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WHY RECRUITMENT ALONE WON’T SOLVE CONSTRUCTION’S LABOR SHORTAGE

Issue 9, 2026 • www.ccr-mag.com

Beauty by Design How Rigzin Dolma balances brand standards and customer expectations at Waxing the City Rigzin Dolma Construction Design Manager Purpose Brands LLC

Also inside:

Exclusive Inside: Kids Building Minnesota introduces kids to construction careers

Official magazine of:

Facility Maintenance Survey Spotlights Building Performance SARA connects students with New York City design professionals

Vol. 25, Issue 9, 2026 FEATURES

Beauty by Design

How Rigzin Dolma balances brand standards and customer expectations at Waxing the City.

Building Their Future

Building Tomorrow’s Trades Workforce

Kids Building Minnesota gives the next generation a hands-on look at construction careers.

Closing the labor gap starts with culture, outreach and reinvestment.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

Strengthening the Construction Workforce Reducing employment risk in construction 86

Vol. 25, Issue 9, 2026

105

131

INDUSTRY SEGMENTS 58 Facility Maintenance Services and Products

DEPARTMENTS 6 Editor’s Note 12 Industry News 40 ConstructEDU Student Insider 152 CCR Data 154 Ad Index 156 Publisher’s Note

SPECIAL SECTIONS IT Corner 23 Built to Think Ahead Establishing the global standard for autonomous infrastructure Commercial Construction in Healthcare 95 Precision in Practice Installing advanced equipment in a modern cancer center. Commercial Facilities 105 A Place to Gather How ATPCO is turning the workplace into an event destination.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

Residental Construction & Remodeling 131 More Than a Home How Bluenest’s Salim Chraibi is connecting attainable housing with stronger communities across South Florida 146 Ready Before It Happens 5 steps that can help prepare for severe weather without adding cost or complexity.

EDITOR’S NOTE

by Michael J. Pallerino

Inspiring the Next Generation

ears ago, as part of a media group attending a SkillsUSA Championship, I received a firsthand look at just how much effort the supporting companies put into passing their legacies on to the next generation.

These weren’t your typical classroom exercises. Students were reading blueprints. Framing walls. Laying brick. Wiring electrical systems and welding metal. Others were working in teams to complete construction projects, navigating the same challenges of precision, communication and problem-solving that professionals face on jobsites every day. What stood out the most wasn’t just the skill level of the competitors. It was the commitment of the companies and industry professionals who invested their time, equipment and expertise into giving these young people a chance to show what they could do. They weren’t just sponsoring a competition. They were investing in the people who might one day carry their trades forward.

That next generation.

We talk a lot about building the next generation of our industry in the scope of our content. In a time when artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are all the rage (yeah, probably putting that a little mildly), the construction industry is all in—and then some. Getting today’s youth interested in construction might be easier than we think. Give them a few tools, some heavy equipment to explore and a chance to get their hands dirty. Then let their curiosity take over. Take Kids Building Minnesota, an initiative that recently attracted 1,700 attendees for a hands-on introduction to the construction industry. Led by Justin Elder, President of Elder-Jones Inc., the event brought contractors, suppliers and families together to give young people a firsthand look at the skills, people and opportunities behind the buildings and spaces they see every day. And while nobody expects a preschooler to map out a career path, introducing them to the possibilities is a pretty good place to start. The idea is simple. Let kids experience construction before someone convinces them a career in the trades is somehow a lesser option.

The approach is taking off. Inspired by Kids Building Wisconsin, the Minnesota program is already generating interest from contractors in other markets. The Retail Contractors Association (RCA) is helping build on that momentum, encouraging similar events nationwide. And the investment doesn’t stop there. CCR is filled with similar stories. The Roofing Alliance recently awarded $114,000 in scholarships to 25 students pursuing higher education. INSTALL continues expanding apprenticeship and workforce training opportunities across the western U.S. STRAUSS used its sponsorship of Netflix’s MLB at Field of Dreams coverage to put the craftsmanship of the trades in the national spotlight. And in Florida, Skymark Roofing reached into its local community, recognizing teachers at Mt. Dora High School with a back-to-school celebration and classroom essentials.

Different approaches. Same objective.

Today’s workforce development is about more than filling jobs. It’s about changing perceptions, creating opportunities and showing young people what the trades have to offer. Building enthusiasm for the next generation—a project that just might be one of the biggest and best you have had a hand in creating.

Michael J. Pallerino is the editor of Commercial Construction & Renovation. You can reach him at 678.513.2397 or via email at mikep@ccr-mag.com.

We want to hear from you At Commercial Construction & Renovation, we’re always looking to showcase the best of what our industry is doing. If you have a project profile or a fresh perspective on how to keep our industry positively moving forward, shoot me an email at mikep@ccr-mag.com. We’d love to take a look.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

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COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

F&J PUBLICATIONS, LLC Commercial Construction & Renovation is published monthly by F&J Publications, LLC. The opinions expressed by authors and contributors to Commercial Construction & Renovation are not necessarily those of the editors or publisher. Commercial Construction & Renovation is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Articles/content appearing in Commercial Construction & Renovation cannot be reproduced in any way without the specific permission of the publisher or editor.

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CCR EDITORIAL BOARD ACADEMIA DR. MARK LEE LEVINE Professor Burns School/ Daniels College University of Denver

ADA BRAD GASKINS Principal The McIntosh Group

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.

JIM SHEUCHENKO President Property Management Advisors LLC CHRIS VARNEY Managing Partner, BuildRite Consulting & Project Management STEPHEN HEKMAN Executive VP Kingsmen Retail Services US KEN DEMSKE Vice President Jones Lang LaSalle SARA SMITH Senior Consultant The Sigma Group, LLC VAUN PODLOGAR Partner, Vaun.com

EXPERIENTIAL AGENCY MICHELLE M COLLINS President & CXO A\N/A A Non-Agency

GENERAL CONTRACTOR CONSULTANT GINA MARIE ROMEO Chief Heart Officer & Principal Consultant, Allied RDI

DEVELOPMENT/PROJECT MANAGEMENT KAY BARRETT NCIDQ, CDP Senior Vice President Cushman & Wakefield PAM GOODWIN Goodwin Advisors, LLC Goodwin Commercial The Pam Goodwin Show

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 JENNIFER SUSSMAN Director National Accounts & Business Development Powerhouse

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

HEALTHCARE CLINTON “BROOKS” HERMAN Principal Facilities Project Manager, MD Anderson Cancer Center

HOSPITALITY 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 Joseph K Thomas Sr. Consulting Senior Consultant Hospitality Engineering LU SACHARSKI Vice President of Operations and Project Management Interserv Hospitality ANDY BRIGGS, CHA Managing Principal A14 Capital Management

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CRAIG WEBER Director of Business Prime Retail Services, US Prime 3 Retail Canada, Inc.

REAL ESTATE ROB ADKINS, LEED AP CDP Senior Project Manager Cushman & Wakefield MEGAN HAGGERTY Founder Legacy Capital Investment MARIE ANTONETTE G. WAITE Founder and CEO Finest Women in Real Estate

RESTAURANTS DAVID SHOTWELL Director of Construction & Facilities, BOJ of WNC, LLC DAVID D. DILLON Principal Design Lead, Templates & Standards Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center

RETAILERS AARON ANCELLO Facilities Asset Management Public Storage DEDRICK KIRKEM Facility Director Fragrance.com

LAURA GROSS Retail Facilities Manager American Signature Furniture KELLY RADFORD Vice President Facility Services CubeSmart

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INDUSTRY NEWS

NEWS, NOTES & TRENDS...

AroundtheIndustry HOSPITALITY Marriott International Marriott International has reached 10,000 hotels worldwide with the opening of JW Marriott Ranthambore Resort & Spa in India. The milestone strengthens the company’s presence in a key growth market while highlighting its continued global expansion across 146 countries. Hyatt Hyatt is expanding its Arizona portfolio with the state’s first JdV by Hyatt and Unscripted by Hyatt properties. Hospitality Capital Partners opened the 194-room Hotel Solaya JdV by Hyatt in Scottsdale and the 76-suite 233 Suites Unscripted by Hyatt in downtown Mesa, introducing two new brands to the growing Phoenix-area hospitality market.

Equinox Hotels Equinox Hotels is redefining luxury hospitality with a health-centric model built around movement, nutrition, recovery and community. The brand combines hospitality design with insights from neuroscientists and sleep psychologists, creating environments designed to support physical and mental performance while extending the Equinox wellness experience into travel. Accor Accor is accelerating its luxury expansion across Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean as demand for high-end travel experiences continues to grow. The company is prioritizing brands, including Fairmont, Raffles and Orient Express, with a focus on immersive experiences that extend beyond the traditional luxury hotel stay.

Preferred Hotels & Resorts Preferred Hotels & Resorts is expanding its global portfolio with new properties in Spain, Zanzibar, Malta, South Africa and Iceland. The company is also growing its wellness focus with Preferred Wellbeing, a new initiative highlighting hotels that offer immersive experiences centered on health and wellness.

IHG Hotels & Resorts IHG Hotels & Resorts is expanding its Vignette Collection in Portugal with the 58-room Esperança Hotel in Braga, expected to open in September 2026. Created through the conversion of two existing city-center buildings, the property brings the brand’s open and pipeline portfolio in Portugal to six hotels.

Sirius Hotel Group Sirius Hotel Group, formerly Resident Hotels, is targeting significant growth following its rebranding, with plans to expand from nine to more than 30 hotels over the next decade. The company will retain The Resident as its owned-and-operated brand while growing its management portfolio across multiple hotel brands.

Rebel Hotel Company Rebel Hotel Company is shifting its growth strategy toward smaller, ultra-luxury properties with the launch of Reserve Collection Resorts & Hotels. The new platform will focus on managing higher-end hotels and resorts as the company expands its portfolio to more than 40 properties and approximately 5,600 rooms.

Yotel Yotel is expanding beyond its urban hotel model with plans to introduce a resort concept targeting beach destinations. The new format will feature larger guestrooms, outdoor amenities and enhanced food and beverage offerings as the brand works toward growing its portfolio from 23 to 100 hotels over the next five years.

PM Hotel Group PM Hotel Group is targeting continued U.S. expansion with a focus on California, the West Coast and Hawaii. Following its mergers with Sightline Hospitality and Modus Hotels, the company is building its presence in markets where it sees strong traveler demand while expanding its expertise and portfolio across the region.

Faraway Hotels Faraway Hotels is expanding beyond New England for the first time with openings in Sag Harbor, New York and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The 67-room Faraway Sag Harbor and 90-room Faraway Jackson Hole blend locally inspired design, dining and amenities as the brand extends its destination-focused hospitality concept into new markets. St. Regis St. Regis is expanding its luxury resort portfolio in Mexico with the opening of The St. Regis Costa Mujeres Resort, Cancun. Located along the beachfront just north of Cancun’s Hotel Zone, the property features 163 rooms and suites, including 50 suites, with select accommodations offering private pools and ocean or mangrove views.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

RETAIL

IKEA IKEA is expanding into Oklahoma with plans to open its first store in the state, a 51,000-square-foot location in Tulsa. The Swedish furniture retailer is targeting the market for its strong income growth and retail activity, positioning Tulsa as an attractive opportunity for IKEA’s continued U.S. expansion. Academy Sports + Outdoors Academy Sports + Outdoors plans to open 125 stores over the next five years, shifting its growth strategy toward smaller markets and exurbs. About 80% of the new locations will be in existing or established states, while 20% will enter new markets as the retailer looks to reach underserved communities and expand its customer base.

Uniqlo Uniqlo is expanding its U.S. footprint with a strategic focus on key urban markets and locally tailored stores. With 82 locations nationwide and more planned, the Japanese retailer is targeting prominent sites including New York City’s former Andy Warhol Factory, 510 Fifth Avenue near Bryant Park and Chicago’s Magnificent Mile.

Uniqlo Uniqlo is expanding its global retail footprint with a focus on growing its presence in the U.S. and Europe. The retailer is opening new stores in key markets including Chicago, New York, Antwerp, Frankfurt and Munich as parent Fast Retailing builds on strong global sales and continued momentum for the brand.

La Ligne La Ligne is celebrating its 10th anniversary with continued retail expansion, including the opening of its 10th store in Montecito, California. The New York-based fashion brand, known for French-inspired knitwear and denim, plans to grow to 50 stores over the next decade, supported by strong direct-to-consumer sales.

Toys R Us Toys R Us is making a major U.S. retail push with 120 new stand-alone stores opening for the holiday season, bringing its stand-alone footprint to 160 locations. The expansion, in partnership with Go Retail Group, will include select stores with Creator Studios for influencers and toy brands as well as candy shops and cafes.

Pure Hockey Pure Hockey has expanded to more than 110 stores across 32 states with its acquisition of Perani’s Hockey World. The deal adds 22 stores to Pure Hockey’s footprint while giving the retailer a larger presence across the Midwest and opportunities to invest further in regional markets.

Gap Gap is accelerating its expansion across China with plans to open 50 new stores in 2026 and return to Hong Kong. After growing to 164 locations last year, the brand expects to sustain 20% sales growth as operator Baozun Inc. focuses on localizing its strategy and strengthening connections with Chinese consumers.

Nordstrom Nordstrom is expanding its Nordstrom Local service hub concept with two new California locations opening in June, bringing the total to nine. Designed to bring services closer to residential areas, the hubs offer online order pickup, returns, alterations, gift boxing and gently used item donations.

Bed Bath & Beyond Bed Bath & Beyond and The Container Store are rolling out an integrated store format across The Container Store’s 98 locations. The new format combines The Container Store’s organization solutions and home services with Bed Bath & Beyond’s expanded home assortment, with stores clearing select categories to make room for the new merchandise.

Watches of Switzerland Watches of Switzerland is accelerating its U.S. expansion through investments in large-format stores and acquisitions of regional retailers. The U.S. now accounts for nearly half of group revenue and remains the company’s primary growth engine as it continues to strengthen its presence across the market.

New Era New Era is opening its first U.S. standalone store in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood. The global flagship combines immersive digital elements with a customization shop called “The Garage” and an education wall highlighting the brand’s top cap styles, creating a more interactive experience centered on customization and product innovation.

Staples/Party City Staples and Party City are partnering to introduce a store-within-astore party concept at about 700 Staples locations, with additional expansion planned by year’s end. The shops will feature balloons, tableware, gift bags, décor, costume accessories and favors, giving Party City a new physical retail presence following the closure of its standalone stores.

Goldwin Goldwin has opened a 1,815-square-foot global flagship in New York City, expanding the Tokyo-based sportswear brand’s U.S. retail presence. The store features its premium sportswear collection and marks the North American debut of the Goldwin 0 performance line, with Japanese-inspired design elements blending nature, functionality and the energy of the city. (Continued on next page)

ISSUE 9, 2026 — COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION

INDUSTRY NEWS

NEWS, NOTES & TRENDS...

AroundtheIndustry RESTAURANTS In-N-Out Burger In-N-Out Burger is continuing its expansion beyond its California roots with six new restaurants planned across five states. The openings include two locations in California and one each in Tennessee, Arizona, Utah and Idaho, further expanding a footprint that has pushed into new markets across the West and as far east as Tennessee. Wingstop Wingstop has surpassed 3,000 locations globally after opening 382 restaurants last year, making it the fastest-growing U.S. restaurant chain in the QSR 50 ranking. The Dallas-based brand continues to expand primarily through its franchised model as chicken-focused concepts gain a larger share of the restaurant market. Chipotle Mexican Grill Chipotle Mexican Grill is expanding into Mexico with its first restaurant in the Monterrey area, developed in partnership with restaurant operator Alsea. The opening marks the brand’s entry into the Mexican market, with additional restaurants planned for Nuevo Leon and Mexico City by 2027 as Chipotle builds its international footprint. Zaxby’s Zaxby’s has entered New York City with its first restaurant in the Bronx, expanding the fast-casual chicken chain into its 24th state. A second location is expected to open on Manhattan’s Upper East Side later this year as the brand continues to expand its footprint in major U.S. markets. Hello Kitty Cafe Hello Kitty Cafe is expanding its experiential footprint with its largest location worldwide, an 8,000-square-foot, two-story café on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue. The immersive destination features character-inspired décor, a riverfront patio, a dedicated Bow Room for afternoon tea, exclusive menu items and Chicagospecific merchandise. PepsiCo PepsiCo is testing branded restaurant concepts around the world to create new consumer experiences and explore foodservice growth opportunities. Concepts featuring Lay’s and Tostitos are opening in markets including Shanghai, Madrid and Mexico, serving as test-andlearn platforms for new menu ideas, consumer behavior and awayfrom-home strategies.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

Qdoba Qdoba is accelerating its expansion with plans to grow to approximately 2,000 restaurants, backed by more than 650 new location commitments. The fast-casual chain is investing in new restaurants, remodels and technology upgrades as it works to significantly expand its footprint and strengthen the brand’s growth trajectory. Kyuramen Kyuramen Group is expanding its portfolio with Super Kyuramen, an izakaya-inspired concept combining ramen, sushi, small plates, cocktails and sake. Following its debut in Herndon, Virginia, additional locations are planned, including Las Vegas. The company is also diversifying its offerings with the acquisition of specialty café concept Aoko Matcha. Chamberlain Coffee Chamberlain Coffee is expanding into physical retail with its first standalone café in Venice, California. Founded by Emma Chamberlain in 2019, the brand’s new location features coffee, matcha, specialty drinks and locally sourced pastries in a welcoming space designed to bring its growing lifestyle brand to life. Fat Ronnie’s Burger Bar Fat Ronnie’s Burger Bar is expanding beyond Martha’s Vineyard with its first New York City location in the West Village. The restaurant plans to reopen a Miami location in 2027 and pursue additional East Coast growth, bringing its signature Angus burgers and family-inspired menu to new markets. Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers plans to open about 60 restaurants in 2026, bringing its footprint close to 600 locations. The chain is targeting growth across the Northeast, Rust Belt, Midwest, Pacific Northwest, Northern California and Florida while introducing more flexible endcap and in-line formats to support franchise expansion. Ono Hawaiian BBQ Ono Hawaiian BBQ is expanding into Texas with its first restaurant in Plano, marking the brand’s first move beyond California and Arizona. The July opening is the first of at least 10 restaurants planned for the Dallas-Fort Worth area as the fast-casual chain builds its presence in a new market. Portillo’s Portillo’s will expand its Chicago footprint with a new 4,600-squarefoot restaurant in Wrigleyville in 2027. Located one block south of Wrigley Field, the smaller-format location will feature compact indoor dining with an emphasis on foot traffic and takeout, becoming the chain’s fifth restaurant in the city.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

NEWS, NOTES & TRENDS...

Play It Forward Chick-fil-A reimagines more than 200 restaurant playgrounds

The Numbers Game

665

The approximate amount, per square foot, for additive retail banking renovation programs featuring hospitality-grade amenities, compared with about $315 per square foot for baseline updates, according to JLL’s U.S. Retail Banking Construction Cost Guide.

114 C

hick-fil-A is putting play back in the spotlight. The restaurant chain plans to reimagine more than 200 playgrounds across the U.S. by the end of 2026, introducing multisensory designs and interactive games aimed at creating more engaging spaces for children and families. Most new restaurant builds also will include some variation of the updated play spaces as the brand looks to make its restaurants places for connection beyond the meal. The playground investment is part of a broader effort to create what Chick-fil-A sees as a third-place environment for families. Some operators already are experimenting with ways to encourage more face-to-face interaction, including offering free Icedream to families who put away their phones during meals and hosting activities such as sneaker decorating competitions. The company also is extending that focus through its Play app and a new generation of Kids’ Meal toys designed to encourage creativity and unplugged play. The move comes as restaurant brands rethink how physical spaces can become part of the customer experience. McDonald’s also is introducing modernized play areas through a global restaurant redesign initiative after many playgrounds were eliminated or downsized during the pandemic. For Chick-fil-A, the upgrades put family connection squarely into the restaurant design conversation.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

The average number of workdays construction workers missed following an injury, the highest among the industries analyzed in Travelers’ 2026 Injury Impact Report. Workers age 60 and older missed an average of 124 days.

The projected percent growth in power construction through 2028, positioning it as one of the fastest-expanding segments as demand for energy and infrastructure accelerates, according to FMI’s “2026 North American Engineering and Construction Outlook (Q2).”

INDUSTRY NEWS

NEWS, NOTES & TRENDS...

Beauty Gets Personal Walmart brings trained beauty advisers to more than 400 stores

almart is giving its beauty aisles a more personal touch. The retailer plans to bring trained beauty advisers to more than 400 stores by the end of the year, transforming an area traditionally built around self-service into one where shoppers can get personalized guidance and product recommendations. The advisers are being trained in product knowledge, seasonal trends and customer service, helping shoppers navigate everything from trending products to options that better match their individual needs. The program already is operating in more than 20 stores and represents another way Walmart is rethinking the role its physical locations can play in the shopping experience. There is plenty at stake. Walmart is looking to capture a larger piece of the $129 billion U.S. beauty market, where expertise and personalized service have become important differentiators. Expanding the adviser program gives the retailer another way to combine the convenience and scale of its stores with a more service-driven experience.

