

Jack in the Box will focus on refranchising more units at both its namesake chain and Del Taco, the 591-unit chain it acquired last year. Plans also call for technology upgrades, including the rollout of a new point-of-sale system by the end of next year.

Golden Corral

Golden Corral has created a fast-casual concept called Homeward Kitchen that will open its first location in North Carolina later this year. The menu will feature many of Golden Corral’s familiar comfort food dishes.

H&H Bagels

H&H Bagels is expanding beyond its New York City roots with plans to open 25 new company-owned and franchised units in the US. The bagel chain will be supplied by a new 20,000-square-foot baking facility in Queens, New York, and has plans to open new restaurants in five US cities and Washington, DC.

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AroundtheIndustry

In-N-Out Burger

California-based In-N-Out Burger will start construction next year on a corporate office in Tennessee, ahead of plans to open its first units in the eastern US. Plans call for the first restaurants in the Nashville market to open in 2026.

Shake Shack

Shake Shack’s 11 drive-thru units, most of which opened last year, are a work in progress, but early results show the new format is driving sales. The chain aims to open 10 to 15 more drive-thru locations this year as part of a plan to grow by about 40 new US units and up to 30 licensed locations in international markets.

HOSPITALITY

The Cordish Companies

The Cordish Companies has presented a redevelopment plan to the Louisiana Gaming Control Board for Diamond Jacks Casino in Bossier City that would include a $250 million investment to build a new land-based casino with over 1,000 slot machines and electronic table games, a sportsbook and 30 live dealer tables. The proposed venue, which would be named Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana, would also feature a renovated hotel that has 400 guest rooms, multiple restaurants and a multipurpose events space.

My Place Hotels of America

Extended stay brand My Place Hotels of America will expand its presence in Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee with a development and franchise agreement with real estate development and investment company Rimrock Cos. The first phase of the deal calls for the development of 10 extended-stay hotels, which are set to be completed in the next six years.

Hyatt Regency

The debut of Hyatt Regency Baytown-Houston, a seven-story, 208key waterfront hotel, and Hyatt Regency Conroe, a 250-room hotel with 13 premium suites, marks the 12th and 13th properties to open in Texas from Hyatt Hotels Corp.’s Hyatt Regency brand. The brand is quickly expanding in North America, with upcoming openings and renovations expected in California, Iowa and Canada.

General Contracting

Avani Hotel & Resorts

Avani Hotel & Resorts, a lifestyle brand owned by Minor Hotels and geared toward millennial guests, plans to open seven hotels throughout Europe and Latin America by the middle of next year. The new properties will be coming to Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Colombia and Mexico.

Canopy by Hilton

Canopy by Hilton San Francisco SoMa, a 194-key boutique hotel, has made its debut in San Francisco’s South of Market district. The 12-story venue, which is the first Canopy hotel in the city, features a rooftop lounge, fitness center, meeting and event space and several dining options.

Rivers Casino

Later this year, Rivers Casino Philadelphia plans to open The Riversuites, a 62-room boutique hotel that will be housed on four floors of a mixed-use project at the former PECO power plant. The $7 million hotel, which will offer one-, two- and three-bedroom guest suites, will feature an indoor basketball court, a pool table and coworking spaces.

The Hoxton

The Hoxton is bouncing back from the pandemic with new properties across Europe in Dublin, London, Edinburgh, Brussels, Amsterdam, Vienna and Berlin to open by 2024. The additions will bring the brand’s total number of properties to 18.

Populus Hotel

Set to open next spring, the 13-story, 265-room Populus Hotel in Denver will be an eco-friendly property that is carbon-positive and will offset the greenhouse gas emissions from constructing the building by planting over 72,000 Engelmann spruce trees in a Gunnison County, Colorado forest.

Shames Construction

Carolyn Shames, President/CEO

5826 Brisa St.

Livermore, CA94550

(925) 606-3000 Fax: (925) 606-3003

www.shames.com • cshames@shames.com

Year Established: 1987, No. of Employees: 50

Retail: $88,028,715 Restaurants: N/A Hospitality: N/A

Healthcare: N/A

Multi-Family: N/A Federal: N/A Other: N/A

Total: $88,028,715 Completed Projects as of 12/31/22: 19

Square Footage: Retail: 2,850,000 Hospitality: N/A Restaurants: N/A Federal: N/A

Healthcare: N/A

Multi-Family: N/A Other: N/A Total: 2,850,000

Specialize In: Big-Box/Department, Groceries, Drug Stores, Specialty Stores, Shopping Centers, Restaurants

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The cutting edge

Sephora eyes future with new format

Sephora is on the trendsetting hunt. The retailer recently expanded its Store of the Future retail concept to Shanghai after debuting the format in Singapore in 2022. The concept features a mix of tech-enabled services, such as artificial intelligence (AI)-generated beauty and skin care analysis, and human interactions, including masterclasses in the Beauty Live Studio. In addition, the Shanghai store will be home to 220-plus new products from more than 36 global beauty brands.

Making the leap across the pond

IHOP, Applebee’s to grow as global virtual brands

Look who’s coming to Japan, the Netherlands, France and Belgium for the first time—and they are doing it. Rather than opening their own restaurants, Applebee’s and IHOP are launching delivery-only entities operated out of the kitchens of other restaurants. To make it all happen, Dine Brands is working with Franklin Junction, which will work with fulfillment partners in North America, Europe and Asia. Long-term plans call for the chains to debut as virtual brands in Japan later this year.

The numbers game

The number of hotels currently in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area pipeline, according to a Lodging Econometrics report. The hotels will account for more than 20,790 rooms, the highest number in the US.

They said it...

8.3

The number of new jobs, in millions, that the US hotel industry currently supports, according to a study from the American Hotel & Lodging Association and Oxford Economics. The report also found that found that hotels guests spent $691-plus billion in 2022 on lodging, food and beverages, transportation and other travel expenses.

650

The number of restaurants that Papa Johns plans to open 650 units in India by 2033. The Atlanta-based pizza chain recently signed a 10-year, 650-unit deal in the country with PJP Investments, an existing operator that operates 100 locations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

“This strategy is grounded in the idea that our business will only endure if our brands are inclusive, sustainable, and reflective of evolving employee, franchisee, and other stakeholder needs.”

— Yum Brands CEO David Gibbs on the company’s strategy to grow to 100,000 stores worldwide

“Sustainability can’t be just a marketing slogan. It has to be lived.”

— Alex Nicolaou, Senior Manager, Sustainability Customer Stewardship (North America) for Coca-Cola, on why a sustainability commitment must be more than just a trend

“Having a broader impact as a leader at this time in the economy, in the world, I think is massively important.”

— Niren Chaudhary, Chairman of Panera Bread, on why the fast casual brand puts is building a legacy for sustainability

Future forward

Why emerging data trends are driving digital twin innovation

By César Flores Rodríguez

The construction sector does not act haphazardly. It is known for precise specifications, intentional maneuvers and refined processes. It also is exceptionally complex, integrating multifaceted insights and expertise across many domains.

The past decade produced critical technological advancements that have made these processes more interconnected, data-driven and more effective than ever before. Specifically, digital twin technology is creating new improvements and efficiencies

for the construction industry, impacting everything from design and construction to ongoing maintenance and operations.

Digital twins, virtual replicas are representations of any physical asset or environment, working with Building

Information Modeling (BIM), significantly enhance stakeholders' understanding of a building's physical assets by providing a wealth of real-time data, empowering better decision-making processes throughout a project's lifecycle.

For industry leaders looking to digital twin technology to elevate their operations, here are four best practices for leveraging virtual environments to support design, construction and operation stages.

No 1 — Invest in Real-Time Connectivity

Delayed data capturing diminishes results and negatively impacts a digital twin’s benefit and efficacy. On the other hand, if you have an immediate link between the digital and physical entity, this ensures that any changes occurring in the physical object are mirrored in the digital counterpart.

This connection is often established using sensors and Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies. Real-time data updates within digital twins boost responsiveness and data analysis capabilities. For example, a problem like an elevator shutdown can instantly alert the maintenance team, fast-tracking repairs.

With the ceaseless collection and storage of data, digital twins continuously ensure updated information on hand. This gradually improves our ability to predict outcomes, make necessary adjustments, and enhance performance as well as occupants’ experiences.

In more sophisticated cases, the connection is bidirectional, meaning alterations in the digital twin, like adjusting the room temperature, can trigger changes in the physical object.

No. 2 — Accelerate Building Lifecycle Intelligence

Digital twin technology, integrated into a comprehensive process known as Building Lifecycle Intelligence (BLI) significantly can enhance building lifecycle management.

BLI is the accumulation of data from every phase of a building’s development, from planning and design to construction and operation, all consolidated into a single “source of truth.” Currently, digital twin technology often targets individual phases of this lifecycle, which, while beneficial within their domains,

can result in diluted value as a project progresses or a building changes hands.

For example, while a digital twin can enhance collaboration during the planning process, there may be challenges in updating the model if changes occur during construction. Or, if a building changes ownership, the new owner might need help accessing comprehensive data about the building’s history.

