Colt Builders Magazine—Special Issue

Meet Our Executive Team and ManagersRegional www.ColtBuilders.com 2ND Edition COLT BUILDERS MAGAZINE INTEGRITYONBUILTWall Panel Design andFabrication BROUGHT TO YOU BY OUR AFFILIATE COMPANIES, COLT STRUCTURES AND TECHNICAL FRAMING SOLUTIONS Colt Builders: Our History THE STORY OF HOW A MAGNIFICENT ORGANIZATION WAS BUILT

When I look at the milestones we’ve achieved over the last decade, it’s awesome to see our change. In particular, I think of the fulfillment of our national reach and local management model. This isn’t just a slogan. It is real. Today we are residing in almost every major market across North America, and we’ll soon be in them all. We’ve been able to achieve so much because we hire the “best in class” at every level of our company—from our carpenters, site management, regional management, and executive team. Best in class attracts best in class. Our service departments are also second to none. From accounting, safety, HR, risk, pre-con, estimating, marketing, and IT, we are making it all happen on everyWefront.have great customers—and repeat customers. Our customer list includes most of the largest and prestigious brand name developers in the nation and the best regional GCs. Taking care of our customers and offering them a premium service and product will keep us thriving for years to come. Our future endeavor is to build an off-site manufacturing and storage network around the country. More locations will be added over the coming years that will improve our competitive advantage and continue to separate us from other framing companies.Sometimes taking time to reflect is important. As I look at our company, I’m humbled and honored by the incredible people who work their hearts out each day to make Colt the best in the business. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and the challenges of the day—to forget what we have become and where we are going. I could go on writing pages of additional accomplishments, and I probably should. Instead, I’ll sign off with a deeply sincere thank you. I look forward to the journey ahead with you.

PRESIDENT’S NOTE

O

Glen Yates, President and C e O

ur team has always viewed Colt Builders with a humble perspective, but the truth is that our national presence within the USA is unique for a framing company. Our local reputation within our regions gives us a competitive advantage thanks to the reliable and competent services that we offer. Why a Colt magazine? We wanted to bring awareness to the culture of our amazing team and company. The pages that follow will guide you on a tour around the regions, meeting our leader ship team and introducing our innovative affiliate companies that assist in giving Colt the added edge in our industry.

Magazine 1 CONTENTS 2 Colt Builders: A Brief History 6 Executive Team 8 Behind the Scenes 12 Regional Tour 14 Northeast 18 Mid-Atlantic 22 Southeast 24 Texas 28 Southwest 32 Mountain West 34 Southern California 36 Northern California 38 Pacific Canada 40 Affiliate Companies 40 Technical Framing Solutions 42 Colt New Brunswick,Structures: Canada 44 Colt Kingman,Structures:USA 46 The Pointe: CommunitiesRetirement 48 Giving Back: Colt NonprofitBuildersInvolvement 142 40

COLTBUILDERS:

Left to right: Jim Petersen, John Robertson, and Glen Yates

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Like lots of company origin stories, Colt Builders began in a basement.

“I couldn’t even put gas in my car,” Glen recalls. “And I realized, ‘This isn’t going to work long term.’” Glen was right—his long-term strategy would not keep him in a basement. At age 21, an opportunity came his way that set him on the path to eventually run his own business.

G len Yates, CEO and president of Colt Builders, graduated with a degree in construction engineering in the early 1990s, at a time when Canada’s economy was entering a twoyear-long recession. Glen, a Canadian, decided to wait out the economic downturn in another hemisphere with warmer weather, so he headed to Australia for a year. When he returned to Canada, the job market was still dismal, and he ended up taking a lowwage job working as a construction estimator in—you guessed it!—a basement.

A HISTORYBRIEF

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“I was approached by a Calgary company who was looking for framers to come to the United States,” says Glen. “I was young and not afraid of work, and so I decided to go. I framed senior living facilities all over the country, and I quickly advanced to doing that on my own in a few years.”

Buildin G a Business Glen purchased controlling interest in Colt Builders in 2011, despite his general disinterest in the corporate world. “I really wanted to make it on my own,” he explains. “I just had an entrepreneurial bug in me that I wanted to explore.”