They said it... “We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, but we also believe Church’s is still in the early chapters of what could become one of the great comeback stories in the QSR industry.” — Bobby Morena, Chief Development Officer, Church’s Texas Chicken on prioritizing franchisees who understand their local markets and embrace a community-first culture over large multiunit deals

“The guest journey is definitely evolving, but in many ways it’s becoming more streamlined. AI is quickly becoming a new front door to travel planning. Whether it’s generating destination ideas, helping build itineraries, or narrowing down hotel options, travelers are turning to AI to simplify decisions and reduce the amount of time and effort required to plan a trip.”

“We recognize that the market difference of our parents in the communities that we’re serving is significant. We had an opportunity to really tap into the values that parents are bringing into the household.”

— Heather Balsley, Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer, IHG Hotels & Resorts, on the evolution of today’s customer journey

— Sarah Crockett, CMO, Carter’s, on the retailer’s aim to keep the 161-year-old company relevant with its core customer

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

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INDUSTRY NEWS

NEWS, NOTES & TRENDS...

A Place Among the Best Two U.S. properties land on The 50 Best Hotels 2026 list

nly two U.S. hotels earned spots on The 50 Best Hotels 2026 list, putting properties in California and Utah among an international collection spanning six continents. San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California, debuted at No. 22 while Amangiri in southern Utah entered at No. 45. Both were newcomers to this year’s list. At the top was Rosewood Hong Kong, which captured the No. 1 position for the second consecutive year and became the first property to earn the distinction twice. The hotel occupies part of the

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

65-story Victoria Dockside development and includes 419 rooms and suites, 11 restaurants and bars and an Asaya Spa by Guerlain. The 2026 list reflects a decidedly global luxury hospitality landscape. Europe placed 21 hotels among the 50 while Asia accounted for 18, including three of the top four properties. More than 800 hoteliers, travel journalists, business travelers and other frequent travelers participate in the voting process, offering a snapshot of the properties capturing attention across today’s hospitality market.

ARCHITECTURE | ENGINEERING | INTERIOR DESIGN

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CORNER Built to Think Ahead Establishing the global standard for autonomous infrastructure

IT CORNER

Built to Think Ahead Establishing the global standard for autonomous infrastructure By Dilip Rahulan

or more than a century, infrastructure has evolved through successive waves of technological transformation. Mechanization enabled industrialization. Electrification accelerated economic growth. Automation improved operational efficiency. Digitalization brought visibility to assets and systems. Connectivity linked previously isolated infrastructure into integrated operational environments. Today, the world is entering the next and perhaps most consequential stage of this evolution: the transition from automation to autonomy. Unlike previous technological shifts that unfolded gradually over decades, this transformation has already begun. Across industries, artificial intelligence (AI) is moving beyond analytics and decision support into active operational execution. Intelligent systems are no longer simply informing human operators; they are increasingly capable of monitoring, analyzing, learning, optimizing, coordinating and acting autonomously.

The infrastructure industry has now reached a defining moment.

Buildings, airports, hospitals, industrial facilities, utilities, transportation networks, data centers and smart cities generate unprecedented volumes of operational data. For years, organizations invested heavily in sensors, connectivity, automation platforms, cloud computing and digital transformation initiatives. These investments created connected infrastructure. But connectivity alone does not create intelligence. Despite decades of technological advancement, most infrastructure remains fundamentally

dependent on human intervention. Operators continue to interpret alarms, diagnose problems, coordinate maintenance, optimize performance and make operational decisions. The result is an increasingly unsustainable operating model struggling to keep pace with growing infrastructure complexity. The world is now confronting a convergence of challenges that traditional automation cannot adequately address. Aging infrastructure, workforce shortages, rising energy costs, sustainability mandates, cybersecurity threats and growing operational complexity are placing unprecedented pressure on infrastructure owners and operators. At the same time, governments and enterprises are investing trillions of dollars to modernize critical infrastructure assets. The challenge is no longer how to automate infrastructure. The challenge is how to create infrastructure capable of managing itself.

This is the emergence of Autonomous Infrastructure.

Autonomous Infrastructure represents a fundamental shift in how infrastructure is designed, operated, maintained, secured and optimized. It transforms infrastructure from a collection of passive assets into intelligent ecosystems capable of continuously learning, adapting, coordinating resources, making decisions and improving operational outcomes.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

The transition is not theoretical. It is already underway.

Just as autonomous systems are transforming transportation, logistics, manufacturing and digital services, autonomous intelligence is beginning to transform the physical world. The distinction between software and infrastructure is rapidly disappearing. Intelligence is becoming embedded directly into physical assets, creating a new category

of infrastructure capable of participating actively in its own operation.

The implications are profound.

Autonomous Infrastructure has the potential to redefine how societies manage energy, water, transportation, healthcare, industrial operations and public services. It offers a pathway toward dramatically reducing waste, increasing operational

efficiency, improving resilience, strengthening cybersecurity, extending asset life cycles, and achieving sustainability objectives at a scale previously unattainable.

Yet technology alone is not enough.

History demonstrates that transformative technologies only achieve widespread adoption when they are supported by trusted standards

ISSUE 9, 2026 — COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION

IT CORNER

BUILT TO THINK AHEAD

and governance frameworks. The internet succeeded because of common protocols. Telecommunications scaled because of global standards. Financial systems expanded because trusted governance frameworks enabled secure transactions.

Autonomous Infrastructure requires the same foundation.

As intelligent agents assume increasing responsibility for monitoring, diagnosing, optimizing, commissioning, securing and managing critical infrastructure assets, trust becomes the defining requirement.

singular mission: to accelerate the transformation of the world’s infrastructure from connected infrastructure to autonomous infrastructure while creating the standards necessary for trusted deployment at global scale. Unlike many AI initiatives that focus exclusively on software applications, Infrastructure AI has developed an integrated ecosystem specifically designed for infrastructure environments. Through the Galaxy Agentic Operating System (GAOS), Infrastructure Intelligence Interface Modules, Infrastructure Agent

Unlike many AI initiatives that focus exclusively on software applications, Infrastructure AI has developed an integrated ecosystem specifically designed for infrastructure environments. Governments, regulators, insurers, operators and infrastructure owners must be confident that autonomous systems operate safely, securely, transparently and accountably.

Without trust, autonomy cannot scale.

This reality elevates the importance of governance, security, identity management, interoperability, auditability and certification to the same level as artificial intelligence itself. Every autonomous action must be verifiable. Every intelligent agent must be identifiable. Every decision must be auditable. Every operational activity must operate within clearly defined governance boundaries. The organizations that establish these frameworks will play a defining role in shaping the future of infrastructure.

This is where Infrastructure AI has assumed a leadership position.

Infrastructure AI was established with a

Factory, Infrastructure Data Lake, Infrastructure Blockchain, Agentic Blockchain and Infrastructure Governance Framework, the company is creating the architecture required to enable autonomous infrastructure deployment today.

More importantly, Infrastructure AI is not merely building technology.

It is building the framework through which autonomous infrastructure can be deployed, governed, certified, secured and managed across industries and geographies.

This is no longer a future aspiration transformation are now available.

Agentic AI, Digital Twins, edge computing, blockchain-enabled governance, intelligent orchestration platforms and infrastructure-specific knowledge systems have matured sufficiently to make autonomous infrastructure commercially viable.

The market is beginning to recognize this reality.

Infrastructure owners are increasingly seeking solutions that extend beyond monitoring and analytics toward optimization and autonomous operations. Equipment manufacturers are exploring ways to embed intelligence directly into their products. Governments are evaluating how artificial intelligence can improve infrastructure resilience, efficiency and sustainability.

The shift from automation to autonomy is becoming inevitable.

The question facing the industry is no longer whether autonomous infrastructure will emerge. The question is how quickly organizations will adapt to this new reality. History consistently rewards those who recognize technological inflection points early. Organizations that embraced electrification gained competitive advantage. Those that adopted computing transformed productivity. Those that embraced connectivity reshaped industries.

The same dynamic is now unfolding around Autonomous Infrastructure.

The transition has begun. The technologies are available. The economic drivers are compelling. The operational benefits are measurable. The market demand is growing.

The standards are beginning to emerge.

Infrastructure AI believes the world is witnessing the birth of a new infrastructure economy—one where intelligence becomes as fundamental to infrastructure as electricity, communications, and computing are today. In that future, infrastructure will not simply be connected. It will be intelligent. It will be adaptive. It will be self-optimizing. It will be autonomous. The age of Autonomous Infrastructure is no longer approaching. It has arrived.

Dilip Rahulan is founder and CEO of Infrastructure AI, the company behind the Galaxy Agentic Operating System for autonomous building and infrastructure operations. He previously led Pacific Controls, whose Dubai headquarters has been described as the first LEED Platinum-certified building in the Middle East.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

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INDUSTRY NEWS

EVENTS

Behind the Build RCA attendees receive inside look at Mall of America during Minneapolis networking event

he Retail Contractors Association (RCA) brought networking and construction together for a special afternoon at Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hosted by RCA and Kids Building Minnesota, the Sept. 25 event gave attendees a behind-the-scenes look at Mall of America and Nickelodeon Universe through a construction-focused VIP tour before visiting the inaugural Kids Building Minnesota workforce development fair. The evening wrapped up at Fair on 4, where industry professionals connected over food, beverages and axe throwing. Along the way, attendees strengthened industry relationships while supporting RCA members and helping shine a light on the next generation of construction professionals. For more information on RCA, visit retailcontractors.org.

2026 Regional Event Series Sponsors:

Regional Event Partners:

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Heidi Waller, Surfacequest; Chris Schram, Architectural Innovative Finishes Jennifer Garcia, Architectural Interior Acoustic Solutions; Adam Lofgren, The Bernard Group Tom Lagos, Summer Edwards, Hadley Meeks, DW1 Nick Trinh, The Bernard Group; Tim Hoien, Retail Bridge Group; Jim Bokusky, (Former Best Buy); Tyler Smith, Atlas Logistics Eric Rodriguez, Container Management; Chris Robinson, Gametime; Tyler Smith, Atlas Logistics; Wade Lyday, Downstream; Nate Bachman, RCS Construction;

6. 7. 8. 9.

Josh Childress, Downstream; Rinzi Dolma, Purpose Brands; Dan Belling, S-5!; Marye Macfarland, UNFI; Jonathan Chapa, Container Management Sara McCallion and Meghan Oldenberg, Boston Retail Solutions Ken and Kelly Sharkey, Commercial Contractors, Inc Paul Richardson, RDI Twin Cities Chapter; Janine Buettner, ArcVision Cody Schram, Altyno Architectural Films; Shane Stumm, Target

ISSUE 9, 2026 — COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION

in the news Blueprint for Success Nearly 200 students connect with New York City’s architecture and design community

or students considering a career in architecture and design, a little firsthand perspective can go a long way. Nearly 200 students had that opportunity when SARA NY hosted its annual Blueprint for Success Student Mentoring Event on Sept. 15 at Brickworks Design Studio in New York City. The evening brought aspiring architects and interior designers together with 50 mentors from some of the city’s leading firms for conversations about careers, experiences and the many paths available within the design industry. More than a traditional networking event, Blueprint for Success created an environment where students could ask questions, hear firsthand perspectives and make connections with professionals who understand both the opportunities and challenges that come with building a career in architecture and interior design. For the mentors, the evening offered a chance to share what they have learned while helping encourage the next generation of designers. This year’s gathering marked a record-breaking event for SARA NY, reflecting the enthusiasm of the students, mentors and volunteers who filled Brickworks Design Studio throughout the evening. It also continued the organization’s commitment to creating opportunities for professional and student architects to connect, exchange ideas and strengthen the industry. SARA NY hosts programs and events throughout the year designed to bring the architecture community together. Blueprint for Success may be centered on mentoring, but as the following photos show, its real strength is in the conversations and connections that happen along the way. For more information, visit www.sarany.org.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

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BUILDING BETTER COMPANIES

McKinsey Is Cutting Thousands of Jobs to AI Here's what construction leaders should take from it By Jane Gentry

That isn't McKinsey analyst work, but the shape is identical: collect, reconcile, synthesize, report. Skilled work, done by capable people—and exactly what AI is compressing faster than most builders planned for.

Where Does Construction Carry the Same Exposure?

This isn't a forecast. It's already on your jobsites. In ServiceTitan's 2026 survey of 1,000-plus construction leaders, 38% now report measurable impact from AI—more than double the 17% a year earlier. Where is it landing first? Cost estimating, budgeting, and bid management. The back office. Estimating that used to take three days turns around in an afternoon. The owner update built at 9 p.m. the night before the OAC meeting now assembles itself from the project platform in real time—without the 9 p.m.

Why Won't Buying an AI Tool Fix It?

project manager loses a Thursday to a budget that already exists. The real number is out there—in the superintendent's head, in a change order nobody logged, in two email chains and a spreadsheet three versions behind. She spends the afternoon assembling it, and by the time the owner has a figure to trust, it's already moved. That afternoon is the story—not the software she used, but the hours of a smart, trained person turning scattered information into a clean answer. And the most prestigious companies in the world just told you what happens to it. McKinsey is cutting 3,000 to 4,000 jobs in 2026—around 10% of its people, its deepest cut since 2008. Bain, BCG and Deloitte are running quieter versions of the same play. The firms describe it, carefully, as a response to AI productivity gains. Here's the takeaway for construction: This is not a technology story. It's an operatingmodel story. Whether you run a GC, a specialty trade or a multi-site build program, the same compression is coming for the same layer of your business—and the firms that redesign for it first will take share from the ones that wait.

What Work Actually Disappeared at McKinsey?

McKinsey didn't lose its partners. It lost the layer beneath them — the analysts who spent weeks pulling research together, building models and turning it into the deliverables clients paid premium rates for. That work compressed—not because the people were weak, but because gathering, synthesizing, and formatting information is exactly what AI now does in minutes. Now walk your own business. Who builds the first-pass estimate on a new pursuit? Who reconciles budget-to-actual across a dozen subs and a stack of change orders? Who writes the closeout package the owner uses to release retainage?

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

Here's where most firms stall. They see the compression, buy a platform, run it on one project, and call it a strategy. The tool works—and almost nothing changes, because it's bolted onto an operating model nobody redesigned to use it. The technology isn't the problem—the order is. Layer an AI strategy onto a fragmented operating model and it won't create leverage. It just speeds up the mess. Faster reporting on a job where nobody's sure who can green-light a change order just documents the schedule blowing up faster. Cleaner data still routed through an owner who approves everything is a bottleneck with better lighting. Neither touches the debrief that never happened, so the same field miss loads into the next job. McKinsey ran this experiment at scale. What survived the automation was judgment—the partner who could tell a CEO something the CEO hadn't already worked out. The scaffolding beneath that judgment was the exposure, not the asset. Your company is built the same way. The only question is whether you can name where your own exposure lives.

Does AI Replace People–Or Your Need for Judgment? Treat AI as a headcount play and it will cost you—especially now. The AGC puts the

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INDUSTRY NEWS

BUILDING BETTER COMPANIES

industry short about 500,000 workers in 2026, with roughly 41% of the craft workforce set to retire by 2031. You can't hire your way out of that. The firms that win will get more from the people they already have. AI doesn't take the 6 a.m. call when the steel showed up wrong and the crane is booked three hours. It doesn't decide whether to pull a second crew onto the deck when the framing sub is short four and the inspection is Friday. And it doesn't carry the memory of two hundred jobs—the instinct that knows what a doomed schedule feels like in week three, before it's a crisis in week 10. What AI does is hand that judgment more room to operate. That line—between the work AI compresses and the judgment it amplifies—also is your sharpest lens for the next hire. The person worth hiring now thinks clearly on partial information, holds up under pressure, and runs alongside AI tools without a manager hovering. Keep writing 2019 job descriptions and you'll staff a 2019 company in a market that already moved.

Why the Order Matters: Design First, Then Automate

In construction, the AI discussion is stuck at the tool layer: which platform, which estimating software, which reality-capture demo looked sharpest at the last trade show. That discussion isn't useless. It just starts in the middle. Take a normal day. A PM running six jobs gets a budget-update request on Job A. The number means chasing the super, the drywall sub, and an electrical change order revised twice and buried in someone's inbox—two hours and it's stale on arrival. Meanwhile a real call on Job C—a second-tier sub, because the primary is short-crewed—has sat two days: she wasn't sure she could approve the cost, and the owner's traveling. None of that is a technology problem. It's a decision-rights problem in a technology costume. Who owns that budget update? What's supposed to happen the moment a

sub comes up short? Does approval authority sit where the org chart claims? Until those have clean answers, AI just hands you tidier versions of the same confusion. Fix the model first and the same day runs differently. Everyone knows who decides what; information lands with the right person because the system was built to route it there. Now AI earns its keep—it shrinks the gap between knowing something and acting on it. The budget update goes from a lost afternoon to 15 minutes. The crew shortfall surfaces before pour day. The change that once appeared in week ten shows up in week three, while there's still margin to defend.

Which margin is bleeding out through calls made too late? Not the overrun you already caught, but the one sealed in by week three because nobody was sure they were cleared to name the constraint. AI can raise that flag in week one—if someone has the authority to act on it.

How many hours are your best PMs and estimators pouring into work AI will absorb inside two years—and what does that push out? The senior PM hunting a sub's invoice or rebuilding a number that already lives in

Treat AI as a headcount play and it will cost you—especially now. The AGC puts the industry short about 500,000 workers in 2026, with roughly 41% of the craft workforce set to retire by 2031. Whatever operating model AI lands on, it accelerates. Land it on a good one and the gains stack. Land it on a broken one and you've bought a richer data feed on a problem you still can't close fast enough to matter.

Three Questions Worth More Than Any Software Demo

Construction runs on thin margins, and they're getting thinner. The average general contractor nets 5% to 6%; only the top performers clear 10% to 12%. Materials squeeze from one side—steel is up roughly 20% year over year, aluminum more than 30% and 53% of contractors name materials costs a top concern for 2026. Labor squeezes from the other. When a job turns sour in its last three weeks, it eats the margin the whole thing was priced to earn. Most firms absorb the hit, close out and move on—cause unfixed, next job already underway. That's the exposure AI will either close or widen. No software demo needed to work through these three.

three inboxes, isn't tending the owner relationship that hands you the next award. Name it for what it is: not a productivity leak, a margin leak. How often does a call still land on the owner's desk when it should have been settled two rungs down? Tally what that costs—in speed, in margin, and in whether the company can function when you're not in the room.

Answer those three honestly and you'll understand your AI readiness better than any technology audit will—and see precisely which parts of the operating model must change before AI spend pays back. McKinsey couldn't see the exposure in its own model until the cuts were on the table. You get to study it on someone else's balance sheet first—with enough lead time to build around it instead of reacting once it's yours. That lead time has a shelf life. CCR

Jane Gentry founded Jane Gentry & Company, a strategic operating-model advisory firm working with mid-market CEOs and senior leadership teams in construction, manufacturing, events, and professional services. Her work centers on three things: how the work actually gets designed, where decisions really get made, and how to turn AI into leverage rather than faster drag. If any of this is already live in your business, start with a 60-minute diagnostic conversation. Reach her directly at jane@janegentry.com.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

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INDUSTRY NEWS

VOICES

Building Better Together Turning collaboration into a competitive advantage By Whitney Altizer

ften great ideas in hospitality originate at the property level, not the corporate office. They come from the people working directly with guests, meeting planners, owners and hotel teams every day. Recognizing that many of the best ideas come from those closest to day-to-day operations, Newport Hospitality Group created its Compass Circle Councils. The leadership initiative brings together property and corporate leaders to exchange ideas, improve communication, strengthen accountability and help guide organizational decisions. The Compass Circle Councils are divided into two distinct but closely connected groups. The Horizon Council focuses on commercial strategy, sales leadership,

and revenue growth, while the Operations Council concentrates on guest satisfaction, property performance, team engagement, and operational excellence. While each council has a unique mission, they were intentionally designed to work together because great hotels are built when sales and operations move in the same direction. Sales creates opportunity by bringing guests through the doors. Operations delivers the experience that keeps those guests coming back. When those two disciplines collaborate from the beginning rather than working independently, hotels perform better, teams communicate more effectively and owners ultimately benefit.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

What makes Compass Circle Councils different is that they are not traditional meetings where information simply flows from corporate leadership to the field. They are working groups made up of experienced hotel leaders who actively contribute ideas, challenge assumptions, and shape future strategy. The program was developed at the corporate level, with the executive team playing an active role in facilitating each council’s progress and clearing roadblocks property leaders may encounter. Within the Horizon Council, Directors of Sales from across the Newport portfolio openly share what's working in their individual markets, discuss emerging challenges, identify new business opportunities and provide meaningful input before company initiatives are launched. More importantly, they share proven sales strategies that can be replicated throughout the portfolio. A successful approach developed at one hotel may create new opportunities for dozens of others. Instead of every property solving the same challenges independently, the council allows hotels to benefit from each other's experiences while giving corporate leadership a clearer understanding of emerging trends and customer expectations across multiple markets. That collaborative approach leads to stronger decisions because they are built upon real-world experience rather than assumptions made from a distance. One of the Horizon Council's earliest accomplishments demonstrates the value of this model. As budget season approached, council members recognized an opportunity to better align commercial planning with operational goals. Together, they developed a more comprehensive planning tool that combines sales strategy, revenue forecasts, market intelligence and property objectives into a single planning document. The result is more than a budgeting exercise. It provides DOSs and GMs with a shared roadmap for the year ahead, encouraging strategic conversations earlier in the planning process and creating stronger alignment between commercial objectives and hotel operations.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

VOICES

The council is also developing a portfolio-wide lead generation initiative designed to encourage cross-selling throughout Newport's collection of hotels. By sharing opportunities, resources, and market intelligence across the portfolio, the company is positioning every property to benefit from collective knowledge rather than competing in isolation. The spirit of collaboration extends well beyond individual projects. One of the council's greatest strengths is its ability to create greater consistency across the Newport portfolio. Best practices developed at one hotel can quickly be shared with others. Innovative sales strategies can be adapted across multiple markets. Challenges become opportunities for collective problem-solving rather than isolated obstacles. Equally important, communication no longer flows in only one direction.

gains greater visibility into what's happening across the portfolio, allowing successful ideas to spread more quickly, potential challenges to be identified earlier and strategic priorities to remain aligned across every hotel. Rather than directing hotels from a distance, Newport is creating a partnership where corporate guidance and property expertise continuously inform one another. The benefits extend beyond organizational strategy. For many DOSs, participation on the Horizon Council provides an opportunity to contribute beyond the success of their own property. It exposes them to different markets, different leadership styles, and broader business challenges while encouraging strategic thinking and professional growth. Rather than simply executing company initiatives, they become active participants in creating them.