Extended Reality (XR) technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are revolutionizing the way stakeholders communicate and collaborate. VR aids in creating virtual tours of structures for designers, engineers, and builders, enhancing their communication. Meanwhile, AR overlays digital data onto real-world scenarios, boosting on-site worker communication and training.

A BLI approach, incorporating digital twin technology, resolves this by providing all stakeholders with immediate access to the information they need, regardless of where the project is in its lifecycle.

When fully integrated through the BLI methodology, digital twin technology streamlines communication and decision-making processes across all stages of the building lifecycle. This results in more efficient operations, cost savings, and better-informed future design and management decisions.

No. 3 — Leverage Advanced Visualization and Extended Reality

In 2023, the Metaverse, an advanced facet of Extended Reality, is gaining traction in the construction sector. The Metaverse offers a unique, immersive environment for team collaboration.

It surpasses VR's capabilities, allowing teams to collectively interact with a virtual project model. It could also serve as a central hub for all model data, simplifying collaboration, design prototyping, BIM coordination and visualization.

XR technologies streamline design and construction operations. Virtual mock-ups and tests via VR minimize errors and reduce errors leading to rework, and AR delivers real-time on-site information, like schedules and safety protocols, enhancing efficiency and safety.

No. 4 — A Quantify Impact

BIM and digital twin technologies can significantly impact the construction sector. BIM technology can boost occupancy rates by up to 3.5%, according to the Handbook for the Introduction of Building Information Modeling. At the same time, digital twins can shorten project timelines by up to 7% and reduce operations costs by up to 9%.

Digital twins can improve tenant retention for office and industrial assets by up to 15% in the long run, as real-time data and predictive insights enable proactive maintenance and rapid response to issues.

In other words, integrating BIM and digital twin technologies in the construction sector leads to more efficient buildings that are attractive and satisfying for occupants, translating to improved financial outcomes for the construction and real estate sectors. CCR

César Flores Rodríguez serves as the Chief Division Officer of the Planning & Design Division at Nemetschek, a leading global software provider for the construction and media industries. In addition, he is responsible for the Operate & Manage Division as Chief Division Officer and in charge of the Digital Twin Business Unit.

The past decade produced critical technological advancements that have made these processes more interconnected, datadriven and more effective than ever before.

Building careers in the skilled trades

Construction Ready launches podcast featuring Chip and Pauli Wade

Jobs in the skilled trades continue to be in high demand, with thousands of positions open across Georgia. That's why Construction Ready, a nonprofit focused on educating and training people for careers in construction and the skilled trades, has launched the “Construction Ready Podcast” series, hosted by Chip and Pauli Wade.

The monthly show will focus on different aspects of the construction industry, encouraging Georgians to explore the many lucrative and exciting career opportunities.

The podcast will be streaming from Construction Ready’s website and across all of its social media channels (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn). The goal of the Construction Ready program is to help close the workforce skills gap. The lack of skilled workers is also a problem as Georgia continues to have a shortage of skilled workers. Closing this skills gap by educating more Georgians about careers in the skilled professions is Construction Ready’s primary goal.

Scott Shelar, CEO and President of Construction Ready, says the group is constantly working to raise awareness of the opportunities in the construction industry and train those interested in building their careers. “The Construction Ready Podcast really gives us an opportunity to reach more people and educate them about the skilled trades.”

The Wades are the owners of Wade Works Creative LLC, an Atlanta-based residential and commercial design, architecture, realty and construction firm. They also are spokespersons for several national brands. Chip has appeared on HGTV’s "Curb Appeal: The Block," "Ellen’s Design Challenge," HGTV’s "Design Star," "Oprah," and on CNN.

“Our passion at Wade Works is to partner our passion with our purpose to help others," Chip says. “The Construction Ready Podcast allows us to educate viewers and listeners to understand the amazing opportunities available in the skilled trades for people of all ages.” CCR

Chip and Pauli Wade

Vroom, vroom...

The RCA gang’s Milwaukee event goes all Harley Davidson

Two new retail stores. An enhanced Experience Gallery. Oh, and all those motorcycles. The world-famous Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee was the site of the most recent RCA networking event, where attendees were treated to the best of the best of the classic cycles. The tour was topped off with a little craft beer at the Good City.

 View the video of the event here: https://youtu.be/w6aC5TDnsck • https://youtu.be/IUU7RI-H-FMhttps://youtu.be/IUU7RI-H-FM

Sponsors: Permit.com

Vaun Podlogar

vaun@permit.com

H.J. Martin & Sons, Inc.

David Martin

david@hjmartin.com

Lakeview Construction

John Stallman

john@lvconstruction.com

1. Doug Pellock, Marcus Theatres; John Stallman, Lakeview Construction

2. Dan Crow and Dave Brown, Tri-North Builders

3. Kelly & Ken Sharky, Commercial Contractors

4. Vicki Stallman, Lakeview Construction

5. Tim Waddock & Eric Handley, William A. Randolph, Inc

6. David Corson, CCR Magazine; Lu Sacharski, Interserv Hospitality

7. Brent Arnold, Dan Crow and Tom Cornell, Tri North Builders

8. Eric Handley, William A. Randolph; David Martin, H.J Martin & Son, Inc; Jeff Mahler, Onyx Creative

9. Luke Delsman, Lakeview Contruction, Vaun Podlogar, Permit.com; Leif Olson, Commercial Contractors

10. Tim Thomason, Kerricook Construction; Jeff Mahler, Onyx Creative; Jaclyn Thomason, Kerricook Construction

11. Ken Sharkey with Commercial Contractors

Employment ready

The Lowe’s Foundation pledges $50 million to train 50,000 job-ready skilled tradespeople

By Betsy Conway

The lack of skilled tradespeople is something we all experience— job openings going unfilled for months at a time; critical home repairs put on hold; profitable projects pushed back weeks or months; opportunity after opportunity passed up because employers lack the resources to take on the work that they could do, if only they had the people to do it.

The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) estimate that the demand for skilled trades workers is so high that in 2023 alone, the construction industry needs an estimated 546,000 new skilled tradespeople on top of the normal pace of hiring—which hasn’t been so normal in the past few years—to fully meet demand. This trend is not going away.

What can we do to address these gaps?

The industry needs to invest in the infrastructure that creates skilled tradespeople. Without a substantial effort to boost the skilled trades workforce, current skilled workers will continue to age and retire, it will continue to experience longer wait times to fulfill work and our industry’s reputation will suffer.

A meaningful commitment from the Lowe’s Foundation

The Lowe’s Foundation has made a $50 million five-year commitment to fund community colleges and community-based nonprofit organizations that are training the next generation of skilled tradespeople.

It plans to invest a significant amount of grant funding into community colleges and technical schools because they are well-positioned to meet the need.

> They have existing relationships with local employers who can both provide input on what skills are needed in new workers and can hire graduates.

> More and more community colleges are developing certification and intensive

Palm Beach State College will expand its Construction Trade Center for Workforce Innovation in Florida.

programs in the trades that help learners build foundational skills before starting paid apprenticeships or on-the-job training.

> Community colleges offer affordable and in-demand reskilling programs for working adults who are changing careers or upskilling with a current employer.

> Community colleges offer classes in entrepreneurship that can prepare people to start their own businesses.

It also is directing a portion of our grant funds to nonprofit organizations that can recruit, educate and certify trainees in their communities.

> Nonprofit organizations are innovating to train more skilled tradespeople.

> These programs are well-positioned to support those who are traditionally underrepresented in the trades, such as women, people of color, people in rural areas and individuals participating in second-chance programs.

> They are deeply embedded in the communities they serve and are well-positioned and nimble enough to meet the changing needs of the industry.

Next steps to innovate and move forward

The Lowe’s Foundation has launched the Gable Grants program to help support the infrastructure at community colleges and community-based nonprofit organizations that will train the next generation of skilled tradespeople. These programs are poised to recruit, train and certify tens of thousands of qualified, skilled tradespeople, giving each of them the opportunity to build a rewarding career and make lasting impacts in communities nationwide.

There are a variety of things—like onthe-job training programs and apprenticeships—businesses around the country are doing to address this issue. But there is more that must be done. The industry needs to promote the fact that skilled trades jobs are excellent careers for young people, in many cases presenting a better option compared to a four-year college degree.

There are many ways to get involved, if you aren’t already. Consider connecting with your local community college or technical/vocational high school to help inform curriculum, serve as mentor or guest speaker, explore becoming an adjunct faculty member or provide workbased learning opportunities or internships. Contact local, state and federal elected officials to advocate for more investment in skilled trades training.

If you are not already, get connected with a skilled trades-focused nonprofit in your area that works with students and young adults to get them interested and engaged with careers in the trades, like SkillsUSA, local trade association chapters or community-based nonprofits in your areas.

And, of course, you can make sure you are connected with these programs as an employer, to make sure people who are jobready get good jobs.

As part of this industry, we each have a role to play in promoting skilled trades and preparing the next generation of skilled trades workers for these jobs. Lowe's collective commitment to skilled trades training will be good for business, good for people and good for the communities we serve. When the entire construction industry bands together to do our part in filling the skilled trades gap, it is a win-win. CCR

Betsy Conway is the Director of the Lowe's Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) organization founded by Lowe’s Companies Inc. The Lowe’s Foundation Gable Grants program is designed to help build a community of skilled tradespeople to build and revitalize our homes, neighborhoods, and infrastructure for the future. For more information visit www.lowes.com/foundation.