Glen and Shane hand cutting a roof The crew framing “in the day”

After gaining experience working in Hawaii, Georgia, Iowa, Texas, and Florida, Glen eventually settled in New England and started his first company. Shortly after its formation, the company was purchased by a larger organization. Through this acquisition, Glen was introduced to larger building opportunities in the rapidly expanding Northeast and Mid-Atlantic markets. There he became an industry leader as he directed the company expansion in commercial framing. Once again, like many times before, another opportunity came Glen’s way.

s tartin G s mall Colt Builders was well established by the time Glen acquired controlling interest in 2011. The company was founded in 2004 by John Robertson—known as JR—a CPA by profession. In 1980, JR was founding partner of a Canadian accounting firm. In 1990, he left private practice and formed a real estate syndication firm, which expanded into real estate development, which led to construction projects and business opportunities across the United States. JR retired in 2001 when a private equity firm acquired the commercial framing company that he had controlling interest in. Retirement obviously did not last long. In 2004, he was approached by one of his long-standing business acquaintances and asked to start another framing company to service a partic ular developer of retirement communities. An agreement was reached, and Colt Builders was born. It was a bit of a slow start, recalls JR. “When we founded the company, we didn’t have a lot of volume, maybe doing $8 million in revenue per year.” Compared to their current revenue of nearly a quarter billion a year in sales, their early days seem miniscule. But the slow start was not meant to last. JR had a bigger vision. In 2008, Jim Petersen joined the company as an equal shareholder. His role was to expand into general contracting, primarily developing real estate for their private holdings. Colt survived the real estate downturn of 2008, and as the recession ended there was major growth potential. But as JR puts it, “I didn’t have 25 hours in the day or 8 days in the week.” He and Jim were determined to find a partner to lead and grow Colt Builders, and that’s when Glen arrived on the scene. In 2011, the general contracting was separated from Colt Builders and Jim became president of Gold Stream Companies, a developer of retirement communities in the Intermountain states.

The itch to build a business for himself came at a unique time—similar to his entry into the construction field as a fresh college graduate, he was attempting to gain new ground in his career during a massive recession. The 2008 financial crisis had crushed business across the United States, but now, in hindsight, Glen is grateful.

“I think that the retirement community development is maybe the strongest, in my opinion,” says JR. “In 2030, there will be 71 million people over the age of 65 living in the United States. Let’s say that 10 percent of that 71 million want the option of living in a retirement community—that’s 7 million people. But right now, there are only accommodations for 3 million people. So, if 10 percent want the accommodations, we have to build 27,000 buildings to accommodate the additional 4 million people.”

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Those national headquarteredresources,inSaltLake City, Utah, provide a great home base for supporting locations around the country.

While Glen acknowledges that competition will always be local, Colt’s regional offices are tuned in to local needs, trends, and workforce requirements. This structure allows the company to thrive within a particular region while still having access to the resources of a national organization. Those national resources, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, provide a great home base for supporting locations around the country (and lets Glen engage in some of his favorite outdoor activities like skiing and water sports), including places such as Austin, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona; Sacramento, California; Frederick, Maryland; Charlotte, North Carolina; Warwick, Rhode Island; and Kelowna, British Columbia.

“It was an anxious time, but the recession allowed for this opportunity,” he says. “Without it, this opportunity wouldn’t have existed. For me, the timing was right, and with good experi ence and a good background, I was ready. I knew the industry. I knew the business. I wanted to take it to the moon.”

“Framing has always been a regional business—maybe two states wide, at most,” explains Glen. But Colt wanted something different.Glenand JR had experience building across the country in a variety of different markets, all with varied needs and best prac tices, which meant that if they wanted to become a truly national organization, they would need to replicate that experience within the business. But national companies without a community focus would also fail to provide the personalized experience needed to succeed in individual markets, which is why Colt was structured as a nationwide company with local presence in each market.