When sales strategies become more consistent, communication improves and best practices are shared across the portfolio, hotels are better positioned to deliver stronger financial performance. Collaborative Culture

Compass Circle Councils have created an ongoing dialogue between property leaders and the Newport corporate office where ideas, market intelligence, opportunities and concerns are exchanged openly. That continuous feedback allows corporate leadership to make more informed decisions while giving hotel leaders confidence that their experience and perspectives genuinely influence the company's direction. Just as importantly, the councils strengthen corporate oversight without creating unnecessary bureaucracy. Leadership

The level of engagement strengthens leadership throughout the organization while reinforcing Newport's culture of collaboration and shared ownership.

Greater Value for Owners

Owners ultimately see the greatest return from this collaborative approach. When best practices are shared across the portfolio, commercial strategies become more consistent, operational priorities remain aligned and leadership teams make better-informed decisions. Corporate leaders gain greater insight into property performance while hotel teams

benefit from the collective expertise of the entire organization. The result is stronger execution, greater accountability, improved financial performance and long-term value creation for every asset Newport manages. Rather than each hotel operating independently, every property becomes part of a larger network that continuously learns, improves and raises the standard for the entire portfolio. When sales strategies become more consistent, communication improves and best practices are shared across the portfolio, hotels are better positioned to deliver stronger financial performance. Greater alignment between property teams and corporate leadership supports more informed decision-making, stronger execution and long-term value creation for every asset Newport manages. As the hospitality industry continues to evolve, no single leader or department has all the answers. Market conditions shift quickly. Guest expectations continue to change. Technology is reshaping nearly every aspect of hotel operations and commercial strategy. Organizations that consistently outperform will be those that create environments where ideas can move freely, expertise is shared openly and leadership is developed at every level. This is exactly what the Compass Circle Councils were designed to accomplish. Looking ahead, the councils will continue serving as incubators for innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. New ideas will be tested, best practices will be refined and commercial and operational strategies will be strengthened before they are implemented across the portfolio. Most importantly, Newport's future growth will continue to be shaped by the people who know its hotels, understand its guests and recognize opportunities firsthand, all while remaining united by the company's mission to enrich lives and redefine hospitality excellence. CCR

Whitney Altizer is Senior VP, Chief Commercial Officer, for Newport Hospitality Group, where she leverages decades of experience in marketing, sales, and revenue management to provide integrated solutions and lead new initiatives. Whitney’s commitment to her craft has her certified through the Hospitality Marketing and Sales Association International (HSMAI) in revenue management, digital marketing, and sales. She travels when not orchestrating ongoing growth for her team or solidifying the company’s financial position.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

A W A R D S Recognizing the industry’s most important women & men leaders. The honorees will be featured in the CCR December 2026 issue. Nominate someone today! Deadline to submit: 12.14.26

To submit a form go to: https://ccrmag.formstack.com/forms/2026_annual_ccrw_ccrm_form

INDUSTRY NEWS

EDUCATION

Student Insider A division of Commercial Construction & Renovation

Presented by

Student Insider

A division of Commercial Construction & Renovation Dear Skills Trade Student While construction and technical skills are your primary focus, ConstructEDU Student Insider (CEDU) is designed to supplement your education by providing content that dives into the business of the commercial construction and renovation industry. The bi-monthly newsletter covers areas such as emerging technologies, regulatory issues and other factors shaping the diverse industry’s future. CEDU also features insights and profiles from industry thought leaders on the trends and challenges affecting the marketplace.

Delivered at no charge, we not only encourage you to make CEDU a part of your educational consumption, but also to share it with your peers. To Subscribe CLICK HERE!

Melvin Kruger Scholarship Supports Students Pursuing Higher Ed The Roofing Alliance has awarded $114,000 in scholarships to 25 students through its 2026-2027 Melvin Kruger Scholarship program, continuing its investment in education and the future roofing industry workforce. The organization approved 13 new Melvin Kruger Endowed Scholarship recipients totaling $59,000 along with $55,000 in renewal scholarships for 12 students. Since the program began, 186 students have received more than $1.36 million in scholarship awards. Read More HERE

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

INSTALL Expands Apprenticeship Reach Across the West INSTALL is expanding its apprenticeship and workforce training footprint across the western U.S. as flooring contractors look for more qualified installers to meet skilled labor demands. Recent approvals in Seattle, Washington and reciprocity agreements in Oregon and Montana have expanded recognition of INSTALL training programs in the region.

Read More HERE

STRAUSS Steps Up to the Plate for Netflix’s MLB at Field of Dreams STRAUSS served as presenting sponsor of Netflix’s pregame and postgame coverage for MLB at Field of Dreams, using one of baseball’s most celebrated stages to spotlight the craftsmanship behind the game. Held Aug. 13 in Dyersville, Iowa, the Field of Dreams game returned to the iconic ballpark inspired by the beloved film. Read More HERE

Skymark Roofing Gives Back to Mt. Dora High School Teachers Skymark Roofing kicked off the new school year by giving back to a place that hits close to home for several members of its team. The Central Florida roofing company treated teachers and staff at Mt. Dora High School to a complimentary breakfast in August, while providing each teacher with a Skymark-branded lunch box filled with cups, notepads, pens and other classroom essentials. Read More HERE

ISSUE 9, 2026 — COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION

EST

2010

Beauty by Design How Rigzin Dolma balances brand standards and customer expectations at Waxing the City

igzin Dolma understands that bringing a brand to life takes more than a recognizable logo and a consistent color palette. It takes a thoughtful approach

to how a space looks, feels and functions, along with an understanding of the people who will use it every day.

As Construction Design Manager at Purpose Brands LLC, Dolma helps shape those experiences across four distinct franchise concepts: Anytime Fitness, Orangetheory Fitness, The Bar Method and Waxing the City. Based in the Minneapolis area, she oversees layout, interior design and corporate spatial design standards, helping translate each brand’s identity into environments that work for franchise owners, employees and customers. For Rigzin, the challenge is maintaining consistency across growing franchise networks while recognizing that no two locations are exactly alike. Every project brings its own considerations, from available space and operational needs to the details that make a customer experience feel seamless.

We recently connected with Rigzin to discuss her approach to franchise design, the challenges of balancing brand standards with individual project needs and what it takes to turn a design vision into a space that delivers.

Give us a snapshot of your brand?

Waxing the City is a wellness and selfcare brand focused on helping people feel confident in their own skin. It was founded on a simple idea: waxing done well starts with skin done right. The result is a wax that’s precise, comfortable and welcoming to every body. Of course, waxing is at the center of what we do, but the experience is about

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

ISSUE 9, 2026 — COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION

BEAUTY BY DESIGN

PURPOSE BRANDS LLC

much more than the service itself. We want people to feel comfortable, cared for, and confident when they walk out the door. There’s a real balance between expertise and hospitality. Our Cerologists are highly skilled, and we want the experience to feel approachable and welcoming. At the end of the day, we’re in the confidence business.

to create an environment where people could walk in and immediately feel comfortable, not intimidated or self-conscious. The goal has always been to give guests a premium experience while still making it feel warm and welcoming. If someone comes in feeling a little nervous and leaves feeling more confident, that’s a pretty great experience to be part of.

want more than just a quick service.They want to trust the person they’re working with. They want to feel comfortable in the space. And they want an experience that feels personal, not transactional. Our guests understand the time and care that an appointment at Waxing the City provides. They want to feel known, understood and cared for.

What was the inspiration behind that concept?

What type of consumer are you targeting?

What kind of conversations are you having with your customers?

A big part of the inspiration was making self-care feel approachable. Waxing is a personal and vulnerable service, so we wanted

Our guests are people who value wellness, self-care and feeling good. They’re willing to invest time in themselves and

Photography courtesy of San Jose Real Estate Photos, sanjoserealestatephotos.com

Waxing is a personal and vulnerable service, so we wanted to create an environment where people could walk in and immediately feel comfortable, not intimidated or self-conscious.

We seek to understand what the guest is looking for and help them get the most out of their appointment. We want guests to feel comfortable asking questions and know that they’re getting honest, expert advice. Our Cerologists spend a lot of time answering questions, talking through aftercare, recommending services and helping guests figure out what works best for their lifestyle. The best interactions between our Cerologists and guests are personal, not

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transactional. They feel more like a conversation with someone who knows you and understands what you need.

How does the design of your stores accommodate what consumers are looking for today?

One of the things I really enjoy about working across the Purpose Brands portfolio is that each brand has a very different customer experience, so the design must respond to that. At Waxing the City, privacy and comfort are huge considerations because of the nature of the service. For example, we intentionally separate our treatment rooms from the more public areas of the studio. Even something as simple as staggering doors when treatment rooms face each other can make a difference in how comfortable a guest feels coming in and out of a room. Most people probably wouldn’t consciously notice that detail, and honestly, that’s kind of the point.

Our franchisees are making a significant investment to open these businesses, so we have a responsibility to help them open as efficiently as possible without compromising the quality of the space. Good design isn’t always about what you see. Often, it’s about how a space makes you feel.

Is there a location that really shows how the brand interacts with the community and customers? One of your favorites?

My favorite locations are the ones where you can really see the franchisee’s personality come through. The strongest studios become more than just a place people go to get a service. They become part of the neighborhood. Guests know the team, the

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

team knows their guests and there’s a real sense of community. A good example is our studio in Fremont, California, owned and operated by Siri Guttigoli. Those locations are always a good reminder that while design helps create the environment, it’s really the people inside that bring the brand to life.

Walk us through how and why it is designed the way it is? Everything starts with the guest journey. We want the front of the studio to feel bright, welcoming, and approachable. Then there’s a progression from public to private; as

Photography courtesy of San Jose Real Estate Photos, sanjoserealestatephotos.com

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Design That Works Harder Bradley’s touchless WashBar® platform unifies soap, water, and hand drying in one streamlined fixture, reducing visual clutter and elevating the commercial washroom space. The innovative bar-shape design creates an inviting and enhanced handwashing experience. A thoughtful solution for your next washroom design. Commercial Washrooms. Brought to Life.

Available in 5 popular colors and Polished Chrome.

bradleycorp.com/washbar

BEAUTY BY DESIGN

PURPOSE BRANDS LLC

you move farther into the space, it naturally becomes quieter and more private because that’s where the treatment rooms are. Every part of that is intentional. We’re thinking about how a guest enters, where they wait, how they move through the space, and how they feel throughout the experience. At the same time, we have to make sure the studio works efficiently for the team. For me, good design is finding that balance between the guest experience, the operational needs and the overall feel of the brand.

Take us through your construction and design strategy. We try to get involved as early as possible, ideally during site selection, because so many early decisions directly impact the final project. One thing that makes our Construction & Design team unique is how closely our project managers, designers, and construction managers work together. We’re not handing something off and walking away. We stay involved throughout the process and work together to solve problems as they come up. Our goal is to be a partner to the franchisee. The earlier we can identify a potential issue, the more options we have to solve it. That ultimately helps us manage cost, maintain quality and keep the project moving.

Give us a rundown of your store’s layout.

Our studios are generally organized into three main zones. The first is the reception and retail area, typically near the storefront. It’s bright, visible and serves as the first introduction to the brand. Then you move into the treatment room area, where privacy becomes much more important. We’re thinking about everything from room placement and circulation to ceiling heights and how guests enter and exit the rooms. And then there’s the back-of-house area, which includes our restrooms and what we call the Cerologist Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is one of my favorite parts of the brand. It’s a space specifically for our Cerologists, a

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

BEAUTY BY DESIGN

PURPOSE BRANDS LLC

place where they can take a break, recharge, train or just have a little separation from the guest-facing environment. I think that’s important because we’re designing these spaces for our employees, too. We also want them to feel valued and supported, just like our guests.

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

Our franchisees are making a significant investment to open these businesses, so we have a responsibility to help them open as

efficiently as possible without compromising the quality of the space. We’re constantly reviewing materials, design decisions, purchasing and construction methods to find ways to save money or time while still delivering the experience the brand requires. And there’s a lot that goes into that: rent commencement, construction schedules, existing conditions, permitting, material lead times. All those things can have a real financial impact. At the end of the day, every week and every dollar matters to a franchisee.

For us, sustainability is about making smart decisions that hold up over time. We consider durability, energy-efficient lighting, and materials that can handle the daily wear and tear of a busy studio. I think sustainability can sometimes feel like it has to be this big, visible initiative, but there’s also a lot of value in simply designing responsibly. If we choose materials that last longer, reduce unnecessary waste, and create spaces that don’t need constant renovation or replacement, we’re making a better long-term decision for the business and the environment.

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

Finding ways to reduce build-out costs without compromising the guest experience is always a priority We have a huge advantage

Photography courtesy of San Jose Real Estate Photos, sanjoserealestatephotos.com

Everything, from the service model to how we design our studios, is meant to make people feel comfortable, confident, and cared for. And there are a lot of intentional details behind that.

Talk about sustainability. What are you doing?

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

BUILDING YOUR BRAND

Our master builders travel wherever our customers want to grow. Decades of cross-country construction allow us to build a Wesco in the northern Michigan snow and ensure that a Real Seafood in Florida adheres to hurricane building codes.

616.949.3360 • wolverineconstruction.com

BEAUTY BY DESIGN

PURPOSE BRANDS LLC

as part of Purpose Brands because of our scale as a global company provides immense purchasing power across our brands. We’re always looking for ways to leverage that for our franchisees. That can mean finding better pricing on fixtures and finishes, looking at alternative materials, or finding efficiencies in how we build. It’s probably not the flashiest part of my job, but I really enjoy finding those opportunities. Being able to tell a franchisee, “We found a way to save you money here,” while still giving them a space they’re proud of, that’s pretty rewarding.

Tell us what makes your brand so unique?

One on One with

Purpose Brands’ Rigzin Dolma What’s the most rewarding part of your job? Seeing an empty space turn into a real, thriving business never gets old. I can walk into a completely vacant storefront and start picturing what it could become, but there’s something really satisfying about coming back after opening and seeing people actually using the space. You see guests coming through the door, employees building careers, and franchisees starting to see their investment come to life. That’s what makes all the drawings, meetings, emails, and construction calls worth it.

What’s the best thing a client ever said to you? Honestly, some of the best compliments I’ve received aren’t about how a space looks. I had a franchisee tell me that we

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

helped save them a significant amount of money by looking closely at the existing plumbing, electrical infrastructure, and site conditions before we finalized the design. That meant a lot to me because that’s what good design should do. Of course, I want the space to look great, but I also want it to work. If we can find a smart solution that saves a franchisee money, avoids unnecessary construction, and still gives them a space they’re proud of, that’s just as rewarding to me as someone saying they love the design. That’s probably the part of my job I enjoy most: figuring out how to make the design work harder for the business.

Photography courtesy of San Jose Real Estate Photos, sanjoserealestatephotos.com

I think it’s the balance between expertise and hospitality. Waxing is a very personal service, and we never want to lose sight of the person behind the appointment. Everything, from the service model to how we design our studios, is meant to make people feel comfortable, confident, and cared for. And there are a lot of intentional details behind that. Some guests will notice them right away, and some they’ll never consciously see. Hopefully, they feel the difference. CCR

IT’S THAT SIMPLE We’re a company with a fresh approach. We are highly skilled and passionate design and construction experts brought together and bonded by mutual trust and respect. Every member of the PMC team stands ready to deliver, regardless of location, complexity or challenge. We will bring your projects to market with a focus on quality, performance and speed. Professional Design and Project Management Services for the Retail, Restaurant, Hospitality, Entertainment and the Commercial Markets.

Better.

Faster. WWW.PMCONSORTIUM.COM

Smarter

WE’RE HERE FOR YOU Like any good winning team, a successful effort takes strong teamwork, coordination and clear responsibilities. A combination of artistic, technical, management skills all come into play. We have taken great care to assemble a team of experts who are perfectly suited to deliver these projects for you. We’re thrilled to go on this journey with you and promise to give your brand undivided attention and focus. What Can PMC build for you? CHRIS.LOVE@PMCONSORTIUM.COM 347.392.1188

TOM.DOUGHERTY@PMCONSORTIUM.COM 914.646.1437

WWW.PMCONSORTIUM.COM

SPECIAL REPORT

FACILITY MAINTENANCE SERVICES AND PRODUCTS

Facility Maintenance Survey Spotlights Building Performance

rom preventive maintenance and equipment repairs to cleaning, safety and building systems management, our Facility Maintenance Services and Products Survey spotlights the companies and solutions helping commercial facilities operate efficiently. Each provider plays an essential role in protecting investments, extending building lifecycles and creating safe, functional environments for the people who use them every day. If you want to be listed in a future issue, contact Publisher David Corson at davidc@ccr-mag.com.

Ad Art

Ariston Group

All Seasons Cleaning Services

ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions

Doug Head, Executive Vice President 700 Parker Square, Suite 205 Flower Mound, TX 75028 (469) 322-1900 www.making-light.com doug@adart.com Year Established: N/A, No. of Employees: N/A Maintenance Services/Products: Lighting/Re-lamping, Parking Lot National Clients: N/A, Markets Served: Commercial

Paul Koblik, All Seasons 7931 NE St Johns Rd Vancouver, WA 98665 (360) 609-7035 All@SeasonsCleaningServices.com www.seasonscleaningservices.com Year Established: 2015, No. of employees: 11 Maintenance Services/Products: Landscaping, Painting, Roofing National Clients: N/A Markets Served: Commercial

Amazing Pest Control Grace Nappi, National Business Development 105 Main Street, 3rd fl Hackensack, NJ 7601 (877) 922-2336 Gnappi@amazingpestcontrol.com www.amazingpestcontrol.com Year Established: 2001, No. of employees: 25+ Maintenance Services/Products: Pest Control, Other: Wildlife National Clients: N/A Markets Served: Commercial

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

Mike Sokaris, Vice President of Sales 225 Dyer Street Providence, RI 02903 (800) 323-9651 trenner@mercurymc.us www.aristongroup.com/en Year established: N/A, No. of employees: N/A Maintenance Service/Products: HVAC, Plumbing National Clients: N/A, Markets Served: Commercial, Residential

Chris Hobbs, Director of National Accounts 110 Sargent Drive New Haven, CT 06511 www.assaabloydss.com chris.hobbs@assaabloy.com Year Established: 1994, No. of employees: N/A Maintenance Services/Products: Other: Doors, Frames, Door Hardware, Locksets, Access Control Devices, and Related Architectural Support Services, National Clients: N/A, Markets Served: Commercial, Residential

BOSS Facility Services, Inc.

Kimberly DiPinto, Sales Manager 60 Adams Avenue Hauppauge, NY 11788 (631) 361-7430 info@bossfacilityservices.com www.bossfacilityservices.com Year Established: 2001, No. of employees: N/A Maintenance Services/Products: Electrical, Floorcare, HVAC, J anitorial, Lighting/Re-lamping, Painting, Windows, Pest Control, Plumbing, Roofing, Signagem National Clients: N/A Markets Served: Commercial

SPECIAL REPORT

FACILITY MAINTENANCE SERVICES AND PRODUCTS

BrandPoint Services

Tim Dehncke, CRO 820 Adams, Ste., 130 Trooper, PA 19403 (316) 210-3656 customerservice@brandpointservices.com www.brandpointservices.com Year Established: 2003, No. of employees: 300 Maintenance Service/Products: Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing, Painting, Windows, Parking Lot, Flooring, Doors/Locks, Digital Signage, General Repairs, Pest Control, Janitorial National Clients: N/A, Markets Served: Commercial

Brinco Mechanical Management Services, Inc.