These grants will support skilled trades programming in schools like Madisonville Community College in Kentucky.

The Lowe’s Foundation has launched the Gable Grants program to help support the infrastructure at community colleges and community-based nonprofit organizations that will train the next generation of skilled tradespeople.

Why construction companies fail

An industry veteran looks at why the industry may have one of the highest business failure rates.

By Michael Heidrick

Editor's Note: This is the first in a three-part series from The Hartford's Michael Heidrick.

It is not necessarily a good thing if a construction company takes on a lot of work. If contractors take on too much work, they run the risk of spreading themselves too thin. As a result, projects either get delayed or don’t start on time, or the quality of work suffers as a contractor quickly tries to move from one project to the next.

It also increases the risk of a workplace injury, making it imperative for contractors to be realistic about capacity and only take on work that’s feasible. This overextension is one of the primary reasons why contractors fail and should be considered a priority for any contractors’ risk management plan.

Signs of overextension

While there are no clear ways to tell when a construction company is overextended, there are signs, including poor project leadership, which can expose the company to delay penalties and potentially default or termination of a contract. In addition, if a contractor

continuously delivers late projects, fails to keep commitments and regularly misses deadlines it can further indicate that the firm is overextended.

Additionally, administrative problems such as missing certificates of insurance from subcontractors and forgetting to add vehicles or leased equipment to insurance coverage can be hints of too much work. This can possibly also lead to legal exposure due to negligence claims and uninsured losses.

Businesses can protect themselves from overextension by being aware of how much work they signed up for and knowing what’s realistic for their construction company and staff. There is lots of value in being cautious when a new opportunity for work comes up and being comfortable with refusing work.

Meanwhile, for companies that must hire contractors for a construction project, it may be worth getting a surety bond. While typically found with government construction jobs, surety bonds are becoming more common with private jobs.

When there is a contract between a construction contractor and the owner, insurers become the third party through the surety bond to guarantee that transaction. The payment bond guarantees that subcontractors and other parties will get paid to see the job through completion if the contractor does not abide by the contract.

It is anticipated that the infrastructure legislation passed in 2022 will spur an increase in the amount of construction work available in the US. While a boon for the construction industry, this also could lead to overextension if contractors are not careful. Being mindful of the amount of work on the books can help a construction company avoid overextension.

On the other hand, surety bonds can help protect a project from costly losses should a firm overextend itself and default on the work. There really are two ways that contractors go out of business: There is either not enough work or they pick up too much work and it takes much longer to go out of business for not getting enough work than it is to get too much work. CCR

Michael Heidrick is VP and Head of Construction Surety for The Hartford.

Businesses can protect themselves from overextension by being aware of how much work they signed up for and knowing what’s realistic for their construction company and staff.

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The cost of doing nothing

What happens when you get hacked

By Jon Armour

Editor's Note: This is the first in an ongoing series about cyber security in the commercial construction sector by project manager industry veteran Jon Armour.

It’s a great Monday morning so far for Mike, the owner of a medium-sized construction firm in Dallas. As Mondays would usually have it, Mike is busy shuffling through invoices and sucking down coffee like a college student trying to stay awake for a long study session. He’s coming off a terrific weekend, launching his day into an energetic and fruitful session of collecting final payments from various projects.

But unbeknownst to him, his Monday is about to turn into the reason we all don’t like them.

Mike had just finished a project for a new franchise customer. The week before, he sent the final invoice: a $280,000 QuickBooks invoice through his email account with a “payment link.” You know, the little buttons that contain a brightly colored and sometimes flashing link on a web page that say something like “Pay Now.” Mike hadn’t yet received the payment, which he thought was strange because his customer is usually timely and prompt.

He figured he should check on it.

As he talked through the “oversight” with his customer, he sank in his seat. “Mike, we paid this already,” his client said. He knew something was wrong. Upon further investigation, Mike realized he had been “hacked.” The perpetrator was able to gain control of his email and QuickBooks’s account. Masterfully, they changed the bank account numbers, directing the invoice payment to an unknown account.

Fuming and confused, Mike knew several things were possible. How did they do this? What could have stopped it? And how could he get his money back?

The unknown account was opened and closed as fast as those little “pop-up” windows show up on your computer. To answer that last question above, no, he couldn't get his money back. All traces of it were gone. Mike knew had to secure his company from a continued threat. Would they strike again? Unless you protect your small- or medium-sized business with the appropriate tools to keep criminals out, they most assuredly would.

This is a true story. Sadly, Mike and thousands of others like him have been “taken” in the same way.

This was as much a bank robbery as anything else. Cyber criminals hide comfortably and securely behind computer screens waiting for someone to make the wrong move. They are like a car thief—they keep

trying door handles until they find one that's unlocked. Then, they’re in.

What you can do

A proper cyber security plan should be deployed to stop criminals from lurking around your network. In Mike’s case, he contacted Azuris Consulting (www.azuris.com), an IT service company offering a wide array of IT products suited to the small- and medium-sized business owners.

The day after Mike’s loss, Azuris Consulting helped make out. But why is IT always the last thing companies focus on?

Azuris recommended and installed FORTINET firewall protection, which would help Mike seize the perpetrator in his or her own

organized crime, offshore pirates and just about anything crooked you can imagine.

The "Cost of a Data Breach 2022," a report released by IBM and Ponemon Institute, states that it takes an average of 277 days for security teams to identify and contain a data breach. That time and effort translates into thousands of dollars for your business. Other reports state that Single attacks—be it a data breach, malware, ransomware or DDoS attack—cost individual US companies a median of $18,000 in 2022, up from $10,000 in 2021, with 47% of all U.S. businesses suffering a cyber-attack in some way.

Though 43% of attacks are aimed at SMBs, only 14% of these businesses are prepared to defend themselves, according

tracks. Fortinet is considered by Gartner as a Magic Quadrant leader in the industry for cyber security appliances. Leaning to the far right and upward quadrant of the chart spectrum, Fortinet has security flexibility and control over your network unmatched in the industry.

In addition, weak wireless technology can be a door for hackers to “get in” to your network and create vulnerabilities to your email, accounting systems and other company critical systems. Weak wireless technology can compromise network security and set you up for a ransomware attack. While larger companies have mandatory cyber threat awareness programs and measures in place, most smaller and medium ones do not.

According to Cybersecurity Ventures’ "2022 Official Cybercrime Report," cybercrime is predicted to hit $8 trillion in 2023 and grow to $10.5 trillion by 2025. That’s trillions of dollars going directly to criminals,

to Accenture. Just 13% of organizations reported suffering a ransomware attack and not paying the ransom in 2022. Out of all ransomware victims, 32 percent pay the ransom, but only get 65% of their data back. Only 57% are successful in recovering their data using a backup. This is disheartening, almost akin to the bad actors kidnapping a relative, collecting the ransom and then sending them back in a body bag.

Yes, that is a grim thought, and so is scrambling to restructure your entire network and protocols to protect yours and your employee’s livelihood. Even to protect you from the failure of your business, IRS issues, privacy for your customers and from lawsuits because you did nothing to protect a customer’s data. IT happens.

Meaning, as a business owner, it is up to you to be proactive in preventing these attacks. It is not worth playing the odds. CCR

Jon Armour has 35 years of combined experience across the construction, real estate and IT Infrastructure industry. He is certified Project Management Professional (PMP), certified Construction Manager, Program Manager and a published author of a popular Western genre book. He resides in Magnolia, Texas.

According to Cybersecurity Ventures’ “2022 Official Cybercrime Report,” cybercrime is predicted to hit $8 trillion in 2023 and grow to $10.5 trillion by 2025.

Pushing the brand forward

From a pushcart to a community hang out, how Dutch Bros Coffee continues to engage with its consumers

Interview by Michael J. Pallerino

It started as a pushcart by the railroad tracks in downtown Grants Pass, Oregon, the quaint little town located on the legendary Rogue River. In the midst of Grants Pass’ panoramic views of stately mountains and ancient forests, Dane and Travis Boersma decided to leave the family dairy business to serve espressos.

The year was 1992, and the Boersmas not only wanted to create a place where its flavorful drink combinations drew customers in, but also one where the customer service was unlike any other place.

Dutch Bros Coffee, the name they settled on, eventually became the largest privately held drive-thru coffee chain in the country. Today, with hundreds of locations in 14 states, Dutch Bros continues to be the place where coffee lovers flock for tasty drinks and one-of-a-kind customer service, as well as an intricate part of every community it calls home.

To delve deeper into the Dutch Bros brand, we sat down with VP of Design and Construction Daniel Batty.

Give us a snapshot of your brand?

Dutch Bros Coffee is a high growth operator and franchisor of drive-thru shops that focus on serving high quality, hand-crafted beverages with unparalleled “speed” and superior “service.” Founded in 1992 by brothers Dane and Travis Boersma, Dutch Bros began with a double-head espresso machine and a pushcart in Grants Pass, Oregon. While espresso-based beverages are still at the core of what we do, Dutch Bros now offers a wide variety of unique, customizable cold and hot beverages that delight a broad array of customers. We believe Dutch Bros is more than just the products we serve—we are dedicated to

making a massive difference in the lives of our employees, customers and communities.