While Colt Builders is a commercial framing company for many diverse projects, JR, Jim, and Glen started their construction careers building retirement communities—a trend that Colt Builders has continued. This is a unique niche in the market, but the numbers alone prove how vital these kinds of builds will be in the coming years.

nstru C tin G C O mmunities and Plannin G f O r the f uture

Setting his sights for the proverbial stars, Glen began to ramp up production and increase the number of builds, and he did so with a vision that was different from the industry’s status quo.

n ati O nal r ea C h, lOC al m ana G ement

“We’re a Pe OP le Business” Colt’s long-term plans for expansion and growth would not be possible without a talented and invested staff. JR and Glen both consider this to be the biggest asset of the company, and when asked about the best parts of their jobs, both of them have the same answer: the people.

“I love coming into the office in the morning and seeing everyone working,” says JR. “We are a people business because relationships matter—trust me. Our team is such a motivated team, and we have a great culture. It’s the most exciting part of my Glenjob.” agrees.

“Fear is a powerful force that prevents us from doing a lot of things,” he says. “But this is the truth: if you think you can, go do it.”

“The people I surround myself with have taken this company to places even I didn’t think it could get to.”

—Glen Yates, Chief e xe C utive Offi C er & President Hornet saw demo with our Utah team

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While it is true that multifamily homes are also high on Colt’s priority list, as JR says, “Somebody’s got to frame these retire ment communities—why not Colt Builders?”

“I love seeing people succeed,” he says simply. “The people I surround myself with have taken this company to places even I didn’t think it could get to.” And he’s right. Colt Builders currently has 500 employees and works with more than 1,000 subcontractors, generating $250 million in revenue every year. And they are not planning on stopping any time soon. With a strong track record and a promising future, Glen is looking forward to expanding Colt Builders even more in the coming years. Given his success, he’s gained a lot of wisdom with regard to starting and growing a successful company. However, when asked what advice he’d give to other young entrepreneurs just starting out in the business, his advice is grounded and simple.

EXECUTIVE TEAM

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Originally from Poland, Janusz started his construction career by translating for a framing contractor as he worked his way through college in Worcester, Massachusetts, studying political science. Growing in experience and responsibility, he entered a position in management in Massachusetts, where he learned the foundations of framing and siding. After moving and working in 9 different states and gaining over 15 years of experience in commercial construction, Janusz has been expanding Colt’s regional operations since 2013. Working within multiple regions, Janusz’s ability to work closely with estimating, preconstruction, and the on-site management team has brought efficiency to our processes.

Though “home” is Bucks Country, Pennsylvania, Michael is a proud alumnus of West Virginia University, where he received his degree in accounting. He became interested in the construction industry in high school when he helped out with his family’s home remodeling business. Michael interacted primarily with construction contractors for 12 years as he worked in public accounting in Montgomery County, Maryland. He approaches life with enthusiasm, whether it is at Colt Builders where he now leads the accounting and finance team, or with family, friends, or in the outdoors.

miC hael CO r CO ran Chief Financial Officer

J ane im P erat O re Chief Risk Officer Jane Imperatore is a graduate of the University of Richmond School of Law and the University of Virginia, with High Distinction. She guides owner/developers, contractors, and design professionals through all phases of development and construction of commercial properties in the market rate and affordable sectors, including preparation, review, negotiation of development, design, construction, and design-build. Jane has brought her passion and talent to Colt Builders as Chief Risk Officer, utilizing her extensive experience in advising clients on all aspects of contract administration and close-outs.

Mike Green joined Colt Builders as a Chief Operating Officer, with a diverse background in the construction field. His experience includes reputable firms, from which Mike received an acute awareness to high-level attention in the industry. He majored in electrical engineering at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, then worked as a foreman and found his enthusiasm building and developing multifamily projects. Spending over two decades working for Bozzuto Construction as a Senior Vice President has contributed to Mike having “the edge” in our industry.

J anus Z sa KOW i CZ Executive Vice President

mi K e G reen Chief Operating Officer

G len Y ates Chief Executive Officer Glen acquired his foundation for a strong work ethic while growing up on a farm in Northern Alberta, Canada. As a graduate in construction engineering, his career began with experience in the field as a site laborer. Viewing every experience as an opportunity to learn and grow, he quickly moved through the ranks to General Manager and then to President and CEO. With the guidance of his impressive vision and ability to recognize talent and encourage growth, Glen acquired majority ownership of Colt Builders. He has built around him a company of integrity and excellence, where he continues to build and inspire his team of professionals.