John Hall, Vice President of Sales, Eastern Region 125 South Main Street Freeport, NY 11520 (516) 771-3812 (516) 510-4141 john.hall@brinco.com www.brinco.com Year established: 1996, No. of employees: 60 Maintenance Service/Products: HVAC National Clients: N/A, Markets Served: Commercial

Comfort Systems USA Strategic Accounts

Pete Yacavone, Business Development Executive 2655 Fortune Circle West, Suite E Indianapolis, IN 46241 pete.yacavone@comfortsystemsusa.com www.comfortsystemsusa.com Year Established: 1996, No. of employees: 16k + Maintenance Services/Products: HVAC National Clients: N/A, Markets Served: Commercial

Cortec Corporation

Julie Holmquist, Marketing Content Writer 4119 White Bear Parkway Saint Paul, MN 55110 (651) 407-2794 jholmquist@cortecvci.com www.cortecvci.com Year established: 1977, No. of employees: N/A Maintenance Service/Products: Corrosion control National Clients N/A, Markets Served: Commercial

Door Services Corporation

Krista Rivers, Marketing Manager 1441 Industry Road Hatfield, PA 19440 (267) 541-7002 info@doorservicescorporation.com www.doorservicescorporation.com Year established: 1961, No. of employees: 206 Maintenance Service/Products: Doors Services National Clients: N/A, Markets Served: Commercial

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

DW1 Kaitlyn Newton, Marketing Manager 250 Scientific Drive, NW Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 (770) 772-9595 (770) 510-9690 knewton@dw1.com www.dw1.com Year established: 1999, No. of employees: 100 Maintenance Service/Products: Equipment, Waste Disposal National Clients: N/A, Markets Served: Commercial

EvaClean Infection Prevention Solutions by EarthSafe

Steve Wilson, CEO 145 Wood Road Braintree, MA 2184 (866) 666-2305 Cell: (305) 877-7480 swilson@earthsafeca.com www.evaclean.com Year established: 2014, No. of employees: 20+ Maintenance Services/Products: Janitorial, Other: Sanitizers/ Disinfectants, Electrostatic Sprayers, National Clients: N/A Markets Served: Commercial

Facilities Excellence LLC

David C. Fanning, President 7385 N. State Rt. 3, Suite 106 Westerville, OH 43082 (800) 354-2602 facilitiesexcellence.com dfanning@facilitiesexcellence.com Year established: 2009, No. of employees: 15 Maintenance Services/Products: Electrical, HVAC, Consulting, Painting, Parking Lot, Plumbing, Roofing, Signage, National Clients: N/A, Markets Served: Commercial

FacilityRX Services, Inc.

John DiNunzio, President 24659 Halsted Road Farmington Hills, MI 48335 (248) 566-6187 johnd@facilityrxservices.com www.facilityrxservices.com Year established: 2017, No. of employees: N/A Maintenance Services/Products: Electrical, Floorcare, HVAC, Janitorial, Landscaping, Consulting, Lighting/Re-lamping, Painting, Windows, Parking Lot,Pest Control, Plumbing, Roofing, Signage, Equipment, Waste Disposal, National Clients: N/A Markets Served: Commercial

GGS Partners LLC FACILITIES MANAGEMENT Sanitize Cleaning

Electrical HVAC

National Project Roll-outs Flood/Fire/Hurricane Response

Janitorial

Emergency Services

Plumbing

Handyman Repairs

Floor Replacement/ Maintenance

Over 43 Years of Experience

GGS Partners knows that each multi-unit operator is unique in their facility management needs. We share your vision for your property needs and meet them with exemplary execution! GGS Partners creates and implements each program, and follows through to successful completion.

We make YOUR business, OUR business Neil A. Sperling – Managing Partner (609) 313-4346 • neils@ggspartners.com • P.O. Box 3075 Margate, NJ 08402 • www.ggspartners.com

SPECIAL REPORT

FACILITY MAINTENANCE SERVICES AND PRODUCTS

FCP Services

Tim Hill, National Business Development 3185 Terminal Dr. Eagan, MN 55121 (630) 816-0631 thill@fcpservices.com www.fcpservices.com Year Established: 1990, No. of Employees: 100 Maintenance Services/Products: Consulting, Painting, General Contracting, National Clients: N/A Markets Served: Commercial

Feather Friendly Bird Collision Deterrent Technologies

Paul Groleau, Vice President 2207 Dunwin Dr. Mississauga, ON L5L1X1 (844) 922-4737 • (416) 806-6393 PGroleau@featherfriendly.com www.featherfriendly.com Year Established: 2006, No. of employees: 14 Maintenance Services/Products: Bird-Glass Collision Prevention National Clients: McCormick Place, Chicago, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, Royal Bank of Ontario, Ontario Markets Served: Commercial

Federal Heath Sign Company

Shane Sommer, National Sales Manager 15534 W. Hardy Rd., Suite 155 Houston, TX 77060 (281) 260-6560 ssommer@federalheath.com www.federalheath.com/maintenance Year Established: 1901, No. of employees: 455 Maintenance Services/Products: Lighting/Re-lamping, Signage, LED Retrofits and Conversions. Painting, Refresh and Face Replacements, National Clients: Target, Texas Roadhouse, Rooms To Go, Hibbett Sports, Whataburger, Chili’s, Markets Served: Commercial

Field Services Unlimited

Jen Clough, Vice President of Stratgeic Growth 6300 E Hampden Ave. Unit C, #378 Denver, CO 80222 (732) 870-7114 jen@fsusurveyor.com www.fsusurveyor.com Year Established: N/A, No. of employees: N/A Maintenance Services/Products: Other: Field and Architectural Surveys, National Clients: N/A, Markets Served: Commercial

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

Fleetio

Stefano Daneri, Product Marketing Manager 1900 2nd Ave North, 300 Birmingham, AL 35203 sdaneri@fleetio.com www.fleetio.com Year Established: 2012, No. of employees: N/A Maintenance Services/Products: Fleet Management National Clients: N/A, Markets Served: Commercial

GGS Partners LLC

Neil Sperling, Owner PO Box 3075 Margate, NJ 08402 (609) 313-4346 neils@ggspartners.com ggspartners.com Year Established: 2003, No. of Employees: 5 Maintenance Services/Products: Electrical, Floorcare, Janitorial, Lighting/Re-Lamping, Painting, Windows, Parking Lot, Pest Control, Plumbing, Other: HANDYMAN, National Clients: N/A Markets Served: Commercial

Harrison Contracting Co, Inc.

Sharon Milton, Director Customer Experience 65 E Industrial Ct Villa Rica, GA 30180 (770) 949-5776 www.HarrisonContracting.com smilton@harrisoncontracting.com Year Established: 1995, No. of Employees: N/A Maintenance Services/Products: Electrical, Floorcare, Lighting, Painting, Parking Lot, Plumbing, Pressure Washing, High Dusting, Back Flows National Clients: N/A, Markets Served: Commercial

Heritage Fire Security

Michael Rose, CEO 105 Main Street, 3rd FL Hackensack, NJ 07601 (800) 688-5557 info@heritagefiresecurity.com www.heritagefiresecurity.com Year Established: 2018, No. of Employees: N/A Maintenance Services/Products: Other: Fire Protection and Maintenance, National Clients: N/A Markets Served: Commercial

IdentiCom Sign Solutions

John DiNunzio, President 24657 Halsted Road Farmington Hills, MI 48335 (248) 344-9590 • Fax: (248) 946-4198 www.identicomsigns.com jdinunzio@identicomsigns.com Year established: N/A, No. of employees: N/A Maintenance Service/Products: Electrical, Lighting/Re-lamping, Painting, Parking Lot, Signage, National Clients: N/A, Markets Served: Commercial

SPECIAL REPORT

FACILITY MAINTENANCE SERVICES AND PRODUCTS

Jenkintown Building Services Mitch Wileczek, Business Development Manager 1445 N 32nd St Philadelphia, PA 19121 (856) 803-7381 mwileczek@jbsincorporated.com www.jbsincorporated.com Year established: 1933, No. of employees: N/A Maintenance Service/Products: Floorcare, Other: Building Envelope Maintenance (window cleaning/pressure washing, fall protection, waterproofing, graffiti removal, etc.) National Clients: N/A, Markets Served: Commercial, Residential

Amy Bielecki, Director of Marketing 591 Mantua Blvd, 101 Sewell, NJ 08080 (410) 430-6435 amy.bielecki@enternest.com www.enternest.com Year established: 1994, No. of employees: 250+ Maintenance Service/Products: Built-Up Roofing Membranes (BUR), Consulting, Electrical, Floorcare, HVAC, Janitorial, Landscaping, Lighting/Relamping, Painting, Parking Lot, Pest Control, Plumbing, Roofing, Signage, Windows National Clients: Boot Barn, Mattress Firm, and Floor & Decor Markets Served: Commercial

Noritz America

JLL Aminah Farmer, Product Marketing 200 E Randolph St, Floor 43-48 Chicago, IL 60601 aminah.farmer@jll.com www.jll.com/en-us Year established: 1783 No. of employees: 113K+ global employees Maintenance Service/Products: Consulting, Equipment, HVAC, Janitorial, Lighting/Relamping, Plumbing National Clients: N/A, Markets Served: Commercial

Jones

Laura Myers, Director of Marketing 1711 Scheuring Rd. De Pere, WI 54115 (920) 425-9795 lmyers@jones1910.com jones1910.com Year Established: N/A, No. of employees: N/A Maintenance Services/Products: Lighting, Signage & Facility Maintenance, National Clients: N/A, Markets Served: Commercial

Nationwide Cleaners Michael Rose, CEO 105 Main Street, 3rd fl Hackensack, NJ 07601 (877) 933-8356 www.natiowidecleaners.com info@nationwidecleaners.com Year established: 2000, No. of employees: 25 Maintenance Services/Products: Janitorial, Windows, Other: Sanitizing, Floor Care, National Clients: N/A Markets Served: Commercial

NEST Facilities Management

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

Andrew Tran, Senior Marketing Manager 11160 Grace Avenue Fountain Valley, CA 92708 (714) 433-2905 • (714) 241-1196 atran@noritz.com www.noritz.com Year Established: 1951, No. of employees: N/A Maintenance Services/Products: Plumbing, Tankless Water Heaters National Clients: N/A, Markets Served: Commercial

On Target Maintenance, Inc.

Cathy DiSalvo, Business Development Director 65 S Liberty Dr Stony Point, NY 10980 (845) 786-5890 (845) 269-7037 cdisalvo@on-target.com www..on-target.com Year established: 1993, No. of employees: 250 Maintenance Service/Products: Floorcare, Janitorial, Landscaping, Painting, Other: handyman, Exterior Maintenance Services, Gutter Cleaning ,Pre & Post Construction Cleanup, Power Washing, High Dusting, Floor Strip/Wax National Clients: Walgreens, Petsmart, Dollar Tree , Dollar General Markets Served: Commercial

Paint Folks

Brian Foster, Senior VP 105 Main Street, 3rd fl Hackensack, NJ 07601 (888) 888-7870 www.paintfolks.com Bfoster@paintfolks.com Year established: 2011, No. of employees: 20 Maintenance Services/Products: Painting, Parking Lot, Other: Power Washing, National Clients: N/A Markets Served: Commercial

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FACILITY MAINTENANCE SERVICES AND PRODUCTS

PRYME Radio Products

Trinity Warranty Solutions

PuroClean

Veterans Worldwide Maintenance

Dave George, President/Chief Technologist 911 Mariner Street Brea, CA 92821 (714) 257-0300 (714) 855-8513 daveg@pryme.com www.pryme.com Year established: 1995 No. of employees: 10+ Maintenance Services/Products: Other: 2-Way Radio & Wireless PTT Communications Accessories, National Clients: N/A Markets Served: Retail, Restaurants, Hotels, Shopping Centers, Multi-Family, Craft Brewery, Federal, Education, Healthcare, Office, Other: Manufacturing; Public Safety; Construction; Logistics; Aviation

Business Development Representative VP of Partnerships 6001 Hiatus Road, Suite 13 Tamarac, FL 33060 (800) 775-7876 marketing@puroclean.com www.puroclean.com/partnerships Year established: 2001 No. of employees: 80 Maintenance Service/Products: Property Damage Restoration; Water, Fire, Mold, and Biohazard Cleanup Services National Clients: Markets Served: Commercial

Rockerz Inc.

Dominika Smith, Director of Business Development 100 Commonwealth Dr. Warrendale, PA 15086 (724) 553-4023 www.rockerzinc.com dmsith@rockerzinc.com Year established: 2004, No. of employees: 60 Maintenance Services/Products: Floorcare, Polished Concrete National Clients: N/A Markets Served: Commercial

The BILCO Company

Steve Weyel, Director of Sales & Marketing 370 James Street, Suite 201 New Haven, CT 06513 (203) 672-0957 (203) 988-5835 trenner@mercurymc.us www.bilco.com Year established: 1926 No. of employees: N/A Maintenance Service/Products: Equipment, Roofing National Clients: Markets Served: Commercial, Residential

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

Michelle Lassourreille, Commercial Customer Programs Director 1919 S Highland Ave, Suite D250 Lombard, IL 60148 (877) 302-5072 (480) 227-9381 lassourreillem@trinitywarranty.com www.trinitywarranty.com Year established: 2009 No. of employees: 30 Maintenance Service/Products: HVAC National Clients: Markets Served: Commercial, Residential

Michael Rose, CEO 105 Main Street, 3rd fl Hackensack, NJ 07601 (800) 235-4393 www.veteransworldwidemaintenance.com service@vpssinc.com Year established: 2011, No. of employees: 30+ Maintenance Services/Products: Electrical, Floorcare, HVAC, Consulting, Lighting/Re-lamping, Painting, Windows, Parking Lot, Pest Control, Plumbing, Equipment, Other: Handyman, Security Guards, National Clients: N/A Markets Served: Commercial

Vision Infrastructure Solutions

VP of Strategic Growth 8 Wright Street, 1st Floor Westport CT 06880 (732) 870-7114 jen@visionis.co www.visionis.co Year established: N/A, No. of employees: N/A Maintenance Services/Products: Other: Critical Infrastructure Services - fire suppression, material handling, and vertical transportation, National Clients: N/A, Markets Served: Commercial

ZipWall Dust Barrier System

Doreen Bouvier, Customer Service Manager 37 Broadway Arlington, MA 02474 (800) 718-2255 www.zipwall.com info@zipwall.com Year established: 1997, No. of employees: N/A Maintenance Services/Products: Dust Barrier System National Clients: Markets Served: Commercial, Residential

The art of signage.

As a total solutions provider with more than a century of experience, Jones is the national signage and fabrication partner you need to make your vision a reality.

Advertorial

An Aging America is Changing the Plumbing Conversation in Long-Term Care

merica is getting older, and the buildings designed to care for an aging population will need to keep pace. In 2025, 18.9% of the U.S. population was age 65 or older; by 2060, that number is projected to reach 23.4%.¹ Meanwhile, someone turning 65 today has nearly a 70% chance of needing some form of longterm care services and supports during their lifetime.² For the construction and renovation industry, those numbers point to a growing need for facilities designed around the realities of aging. Plumbing is an important part of that equation. Long-term care presents a unique specification challenge because products must work for residents, caregivers and facility operators. Delta® Commercial approaches these environments as a complete plumbing system, with solutions spanning faucets and hands-free technology to showers, flush valves and temperature-management products. Together, they address the priorities increasingly shaping long-term care specifications: safety, accessibility, ease of use, maintenance, and long-term performance. Managing water temperature is particularly critical with resident safety at stake. Thermostatic and temperature-limiting solutions provide options for controlling water temperature at faucets and showers and reducing scald risk. The Delta® Commercial 22TH Thermostatic Faucet is one example, providing temperature control at the point of use and meeting ASSE 1070 requirements. Accessibility is another priority. According to CDC data, 75% of U.S. residential care community residents require assistance with bathing and 71% with walking.³ Easy-to-reach controls, accessible sink heights and faucets requiring minimal strength or dexterity can simplify everyday routines for residents and caregivers. Both manual and hands-free options can meet different needs throughout a facility.

Hands-free faucets can provide easier, more accessible operation for long-term care residents with varying mobility needs.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

From resident rooms to shared spaces, Delta® Commercial offers a range of plumbing solutions to support long-term care facilities.

Automated flush cycles help keep water moving through supply lines, reducing stagnation and supporting water management strategies in long-term care environments. “Long-term care requires us to think about plumbing from several perspectives at once,” says Jennifer Mitrovich, Senior Category Manager, Delta® Commercial. “A solution has to support resident safety and dignity, work well for caregivers, and deliver the durability and serviceability facility teams need over the long term. The best specifications bring those priorities together from the beginning, rather than treating safety, accessibility and maintenance as separate considerations.” Those operational considerations matter in facilities running around the clock. The United States already has approximately 14,700 nursing homes serving 1.2 million residents, according to the CDC.4 The true cost of plumbing extends beyond purchase price to maintenance, labor, downtime, replacement frequency and water efficiency. As demand for long-term care grows, plumbing specification needs to look beyond individual fixtures. The opportunity is to create an integrated system that supports residents, caregivers, and the teams responsible for keeping the facility running. Explore plumbing solutions for LTC facilities at deltafaucet.com/commercial. References: 1. U.S. Census Bureau, An Aging World: 2025, August 2026. 2. U.S. Administration for Community Living, How Much Care Will You Need? 3. CDC/National Center for Health Statistics, Residential Care Community Resident Characteristics: United States, 2022, August 2024. 4. CDC/National Center for Health Statistics, Nursing Home Care FastStats, 2022 data.

BACKED BY 120 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, DELTA COMMERCIAL DESIGNS PLUMBING SOLUTIONS BUILT TO LAST ®

Come visit us at ASPE October 12-13 BOOTH #801

Justin Elder President Elder-Jones, Inc.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

Building Their Future Kids Building Minnesota gives the next generation a hands-on look at construction careers

here is no shortage of talk about construction’s workforce challenge. Kids Building Minnesota is taking a

different approach: Put the industry in front of children early and let them see what building is all about.

Through construction equipment, hands-on exhibits and direct interaction with industry professionals, the annual event gives kids and their families a closer look at the people, skills and career paths behind the built environment. Free and open to the public, Kids Building Minnesota is designed to make construction approachable, exciting and something young people can picture themselves being part of someday.

ISSUE 9, 2026 — COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION

BUILDING THEIR FUTURE

KIDS BUILDING MINNESOTA

Inspired by and supported through a partnership with Kids Building Wisconsin, the organization also has a larger mission. Beyond creating a fun day for families, it hopes to help lay the groundwork for addressing Minnesota’s skilled worker shortage while elevating the image of an industry filled with opportunity. Leading the effort is Justin Elder, President of Bloomington, Minnesota-based commercial GC Elder-Jones Inc., who believes exposure and education are critical first steps in introducing the next generation to careers in construction. We spoke with Elder about the inspiration behind Kids Building Minnesota, what children can discover through the event and why introducing young people to construction today could make a difference for the industry tomorrow.

What stands out most from the inaugural Kids Building Minnesota event?

When the day was over, I think what stood out the most was an immense sense of accomplishment, not by me, but by the small team that has worked on this event over the course of the past year. None of us are event planners, yet this event was an absolute success and it felt really good to realize our initial mission.

What inspired you and the Minnesota team to bring the Kids Building Wisconsin concept to Minnesota?

A few years back, maybe 2021 or 2022, Dave Brown spoke at an RCA (Retail Contractors Association) regional event in

Michigan,and explained what they had going with the Kids Building Wisconsin event. I was blown away by the sheer number of attendees and was thinking how those kinds of numbers can have a real impact on bringing people into our industry. From that day, I knew we could do this in Minnesota.

How valuable was the Wisconsin blueprint in helping you organize Minnesota’s first event rather than starting from scratch? The Wisconsin blueprint, along with the event template the RCA Workforce Development Committee has created, were both extremely helpful. The team at Kids Building Wisconsin wanted our event to be successful and offered their help in many areas. Being able to utilize the ideas and tools they had already built made our event much more efficient to plan and execute.

What was the response from Minnesota’s construction community when you first approached contractors, suppliers and other industry partners about participating?

This was interesting, and not exactly what I had expected. For the most part, it was either “we’re all in,” or we would receive no response at all. I was growing somewhat frustrated by early summer, as we were not meeting our sponsorship goals, but as summer went on and a few more of the larger contractors signed up it seemed to snowball. By mid-August we were constantly having positive conversations and receiving two to three new sponsor applications per week. This went right up to the event, such that at a given point we had to cut it off and stop accepting new exhibiting sponsors so we could finalize our event layout. By the end we had over 45 sponsoring partners with just over 30 of those sponsors that participated at the event.

Approximately how many children and families attended the inaugural event? How did that compare with your expectations?

When we started planning this event a year ago, our goal was to attract 500-1000

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

BUILDING THEIR FUTURE

KIDS BUILDING MINNESOTA

attendees, of which we figured just over half would be children. When we started running the numbers and seeing the kind of effort and contributions some of the larger sponsors were putting into this, we decided to up our goal to 1,500. By the day of the event, we had 3500 pre-registered attendees, and 1700 of those actually showed up for the event. The weather did not fully cooperate, otherwise I really think we certainly could have reached 3000.

How many contractors, sponsors, exhibitors and volunteers participated?