What type of consumer are you targeting?

We may sell coffee, but we’re in the relationship business. Everyone is a potential customer for Dutch Bros.

How does the design of your stores fit today’s consumers?

Our goal is about the Dutch Bros experience. We want people to drive onto our parking lot and feel the embrace of our brand from the beginning of their journey through our line to the end.

Walk us through how and why the retail stores are designed the way they are?

The goal is to provide our Broistas with a comfortable and functional setting to maintain the true Dutch Bros spirit. Gone are the days of the “party button” that would ignite music, lights and a disco ball (that was a real thing). Today, there’s more technology, better equipment placement and a strong flow through to our customers.

Take us through your construction and design strategy. When I arrived at Dutch Bros in 2018, we had an incredibly well designed building. Although probably the prettiest building in the world of QSR, it didn’t fully support our desire for repeatability, speed and function. I worked alongside our design and constructions team to create an amazing building.

To date, the plans are some of the tightest I have seen in the industry.

What’s the biggest issue today related to the construction side of the business?

Cost. COVID really interrupted supply chains, decreased efficiencies and painted a picture of uncertainty in our industry. The biggest take away was the forced retirement of so many skilled and talented tradesmen that will most likely continue in the coming years.

The challenges have driven costs to new levels across the board. While the pricing has stabilized, I do not see much relief in the years ahead.

The goal is to train the next generation of business leaders who are good stewards in their community and people of strong character. The number of people who have benefitted from this path and are on the journey today is astounding.

Talk about sustainability. What are you doing?

We design our shops to take advantage of the many sustainable materials and methods available in the industry including cool roofs, recycled materials, implementation across the brand of California Title 24 (building energy efficiency standards), high efficiency HVAC units and 100% LED lighting in our buildings and on our sites.

What do you see as some of your biggest opportunities moving ahead?

The industry is changing rapidly. On the design front, the use of BIM and Revit is at the forefront of our future. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being discussed in the industry, as are modular builds.

At some point, the ability to marry these two advancements could do wonders for the industry, however the legislative understanding and acceptance creates roadblocks and slows down these opportunities.

While a building built inside of a factory is a great idea, the level of coordination to deliver, make connections and finish out the sites has proved challenging.

Are you optimistic about what you see in the restaurant sector?

When Amazon came online, there was great fear in the retail industry about closing up brick and mortar stores. Some of that came true, however others in the industry used this as an opportunity to innovate and reshape retail. The pendulum is always in motion and sometimes we fail forward on the journey to success.

In the world of QSR (Quick Service Restaurants), this journey is no different. We have seen fast casual brands shift to more drive-thrus, which revitalized dying brands, allowing them to innovate, regather old customers, change their offerings and even grow their brands. It is exciting to see.

Why did you pick the locations you did for your stores?

The locations are chosen to match industry trends for beverage consumption, traffic counts, demographics and match some of our proprietary methods for choosing locations. This has resulted in great AUVs for our brand.

The locations are chosen to match industry trends for beverage consumption, traffic counts, demographics and match some of our proprietary methods for choosing locations.

What’s your growth plan?

What areas are you targeting?

We have a goal of opening 4,000 shops in the next 10-15 years.

What’s the secret to creating a “must visit” QSR in today’s competitive landscape?

There has to be a ‘draw’. In the QSR industry, this is easy access on and off the site, but there needs to be more. Safety in the evening, strong lighting and signage and a welcoming brand that embraces each customer as an individual. Dutch Bros offers these items, and more.

In the coming years, we hope to continue to serve our customers in new and innovative ways both inside and outside our shops.

What’s the biggest thing on your to-do list right now?

We come to work each day to do our job, but will only settle on doing it better every day. We just completed a project that we have worked on for over two years (planning, modifying, and developing).

It is a big win for our brand, offering better information around costs, creating better transparency among the teams and identifying trends for better planning in the years ahead. Progress takes time and our plates are full of ideas where we can take our builds to a new place.

What’s today’s consumer looking for?

Great customer service seems to be the battle cry. You can have a great product

but the wrong people serve it. I think there is a lot of talk around culture and how it fits into your brand. It can be visual, emotional or a concrete ideal of the business that meets their needs. Look at the major brands that are successful- they are either filling a basic need, have impressive technology or are adding value to people’s lives.

Tell us what makes your brand unique?

The way we serve others is a great place to start. The leadership of our co-founder and executive team has provided the framework for our brand. The idea of “compelling futures” for our employees is a mainstay for our Broistas, who have the opportunity to come to work for our brand, earn a place in our people pipeline and within a few short years (upon meeting specific training and character guidelines) operate a shop in our system.

The goal is to train the next generation of business leaders who are good stewards in their community and people of strong character. The number of people who have benefitted from this path and are on the journey today is astounding. In return, this provides the motivation for the development team to work harder to find the best site in strong markets to meet the demand from the internal ideals of our co-founder.

One-on-One with... Dutch Bros Coffee’s Daniel Batty

Describe a typical day. I start each day with a quick scan of my texts or emails and look for areas that need some attention. From this point, I log onto the OxBlue webpage and scan the projects under construction and look for changes in progress, delays or opportunities for our teams. Almost immediately (5:30 a.m. or 6:00am), the phone will start ringing as vendors, our internal teams of members, or the development team reach out to discuss projects in the works. The days are filled with meetings from finance, to marketing, field operations, development and an occasional call from the executive team.

Tell us your story. How did you get started in the industry?

I worked with my father for several years as his laborer on job sites. His role as an electrical contractor afforded my brothers and I early exposure to the industry and the hard work of creating something from the ground up. As we grew older, I watched my father toil at his craft, working long hours, coming home dirty and tired and at times chasing money for unpaid invoices.

It was never appealing to me and I wanted nothing to do with the industry. I decided to study Public Policy in college as I was going to “change the

world”. Attending college in the evenings for 10 years while I worked at a civil engineering firm and later an environmental firm, I graduated and went to work in the trash industry. It was an amazing job and I had broken the Batty Family Construction Curse.

Within a few years, I was offered a role at McDonald’s, where I served for a few years as a construction manager and then followed my VP to CKE Restaurants (Carl’s Jr & Hardees) and several years later, after the urging of my good friend Aaron Harris, I found my way to Dutch Bros Coffee.

What opportunities are out there for the industry as we move forward? Right now, there is a strong need for people in the construction industry. As I mentioned earlier, there was a great exodus from the business as older contractors and craftsmen retired early because of the pandemic. Trade schools need to be the first line of defense to gather up great candidates, as college will not serve the industry as easily.

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?

Actually, it was during a counseling session at church

and it is something that has stuck with me since I was in my 20s. “Having an EGO means you are Edging God Out. Just when you think you have it all figured out, you will be humbled by the smallest failures.”

Keeping the right perspective, listening to others and working as a team to find great solutions is what has propelled the development team at Dutch Bros. We are fair, firm and friendly; we respect each other and we share the motto of ‘love and lift’ to see us through each project.

What’s the single best thing you can do to make sure you get a seat at the table?

Find the right partner. There are advocates on your team who will fight for you, and in return you should be a advocate for others. If you are a women in this industry, align with other female leaders who have achieved success. Finding these people and establishing strategic alliances

will give you a better chance at achieving success.

I have always said that no matter who you are, people may look past you for lack of experience, education or other deeper reasons, but it is still up to you! You need to go around, over, under or through these people and continue to fight for your place at the table. If the journey is too hard and too great, go where you can make the biggest impact.

What’s the biggest item on your to-do list?

Get better 1% a week in any area where you serve. Come to work each day to manage better, create better processes, reach out to new vendors or serve your team better. Currently, we are revamping some training tools as a refresher to the on-boarding process. This includes, gaining insight from team members that have served the brand for a few years. The goal is to reshape a more effective program for our future team and its leaders.

Survey highlights some of the industry’s leading flooring firms

It’s all about the flooring these days. So, when it comes to selecting the right flooring piece for your project, we have you covered. This issue’s monthly survey highlights some of the industry’s leading flooring firms for the retail, restaurant, hospitality, healthcare (and other) sectors. Our annual listing provides the contact information and contact person for each firm. If you didn’t make the list, contact Publisher David Corson at davidc@ccr-mag.com.

Belknap White Group

Jane Twombly

Director of Specifications

111 Plymouth Street

Mansfield, MA 2048

(800) 283-7500

(860) 455-3901

jtwombly@belknapwhite.com

www.belknapwhite.com

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Engineered, Solid, Finished, Exotics

Tile product type:

Ceramic/Clay, Glass, Porcelain, Quartz, Terazzo Tile

Floating Floor type:

Laminate

Resilient Tile type:

Solid Vinyl, VCT, Recycled Rubber

Resilient Sheet type:

Vinyl

Bostik, Inc.