We ended up with over 45 sponsors, most of

which were contractors or industry suppliers. About 30 of those sponsors participated at the event by hosting an activity or bringing in heavy construction equipment. We had a team of around 30 volunteers the day of the event to make it happen. The event was extremely hands-on, with kids using tools, interacting with equipment and experiencing construction activities. Why was that hands-on component so important? Kids want to be hands-on, but as society moves further towards a digital reality, they don’t get as many opportunities to work with their hands as previous generations did. Having these types of activities for kids lets them explore and see that these types of activities can be fun and rewarding.

Kids Building Minnesota introduces kids starting as young as preschool to the industry. It could be their first exposure and we hope the positive experience sticks in their minds.

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What planning, insurance and safety protocols were necessary to make the event possible? Safety was of course at the forefront of the activities at our event. We limited the amount of moving machinery, and had strict protocols with our exhibitors on assuring any equipment was completely immobilized. We did have boom lift rides, and in this case the riders were tied-off and wore helmets, and the lifts were only allowed to move vertically. Some of this was driven by our event insurance requirements, but most just common safety sense.

How important were in-kind contributions to making the event work?

The in-kind contributions were immensely helpful. Not just because of the reduced financial burden, but every in-kind contribution to the event was also one less logistical piece our volunteer board did not have to coordinate. The in-kind contributions were every but as important as the financial contributions.

BUILDING THEIR FUTURE

KIDS BUILDING MINNESOTA

What surprised you most about putting on the first Kids Building Minnesota? What worked particularly well and what would you change for Year 2?

Really there was a sense of surprise when the gate opened and people started flowing in that we actually pulled it off, and with very few hiccups the day of the event. Knowing our board and our group of volunteers, I should have never had a doubt. As with any event like this, regardless of how many times its been done, we have a list of things we can do better next year. Other than details here and there, the biggest need would be more volunteers for the day of the event and takedown/cleanup. Our team did great, but there were times we were spread thin.

What was some of the most positive feedback you received about the event?

One of the things that made me most proud was hearing from member companies in other areas that were interested in creating Kids Building events of their

own. Seeing the idea resonate beyond our event showed us there is real potential to introduce even more kids to the construction industry.

How early do you believe the industry needs to begin introducing young people to construction and the skilled trades?

Kids Building Minnesota introduces kids starting as young as preschool to the industry. It could be their first exposure and we hope the positive experience sticks in their minds. Getting the parents to see what we’re about, and have real conversations with those of us in the industry is equally as important.

What would you tell contractors or industry leaders in another city who see what Minnesota and Wisconsin have created and are considering bringing a similar event to their market?

I’d tell them they need to be ready to commit to a lot of work, but it will be one of the most fulfilling things they will ever do.

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Where do you hope Kids Building Minnesota is five or 10 years from now?

I hope the event always keeps its roots as a free event planned and put on by volunteers from our industry. It needs to stay authentic, and keeping contractors at the heart of it will help make sure it does. My hope is that Kids Building Minnesota becomes a tradition for families and a well-known annual event across the Twin Cities. There is also an opportunity to build on that momentum. The RCA is using the success of events in Wisconsin and Minnesota to encourage similar programs across the country, giving more kids an opportunity to experience the construction industry firsthand.

What’s the one thing you hope a child who attended the inaugural Kids Building Minnesota remembers about the experience?

I hope they want to come back every year, and by the time they are old enough to be making choices in their career path, somewhere in their memories they will think about the things they did and the people they met at Kids Building Minnesota. CCR

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Building Tomorrow’s Trades Workforce Closing the labor gap starts with culture, outreach and reinvestment By Mike Greenawalt

started my construction career in 1979 as an IBEW apprentice, taking a bus one hour each way to work at the Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant. That decision to enter the Phoenix Electrical JATC be-

came the most impactful career move I ever made, launching a 45-year journey that took me from apprentice to CEO of Rosendin Electric Inc.,

That story matters to what I’m about to say. This labor crisis has been building for more than 15 years and, as an industry, we have struggled to find a meaningful strategy to address it. Right now, the industry is staring at a 456,000-worker shortage that needs to be filled by 2027, while 41% of today’s skilled workforce is expected to retire within the next decade, according to Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). For the first time in a decade, the number of registered apprentices in the U.S. has

declined, according to Homepros. That number arrives just as the current administration has set a goal of 1 million new apprentices by 2027, backed by the START Act (S. 4409, 119th Congress), which would require the Department of Labor to issue final determinations for apprenticeship applications within 90 days and invest $150 million in annual state formula grants. The intent behind those efforts is right, and faster timelines genuinely benefit prospective sponsors. At the same time, any framework that accelerates program creation without reinforcing quality standards is worth examining

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Courtesy of Rosendin Electric, Inc.

one of America’s largest employee-owned electrical contractors.

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BUILDING TOMORROW’S TRADES WORKFORCE

CULTURE, OUTREACH AND REINVESTMENT

carefully, because a numerical goal without context, a plan or a support system behind it does not automatically translate to a skilled workforce. Part of the solution may involve policy, but the more pressing challenge runs deeper than how many programs are registered or how quickly they can be approved. The industry’s own culture is pushing people out the door before they ever get the chance to build a career.

Mike Greenawalt speaks during the Pre-Apprenticeship for Electricians Spring Completion Celebration 2023.

The construction industry’s turnover rate runs roughly 68% higher than most other industries, according to Associated Builders and Contractors. For every five journeymen who retire, only two apprentices enter the field, according to “Bring Back the Trades” in the National Review. The volume of overtime combined with the wage incentives that used to drive productivity, now pulls young workers in fast and burns them out faster. These physical and emotional demands contribute to documented mental health challenges among workers across the trades. The generational divide makes it worse. With shop classes nearly gone from K-12 education, many young people step onto a job site with no prior exposure to skilled work at all. Not every journeyman belongs in a mentorship role and placing the wrong one in that position can end a promising career before it ever finds its footing. When contractors assign mentors based on availability rather than a genuine aptitude for teaching, that decision shows up directly in turnover numbers and rarely gets traced back to its source.

The ART Framework: A Practical Strategy That Works

Event at GCU with Mike Greenawalt.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

We have to start a whole new process. That process is what I call the ART strategy: Attract, Retain and Transfer knowledge. Attract starts younger than most contractors expect. Career opinions form as early as sixth grade, and by the time a student reaches senior year, the window is nearly closed. I’ve spoken with nearly a thousand students in the past year alone and what strikes me every time is how few have ever heard the phrase “registered apprenticeship” used in any meaningful way.

Courtesy of Ralph Freso, Grand Canyon University; Courtesy of Rosendin Electric, Inc.

The Trades Have a Culture Problem Right Now

BUILDING TOMORROW’S TRADES WORKFORCE

At one high school, the counselors came into the afternoon session because they had never seen the national apprenticeship registry either. We have conditioned an entire generation to equate success with a four-year degree, leaving a career path that leads directly to $60,000 to $80,000, debt-free, virtually invisible to the students who need it most. Contractors who sponsor career days and invest in relationships with shop teachers are already ahead, because they are reaching students before the four-year college narrative takes hold. The message to parents practically makes itself: a registered apprenticeship

CULTURE, OUTREACH AND REINVESTMENT

pays young people to build a rewarding, debt-free career starting on day one. Retain means treating apprentices like what they actually are: future foremen, project managers, and the next CEOs. Laying out a clear career pathway before an apprentice ever steps on a job site is one of the most effective retention tools a contractor has. Mentor selection matters just as much as recruitment, because one great mentor can do more to keep a promising apprentice in the field than any wage incentive or program requirement. This is also a workforce that grew up on technology, and integrating digital tools and AI-assisted training

platforms signals that the trades are a modern, forward-thinking career worth pursuing. Apprentice progress deserves the same disciplined tracking applied to any critical project metric. According to research from Mathematica and the Department of Labor, registered apprenticeships raise employment rates by 8 to 9 percentage points in two years and increase annual earnings by approximately $6,000. Those numbers alone make the case. Transfer is the heartbeat of this industry. Rotating apprentices through different crews and project types multiplies their exposure and broadens their skills. Pairing that experience with vendor-led hands-on programs and technology-assisted learning expands knowledge transfer capacity across the entire crew. None of it replaces the personal mentoring relationship that makes apprenticeships work. It builds on it.

Mike Greenawalt speaks to the students enrolled in the Pre-Apprentice for Electricians program.

Mike Greenawalt, center, talks with new students during the Pre-Apprenticeship for Electricians Night of Celebration.

I currently sit on the Arizona State Apprenticeship Advisory Board, where we advise the state on what we are seeing in industry and reach out to employers to help them establish programs. The Greenawalt Foundation is here to help, but achieving one million new apprentices will require a real strategy, not just an ambitious headline. Investing in workforce development means more than writing a check. It means leadership showing up at apprenticeship program meetings, sitting on advisory boards and actively building the pipelines that supply the next generation of skilled workers. The students who will address the 10year labor shortage are in sixth and seventh grade today. Any strategy targeting workers already near the workforce is a stopgap. A strategy built around those students produces results in time to actually matter. This industry built my career. Now it is time for the industry to build the next generation’s career with the same commitment, and that starts with treating apprenticeship not as an obligation, but as the strategic investment it has always been. CCR

Mike Greenawalt is founder and Chief Visionary Officer for the Greenawalt Foundation, which creates pathways to prosperity by providing the opportunity to access education, training and support for individuals pursuing careers in the skilled trades.

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Courtesy of Ralph Freso, Grand Canyon University

This Industry Built My Career. Now Let’s Build Theirs.

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Strengthening the Construction Workforce Reducing employment risk in construction By Jake Schmitz

trong leadership in construction goes beyond managing projects—it’s about leading people well. One of the most significant sources of risk for construction

companies doesn’t come from job sites or equipment, but from employment decisions made every day.

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BUILDING A STRONGER WORKFORCE

Hiring, managing performance, disciplining, and separating from employees are some of the most impactful responsibilities leaders carry. When handled poorly, these moments can quickly turn into costly claims, lawsuits, and operational disruptions. When handled well, they protect your people, reinforce your culture, and support the long-term strength of your business. Below are practical, proven strategies construction leaders can use to reduce employment-related risk across the entire employee lifecycle.

Hire with Compliance in Mind

Risk management starts before a job is ever posted. Leaders and supervisors should work together to clearly define what the role truly requires. This clarity supports better hiring decisions and creates a stronger compliance foundation.

EMPLOYMENT RISK

Start by focusing on essential job functions, required skills, experience, and education. Job descriptions should strike a balance—specific enough to capture critical requirements, but flexible enough to allow for real-world application. Overly narrow or poorly worded descriptions can unintentionally exclude qualified candidates or raise compliance concerns, especially when protected classes vary by state. Employee classification is another common risk area. Misclassifying exempt and non-exempt employees is costly and often avoidable. Taking time to verify proper classification upfront is one of the most important compliance steps a construction organization can make.

Recruit Fairly and Consistently Construction companies rely on a variety of recruiting methods: referrals, trade

Employers still have a responsibility to maintain safe job sites, particularly for employees operating heavy equipment or performing physically demanding work.

schools, job boards, job fairs, and recruiters. Regardless of the approach, all recruiting and hiring practices must be consistent and non-discriminatory. Job postings, screening criteria, and interview questions should be reviewed to ensure they align with state and federal discrimination laws. Background checks and social media reviews can be useful tools, but they come with privacy and compliance considerations. If used, they should be applied consistently across candidates for the same role. Many states now prohibit employers from asking about a candidate’s pay history. As a best practice, avoid these questions entirely and focus instead on the responsibilities of the role and market-aligned compensation. Consistency is key—not only to compliance, but to building trust with candidates and within your organization.

Making the Offer: Put It in Writing

Once you’ve selected the right candidate, a clear and well-documented offer letter helps set expectations and reduce future disputes. Offer letters should clearly outline: > Compensation and pay structure. > Benefits and PTO information. > Job location. > Travel expectations and reimbursements. > Start date. > Any conditions or deadlines tied to the offer. Some construction roles may require pre-employment screening, such as physical ability testing or drug testing. When used, these screens must be: > Job-related and consistent. > Applied uniformly to candidates for the same role. > Designed to measure the abilities required to perform the job. Medical inquiries should be limited, and documentation should be thorough. For organizations operating across multiple states, it’s critical to confirm state-specific requirements before implementing any screening practices. With cannabis legalized in many states, additional complexity exists. While lawful

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

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BUILDING A STRONGER WORKFORCE

EMPLOYMENT RISK

off-duty use may be protected, construction remains a safety-sensitive industry. Employers still have a responsibility to maintain safe job sites, particularly for employees operating heavy equipment or performing physically demanding work. Clear policies, consistent enforcement, and open communication are essential.

Why Discipline Matters

Effective discipline is a leadership tool that protects your culture, improves performance, and reduces risk. When applied consistently, discipline promotes fairness, reinforces expectations, and strengthens your organization’s ability to defend decisions if challenged. High performers notice when standards aren’t enforced. When accountability is uneven, morale suffers and risk increases. Successful discipline relies on: > Clear documentation. > Ongoing communication between supervisors, HR, and leadership. > Objective, factual language. > Consistent application. > A strict prohibition against retaliation. A simple rule applies: If it isn’t documented, it didn’t happen. When formal discipline becomes necessary, documentation should: > Clearly describe the conduct (who, what, when, where, and why). > Reference the specific policy or expectation violated. > Outline the behavior expected moving forward. > Set a timeline for improvement. > Clearly explain potential consequences. Avoid emotional or subjective language. Facts matter, and they’re your strongest protection.

Understanding Employment at Will

In most states, employment is considered

“at will,” meaning either party can end the employment relationship at any time, with or without notice, for any lawful reason. However, at-will status does not eliminate legal risk if a decision violates employment laws or appears inconsistent. Before moving to termination, leaders should consider reasonable alternatives when appropriate, such as modifying job duties or transitioning an employee into a better-fitting role. Any changes should be clearly documented and acknowledged by the employee.

Termination Best Practices

Before making a termination decision, it’s critical to slow down and assess risk. > Is the employee truly at-will, or under contract? > Have similar situations been handled consistently? > Were performance concerns or misconduct documented? > Were expectations and improvement opportunities clearly communicated? > Are there potential legal red flags?

> Have alternatives like suspension been considered? If termination is warranted, ensure the decision is well-supported and defensible. When conducting the termination: > Hold the meeting face-to-face when possible. > Include a witness. > Keep the conversation brief and final. > Secure company equipment and revoke system access. > Limit internal communication. > Treat the employee with professionalism and respect. How you handle separation matters to the individual leaving and to the team watching. One mishandled employment decision can quickly become a company‑altering event. Clear policies, consistent leadership practices, strong documentation, and innovative coverage solutions all play a role in reducing exposure and giving leaders the confidence to focus on growth. CCR

Jake Schmitz is a Client Executive and Team Lead in Holmes Murphy’s Property Casualty division, specializing in construction risk management. He helps construction clients identify and mitigate risk by aligning insurance, safety and claims strategies to improve performance and profitability.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

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Precision in Practice

Installing advanced equipment in a modern cancer center

Precision in Practice Installing advanced equipment in a modern cancer center By Conor Devine

modern cancer center must accomplish two very different things at once. It must support some of healthcare’s most sophisticated and sensitive technology while creating an environment that feels comforting, welcoming and distinctly unlike the clinical settings patients may associate with difficult moments in their care. Those priorities must be reconciled long before equipment installation. The dimensions, weight, shielding, power, cooling and clearance requirements of advanced imaging and radiation-treatment systems influence decisions from structural design to delivery routes. On an active campus, the plan must also protect patients, staff and ongoing operations. That was the central challenge facing Skanska and RWJBarnabas Health in constructing The Melchiorre Cancer Center at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center: creating an advanced outpatient facility defined equally by technical precision and the patient experience.

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Success depended on early expertise, continuous coordination and careful verification before installation.

One Center, Two Essential Priorities

The $225 million, 137,000-square-foot Melchiorre Cancer Center is a five-story outpatient facility on the Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center campus in Livingston, New Jersey. It brings imaging, diagnostics, infusion therapy and radiation treatment together under one roof, expanding access to advanced, patient-centered cancer care in the region. Delivering that vision meant integrating multiple imaging modalities, four radiation vaults and evolving equipment specifications on an active campus. BIM coordination, laser scanning, prefabrication and room mockups allowed the team to test and refine the work before small discrepancies became costly field problems.

Beginning With Patient Experience

RWJBarnabas Health did not want the center to feel like a traditional hospital. Its vision was an environment built around hope, comfort and dignity for patients and families, even as the building accommodated highly technical clinical infrastructure behind the scenes. That vision shaped abundant natural light, inviting lounges, a two-story lobby and wellness amenities. A garden patio and rooftop terrace extend the experience outdoors. Each element had to coexist with the precise infrastructure required for treatment.

and a dedicated oncology infusion floor with 46 private infusion rooms and specialized treatment spaces. At its technical core are a compounding pharmacy and four lead-lined concrete vaults housing advanced radiation therapies, including linear accelerators (LINAC), high-dose radiation (HDR) and a magnetic resonance-guided linear accelerator (MR-LINAC). Two floors contain MRI, CT, PET/CT, CT simulation, radiography fluoroscopy and ultrasound technology. Each modality’s shielding, structural, utility and clearance requirements had to align with the building systems and adjacent equipment.

Building Around the Clinical Core

Verifying Precision Before Installation

Behind the welcoming design is highly precise infrastructure engineered to support advanced cancer care. The facility includes 52 exam rooms, advanced imaging and diagnostic suites

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With equipment this sensitive, minimizing the tolerance for error was foundational to the work. The radiation vault floors and walls, for example, had to satisfy stringent

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manufacturer requirements for flatness and levelness. Rather than waiting until the equipment arrived to confirm those conditions, the team used laser scanning to capture surface-variation data in the treatment areas and incorporated the findings directly into the QA/QC process. Potential deviations could then be identified and addressed before they affected installation. That same discipline extended beyond the vaults. To protect acoustic privacy, floors were divided into quadrants and more than 2,000 partition penetrations were identified and sealed to limit sound transmission. The process reinforced an important principle: Precision is not confined to the equipment room; it shapes how patients experience the entire facility.

Planning for Technology That Changes

Medical technology evolves quickly, often faster than a major construction project. At Melchiorre, some of the equipment models ultimately selected differed from those originally specified during design, changing requirements the team had already begun coordinating. Skanska worked with RWJBarnabas Health, the design team and vendors to reconcile the drawings with the newer devices. Each change was traced through structural supports, shielding, power, cooling, clearances and delivery pathways. The process had to accommodate change, not simply follow the original drawings.

Coordinating Beyond the Treatment Rooms

Coordination extended across the active campus. Prefabrication allowed a separate 436-space precast parking structure to be

erected in 45 days, limiting the duration of a major campus operation. Early subject-matter expertise and BIM coordination kept interdependent scopes moving while protecting structural integrity, campus access and flexibility for future expansion.

Testing the Standard Before Repeating It

The same philosophy guided the spaces that patients would experience most directly. Before applying a standard across all 52 exam rooms, the team completed and reviewed the first room with RWJBarnabas Health and the design team. The mockup created a practical checkpoint to test the design, refine details and secure approval before repeating the solution at scale, improving consistency and reducing the risk of costly rework. A team member was also dedicated full time to protecting millwork, stairs and paint. The patient-centered vision depended on both clinical performance and the quality of what patients and families would see and touch.

What Melchiorre Can Teach Healthcare Builders

By the time equipment installation began, the most consequential decisions had already been made, tested and verified through years of collaboration. That preparation allowed sophisticated treatment technology and a welcoming patient environment to coexist as parts of the same vision rather than as competing priorities. The Melchiorre Cancer Center demonstrates that technical precision and human-centered design can—and should— be treated as equally non-negotiable. For healthcare builders, the project reinforces three essential practices: engage equipment vendors and technical specialists early; continually reconcile design documents with final equipment selections; and treat delivery pathways, installation tolerances and quality-control measures as core design considerations from the outset. When those principles are embedded in the process, teams can accommodate rapidly evolving medical technology while creating environments that support both exceptional care and a more comforting patient experience.

Conor Devine is a results driven project executive with 14 years of experience navigating complex project challenges in the New York and New Jersey metro area. The Construction Project Executive with Skansa excels at fostering collaboration and building lasting relationships with our clients, design consultants and trade partners. Known for his client-centric approach, he translates organizations’ visions into clear, actionable plans that deliver measurable outcomes.

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Built to Gather How ATPCO is turning the workplace into an event destination

Built to Gather How ATPCO is turning the workplace into an event destination By Will Pizzano

s companies rethink the purpose of the workplace, the office is being asked to do more than accommodate employees.

Increasingly, headquarters are becoming places where companies host customers, convene leadership, celebrate milestones and bring distributed teams together.

That evolution is turning the office into something closer to an event venue—and that has significant implications for how workplaces are designed and constructed. Spaces need to transition seamlessly between everyday work and large gatherings, accommodate different technology and infrastructure demands, and provide an experience that makes people want to be there. That shift was central to Pizzano Contractors’ work on Airline Tariff Publishers’ (ATPCO) new 20,600-square-foot headquarters in Herndon, Virginia. Working alongside ATPCO and OTJ Architects, Pizzano helped transform a white-box shell into a workplace designed to function as a day-to-day collaboration hub, customer destination and venue for company-wide events. The project illustrates several ways construction teams can help owners make that expanded vision for the workplace a reality.

Design for More Than One Mode of Work

When a headquarters is expected to serve as both a workplace and an event destination, flexibility has to be considered from the beginning. For ATPCO, a remote-first organization with employees spread across the country and around the world, maximizing workstation density was not the objective. The headquarters needed to support focused work, collaboration, customer meetings, executive gatherings and company-wide events.

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BUILT TO GATHER

FROM OFFICE TO EVENT VENUE

Rather than designing around a single mode of work, the team created environments that could support different activities throughout the day. Quiet focus rooms provide spaces for heads-down work, while technology-enabled collaboration areas support meetings and group work. Contoured, operable glass partitions allow conference spaces to expand for larger gatherings or contract for more intimate meetings without sacrificing daylight or openness. The lesson is straightforward: design for the full range of ways a space will be used. If a headquarters will host everything from a small client meeting to a company-wide celebration, the physical environment needs to support those transitions without requiring a different venue every time.

Build the Infrastructure for the Event, Not Just the Room

Flexible space is only useful if the underlying infrastructure can support it. At ATPCO,

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If a headquarters will host everything from a small client meeting to a company-wide celebration, the physical environment needs to support those transitions without requiring a different venue every time. flexible conference spaces, multipurpose areas and a social pantry allow the headquarters to adapt to different uses without major physical transformation. Since opening, it has hosted executive and customer gatherings, internal programming and events combining in-person and virtual participation. The headquarters also needs to feel distinctly connected to the company. At ATPCO, aviation-inspired architectural elements and expansive views overlooking Washington Dulles International Airport connect the space to the company’s history and industry. Wellness and prayer rooms support employees’ broader needs, while an open pantry serves as a social center.

Make the Headquarters Part of the Company Experience

A headquarters that doubles as a gathering place also becomes an important expression of the company itself. At ATPCO, aviation-inspired architectural elements and expansive views overlooking Washington Dulles International Airport connect the headquarters to the company’s history and industry. Wellness and prayer rooms support employees’ broader needs, while an open pantry serves as a social center for the workplace. These details are not simply aesthetic enhancements. They contribute to the experience employees, customers and visitors have when they walk through the doors.

For employers evaluating their workplace strategy, that distinction matters. The headquarters should offer something beyond a desk, Wi-Fi and a conference call. It should create opportunities for interaction, provide spaces for different types of work and gatherings, and reflect the culture the company wants employees and customers to experience.

Plan for the Unexpected Without Losing the Event on the Calendar

The more functions a headquarters is expected to serve, the more important construction sequencing and problem-solving become. A delay in one area can affect not only the overall schedule, but also a specific meeting, event or business milestone. At ATPCO, unforeseen slab conditions discovered early in construction required extensive floor preparation and resequencing. Rather than allowing the issue to disrupt the project, Pizzano worked with its trade partners to phase grinding and floor preparation around other ongoing work,

ISSUE 9, 2026 — COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION

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BUILT TO GATHER

FROM OFFICE TO EVENT VENUE

allowing construction to continue while protecting the overall schedule. For Pizzano, proactive construction management means identifying issues early, communicating their potential impact and continually evaluating sequencing so one challenge does not create a domino effect across the project.

Build Around the Moments That Matter Most

When a headquarters is also an event destination, construction schedules are about more than substantial completion. They need to account for the moments the client cannot move. For ATPCO, one of the most critical moments came before the headquarters

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was complete. The company needed its approximately 500-square-foot boardroom operational for a scheduled meeting of its Board of Directors. The project team reprioritized and accelerated that portion of the work, allowing Pizzano to turn over the state-of-the-art boardroom approximately two months ahead of substantial completion while construction continued throughout the remainder of the headquarters. That kind of milestone-based planning can make a meaningful difference to an owner. Rather than viewing substantial completion as the only finish line, construction teams should understand the business milestones driving the project and identify where phased turnover or targeted acceleration can provide value. In a workplace that also functions as an event venue, the question is not simply, “When will the building be finished?” It is also, “What needs to be ready, and when, for the business to use it?”

Measure the Building by What It Enables

Ultimately, a multipurpose headquarters is successful if it enables the business to do things it could not do as effectively before. ATPCO’s results offer a compelling example. Before the new headquarters, the company’s previous office averaged approximately 15 employees per week between 2020 and 2025. Since the new headquarters opened, many weeks have seen more than 50 employees working from the office, even as the percentage of the workforce living within 25 miles of the headquarters has declined significantly. The building has also taken on functions that previously may have required outside venues. ATPCO’s December 2025 grand opening coincided with its 60th-anniversary Gala, bringing employees from Canada, London, Singapore, Australia and across the U.S. together under one roof. Since then, the headquarters has hosted executive summits, customer visits and internal events, helping reduce expenditures associated with nearby hotels and event facilities.

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BUILT TO GATHER

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The ATPCO headquarters demonstrates a broader shift taking place across commercial workplace construction: the office is increasingly being asked to function as a workplace, meeting space, client destination and event venue at the same time. That changes the construction conversation. The goal is no longer simply to create a space where employees can work. It is to create a space that can flex when a company needs to gather, host, celebrate or connect. For Pizzano Contractors, the ATPCO project reinforced a simple principle: when

At ATPCO, aviation-inspired architectural elements and expansive views overlooking Washington Dulles International Airport connect the headquarters to the company’s history and industry. the workplace becomes the event venue, construction decisions have to support more than everyday work. They have to support the moments that bring people together. When design, construction and client objectives remain aligned, a headquarters

can become more than a place to work. It can become a destination where employees collaborate, customers connect, leaders convene and companies celebrate all without stepping outside the building.

Will Pizzano is Director of Pre-Construction at Pizzano Contractors, a third-generation commercial interiors firm serving clients across the Mid-Atlantic. He leads estimating strategy and early project planning with a relationship-driven approach focused on long-term partnerships. Will also serves on the board of the Joey Pizzano Memorial Fund, which creates recreational and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE: President’s Message............. pg 3,7 Member Directory.................. pg 4-5 Annual Conference................. pg 6

FALL EDITION • 2026

More Than a Ranking: Matthew Schimenti on Hard Work, Mentorship and the Relationships That Last For Matthew Schimenti, success in construction has never been about one project, one person or one award. It has been built over decades—through hard work, trusted relationships and a willingness to learn from those who came before him. Those values are especially meaningful as Schimenti Construction celebrates another major achievement. Engineering NewsRecord (ENR) East ranked the company the Matthew Schimenti No. 1 retail contractor for 2026, marking its third consecutive year at the top of the category. The recognition follows Schimenti’s selection as ENR New York’s 2025 Contractor of the Year. While proud of the accolades, Schimenti sees them as a reflection of the people around him. “It’s all about the team,” he said. “It’s about the team’s consistency and ability to maintain relationships with clients.” Construction was part of Schimenti’s life long before it became his career. His grandfather was a prominent New York architect, and his father started a construction company in 1971. Growing up, Schimenti watched the business operate from the family home, where the dining room table doubled as an office and employees gathered on the front steps before heading to job sites. He did not initially plan to enter the family business. But after college, his father persuaded him to give it a try for a year. Schimenti joined the company in 1987 and never left. Working alongside his father gave him the opportunity to learn nearly every aspect of the business—from estimating and project management to client service and accounting. More importantly, he absorbed the values that had shaped his family’s reputation: “Keep your word, protect your character and invest in people,” he recalled. That foundation was strengthened through mentorship. In 1994, his father’s company, then known as AMD Construction, joined RCA. “The organization was one of the best things we ever did early on,” he said. “It

brought us into a network of people on all sides— clients, contractors and subcontractors.” Schimenti remembers attending his first annual meeting in Orlando and feeling completely outside his comfort zone. Instead of leaving him to navigate the experience alone, several established members took him under their wing, included him in dinners and conversations, shared hard-earned knowledge and, in some cases, referred New York projects to him. Mentors such as Frank Trainor of Commonwealth Building, Bill Winkel of Winkle Construction and Bob Benda of Westwood Contractors became valued resources and trusted friends. “You realize when you’re younger that you don’t learn anything when you’re talking,” Schimenti said. “The more I would sit around and listen, the more I learned.” As his company and career grew, Schimenti found opportunities to give back. He served RCA in numerous volunteer and leadership roles, including on the scholarship and annual meeting committees, as secretary and vice president, and ultimately for two terms as president. His presidency coincided with the Great Recession in 2008, when RCA and its members were navigating declining business and industry uncertainty. That experience reinforced an important lesson: “A high tide floats all boats.” Strong associations, he said,

must deliver meaningful value, bring people together and help their members weather difficult periods. Today, he encourages younger professionals to seek out mentors and established contractors to remain open to learning from their peers. Joining an association, he noted, is only the beginning. “What you put into it is what you get out of it,” Schimenti said. Often, the most valuable connections are forged outside formal meetings—in conversations over coffee, during a ride to the airport or around a dinner table. Over time, those moments create the trust that allows people to turn to one another when a project becomes difficult or an unexpected problem arises. “You can’t call upon a relationship unless you’ve built it and invested in it,” Schimenti said. “That’s been my philosophy.” It is also a fitting explanation for Schimenti Construction’s staying power. The rankings may recognize the company’s work, but its real legacy can be found in the people who have remained for decades, the clients who continue to return and the relationships that have grown alongside the business. As Schimenti often reminds his team and his children, “It’s not about getting there. It’s about staying there.”

RCA’s mission is to promote professionalism and integrity in retail construction through industry leadership in education, information exchange, and jobsite safety.

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FALL EDITION • 2026

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President’s Message Justin Elder, President, Elder-Jones, Inc.

ADVISORY BOARD Randy Danielson -

Stahler McKinney - FMI

Opus Development Company, LLC

Jason Miller - JCPenney Company

Taylor Harris - Bath & Body Works

John Polzer - Duane Morris LLP

Jon Hostasa - CASEY’S It’s a fulfilling feeling when something years in the making finally comes to fruition and, by all accounts, is a success. For many years, we’ve been talking about the looming shortage of good skilled superintendents and tradespeople, and worrying about what the future holds for our industry amid cultural shifts and changing attitudes toward careers in construction. Justin Elder Then three years ago, I was attending an RCA regional event at Sachse Construction’s office in Detroit. We toured their new office and went out for a fun happy hour. But the highlight for me was listening to a few of our fellow RCA members explain the efforts they had been putting into workforce development events geared toward young people. Some of these events focused on high school students who might not be college-bound. Others were focused on younger children and their parents, with the hope of beginning to reverse some of the cultural shifts that have taken some of the allure away from careers in construction. I came away from that meeting knowing we needed to do something like this in Minnesota. One of the events that TriNorth Construction was involved in founding is Kids Building Wisconsin. I liked the idea of this event that focused on elementary-aged kids and their parents. Expose them to real people, real equipment and real construction-related activities. Line the event with greasy fair food, sweet treats, bright colors, mascots and fun construction swag. And make it free to attend! Don’t focus only on the families who would pay to take their kids to an event. Make it accessible to everyone, with no preconceptions other than that it’s something free and fun to do with the kids on a Saturday. And then just let them have fun with construction. RCA was pivotal in keeping workforce development in front of me long enough for me to finally decide that we needed to host an event in the Twin Cities. In late 2023, the RCA Workforce Development Committee went to work developing a template that members could use as a guide to host one of these events in their own communities. It was modeled closely after Kids Building Wisconsin. I probably looked through that template a thousand times. Once I felt I had the time to commit, along with buy-in from National Contractors Inc., RCS Construction, and my company, Elder-Jones, it was time to put our event in motion. Following the RCA-provided template, we formed a planning board and began working on the event exactly one year before our projected event date. A year seems like all the time in the world, but we needed every minute of it. I won’t go into all the details of what it took to get from an idea on paper to actually hosting the event, other than to say that, with all hands on deck, we were working right up until the minute the gates opened on the first-ever Kids Building Minnesota. Despite rain on and off throughout the day, we exceeded our attendance goals. We came in just shy of 1,700 attendees, with about 1,000 of them being children. More than 30 contractors and vendors, including RCA, provided big equipment, hands-on activities, aerial lift rides, photo opportunities and all kinds of cool take-home goodies. (Continued on page 7 )

Expose them to real people, real equipment and real constructionrelated activities.

Steven R. Olson, AIA - CESO, Inc.

Jason Kraus - Kohl’s

Paul Robinson - ConstructReach

Jeffrey D. Mahler, AIA -

Brad Sanders - bartaco

Onyx Creative

COMMITTEE CHAIRS CONSTRUCTION TRAINING David Brown

SPONSORSHIP AND MEMBER BENEFITS

MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Anthony Graves

Denise Doczy-Delong

Ken Sharkey Hector Ray

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Matt Brecker

OFFICERS President Justin Elder

Secretary/Treasurer Denise Doczy-Delong

Vice President Timothy Aubel

Immediate Past President Eric Handley

Elder-Jones, Inc.

Singleton Construction, LLC

Rectenwald Brothers Construction, Inc.

W.A. Randolph, Inc.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2028 Timothy Aubel

Rectenwald Brothers Construction, Inc.

2027 Matt Brecker

DeJager Construction, Inc.

2027 David Brown

Tri-North Builders

2028 Denise Doczy-Delong

Singleton Construction, LLC

2027 Jay Dorsey

Triad Retail Construction

2029 Justin Elder

Elder-Jones, Inc.

2029 Tom Fenton

Schimenti Construction

2027 Bard Fulton

Fortney Weygandti

2026 Anthony Graves Graves Construction

2028 Eric Handley

W.A. Randolph, Inc.

2027 David Martin

H.J. Martin & Son, Inc.

2028 Cheryl Montour

Division 9 Commercial, Inc.

2027 Hector Ray

RAYWEST DESIGNBUILD

2028 Ken Sharkey

Commercial Contractors, Inc.

PAST PRESIDENTS David Weekes 1990-1992 W. L. Winkel 1993 Robert D. Benda 1994 John S. Elder 1995 Ronald M. Martinez 1996 Jack E. Sims 1997 Michael H. Ratner 1998 Barry Shames 1999 Win Johnson 2000 Dean Olivieri 2001 Thomas Eckinger 2002 James Healy 2003

Robert D. Benda 2004-2006 K. Eugene Colley 2006-2008 Matthew Schimenti 2008-2012 Art Rectenwald 2012-2014 Mike Wolff 2014-2016 Robert Moore 2016-2017 Brad Bogart 2017-2018 Rick Winkel 2018-2019 Steve Bachman 2019-2021 Ray Catlin 2021-2023 Eric Handley 2023-2025

FALL EDITION • 2026

The Retail Contractor

RCA Membership COMPANY Acme Enterprises, Inc. Asa Carlton, Inc. Atlas Building Group Bayley Construction, LP Bogart Construction, Inc. Buildrite Construction Corp. CE Gleeson Constructors Comanche Construction, LLC Commercial Contractors, Inc. Commonwealth Building, Inc. Connor Construction, LLC Construction One, Inc. Construx Co. LLC D&G Construction Services, Inc. David A. Nice Builders De Jager Construction, Inc. Desco Professional Builders, Inc. Diamond Contractors Division 9 Commercial Inc. DLP Construction Company, Inc. E.C. Provini, Co., Inc. Eckinger Construction Company Elder-Jones, Inc. Encore Construction, Inc. FCP Services FMGI Inc. Fortney & Weygandt, Inc. Fred Olivieri Construction Company Fulcrum Construction, LLC Go Green Construction, Inc. Graves Construction Gray West Construction Groom Construction Co., Inc. H.J. Martin & Son, Inc. Hardesty & Associates Harmon Construction, Inc. Healy Construction Services, Inc. Hilbers, Inc. Hirsch Construction Corp. Infinity Building Services, Inc. International Contractors, Inc. JAG Building Group James Agresta Carpentry Inc. JG Companies, Inc. Kerricook Construction, Inc. KPS Commercial Construction Lakeview Construction, Inc. M. Cary, Inc. Management Resource Systems Marco Contractors, Inc. Market Contractors Menemsha Development Group, Inc. Merchco Services, Inc. National Contractors, Inc. OLIO Development Group Open Ventures Group, LLC Pinnacle Commercial Development, Inc. PMA Construction LLC Prime Retail Services, Inc. R.E. Crawford Construction LLC RAYWEST DESIGNBUILD RCS Construction Rectenwald Brothers Construction, Inc. Retail Contractors of Puerto Rico

RCA members must meet and maintain a series of qualifications and are approved by the Board of Directors for membership. They have been in the retail construction business as general contractors for at least five years; agree to comply with the Association’s Code of Ethics and Bylaws; are properly insured and bonded; are licensed in the states in which they do business; and have submitted letters of recommendation.

CONTACT Jeff Lomber Bradley Martin Brian Boettler Steve Grasso Brad Bogart Bryan Alexander Charles Gleeson III Andrew McClung Kenneth Sharkey Chris Fontaine Benjamin Connor Bill Moberger Laurence Mason Greg McReynolds Brandon Nice Dan De Jager Bob Anderson Lori Perry Cheryl Montour Dennis Pigg, Jr. Joseph Lembo Philip Eckinger Justin Elder Joe McCafferty Tim Hill Darin Ross Mitch Lapin Dean Olivieri Willy Rosner John Castellano Anthony Graves Eric Berg Dwight Groom David Martin Scott Hardesty William Harmon James Healy Dave Vaughn Adam Hirsch Adam White Bruce Bronge Matt Allen James Agresta Adam Shihadeh Ann Smith Kevin Sullivan Marc Delsman Bill Tucker Travis Jarrett Martin Smith Kerry Lobbestael Caitlin Cahill Scott Bouwens Michael Dudley Matt Salts Cory McFarlane Dennis Rome Kamesha Washington Donald Bloom Jeffrey T. Smith Greg West Nate Bachman Art Rectenwald Sean Pfent

PHONE 810-499-7127 770-945-2195 636-368-5234 206-621-8884 949-453-1400 770-971-0787 248-647-5500 405-740-6950 616-842-4540 617-770-0050 856-599-1765 614-235-0057 860-709-9280 940-387-6700 757-566-3032 616-530-0060 860-870-7070 816-650-9200 770-919-9941 770-887-3573 732-739-8884 330-453-2566 952-345-6069 410-573-5050 630-816-0631 678-903-2200 440-716-4000 330-494-1007 770-612-8005 412-389-2577 949-467-1799 714-491-1317 781-592-3135 920-494-3461 949-723-2230 812-346-2048 708-396-0440 530-673-2947 978-762-8455 410-255-9281 630-834-8043 239-540-2700 201-498-1477 909-993-9393 440-647-4200 317-984-7764 262-857-3336 631-501-0024 336-861-1960 724-741-0300 503-255-0977 781-337-9012 888-879-8813 952-881-6123 614-286-2938 561-855-6649 732-528-0080 678-878-4141 866-504-3511 941-907-0010 910-824-0503 651-704-9000 724-772-8282 586-725-4400

STATE MI GA MO WA CA GA MI OK MI MA NJ OH CT TX VA MI CT MO GA GA NJ OH MN MD MN GA OH OH GA PA CA CA MA WI CA IN IL CA MA MD IL FL NJ CA OH IN WI NY NC PA OR MA TX MN OH FL NJ GA GA FL NC MN PA MI

EMAIL jlomber@acme-enterprises.com bmartin@asacarlton.com bboettler@abgbuilds.com steveg@bayley.net brad@bogartconstruction.com bryan@buildriteconstruction.com cegleeson3@gleesonconstructors andrew.mcclung@comanchellc.com ken.t.sharkey@teamcci.net cfontaine@combuild.com bconnor@connorconstructionllc.com wmoberger@constructionone.com lmason@construxco.com greg@dgcsinc.com bnice@davidnicebuilders.com dandj@dejagerconstruction.com banderson@descopro.com loriperry@diamondcontractors.org cmontour@division9inc.com dpigg@dlpconstruction.com jlembo@ecprovini.com phil@eckinger.com justin@elderjones.com joe@encoreconstruction.net thill@fcpservices.com darin.ross@fmgi-inc.com mlapin@fortneyweygandt.com dean@fredolivieri.com wrosner@fulcrumconstruction.com john@ggc-pgh.com anthony@gravesconstruction.com EBerg@GrayWC.com dwgroom@groomco.com david@hjmartin.com scott@hardestyassociates.com bill.harmon@harmonconstruction.com jhealy@healyconstructionservices.com dvaughn@hilbersinc.com ahirsch@hirschcorp.com awhite@infinitybuildinginc.com bbronge@icibuilds.com matta@jagbuilding.com jim.agresta@jacarpentryinc.com adam@jg-companies.com ann@kerricook.com kevin@kpsconstruction.com marc@lvconstruction.com btucker@mcaryinc.com tjarrett@mrs1977.com marty@marcocontractors.com kerryl@marketcontractors.com ccahill@menemshasolutions.com sbouwens@merchcoservices.com mdudley@ncigc.com msalts@oliodevgrp.com cory@openventuresgroup.com dennis@pinnaclecommercial.us kwash@pmacllc.com dbloom@primeretailservices.com jeffs@recrawford.com greg.west@raywestdesignbuild.com nbachman@retailconstruction.com art@rectenwald.com spfent@rcofusa.com

MEMBER SINCE 2009 2025 2017 2024 2008 2013 2024 2024 1990 1992 2021 2015 2025 2026 2011 1990 1995 2015 2021 2008 1992 1994 1990 2018 2024 2022 2013 1992 2014 2017 2022 2005 2023 2016 2020 2017 1996 2026 2025 2026 1995 2019 2013 2024 2012 2025 1998 2014 1992 1994 2019 2026 2026 2018 2026 2026 2012 2025 2014 2011 2021 1998 1996 1996 (Continued on page 5 )

FALL EDITION • 2026

Right Choice Development & Construction Royal Mechanical Services Russco, Inc. S.M. Wilson & Co. Sachse Construction and Development Corp. Scheiner Commercial Group, Inc. Schimenti Construction Company Shames Construction Co., Ltd. Singleton Construction, LLC Solex Contracting Sullivan Construction Company Taylor Brothers Construction Company, Inc. TDS Construction, Inc. Thomas-Grace Construction, Inc. Tilton Pacific Construction Tom Rectenwald Construction, Inc. Trainor Commercial Construction Tri-North Builders, Inc. Triad Retail Construction Vision General Contractors of GA, LLC Warwick Construction, Inc. Wayne Contracting LLC Weekes Construction, Inc. Westwood Contractors, Inc. William A. Randolph, Inc. Winkel Construction, Inc. Wolverine Building Group Woods Construction, Inc.