11320 W Watertown Plank Rd.

Wauwatosa, WI 53226

(414) 607-1373

Fax: (414) 607-1551

www.bostik.com/us

Product Type:

Setting Materials, Grouts, Adhesive, Membranes

Casinocarpets.com

Tony Wideen

Managing director

4889 Denaro Drive

Las Vegas, NV 89135

(702) 285-8346

tony@casinocarpets.com

casinocarpets.com

Carpet type:

Broadloom

Country Floors

Christine Cardinale Sales & Design Consultant

15 East 16th Street

New York, NY 10003

countryfloors@adesignpartnership.com

www.countryfloors.com

Tile product type:

Ceramic/Clay, Glass, Porcelain, Cement, Terazzo Tile, Natural Stone, Terracotta

Crossville, Inc.

Lindsey Waldrep VP of Marketing

349 Sweeney Drive Crossville, TN 38555

(931) 484-2000

lwaldrep@crossvilleinc.com www.crossvilleinc.com

Tile product type: Glass, Porcelain

Creative Edge

Jim Thompson

EVP & Chief Commercial Officer

601 S. 23rd Street

Fairfield, IA 52556

(641) 472-1510

Fax: (641) 472-2848

creativeedgeia.com

jim.thompson@creativeedge.com

Tile Product Type: Ceramic/Clay, Glass, Porcelain, Quartz, Agglomerates, Terrazzo Tile

Metal Product Type: Stainless Steel, Aluminum

Floating Floor Type: Laminate, Cork, Linoleum

Resilient Tile Type: Solid Vinyl, VCT, Linoleum, Cork, Rubber, Recycled Rubber, Misc (Polymer, Bio Based, Polyolefin, PVC Free)

Resilient Sheet Type: Vinyl, Linoleum, Rubber, Recycled Rubber, Misc (Polymer, Bio Based, Polyolefin, PVC Free)

Resilient Other Type: Stair Treads, Wall Base, Accessories

Carpet Type: Carpet Tile

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Daich Coatings

Peter Daich

Owner

304 Gage Ave., N Hamilton, Ontario Canada L8L 7A7

www.daichcoatings.com

info@daichcoatings.com

Product Type:

Real Stone Coating to Apply Over Concrete, Tile, Brick- Exterior & Interior, Plus Anti-Slip Sealers

East To West

Dean Nichol President

514 Larkfield Road, Suite 3A

East Northport, NY 11731

(631) 368-2269

Fax: (631) 368-2267

easttowestsales.com

dean@easttowestsales.com

Wood Product Type:

Engineered Other: Wood Look Porcelain

Tile Product Type:

Porcelain

Resilient Other Type:

Other: Porcelain Wall Tiles

Ecore

Greg Dean

Sales Support Manager

715 Fountain Ave.

Lancaster, PA 17601

(877) 258-0843

salessupport@ecoreintl.com

www.ecoreintl.com

Resilient Tile type:

Rubber, Recycled Rubber

Resilient Sheet type:

Vinyl, Rubber, Recycled Rubber

Floor & Decor

Commercial

Theresa Lawrence, National Strategic Accounts Manager

2500 Windy Ridge Pkwy

Atlanta, GA 30339

(877) 659-2478

www.flooranddecor.com/commercial

commercial@flooranddecor.com

Wood Product Type:

Engineered, Solid, Traditional Bamboo, Strand Woven Bamboo, Finished, Unfinished, Exotics

Tile Product Type:

Ceramic/Clay, Glass, Porcelain, Quartz, Cement, Agglomerates, Terrazzo Tile

Metal Product Type:

Stainless Steel, Aluminum

Floating Floor Type:

Laminate, Wood, Cork

Resilient Tile Type: Solid Vinyl, VCT, Cork

Resilient Other Type:

Stair Treads

Floorcloud

Scott Banda

Co-Founder & President

The Schraftt’s Center Power House

529 Main Street, Suite 200

Boston, MA 2129

(617) 395-1668

sbanda@floorcloud.com

www.floorcloud.com

Product Type: Jobsite Condition Sensors, Mobile & Desktop Software

FloorMax USA

Nicole Biesecke

Marketing Dept

7701 Derry Street

Harrisburg, PA 17110 (717) 564-6464

www.floormaxusa.com

Nicole.Biesecker@floormaxusa.com

Wood Product Type: Engineered, Solid

Tile Product Type: Ceramic/Clay

Floating Floor Type: Laminate, Wood, Cork, Linoleum

Resilient Tile Type: Solid Vinyl, VCT, Linoleum, Cork, Rubber, Recycled Rubber, Misc (Polymer, Bio Based, Polyolefin, PVC Free)

Resilient Sheet Type: Vinyl

Resilient Other Type: Stair Treads, Wall Base, Accessories

Carpet Type: Broadloom, Carpet Tile Concrete Type: Polished

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Florim USA

Jana Manzella

Senior Vice President of Sales and Business Development

300 International Blvd

Clarksville, TN 37040

(931) 553-7563

ccare@florimusa.com

www.milestonetiles.com

Tile product type:

Porcelain

IronRock DBA

Metropolitan Ceramics

Dianne Young

Director- Sales & National Accounts

1201 Millerton Street

Canton, OH 44707

(800) 325-3945

www.metroceramics.com

dyoung@ironrock.com

Tile Product Type:

Ceramic/Clay, Other: Thin Brick

JJ Haines & Company

Jay Friend

Sales Manager

6950 Aviation Boulevard

Glen Burnie, MD 21061

(800) 922-9248

jfriend@jjhaines.com

www.jjhaines.com

Wood product type:

Engineered, Solid, Finished, Exotics

Tile product type:

Ceramic/Clay, Glass, Porcelain, Quartz, Terazzo Tile

Floating Floor type:

Laminate

Resilient Tile type:

Solid Vinyl, VCT, Recycled Rubber

Resilient Sheet type:

Vinyl

Karndean Designflooring

Chelsea Lookhart

Commercial Marketing Manager

1100 Pontiac Court

Export, PA 15632

(888) 266-4343 x 2004

info@karndean.com

www.karndeancommercial.com

Floating Floor type: WPC

Resilient Tile type: Luxury Vinyl

Lane Sales, Inc., dba. LSI Flooring

Larry Lane

President/CEO

240 East 27th St., 2G New York, NY 10016

(800) 731-3483

(516) 449-3083

Fax: (631) 201-3227

llane@lsiflooring.com

www.lsiflooring.com

Floating Floor type:

Laminate, LVT, WPC, SPC

Carpet type:

Broadloom, Carpet Tile, Rugs, Sisal, wool or other (Natural Fiber)

LATICRETE

Susan Dolata

Senior Director - Strategic Account Group and Channel Management

One LATICRETE Park North Bethany, CT 6524 (203) 393-0010

strategicaccountinfo@laticrete.com

www.laticrete.com

Tile product type: Installation Materials

Resilient Other type:

Profiles & Trims

Carpet type:

Profiles & Trims

Concrete type:

Polished ,Stained, Topping, Poured Floors

Stone Coatings, Sealers, Anti-Slip Coatings, Epoxy Floor Coatings ... and much more!

Louisville Tile

Brian Combs

Senior VP Strategy

4520 Bishop Lane Louisville, KY 40218

(502) 371-4990

(502) 500-0483

BCombs@louisville-tile.com

www.louisville-tile.com

Tile product type:

Ceramic/Clay, Glass, Porcelain, Quartz, Terazzo Tile

Mannington Commercial

Kathy Long

Marketing

1844 US Hwy. 41, Suite 750

Calhoun, GA 30701

(800) 241-2262

kathy.long@mannington.com

www.manningtoncommercial.com

Resilient Tile type:

Solid Vinyl, Rubber, Misc (Polymer, Bio Based, Polyolefin, PVC Free)

Resilient Sheet type:

Vinyl, Rubber, Misc (Polymer, Bio Based, Polyolefin, PVC Free)

Resilient Other type:

Stair Treads, Wall Base, Accessories

Carpet type:

Broadloom, Carpet Tile, Rugs

Matter Surfaces

Tim Theroux, VP National Programs

179 Campanelli Parkway

Stoughton, MA 02072

781-573-0228

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The win-win approach

How adaptive reuse projects save time and money

By Will Pender

In the past two years, the US has seen a record-breaking amount of adaptive reuse across the country. Adaptive reuse can include repurposing architecturally significant buildings into modern uses, but more often than not, it is the transition of vacant, unused, underused and abandoned buildings for a new and better use.

Downtown Dallas recently hopped on the train with more than 20 active construction and development projects currently underway, converting obsolete office space into multifamily units.

Several factors come into play when talking about office-to-multifamily conversions in Dallas and other larger American cities. As we continue to see the hybrid or straight-up remote work model persisting, we are also seeing additional office space go unused. That adds to the already large inventory of older, underused buildings.

Many executives are turning to newer office space with a plethora of amenities and mixed-use campuses to lure employees back to the office and retain existing talent. Coupled with rising single-family home prices and more people are turning to rental housing options, which can’t seem to be built fast enough.

The market is ripe for taking those vacant office spaces and turning them into multifamily projects—or at least parts of them. That’s the case with an adaptive reuse project Adolfson & Peterson Construction (AP) currently is working on in Dallas.

AP is building almost 300 multifamily units across 14 floors of former office space in the 50-story Santander Tower, located in Dallas’ historic Main Street District. Building owners have invested more than $40 million to update all of the building’s systems, refurbish common areas including the lobby and plaza, as well as create a true vertical mixed-use development with onsite dining options, a boutique hotel and residential transformation.