Danielle Wright Cindy Heigl Matthew Pichette Chris Hawn Jeff Katkowsky Joe Scheiner Matthew Schimenti Carolyn Shames Denise Doczy-Delong Gerald Allen Amanda Sullivan Jeff Chandler Robert Baker Don Harvieux Robert Schroeder Aaron Rectenwald John Holmberg David Brown Jay Dorsey Tony Durand Walt Watzinger Brad Burns Chandler Weekes Robert Benda Tony Riccardi Rick Winkel Michael Houseman John Bodary

832-567-9648 800-728-1155 508-674-5280 314-645-9595 248-647-4200 719-487-1600 914-244-9100 925-606-3000 740-756-7331 951-308-1706 954-484-3200 812-379-9547 941-795-6100 651-342-1298 916-630-7200 724-452-8801 415-259-0200 608-204-7227 281-485-4700 770-769-4674 832-448-7000 314-497-9485 864-233-0061 817-877-3800 847-856-0123 352-860-0500 616-949-3360 586-939-9991

TX KS MA MO MI CO NY CA OH CA FL IN FL MN CA PA CA WI TX SC TX MO SC TX IL FL MI MI

danielle@rightchoicedev.com cheigl@royalsolves.com mattp@russcoinc.com chris.hawn@smwilson.com jkatkowsky@sachseconstruction.com joe@scheinercg.com mschimenti@schimenti.com cshames@shames.com denisedelong@singletonconstruction.net jerry@solexcontracting.com amanda@buildwithsullivan.com Jeff.Chandler@TBCCI.com inbox@tdsconstruction.com don.harvieux@thomas-grace.com rschroeder@tiltonpacific.com arectenwald@trcgc.net john.holmberg@trainorconstruction.com dbrown@tri-north.com j.dorsey@triadrc.com tonyd@viscongc.com walt@warwickconstruction.com brad@waynecontracting.com cweekes@weekesconstruction.com bbenda@westwoodcontractors.com tony.riccardi@warandolph.com rickw@winkel-construction.com mhouseman@wolvgroup.com jbodary@woodsconstruction.com

2023 2024 1995 2024 2009 2012 1994 1994 2012 2015 2012 2014 1994 2012 2023 2010 2012 2015 2013 2021 2008 2026 1990 1990 2011 1990 2012 1996

Visit retailcontractors.org to view the profile of each RCA member company. Click on “Find a Contractor” on the home page to search the member list. Please notify the RCA Office (800-847-5085 or info@retailcontractors.org) of any changes to your contact information.

FALL EDITION • 2026

The Retail Contractor

The Inner Advantage: Building Teams That Rise Under Today’s Pressure and Tomorrow’s Uncertainty

More speakers to be announced soon!

Economic Update Dr. Anirban Basu, Chairman & CEO of Sage Policy Group, Inc.

Caleb Campbell, “America’s Athlete” (West Point graduate, former Army officer & NFL linebacker)

Visit retailcontractors.org for the full agenda and to register. RCA members can send an unlimited number of staff at no charge.

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FALL EDITION • 2026

(Continued from page 3 ) The day was a complete success. But the part I find most rewarding is knowing that somewhere among those 1,000 kids, we may have planted a seed. A child who climbed into an excavator, operated a tool, or talked with someone who builds things for a living may look at our industry a little differently because of that Saturday. I can’t thank everyone at RCA enough for the support and encouragement we received as we planned this first event. It was an enormous

undertaking, but I think I speak for everyone involved when I say it was also one of the most rewarding things we’ve ever been a part of. RCA is continuing to develop new opportunities and resources for members who want to get involved in workforce development in their own communities, some of which you’ll be hearing about soon. If you have questions or are interested in hosting an event like this, please reach out to me or anyone on the Workforce Development Committee.

Three years ago, I left an RCA event in Detroit inspired to action by what other members were doing in their communities. My hope is that someone reading this might be inspired to take the idea home to their community next. See you all soon.

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Latest Episodes to stream now

Autonomous Drones Bring 24/7 Intelligence to the Jobsite

Arol Wolford on AI, Revit & the Future of Construction: Spatial Construx

What happens when autonomous drones become another member of the construction team? Birdstop’s Keith Miao and Doug Muhlbauer join CCCT to explore autonomous drone technology capable of continuously monitoring jobsites and critical infrastructure. From security and construction progress to documentation, measurements, LiDAR and precise 3D modeling, the discussion examines how remote sensing and AI can provide contractors and owners with around-the-clock site intelligence while reducing the need to put people into difficult or hazardous inspection environments.

Few people have watched construction technology evolve from as many vantage points as Arol Wolford. His career stretches from Material Survey Associates through CMD and into today’s world of Revit, BIM, artificial intelligence, spatial computing and Spatial Construx. Wolford joins CCCT to discuss how better information, mobile collaboration and emerging technologies are changing the way projects are designed, built and managed — while examining construction’s enormous opportunity to improve productivity and sustainability.

An interview podcast that talks to guests that will have business titles in design, construction, facilities, real estate, procurement, development, etc. in retail, restaurants, hospitality, healthcare, federal, multi-family, shopping center owners, developers, cannabis, mixed-use along with the A/E/C sectors plus vendor service suppliers & mfcs who’s products and services are specified, recommend and purchased by enduser brands to build and maintain their facilities in the Commercial Construction Building industry.

To be a guest or sponsor, reach out to David Corson your host at davidc@ccr-mag.com. Subscribe here to listen to all episodes: www.youtube.com/@commercialconstructionreno1615

Solving America’s Plumber Shortage: Building the Skilled Trades

Building What’s Next: Jon Armour on Construction, Tech & Reinvention

America needs hundreds of thousands of additional plumbing professionals, making workforce development one of the industry’s most pressing challenges. LIXIL’s Troy Benavidez and Plumbing Manufacturers International’s Kerry Stackpole join CCCT to discuss the plumbing workforce shortage, water conservation and the skills tomorrow’s professionals will need. From insights gathered at WorldSkills in Shanghai to plumbing’s estimated $442 billion annual economic impact, the conversation demonstrates why skilled trades are essential to housing, construction, manufacturing and America’s infrastructure — and why attracting the next generation cannot wait.

Jon Armour joins CCCT for a wide-ranging conversation about a career that has crossed engineering, commercial real estate, construction project management, power generation and IT infrastructure. With experience involving more than 40 utility projects, Armour discusses the explosive growth of data centers, cybersecurity, infrastructure and the continuing need for skilled trades. The conversation also goes beyond business, exploring writing, family, personal values and the experiences that have shaped his approach to work and life.

More Than a Home

How Bluenest’s Salim Chraibi is connecting attainable housing with stronger communities across South Florida

More Than a Home How Bluenest’s Salim Chraibi is connecting attainable housing with stronger communities across South Florida

alim Chraibi sees an opportunity to make homeownership a reality for more of the people who help South Florida’s

communities thrive. From teachers and healthcare professionals to the service workers who keep local businesses running, he believes everyone deserves a chance to put down roots in the places where they work and build their lives. As CEO and Founder of Bluenest Development, Chraibi has made that vision the foundation of a company focused on creating quality, attainable homes for working families. And his approach goes beyond simply building more houses. Since its founding in 2018, Bluenest has delivered more than 1,000 homes across South Florida, with another 3,000-plus units in its development pipeline. Along the way, Chraibi and his team have developed a business model designed to address some of the challenges that can make attainable housing difficult to deliver at scale.

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A big part of that strategy is keeping more of the process under one roof. Through its vertically integrated model, which includes in-house construction, Bluenest maintains greater control over development costs, construction quality and project schedules. The company also works closely with buyers throughout the homeownership process, helping them navigate the steps between finding a home and receiving the keys. For Chraibi, the bigger picture is about more than individual homes or developments. He sees housing as an essential part of a community’s infrastructure, one that helps support workforce stability, neighborhood growth and long-term economic opportunity. And in a region where demand for attainable housing continues to grow, finding ways to build efficiently without compromising quality is becoming increasingly important. We spoke with Chraibi about Bluenest’s approach to residential development, the advantages of bringing construction in-house and what it takes to create more opportunities for working families to call South Florida home.

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Tell us a little about yourself. What is your industry story? My connection to real estate began in childhood, growing up in Casablanca, Morocco, in a family deeply involved in the industry. My mother, Nadia Daoudi, is an architect and land broker, while my grandmother was developing homes and apartment buildings as early as the 1960s. She often told us to “stick to the rock,” her way of saying that land and real estate create enduring value. That philosophy stayed with me and ultimately shaped my career as a developer and the work we are doing today at Bluenest. I came to the United States on a golf scholarship to Johnson & Wales University, intending to play professionally, and my brother, Kamil, went to Florida International University, planning on a career in technology. Real estate inevitably found its way back to us. In South Florida, I realized that most developers seemed to be building $10 million, $15 million, $20 million mansions, but when I looked at the actual median income

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in Miami-Dade, I kept wondering where our teachers, nurses, police officers and the majority of Miamians were supposed to live. From 2018 to 2020, we completed our first standalone homes and duplexes on small infill lots in Brownsville, West Little River and Liberty City, homes that sold within days of hitting the market. That signaled to me the demand was very real. Financing was the hard part at first, a family lender, London Financial, gave us our first construction loan, $650,000, back in 2018, when almost no one else would touch a project that size. Those projects became the beginning of Bluenest.

What inspired you to establish your company? How has your founding mission evolved over time? My inspiration for Bluenest came from hearing the same story over and over again. A teacher, a nurse, a first responder who wanted to buy a home in the community they served, but could not find anything they could afford, while builders around us were chasing $10 million and $20 million mansions. Miami-Dade’s home prices were climbing, and continue to, while workforce wages weren’t and aren’t keeping pace. Most of the “affordable housing” being built was for rent, not for sale. That’s why I made it my mission to build for-purchase homes at attainable prices made for the people who keep this county running. The mission hasn’t changed, but the scale and the tools have. We started with individual infill lots and no connections to U.S. real estate, no family reputation here to lean on, no built-in investor network. Today, we’re vertically integrated, handling land acquisition, entitlements, construction and sales in house, and we built our investor relationships from scratch with South Florida family offices and high-networth individuals rather than inheriting them. As an immigrant, I don’t take that for granted. It’s almost impossible to do what we’ve done in most other countries. You need a big market, buyers who are actually buying, and access to capital, and the United States

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gave us all three. What’s evolved is our ability to do this at real scale; we’re on pace to be delivering 1,000 homes a year by 2028.

Describe the signature style or characteristics that define your residential projects. Two things define our projects. First, we design to context: at Redland Reserve, for example, our townhomes use a barn-style architecture, steep-pitched metal roofs, and façades that echo the farms and nurseries around the site, rather than dropping a generic suburban product onto agricultural land. Second, every home carries finishes you’d expect in a $2 million house, not a workforce-priced one: impact windows and doors, waterfall countertops, higher ceilings, foyers with powder rooms, and upstairs “pajama rooms” where families can spend time together, not just a bedroom and a hallway. We build almost everything around a compact set of repeatable, pre-approved three- and four-bedroom plans, typically around 1,900 square feet, adapted to each neighborhood’s character. That repeatability is what lets us hold the line on cost and permitting timelines while still delivering a home that looks and feels like a move-up product.

What types of residential projects do you specialize in? What market segment do you primarily serve? We specialize in ground-up, for-sale residential communities, mainly townhomes and duplexes in the three- and four-bedroom range, sized for families rather than singles or investors. Most of our work is infill development on Miami-Dade sites we rezone from agricultural or lower-density designations, concentrated in south Miami-Dade: Homestead, Naranja, Princeton, Goulds, Cutler Bay and the Redland. Our core buyer is a household earning between 80% and 140% of Miami-Dade’s area median income: teachers, nurses, first responders, tradespeople, hospitality and healthcare workers, the people who keep Miami running but have been priced out of owning here.

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About 90% of our buyers are first-time homeowners, and over the past year, roughly 70% of our inventory has been dedicated specifically to workforce housing. Our 1% down payment program is the mechanism that makes that real: It clears the single biggest obstacle standing between a qualified essential worker and the American Dream of owning a home in the community they serve. The math we built is simple: a household budget of $400,000 to $500,000, and a monthly payment, all in, that comes out lower than renting that same home would cost. If we can be the first name a family with that budget thinks of, because we deliver the best product for the money, we’ve done our job.

What has been your most challenging project to date? How did overcoming those challenges shape your approach to construction? The most demanding project so far has been what’s now called Redland Reserve, on Krome Avenue in south Miami-Dade. Assem-

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bling roughly 90 acres, land split between row crops, a palm tree farm, an avocado orchard and a plant nursery, took multiple transactions over more than a year, and rezoning agricultural land for higher-density residential use draws real, substantive opposition: Neighbors who bought decades ago worried about traffic and legitimate concerns about schools, water and losing farmland. Those aren’t concerns I dismiss. The project was originally approved with roughly 500 townhomes and 76 single-family homes, with 20% of units reserved for households earning up to 140% of area median income. A resident fairly asked whether a project that’s 80% market-rate should be marketed as an affordability solution. That question stuck with me. We went back and restructured the deal: Redland Reserve is now planned at 582 units across three phases, and every home will be capped at workforce pricing, currently up to $494,000, tied to area median income. It’s a harder financial model to make work, but it’s the right way to build trust with a community that’s watching closely.

Can you share details about your favorite completed project and what made it particularly meaningful or successful? It’s hard to pick just one, but the story that means the most to me right now is Benjamin Sar’s. He’s a photographer who moved to Miami in 2021 and lived out of his car for three months while he got his career going. As an immigrant from Liberia, he’d never seriously considered homeownership as he thought it wasn’t possible. In October 2024, he closed on a brandnew three-bedroom, three-bath home in

North Miami for $400,000, put down just 1%, and layered a $250,000 conventional mortgage with a $35,000 interest-free loan and a $100,000 loan through Miami-Dade’s down payment assistance programs. He told The New York Times, “Those programs are the only reason why I have a house right now.” When a story like that runs nationally, in a piece about the country’s affordability crisis, it’s proof that what we built can be a national blueprint for attainable homeownership. On a smaller scale, Limonar Estates, our 34-duplex community in Naranja, is one

We build almost everything around a compact set of repeatable, pre-approved three- and four-bedroom plans, typically around 1,900 square feet, adapted to each neighborhood’s character.

I’m especially proud of too. It’s exactly the kind of site most large builders would skip, but it’s where our model works best. Land use attorney Anthony De Yurre has pointed out that not every project can be a 300-unit community, and being entrepreneurial about the smaller parcels is a lot of what makes south Miami-Dade viable.

How do you integrate sustainable building practices into your construction process? What specific eco-friendly innovations have you implemented? Our sustainability approach is practical rather than marketing-driven, it starts with building homes that survive a Miami hurricane season without needing to be rebuilt. Impact windows and doors and code-plus wind mitigation are standard on every home, not upgrades, because the most sustainable home we can build in South Florida is one that doesn’t need to be repaired or rebuilt after every storm.

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Beyond resilience, our standardized floor plans and vertically integrated model reduce material waste and rework, because design, procurement and construction are working from the same playbook project after project instead of reinventing details each time.

What sets your company apart from other residential contractors in your market? Vertical integration is the honest answer, and it isn’t optional for us. We would not be able to do this if we had to hire third-party vendors, general contractors, and outside prime contractors at every stage, it would be too costly to bring the product to market. Land acquisition and rezoning let us start a project with some equity and a cushion built in, and building in-house from there is what lets us control both cost and quality, not just one or the other.

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Our near-term goal is to keep growing the mission, not just the top line: deliver 1,000 homes a year by 2028. The second thing is that we’ve stayed disciplined about who we build for. Over the past year, roughly 70% of our inventory has been dedicated to workforce housing, not as a side program, but as the core of the business, paired with our 1% down payment program. Most workforce housing in Miami-Dade is built to rent. We’re the largest non-institutional homebuilder in south Miami-Dade building for-purchase homes at this scale, over 1,000 delivered, with roughly 3,000 more homes across about 23 communities in our pipeline.

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That’s a deliberate bet: homeownership, not just housing, is what lets an essential worker build generational wealth. We also built a proprietary tool in house to identify and evaluate potential sites before we buy, which matters when land pricing discipline is what makes or breaks whether a project can hit workforce pricing at all. It shows in how we’re regarded: People we’ve worked with describe us as aggressive but reliable, one broker who sold us a Homestead site put it simply, we do what we say we’re going to do and rarely ask for extensions or concessions.

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We could also build a cheaper, lower-quality product and still hit a price point. We choose not to. The goal is for Bluenest to be the first name that comes up for a family with a $400,000 to $500,000 budget in Miami-Dade, because we’re giving them the best, most livable home for that money, not the least we can get away with.

How do you balance client design preferences with structural integrity and building code requirements? Code and structure are largely fixed before a buyer or a neighborhood ever sees a plan, our floor plans are pre-engineered and pre-approved, so that part isn’t a negotiation. Where the real balancing act happens is between density and neighborhood context.

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On a recent project inside an existing single-family area, we created a 10-foot park buffer around the site, then a ring of single-family homes on the perimeter priced over $1,000,000, with our workforce-priced townhomes built inside that ring. Drive through, and the street looks exactly like the neighborhood already does. Walk inside, and you find the housing diversity that community actually needs. That’s not just a design trick, it’s a value I hold. We’ve seen what happens when a community has no housing diversity and no socioeconomic integration, and it isn’t good long term. This isn’t low-income housing, it’s workforce housing, and workforce housing living alongside move-up homes is something that works, and works well, when you design for it deliberately instead of by accident.

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What emerging trends in residential construction are you most excited about, and how are you incorporating them? Modular and panelized construction, and more standardized, repeatable design generally, is the trend I’m most excited about, because it’s the same principle our company is built on: predictability lowers cost, and lower cost is what makes workforce housing pencil. I’m also watching innovative financing structures closely, builder rate buydowns, forward commitments on mortgage rates, blended public-private down payment programs, because right now financing, not construction cost, is the bigger obstacle to workforce homeownership. This isn’t just a Bluenest strategy: The New York Times reported this year that the number of down payment assistance

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programs nationally hit an all-time high, over 2,500 as of the second quarter of 2025, so we’re ahead of a trend the rest of the industry is only now catching up to. Anything that gets a qualified buyer from pre-approval to a closing table faster is worth our attention, and we’re actively incorporating it: our own buydowns, our layered mortgage structure and our 1% down payment program. We’ve also built our own proprietary technology to identify and underwrite potential sites faster and more accurately than a manual process allows, since land pricing discipline is what makes or breaks whether a project can hit workforce pricing at all.

How do you approach collaboration with architects, designers and other professionals during your projects? Because we’re vertically integrated, our architects, engineers and construction team aren’t separate firms handing a project off at each stage, they’re working from the same standardized plans and the same cost targets from day one.

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That said, we still work closely with outside land use attorneys, civil engineers and planners on entitlement work, since every rezoning and every site has its own local context, traffic studies, utility capacity, neighborhood character, that has to get translated into a plan that will actually get approved. I’m also directly involved in the community engagement side of that collaboration. We meet with neighborhood groups and residents early, including events we’ve hosted at the Women’s Club of Homestead, so a project’s design reflects what a community actually says it needs, walkability, transit access, commercial space, not just what pencils fastest for us.

What values drive your day-today operations and how do these translate into the final homes you deliver? Everything traces back to family, first and then to mission. My mother, Nadia Daoudi, is an architect and land broker, and my grandmother developed homes and apartment buildings in Casablanca back in the

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1960s. She used to tell us to “stick to the rock,” meaning real estate, and that pull toward this business was always there. My father, Khalid, died when Kamil and I were young, and we had our share of financial hardship growing up. We started this company with some backing from friends and family and built the rest of our investor relationships from nothing. That background is why we don’t take access to capital, or to this market, for granted. Day to day, that translates into staying disciplined and staying close to the people we build for. Roughly 70% of what we’ve built and sold over the past year has been dedicated to workforce housing, priced for households earning up to 140% of area median income, not as a side program, but as the core of what we do. We pair every rezoning with real community engagement, because asking a neighborhood to accept more density is asking a lot, and being honest about pricing structure, rather than overselling a project as fully affordable when it isn’t yet, is part of keeping our word.

Our core buyer is a household earning between 80% and 140% of Miami-Dade’s area median income: teachers, nurses, first responders, tradespeople, hospitality and healthcare workers, the people who keep Miami running but have been priced out of owning here. As I’ve put it before: we still need our workers, our local population, our workforce, to remain in the city, otherwise we’re not going to have the city. The other value is responsible growth. We rezone agricultural land, and we know that’s not universally popular, so we pair every rezoning with real community engagement: meeting residents where they are, listening to concerns about

traffic, schools and farmland, and being honest about pricing structure rather than overselling a project as fully affordable when it isn’t yet. Those values show up in the homes themselves: a family that qualifies with 1% down, closes on a home priced for what they actually earn, and gets a real shot at the American Dream in the city they serve instead of being priced out of it.

What trends are you seeing in the residential construction market today? How are they shaping the industry? Miami-Dade is in the middle of a real affordability crisis, not a slow one, and it’s compounded by something counterintuitive: even as the broader market cooled into a buyer’s market this past year, demand for workforce-priced, below-market homes stayed strong, because that demand is perennial, it isn’t tied to the same cycles as the luxury market. Single-family inventory fell 23% in a single year even as the median single-family home price climbed to around $685,000, up nearly 300% since 2011. We lost tens of thousands of residents to out-migration last year alone, priced out of the county they used to call home. The two biggest obstacles I see shaping the industry right now are land

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and environmental review. Miami-Dade is capped by water to the east, the Everglades to the west and the urban development boundary, so land is scarce, and most of what’s left in south Dade used to be agricultural, which means environmental review, remediation and a long, costly approval process before you can build anything. On top of that, our buyers are extremely rate-sensitive: 18 months ago we did not need $30,000 in buydown incentives to get buyers qualified, today we do, even though the demand never went anywhere. Miami-Dade needs roughly 90,000 more homes and the trend I expect to keep accelerating is builders underwriting risk buyers can’t underwrite

themselves: rate buydowns, low down payment programs, forward-committed financing. That’s why we’ve dedicated roughly 70% of our inventory this past year to workforce housing and built our 1% down payment program around it.

What are your goals for your company’s growth and impact on the residential construction industry? Our near-term goal is to keep growing the mission, not just the top line: deliver 1,000 homes a year by 2028. We have roughly 3,000 homes across about 23 communities in our pipeline, in various stages from planned to under construction, and scale only matters to me if it keeps translating

into more essential workers owning homes in Miami-Dade. Longer term, we want to take the same vertically integrated, for-purchase, workforce-first model into Broward and Palm Beach counties, and eventually the rest of Florida, because this isn’t just a Miami problem, it’s a South Florida problem and maybe a Florida problem. My hope is to build Bluenest into the first name a family with a $400,000 to $500,000 budget thinks of, and my hope for the industry is bigger than our own growth: more builders treating for-sale workforce housing as a real, scalable category, because the alternative is watching this region lose the workforce that keeps it running, one displaced teacher, one relocated nurse, at a time.

One-on-One with... Bluenest’s Salim Chraibi Describe a typical day

There isn’t a typical day, which is probably the honest answer. Any given day might include a site visit or a construction walkthrough in Homestead or the Redland, a call with a lender on a construction draw, a meeting with our land use attorneys on an entitlement application, and a sit-down with our sales and finance teams on buyer qualification numbers. I’m still directly involved in capital structuring, joint venture negotiations and lender relationships, so a lot of my day moves between the financial side of the business and the people, our team, our buyers, the communities where we build.

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

Scaling our operations team fast enough to keep up with our pipeline. We’ve grown from one person to more than 40 employees, but we have roughly 2,500 homes in the pipeline across two dozen communities and making sure we have the land acquisition, construction management, and finance talent in place to deliver all of that on schedule, while keeping our workforce-housing share where it needs to be, is the thing that keeps me up at night more than any single deal.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

Closing day, every time. Watching a teacher, a nurse, a first responder, someone who was told they’d need another

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decade of saving, get the keys to a home in the community where they work. That’s the whole reason we built the 1% down payment program and dedicated roughly 70% of this year’s inventory to workforce housing: to make days like that possible for the people who keep Miami running. It hasn’t gotten old.

What was the best advice you ever received? The best advice I received came from my grandmother. She used to tell me to “stick to the rock,” meaning to stay close to land and real estate because they create enduring value. She had developed homes and apartment buildings in Casablanca as early as the 1960s, so the advice came from experience. It stayed with me throughout my career and continues to influence how I approach every project today.

What’s the best thing a client ever said to you? One of our homeowners, Benjamin Sar, said, “Every day I go home, I’m in love with it.” Benjamin once believed that buying a home in Miami was beyond his reach. He had experienced homelessness after moving here to pursue his career, yet ultimately became a first-time buyer of a brand-new, three-bedroom home. His words capture why we build. It is not simply about completing houses. It is about giving people a home they are proud to return to every day.

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Ready Before It Happens 5 steps that can help prepare for severe weather without adding cost or complexity

isasters rarely leave much time to get organized. When severe weather arrives, the last thing anyone wants to be doing is searching for an insurance policy, tracking down prescriptions or figuring out who is supposed to pick up the kids. Decisions that seem routine on an ordinary day can become much harder when the power is out, roads are closed and everyone is trying to reach one another at once. Preparing for those moments does not have to mean spending hundreds of dollars on emergency supplies. In many cases, it begins with knowing who to call, where to find important information and what everyone should do if plans suddenly change.

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New research from United Way Worldwide and Verizon shows how wide the preparedness gap remains. While 60% of U.S. adults are concerned a natural disaster could affect their household within the next year, only 15% say they would feel very prepared if one occurred. Cost is part of the problem, with 45% of those surveyed citing it as the biggest barrier. But uncertainty also plays a role. Another 28% said they did not know where to begin and 25% pointed to a lack of time. Those numbers help make the case for keeping preparedness practical. Through its United We Prepare initiative, supported by Verizon, United Way offers free workshops, emergency kit distribution, information about local emergency services and guidance designed to help families prepare before trouble arrives.

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Ready Before It Happens

Prepare for Severe Weather

Getting started does not require planning for every possible scenario. A few conversations, some basic organization and several decisions made ahead of time can give families a much better idea of what to do when time matters most.

1 Know Who to Call Choose a relative or friend outside your immediate community who can serve as a central point of contact during an emergency, particularly if local phone networks become overwhelmed or family members become separated. Keep updated digital and physical contact lists with phone numbers and addresses for family members, healthcare providers and other important services so

the information remains accessible even if your phone does not.

2 Know What is Happening When conditions change quickly, having reliable information can shape what you do next. Turn on wireless emergency alerts on your phone and identify trusted local emergency services and news outlets ahead of time. Bookmark weather pages and other important websites as well so you know exactly where to look for updates instead of searching for information during an emergency.

3 Know Who Has Your Back A little coordination with the people around you can make a significant difference when

severe weather hits. Talk with neighbors, relatives or friends about what each person might need and how you can help one another. One neighbor may need assistance evacuating while someone else may have transportation, a generator or the ability to check on an older resident. Making those connections beforehand creates a support system everyone can rely on when circumstances become more difficult.

4 Think Through the Complications Every household has different needs, which is why it helps to work through the details while conditions are calm. Consider how you would handle prescriptions, pets, children, older family members, transportation, medical equipment and caregiving responsibilities if normal routines were disrupted. Decide where family members would meet if separated, who could pick up children, where pets could go and how essential medications or medical needs would be handled. The goal is not to account for every possibility, but to have enough of a plan to make the next decision easier.

5 Put Important Information

Within Reach Important documents are much easier to gather before you are facing an evacuation or property damage. Make digital copies or take photos of identification, insurance policies, medical cards, prescription information and other important household records, then store them somewhere secure and accessible. It also can be helpful to take a video of your property and valuable belongings so you have a record of what you owned if you later need to file an insurance claim. Preparedness is not about anticipating every possible scenario. It is about reducing uncertainty and giving yourself a better chance to respond when circumstances change quickly. An hour spent making connections, organizing important information and talking through a plan today can make the decisions that come later much easier. You do not have to prepare for everything at once. You just need to get started.

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TA R I F F R E F U N D S

SPECIAL REPORT

$166 Billion Is Going Back to American Businesses. Including Commercial Construction. The Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA tariffs. Customs is paying refunds right now. Most of the companies owed money still have not filed a thing. BY DEBBIE MERRICK

C A S E S T U DY

$600M AMAZON, Q2 2026

BUSINESS ADVOCATE, DM BUSINESS ADVISORS

Amazon collected $600 million in IEEPA refunds in the second quarter and told investors that was the significant majority of what it expects. Modest, for Amazon, and its CFO explained why: Amazon is not the Importer of Record on most goods sold in its store. Suppliers handled those imports, paid the tariffs, and collect those refunds. SOURCE: AMAZON Q2 2026 EARNINGS CALL, JULY 30, 2026

Between February 2025 and February 2026, U.S. businesses paid roughly $166 billion in tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In February 2026 the Supreme Court ruled in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump that those tariffs were unlawful. Customs stopped collecting on February 24, 2026, and the money started going back. NOTHING HAPPENS AUTOMATICALLY There is no check in the mail. Getting paid takes an active ACE account with Customs, direct deposit, and a filed declaration for your entries. More than 90% of eligible importers have not set up ACE. That is step one. WHY THIS HITS CONSTRUCTION HARDER A lot goes into a build: including lighting packages, rooftop units, plumbing fixtures, millwork, appliances, flooring. Much of it came from overseas during the tariff window, with the duty inside the price.

Two kinds of companies are owed money. The first is if your company is the Importer of Record on the customs paperwork. You paid the duty directly, and the refund is yours to claim. About 330,000 businesses sit there. The second is bigger, and almost nobody is talking about it. If you bought from a U.S. distributor who imported the goods and passed the tariff through as a surcharge or a price increase, you absorbed that cost. The refund flows back to them, not to you. Close to a million businesses are in this position. HOW YOU CAN QUICKLY CHECK ELIGIBILITY Pull your purchase records from the tariff window and flag tariff line items and surcharges. If you were the Importer of Record, check whether your ACE account is active. If not, find out who was. The law firm can assist with this, after you give some initial information. Start your review at tariffrefundfile.com/refund. Refunds run from thousands to millions, the work is on contingency, and interest is accruing. The money is moving. The question is whether you are in line.

DEBBIE MERRICK · BUSINESS ADVOCATE, DM BUSINESS ADVISORS DM Business Advisors is a business growth consultancy that connects small and mid-size businesses with funding, tax reduction, wellness benefits, and tariff refunds. Specializing in found money: credits and programs most business owners never hear about. Contact Debbie at DMBusinessAdvisors.com.

TA R I F F R E F U N D F I L E . C O M

T H E S U P R E M E C O U R T R U L E D T H E I E E PA TA R I F F S I L L E G A L

$166B

IS BEING REFUNDED TO U.S. BUSINESSES. RIGHT NOW. If your company imported goods, or bought from a distributor who did, between February 2025 and February 2026, some of that money is yours. It is not automatic, and Customs is not going to call you.

FEB 2025 - FEB 2026

F E B RUA RY 2 0 2 6

T O D AY

Collected

Struck Down

Being Paid

$166B in IEEPA duties paid by 330,000+ importers of record.

Supreme Court rules the tariffs unlawful. Collection stops Feb 24.

CBP has paid out about $100 billion so far, with interest.

330K+

~1M

90%

180

Businesses paid IEEPA duties directly

More absorbed the cost through their suppliers

Of eligible importers have not set up ACE yet

Days to act once an entry liquidates

TIER 1

TIER 2

You imported it.

You paid it anyway.

You are the Importer of Record on the customs paperwork and used a licensed broker. Roughly $1.5M+ a year from China, or $3M+ from elsewhere. The refund is yours to claim.

You bought from a U.S. distributor or supplier who imported, and they passed the tariff through. You never filed an entry. The refund is going to them, not you.

W H O T H I S H I T S : Hospitality · Restaurant Chains & Casino Operators · HVAC & Plumbing · Roofing Contractors · Electrical Distribution · Multifamily MRO · Theme Parks, Water Parks & FECs · Janitorial & Sanitation · Pool & Spa · Irrigation & Landscape Supply

FREE ELIGIBILITY REVIEW

tariffrefundfile.com/refund

Presented by DM Business Advisors

TariffRefundFile.com connects your business with the law firm that specializes in tariff refunds. Results may vary. Nothing here is a guarantee of outcome.

PROJECTS

CCD

Commercial Construction Data The following is a brief report on new commercial construction projects. The information is presented as a service of ConstructConnect. For more information, visit projects.constructconnect.com. PROJECT NAME

CITY

PROJECT VALUE

SQ. FT.

CONSTRUCTION TYPE

START DATE

Dedham, MA

$1,980,000

3,592

New Construction

Q1 2027

RETAIL/RESTAURANTS/QUICK SERVE: First Watch Restaurant - Providence Highway Antimony Brewery Expansion

Lenox, MA

$1,000,000

1,376

Addtion

Q4 2026

AutoZone #10716

East Hampton, CT

$1,500,000

7,000

New Construction

Q2 2027

Hannah International Food Processing and Retail

Plaistow, NH

$1,100,000

4,050

Addition

Q1 2027

Aldi - Stratford Square

Stratford, CT

$5,000,000

22,500

New Construction

Q4 2026

Costco

Southborough, MA

$34,000,000

125,000

New Construction

Q1 2027

Patrick Moto Group Car Dealership

Shrewsbury, MA

$11,000,000

50,950

New Construction

Q4 2026

Walmart Supercenter #1698.279 Remodel

Hooksett, NH

$3,000,000

15,943

Renovation

Q1 2027

53-69 Maine Street Mixed-Use Development

Brunswick, ME

$25,000,000

64,600

New Construction

Q3 2027

568 Hopmeadow Street Mixed-Use Building

Simsbury, CT

$6,000,000

13,326

New Construction

Q3 2027

83 Elm Mixed-Use Development

Danvers, MA

$6,500,000

26,209

New Construction

Q4 2026

Community Dr - Mixed Use Facility

South Burlington, VT

$33,000,000

275,000

New Construction

Q4 2026

Cambridge St - Hotel

Cambridge, MA

$15,000,000

46,659

New Construction

Q4 2026

Gate City Casino Nashua Sheraton Hotel Charitable Gaming and Parking Garage

Nashua, NH

$170,000,000

573,738

New Construction

Q1 2027

Convention Center at Rock Row

Westbrook, ME

$75,000,000

110,000

New Construction

Q3 2027

Harrison Avenue Hotel

Boston, MA

$59,000,000

79,300

New Construction

Q1 2027

Ridgefield Academy Annex Building Redevelopment

Ridgefield, CT

$8,000,000

10,430

Addtion

Q1 2027

Veteran's Educational Facility

Billerica, MA

$5,000,000

9,343

New Construction

Q4 2026

New Student Center & Art Museum Middlebury College

Middlebury, VT

$50,000,000

35,000

New Construction

Q4 2026

Oxford Academy Knight Hall Additions and Renovations

Westbrook, CT

$7,000,000

1,893

Addition/Renovation

Q4 2026

Greenwich Ave Veterinary Hospital

Warwick, RI

$2,500,000

6,000

New Construction

Q1 2027

Nortey Dental Office

Wells, ME

$2,100,000

5,400

New Construction

Q4 2026

Brigham & Women's Inpatient Facility

Boston, MA

$2,000,000,000

1,000,000

New Construction

Q2 2027

Hartford Hospital Expansion

Hartford, CT

$720,000,000

1,265,000

New Construction

Q4 2026

RETAIL/STORES/MALLS:

RESIDENTIAL/MIXED USE:

HOSPITALITY:

EDUCATION:

MEDICAL:

152

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

Sector

Project Status

Won

Private Public $2,000,000

Goderich, ON

GC Bidding

Find and Win More Profitable Projects Nationwide Whether you’re a general contractor in New York, doing concrete work in Los Angeles, or anywhere in between, ConstructConnect can help you find and win the right projects to make you more profitable and productive.

825,000+

382

Active Projects

Metro Areas

$3.5M

575,000+

Annual Document Spend

Construction Companies, Complete With Contact Info and Project Activity

Start searching now at projects.constructconnect.com.

877-422-8665 ccsales@constructconnect.com

ADVERTISER INDEX

SERVICE TO OUR READERS

Advertiser

Page

Advertiser

Page

3mg PSC

Heritage Fire Security

Ad Art

Hunter Building Corp

aim

127

Identicom Sign Solutions

Alis Design+

130

Impact Security

Amazing Pest Control!

101

irrigreen.com

149

American Cancer Society

84-85

Jones

19, 67

Arcvision

AVP Coating

BlueStreak Consulting

Bradley

Canada Light Expo 2026

115

CDO Group

Commercial Construction & Renovation CCRW / CCRM Awards Commercial Construction Coffee Talk Podcast

39 128-129

Commercial Construction & Renovation Digital Advantage

Commercial Construction & Renovation Digital Hub Exchange

Commercial Construction & Renovation Hall of Fame 2026

116-117

Connect Source Consulting Group

113

Construct Connect

153

Construction One

CREATE Architecture Planning & Design PLLC

Delta Commercial

68-69

East to West

Facility RX Services

Genesis Global Inc.

Geo Week Conference and Tradeshow

GGS Partners LLC

Lakeview Construction, LLC

LSI Flooring / UnSquashable Padding

MarketNet

118

Mike Levin

8, 104

National Terrazzo & Mosaic Assocation

Nationwide Cleaners

National Sign Team

Niagara

141

North Georgia Insulation, Co.

145

Onyx Creative

Paint Folks

Poma Retail Development, Inc

42-43

Porcelanosa

103-104

Project Management Consortium (PMC)

56-57

Quita Doors

139

Rockerz, Inc.

SignWave Elite

CVR 2-1

Tariff Refund File

150-151

TYPAR

Vadara

147

Veterans Worldwide Maintenance

111

Warmly Yours

GGI

92-93

Window Film Depot

CV3

Goodwin Commercial

Wolverine Building Group

Haas Door

135

ZipWall

154

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES A subscription to Commercial Construction & Renovation is your path to better-design, better-built and better-maintained facilities. Fill out the form below or scan the QR code.

New Subscription Application I wish to receive a FREE subscription to Commercial

Please indicate your organization’s primary business:*

Construction & Renovation*

_______________________________________________

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First Name* ______________________________________

In the performance of my job, I buy, specify and/or influence renovation or construction projects:*

Last Name* ______________________________________ Job Title _________________________________________ Company Name* ___________________________________ Address* ________________________________________ Suite/Number/Dept/Floor _____________________________ City* ____________________________________________ State/Province* ____________________________________ Zip/Postal Code* ___________________________________

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Please indicate the number of new site construction related projects that your company will be involved in over the next 24 months:* _______________________________________________ Please indicate the number of remodeled/renovated site construction related projects that your company will be involved in over the next 24 months:*

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Check here if you do not want to receive industry related information from carefully screened third party vendors.

ISSUE 8, 2026 — COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION

155

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

by David Corson

Who Will Build America Tomorrow?

e talk a lot about technology, AI, automation and the future of construction. But there is another question our industry needs to be asking: Who is

actually going to build it?

During my recent Commercial Construction Coffee Talk conversation with Kerry Stackpole of Plumbing Manufacturers International and Troy Benavidez of LIXIL, the skilled labor shortage was front and center. One projection points to a shortage of approximately 550,000 plumbers by 2027.

156

And plumbing is only one piece of the puzzle. Associated Builders and Contractors estimates the construction industry needs to attract an additional 349,000 workers in 2026 to meet demand. In 2027, that number could jump to 456,000 additional workers.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 9, 2026

Think about that. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics projections, we need tens of thousands of people entering the major trades every year. There are approximately 72,700 openings annually for electricians, 62,800 for carpenters, 42,000 for plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, 40,600 for HVAC technicians and 40,300 for welders. Then add approximately 13,600 openings for concrete workers, 12,000 for roofers, 7,600 for drywall installers and ceiling tile installers and another 6,400 for flooring installers. And that does not even begin to cover every skilled trade required to build, renovate and maintain America's commercial buildings, homes, manufacturing facilities, data centers, hospitals, hotels, restaurants and infrastructure. For decades, we pushed young people toward four-year college degrees while too often treating the trades as a second choice. That thinking needs to change. A young person who learns electrical, plumbing, HVAC, welding, carpentry or another skilled trade can build an incredible career. They can earn a good living, become a superintendent or project manager, start their own company and eventually employ hundreds of people. We need more trade schools. We need stronger apprenticeship programs. We need contractors and manufacturers visiting high schools and showing students what these careers actually look like. And we need experienced tradespeople mentoring the next generation before decades of knowledge walk out the door with them. This is also why I am so passionate about what we are trying to build with The Forge Trade School as part of our future Construction Village and CCR Hall of Fame project. We can celebrate the people who built this industry while training the people who will build its future. The opportunity is enormous. The jobs are there. The demand is there. The careers are there. Now we have to find the people, train them and give them a reason to be proud to call themselves tradespeople. America has a lot left to build. Let’s get to work, GSD & ABM. Safe Travels & Keep the Faith.

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