Transforming Office to Multifamily

The conversion concept is truly a winwin, but it does have challenges such as building with occupied offices around you, vertical transportation of workers and material in/out of the building, and parking hundreds of workers who come to the downtown site daily.

Mastering the logistics of these construction projects takes a lot of planning. For Santander, there is only one freight elevator and one dock space available. This creates a challenge in moving both people and material up and down, as well as

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getting construction debris to ground-level waste receptacles.

Because there is only one dock, drywallers can not go up for deliveries working alongside the plumber, while also trying to get the trash out. Lots of planning has been required, making it one of the biggest lessons learned on this project.

AP employed some creative solutions to deal with the challenges of building in an active office environment. We have implemented water detection monitoring systems to ensure that if a water leak occurs, we do not impose on the office tenants. We also devised a delivery tracking process that allowed us to streamline our scheduling down to the hour and sometimes even to the minute.

Additionally, being part of the process early on is crucial to allow us to survey and scan existing conditions. Often in these older buildings, there can be undocumented above-ceiling MEP systems that could affect ceiling heights. We also want to laser scan the floors as sometimes the floor flatness can be out of level by 4 inch to 6 inch from the perimeter to the core of the building. Doing this early prevents change orders from being needed and helps the architects and other consultants along the process.

Noise has also been a logistical concern for us. The pool is under construction directly next door to occupied executive office spaces. Much of the work is done after hours or on weekends to not disrupt the work environment.

Another adaptive reuse challenge is keeping the building exterior consistent with its original design. Often, that means leaving the building skin alone. Office tenants do not want windows and balconies, for one thing. An unusual feature of this building versus other office-to-residential conversions is

Adaptive reuse projects are a key to sustainability efforts. They reduce the amount of waste streamed into landfills by reusing what is there while also making it ready for folks to live in and enjoy a vibrant downtown environment.

having the pool on the ground floor rather than the rooftop.

Maybe it is Easy to be Green

Adaptive reuse projects are a key to sustainability efforts. They reduce the amount of waste streamed into landfills by reusing what is there while also making it ready for folks to live in and enjoy a vibrant downtown environment.

Adaptive reuse allows for quicker-to-market construction because we do not have to build the core and shell building, avoiding significant costs. The speed to market means the first units are turned

over to the owner in eight to nine months versus 17 to 18 months; essentially cutting the time in half to bring apartment units to users.

For example, Santander Tower’s multifamily component is on target for an early 2024 completion, but some multifamily units were available as early as summer 2023 for occupancy. The first floor of residential

space was turned over to the owner in June 2023 and subsequent floors are turned over every two to three weeks.

The Santander adaptive reuse project is pioneering as part of Downtown Dallas’ revitalization. AT&T recently completed Discovery District, and a new convention center will start soon. The flight to the suburbs in the 1990s

It is not about tearing down Downtown Dallas’ beautiful old buildings, but instead making them ready for a new life.

Will Pender, Josh Southard and Allison Pales.

essentially decimated Downtown’s walkability. But, in recent years, people have returned to Downtown and the heart of the city by enabling people to live, work and play here.

It is not about tearing down Downtown Dallas’ beautiful old buildings, but instead making them ready for a new life. Adaptive reuse can be the renaissance for underutilized buildings that would have been sitting half-empty while still requiring significant

energy and maintenance costs. Or worse, demolition, which would send tons of debris to the landfill while increasing the carbon impact when building a new ground-up project in its place.

One of the most interesting aspects of this project centers around saving the bones of an existing, beautiful downtown high-rise and giving it new life for many people to enjoy for years to come. Now, where someone once was set up in an office, someone else

can enjoy life and get a good night’s sleep in their home.

It also is appealing to work in a vibrant environment rather than a half-occupied building. Where the building once had large office vacancies, now you may have half the tower filled with multifamily residents or hotel guests and the remaining office fully occupied.

This creates a buzz and vitality, giving the building a pulse and a heartbeat that matches the city around it. CCR

Will Pender is the President of the Adolfson & Peterson Construction Gulf States region. With more than a decade of construction leadership experience and a portfolio that includes several major metropolitan projects, Will drives AP’s strategic business operations throughout Texas. You can reach Will at wpender@a-p.com.

Will Pender and Josh Greer.

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The jewel box

Unlocking the hidden potential within One Financial Center

By Kara Natario

Office building lobbies often are underutilized spaces that, if reimagined, can completely transform the user experience and, ultimately, make the property more market competitive. Built in 1983, One Financial Center is a 46-floor skyscraper in Boston’s business district.

In an effort to re-envision the building’s lobby and tenant experience, new potential was unlocked within the space. By reimagining underutilized areas on the first and second floors, the design team energized the lobby with new programming to accommodate changing tenant needs, making One Financial Center a destination on the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

The new lobby resides in a fourstory glass jewel box, a bountiful source of daylight with views of the surrounding neighborhood that tenants can access as a secondary workspace outside their respective offices.

Repurposing and Activating Underutilized Areas

While the client, Dewey Square Tower Associates LLC, a JV partnership advised by MetLife Investment Management, knew the lobby was due for an upgrade, it sought design direction on how to identify and unlock underutilized areas of the lobby.

While they knew the lobby’s painpoints, we helped Dewey Square Tower

Associates embrace the existing issues and conceptualize what the space could become. By looking at the project holistically, the team unveiled many spaces within the existing floor plan that could be unlocked for other uses.

For example, the client initially sought to activate the barren space behind the escalator, eventually thinking even bigger to visualize just how active the space could be if the team removed the area below the escalator entirely. By blowing open the underside of the escalator, we were able to create a centralized cafe and coffee bar, creating an open space and connecting both sides of the lobby seamlessly.

Additionally, a once enclosed space that sat vacant was unveiled as a fantastic area for leasable space. This huge opportunity in the belly of the building was never realized, and by replacing the enclosure with glass walls, the client can now use

this space for tenant events, pop-up shops, potential retail space, a future food and beverage tenant, and more.

Other upgrades, such as repositioning a second-floor cafeteria into a conference space, allowed the client to have another amenity within the building that acts as a new point of connection for tenants and visitors.

Making the Lobby into a Destination

A goal of the client was to have the lobby space act as a third space, an area where

tenants can choose to work or meet people from outside the office. One Financial Center is situated at the end of the Rose Kennedy Greenway, welcoming views of the park from its south to north ends.

To further embrace a sense of nature in the interiors and celebrate the benefits of the atrium’s glass facade, additional biophilic design elements were added. A living green wall displays live plants and moss on both sides of the escalator, taking full advantage of the light-filled lobby. The windowed space paired with the lively biophilic elements make the lobby a sunlit

As a nod to the trapezoidal geometry of the building, the new lobby design honors the existing architecture and reflects it in a modern and contemporary way.

oasis and inviting environment even on the gloomiest of days.

As a nod to the trapezoidal geometry of the building, the new lobby design honors the existing architecture and reflects it in a modern and contemporary way. The team translated the existing triangular stonework throughout the skyscraper into the lobby’s updated desk, light fixtures, furniture, and wall coverings.

Additional subtle geometric shapes are spread throughout the atrium as a nod to the original building design.

To bolster the lobby’s offerings, the space is infused with new retail and food and beverage areas and a variety of seating options that solidify the lobby as a destination for people to grab lunch with coworkers, wait for a rideshare or simply sit and work. By providing multiple styles of seating, such as banquettes, high tops at the window, and various lively and warm seating nooks, visitors naturally gravitate to the lobby, filling it with energy at all times of day.

The lobby now can be used as a space for quick client meetings rather than taking them up into the office or having to meet them at a restaurant across town. Because of these upgrades, the lobby is a part of each tenant’s story; it is a touchdown space before, during, and after the workday.

Prioritizing Health and Wellness in Design

The client wanted to prioritize tenant wellness in this redesign, and our team worked with existing tenants to understand their goals and make sure this space reflected their wants and needs. The client understood many of their tenants value health and fitness, and were serious daily bikers—choosing to bike to work rather than driving or taking the train—but the previous bike storage space was dark and utilitarian.

As a nod to the trapezoidal geometry of the building, the new lobby design honors the existing architecture and reflects it in a modern and contemporary way.

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To solve this problem, our team doubled their count for bike racks and made sure the space was safe with key FOBs and security.

These bright, colorful, and clean wellness upgrades appeal to existing tenants and stand as a perk to future ones. To appeal to these tenants even more, personal shower pods were installed for tenants to have a place to get ready and freshen up before or after work following a bike ride or afternoon run. With seamless

key FOB access, tenants can use these shower spaces with ease.

Understanding Challenges and Preparing for Future Ones

One of the biggest challenges of this project was learning and navigating through issues presented by the pandemic. By working closely with the contractor and being transparent with the client, our team was able to push through every challenge. While there were many bumps in the road,

tenants and visitors would never know because the final space is a light-filled atrium that appeals to all.

The lobby was repositioned to serve as a space that welcomes tenants and the community in a bright and refreshing way. Once closed-off spaces were energized with inviting seating, glass walls, and biophilic elements. By uncovering gems in unlikely places, the new design unlocks the building’s potential and delivers a space that positively serves tenants and visitors alike. CCR

Kara Natario has over 12 years of professional experience in project management and interior design on a wide range of projects including asset strategy, repositioning, retail, corporate/commercial, and mixed use projects. She manages projects, with a focus on project schedules and all technical aspects. At NELSON Worldwide, she focuses on bringing the highest value to assets, properties and portfolios through design solutions, creative insight, branding and industry expertise.

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whisperer The

Jim Megerson PE, LEED AP, President Anvil Agrinomic

How the Anvil Agrinomics is helping change the cannabis game

Cannabis

The cannabis whisperer

How the Anvil Agrinomics is helping change the cannabis game

Jim Megerson believes every building should be designed, built and operated sustainably. That’s why at Anvil Agrinomics LLC (AnvilAg), the national mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) engineering design firm he founded uses innovation and creativity to develop sustainable solutions for its clients.

The goal is to optimize the results for its clients’ specific requirements.

Megerson, PE, LEED AP and President, says AnvilAg’s is designed to minimize the effect of the built environment on the natural environment while creating functional spaces to live, work and play. When he started the company, he set out to create an engineering firm different from the others. He wanted one that would be known for its innovative and creative problem-solving—a balance of construction knowledge and technical engineering prowess.

Today, AnvilAg’s efforts to balance design, construction cost, operations and maintenance to achieve the best return on the owner’s HVACD investment continues to make strides. While AnvilAg has experience with many different building types, its focus is on controlled environments for indoor agriculture, namely indoor cultivation and manufacturing for infused products like cannabis.

We sat down with Anvil Agrinomics President Jim Megerson to get an inside peek into the cannabis-based engineering firm.

CAN YOU GIVE US A SNAPSHOT OF YOUR BRAND?

Agrinomics is the combination of Agriculture and Economics. It is our goal to provide our customers with Controlled Environments for Agriculture (CEA) systems that provide the fastest return on their HVACD, electrical and plumbing investment.

I have been practicing blacksmithing for about 20 years. Anvils are one of the oldest man-made tools still in use today. They also take a beating and keep working. It just seemed like a good fit with our core values as a company. We also think it’s simple and straight forward from a branding perspective.

WHAT DOES YOUR COMPANY DO?

We provide mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection design services (MEP). We focus exclusively on controlled environments for agriculture. In other words, we design life support systems for plants. Due to the market, we tend to find ourselves performing most of our work in the cannabis cultivation and manufacturing space.

WHAT IS HVACD?

HVACD stands for Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Dehumidification. Like many in the indoor grow space, we use the “D” to emphasize dehumidification. There is generally more moisture to remove from these spaces in proportion to the heat.

WHAT MAKES YOUR COMPANY DIFFERENT FROM OTHER MEP FIRMS?

We don’t piddle in the cannabis/ indoor agriculture markets; this is all that we do. Most of our team has extensive construction experience. For example, I went through the sheet metal apprentice school while going to college. I have invaluable hands on, tool belt wearing experience. You cannot learn that from books. Others in our firm have done the same in the electrical and plumbing fields. We believe that with hands-on field experience we are able to creatively and efficiently balance the construction budget with operations and maintenance to produce a superior work product. It is very

unlikely that a contractor will be offering up large value engineering options on our projects because those are usually already baked into our designs. If they do, we welcome and openly applaud them for their creativity. As they say, there are many ways to tackle a problem.

WHAT MAKES CANNABIS MEP/HVACD SO COMPLICATED AS COMPARED TO OTHER SPACES?

To keep it fundamental, we are trying to mimic mother nature inside the building as opposed to keeping her out of the building. We want to create the very best outdoor day inside the building every day and night, 24/7. There are no droughts, floods, cloudy days or too hot/cold days in an indoor grow.

The goal is to optimize the growing process so that we can get at least 6 different harvests inside the building instead of the one harvest you get growing outdoors. As I mentioned, we are designing and building life support systems for plants. Without the proper amount of lighting, CO2, watering, or nutrients the plants will die or at best produce lack luster yields. Engineers in this space must have a good knowledge of plant biology along with good engineering fundamentals. That is a difficult paradigm shift to accomplish.

WHAT DO YOU DO DIFFERENTLY IN AN INDOOR GROW THAT YOU DON’T DO IN OTHER BUILDING TYPES?

It’s all about the plant. We are designing and building life support systems for plants. Without proper temperature, humidity, light, nutrients and CO2, the plants

With the continuing devastation we are seeing with climate change, the push to decarbonization and the trend to decentralize farming into urban areas, we believe that indoor ag will become more popular.

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will not thrive and maybe even die. It’s important to understand how plants feed. In high school biology, I walked away thinking that plants sucked up water.

That absolutely does not do anything of that nature. Water moves through the plant hydraulically. The water pressure in the soil has to be higher than in the air. The water will move from the higher pressure to the lower pressure. When doing this, the plant absorbs nutrients dissolved in the water.

In order to optimize nutrient delivery, the temperature and humidity in the air must be maintained at precise levels for this to occur. If this doesn’t happen, the plant will not grow and produce proper yields.

WHAT GOT YOU INTO DESIGNING CANNABIS FACILITIES?

In 2014, my daughter was diagnosed with MS. I noticed how cannabis was helping her

deal with the symptoms. That showed me that this plant was more than an illicit substance. In fact, most medications come from plants/ mother nature. So why would this be any different. That really got me looking at this in a whole new light.

Naturally, I wanted to help make this more readily available from a medical standpoint. I was also becoming bored with the same old types of projects and indoor cultivation interested me. Trying to create the perfect outdoor day inside a building is much different than trying to keep the outdoor elements outside.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE CANNABIS MARKET LOOK LIKE TO YOU?

That is a good question affected by many factors. There are only about 12 states left without some sort of cannabis legalization. Those left are probably the most conservative states. Like alcohol, I believe they all will eventually adopt legalization. I think that will transition over the next 10 years.

We are designing and building life support systems for plants. Without the proper amount of lighting, CO2, watering, or nutrients the plants will die or at best produce lack luster yields.

We are already taking what we have learned from cannabis and translating that to other indoor ag. With the continuing devastation we are seeing with climate change, the push to decarbonization and the trend to decentralize farming into urban areas, we believe that indoor ag will become more popular. That is what we are preparing for.

WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MAKES CANNABIS LEGAL?

It’s my hope that the feds will at least reschedule cannabis or pass a safe banking act. Making the financial market available to cannabis businesses will make it easier to develop projects. Many of the opportunities we see end up dissolving from a lack of financing. Currently, the main access to financing in the cannabis industry comes from the private sector. Most folks cannot

get traditional financing because cannabis is still a schedule one drug nationally.

WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING ONCE CANNABIS IS LEGAL NATIONALLY?

I hope that the federal government allows the states to individually manage cannabis legalization autonomously, like they pretty much have with alcohol. I think the FDA and USDA will get involved from a regulatory function. There is a large portion of cannabis facilities that are not designed or built to a good manufacturing process or to food safety standards. Those will find themselves getting shut down until they come into compliance with those standards. Many might even go out of business because of the added financial stress from becoming compliant. We are certainly recommending adopting these standards up front to avoid being forced into it later. These

standards provide for higher quality and safer products for the end consumer.

THERE IS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY BEING VERY RESOURCE INTENSIVE. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HELP YOUR CLIENTS BECOME MORE SUSTAINABLE?

That is very true. The cultivation and manufacturing processes use a lot of water and electricity. HVACD for these facilities use about 58% of the total power consumed. We are constantly looking for more efficient ways to cool and dehumidify these spaces. Many utilities offer rebates for utilizing more efficient systems including LED lighting. We have been very successful in taking advantage of these incentives for our clients. We also try to promote good water management as these facilities use a large amount.

ONE-ON-ONE WITH... Anvil Agrinomics’ Jim Megerson

Describe a typical day. What’s the biggest thing on your to-do list right now?

I’m an early riser. I usually try to get a workout early in the morning. Seems like I spend a lot of time on the phone or on virtual calls. I’m in the process of documenting the how too of designing cannabis cultivation and manufacturing facilities. So that is probably the biggest item on my to-do list.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

Coming into the last part of my career, I have really enjoyed mentoring young folks starting out in our industry. In fact, I should give a shout out to my mentors Bill Sirois,

What are the core values that best represent you?

I never fail, I either win or learn.

The more people you help the more that will help you back.

I own what I do.

Say what you’re going to do and then do it. If you can’t have a good reason and restate what you will do.

Always do what is right, even if it hurts.

“It’s not a matter of how hard you can hit, but how hard you get hit and keep moving forward.” —

Rocky Balboa

What’s the best thing a client has ever said to you?

“You can expect a lot out of Jim because he expects a lot out of himself.”

Chris Larson, Don Hill and Rex Mustain.

These people all took an interest in me and have had great influence in my development as an engineer but also as a person. I’m hoping that I can pass on some of that knowledge and wisdom to others.

Are there any quotes that resonate with you?

“A man without tools is a man without a job” Spoken to me from a journeyman named Bob Campble on my first day working in the field as an apprentice.

How do you like to spend your down time?

My wife and I spend a lot of time enjoying the outdoors. Specifically wild places. We camp, hike, kayak and just about anything that involves being outdoors in nature. I especially enjoy spending this time outdoors with our family.

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George Westerman

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For the kids

For the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, supporting the soldiers means supporting their families

By JoAnne Castagna

Before CPT John Lim was stationed at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Wrightstown, New Jersey, his family had moved a lot over the last eight years for his military career. They set up homes in Texas, Missouri, South Korea, Texas a second time, and now New Jersey, where he is the deputy resident engineer, southern resident office for the New York District, US Army Corps of Engineers.

Construction and completion of the new Youth Center at the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Wrightstown, New Jersey. Credit: USACE.

“These moves could be particularly hard on young kids who are leaving behind a familiar environment and the friends they have gained," Lim says. "Some kids may not even understand why they are moving or why their parents are gone for periods of time.”

So, when he heard that the base is completing construction on a new youth center, he was elated. “As a military family that moves around a lot, a youth center represents a bit of consistency for military affiliated kids. It gives the family normalcy after a move, by giving the youth an opportunity to meet new people in similar situations with similar interests. It’s particularly important at this base because of how isolated this community can be at times.”

Constructing this new youth center at the base is the US Army Corps of Engineers, New York District. The center will replace another structure that’s in poor condition. The new center will not only be beneficial for military children, but also their parents that support the national defense of the United States.

The Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is a US military facility that is the only tri-service base in the United States Department of Defense and includes units from all six-armed forces branches. This wide range of combat capability is performed on 42,000-contiguous acres and is home to more than 44,000 airmen, soldiers, sailors, marines, Coast Guardsmen, civilians, and their family members who live and work on and around the base.

Among the services the base provides soldiers and their families, they will have a new youth center. The center will be a one story, 16,260 square foot facility that will provide 168 school age children—between the ages of 5 and 12—with after school programs, youth activities and youth support.

According to the Armed Services YMCA, programs like this are important for the unique challenges faced by military kids who may be struggling with a recent move or deployed parents. These programs help

to develop their resiliency and provide them with the tools they need to get back on track and build skills that allow them to weather future challenges.

The ASYMCA is the oldest military support organization in the US with the mission to enhance the lives of active-duty junior enlisted military members and their families through programs relevant to the unique challenges of military life. The ASYMCA said of the Joint Base’s new Youth Center, “We know how important it is for our military to have adequate childcare options and are happy that other organizations agree.

Paul Jalowski, resident engineer, New York District, US Army Corps of Engineers says the new Youth Center is a beautiful modern building that will provide a safe and secure facility for the children of our Military men and women, while they support the National Defense of our country. He says that when children enter the center, they will enter a common area where they can put away their backpacks and jackets into lockers that line the walls. The space will also be used for small group activities, such as playing games like air hockey, football, and board and video games.

The ASYMCA is the oldest military support organization in the US with the mission to enhance the lives of active-duty junior enlisted military members and their families through programs relevant to the unique challenges of military life.

11-13 SEPTEMBER 2023

DALLAS, TEXAS, USA

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A place to hang

Near this is the eating and activity area where children will have meals and snacks at shared tables. There is a self-serve snack bar with a view into the kitchen prep area that can also be used as a culinary teaching space for students.

The youth center also will have four activity rooms designed for different uses including homework & computer work, arts and science, life skills and dramatic play, and a youth room.

The homework and computer room is designed to provide a dedicated area for study and completion of homework with the availability of computers. The room is large

and can also be used as a “hang-out” space at the start of the day when children arrive and at the end of the day when they are winding down to leave the youth center.

The arts and science room is dedicated for special activities relating to art projects, painting, crafts, and science and nature activities. The room has doors that lead outside where students can perform messy projects, play, and perform a nature exploration program that is planned for the center. “From my perspective the outdoor classroom and nature exploration area is most interesting, as it contains planting boxes with visual windows to see the growth of the roots for different types of plants,” Jalowski says.

The lifestyles and dramatic playroom is designed with a small stage for pretend play and performances. This room has two pairs of glass doors that open into the eating and activities area. The youth room is a destination for the older children to hangout, play games, and relax. This multi-purpose room is the largest space, approximately the size of a basketball half court. This room also will serve as an assembly space for family and community events.

North of the youth center is the outdoor play area that is divided into several areas including a fenced in hard-surface area, fenced in open area, a shaded playground area, and an outdoor classroom and nature exploration area, as mentioned earlier.

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Lim has a 5-year-old daughter and a child on the way. “My daughter is always excited to try new things and socialize with other kids. When she is old enough, we plan on exposing her to many of the different programs that are offered at the youth center. We hope she finds activities that she’s interested in and can continue for a lifetime and meet people who may become lifelong friends.”

In addition to student activities, the school also will be equipped to be a safe environment for students and staff. When students, parents and visitors enter the youth center’s covered entryway, they will be greeted in the lobby’s reception area by a security person who will check them in and out.

This person will have clear views of the front entrance doors, the commons area and eating and activities area.

Next to the lobby is the staff room and administrative offices that also have clear views of the lobby area. The staff room includes a staff lounge with a kitchenette, a meeting and training area, lockers, mailboxes, computers, and a work room.

This modern building will also be energy-efficient and fulfill the qualifications for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver building certification. “One way this project earned this certification is because the center has a Hyper Heat System," Jalowski says. "This is a heat pump

system, but it adds an exclusive Inverter™ technology that allows it to maintain its efficiency when temperatures drop.”

By contrast, traditional heat pumps start to lose their efficiency when temperatures go below 40 degrees, requiring a backup system.

Lim recently had an opportunity to visit the center that will be opening later this year. “It looks great. The new youth center can support a wide range of interests to include technology, sports, and arts. We are excited to use the center someday.” FC

JoAnne Castagna, Ed.D, is a public affairs specialist and writer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District. She can be reached at joanne.castagna@usace.army.mil.

The youth center also will have four activity rooms designed for different uses including homework & computer work, arts and science, life skills and dramatic play, and a youth room.

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The battle of the stone R

ecently, I was sitting at my desk doing my usual Monday routine, when all of the sudden, I felt some sharp pains in my left abdomen. Over the years, I have felt plenty of pain with broken bones, hamstring tears, both ACLs replaced, etc., but I had never felt anything like this before.

Suddenly, I became very nauseous. And the pain got worse.

I called my doctor to let him know what was going on. He asked me to come to the office to get checked out.

The pain came and went in waves. It felt like someone was stabbing me in the abdomen— toying with me.

A few hours of excruciating pain passed and I unexpectedly fell asleep, missing my appointment. After calling my doctor, I decided to ride out and see him in the morning. Well, that didn't last too long. I called him again later in the evening in wicked pain.

We figured out I was passing a kidney stone. He wanted to call me for some meds so I could make it through the night, but we were having a hard time finding a pharmacy open. Finally, we found a CVS open until 11 p.m.—on the other side of town.

The following day, I went to the doctor's office and was treated with an IV of fluids and pain meds. Turns out, I was severely dehydrated. They performed an ultrasound to see if he could see the

kidney stone. He advised me to drink lots of water and use the pain med accordingly (note: pain meds really don't work after the first few).

I received a referral for a CT scan. They wanted to see if I could pass the stone over the next few days. If not, I would get the scan to see how big it was. You don't want it to get caught in your kidney, which could result in a serious health issue.

A few days passed. I was unable to keep any food down. There was more awful pain, no sleep and weight loss. By the end of the week, I went to get the CT scan and, sure enough, I had close to a 5 mm kidney stone trying to make its way through my bladder. I also had a 1.3 cm stone pretty far up in my kidney, which was still stationary and too big to pass if it did start to move.

After seeing digital images for both, I decided to go to the local ER. Once again, I was put on IVs of fluids and meds. The lead ER surgeon said the stone was going to pass in the next few days, but the larger one would need to be broken up with sound waves via a urologist.

Back home I went, still in pain, no food, no bowel movements, just a miserable existence. Finally, on Sunday afternoon, I passed the darn kidney stone. It looked like a pepper corn with jagged edges.

When it was all over, I lost 13 pounds in a week. The kidney went through a serious battle, wreaking havoc on my digestive system.

Both my doctor and the ER staff said that passing a kidney stone is one the highest pain level you can endure. It is like giving birth or having appendicitis. You could be an Olympic athlete in the prime of your career, but if a kidney stone wants out of your body, you will be down for the count. There really is nothing to do but wait in pain.

The human body is an amazing piece of construction. While I was passing the stone, I did plenty of research online about our body and digestive system. It was mind blowing. That 5 mm stone caused so much pain and discomfort. It was important to rely on my self-confidence to deal with the pain threshold.

Like I always say, no matter what business you are in, make sure you have a strategic relationship with your doctor. Without your health and a positive mindset, everything else in life is mute.

We look forward to seeing our tri-state peeps at our Sept. 28th, 2023, NYC meet & greet at Penthouse45. The event will be held noon-4 p.m. We also will be having our monthly receptions in Orlando, Detroit and Los Angeles, finishing the year off in Scottsdale.

Here is to a prosperous rest of Q3 & Q4. May you have good health, safe travels and for sure, no kidney stones.

As always, Keep the Faith.

Stop Smash and Grab

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