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n O rm sant O s Vice President of Technology Norm’s involvement in the construction industry has come in many forms, from participating in home remodels and welding structural steel to an electrician apprenticeship to information technology here at Colt Builders. He has founded companies, raised capital, and led teams in advertising technology, field service management, and manufacturing as well as information technology. Norm’s understanding of the technology world runs deep, from embedded hardware to computer networks and all the way to building desktop, web, and mobile applications. When it comes to his work ethic, he can thank his childhood summers on his grandfather’s farm, where he was taught the value of hard work and also working smart.

shane B r O u G ht O n Vice President

Shane is dedicated and committed to both life at work and at home. Growing up on a farm and doing road work for the local township in rural Ontario taught Shane a strong work ethic. After studying construction management at Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ontario, he moved to Alberta and began building prefabricated walls. With hard work and a good sense of humor, Shane worked his way through the ranks of laborer, foreman, job supervisor, and project manager. As a vice president based out of Rhode Island, he brings Colt Builders a strong foundation in our northeast market.

B en lehan Vice President

When Ben first came in contact with Colt Builders, he says what attracted him was “everyone from the top to the bottom showed a tremendous amount of respect and dedication toward the projects.” It is this same dedication that has led Ben into the position of Vice President. A Nebraska native and an Iowa State University graduate in construction engineering, he has built a strong foundation in the Phoenix market for over a decade. Ben’s problem-solving expertise doesn’t just lie in the building of buildings. He also uses technologies such as Autodesk, Revit, and Trimble SketchUp to review the constructability of projects.

K arl mee K s Vice President “Hard work pays off” was a childhood lesson for Karl, and it has never been forgotten. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in construction management from the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 1993. He has been an executive in the construction industry now for over 26 years, with titles ranging from Superintendent to Vice President. He is motivated to serve and support his project teams as well as his clients, helping them and their projects be the best in the business.

magazine THEBEHIND8SCENES A PEEK INTO COLT BUILDERS’ SERVICE DEPARTMENTS Colt Builders has a structure of its own in its operations, with teams dedicated to ensuring everything on the job sites runs smoothly. With pivotal roles in everything from hiring to safety, these departments keep Colt on track. And all together, these teams live up to Colt’s mission to build both people and communities. AlaskaOregonBritishWashingtonColumbiaNevadaIdaho MontanaWyoming Utah Colorado KansasOklahoma ArkansasMissouriLouisianaMississippi AlabamaTennesseeKentucky Texas New Mexico Arizona Nebraska Iowa SouthNorthDakotaDakota Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan Illinois IndianaCaliforniaNorthernCaliforniaSouthern

All together, the estimating, preconstruction, and safety departments make Colt what it is: a detail-oriented team dedicated to maintaining high standards for their projects. Their hard work “behind the scenes” on every single build keeps Colt’s world-class standards as high as they should be.

C

olt Builders believes in building up—and that requires a lot more work than just the people on the job site. Unlike its competitors in the industry, Colt provides a full-range service experience for its clients, and with that promise comes a host of back-end departments who ensure that the people putting the walls together are doing so by using the right materials, staying on budget, and adhering to safety principles.

nO Guessin G Games: t he e stimatin G d e P artment

COLT ESTIMATING,OPERATIONS:PRE-CON, & SAFETY

“We’re very service-driven,” says Ryan. “We try to provide our customers with the best service we can, and that starts with the estimating.”

“We can produce an estimate quicker and with more accuracy,” explains Ryan. “And to the client, that matters.”

“What sets Colt apart from other contractors is its culture of adventure and the talented teams that work together to make the company tick. I’ll put the Colt team against any other team in America.”

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In order to provide the best possible estimate for their clients, Ryan’s team is pioneering a new program to help create detailed estimations; the in-house system will take into account historical data and current material pricing to create as detailed a report as possible. By combining expertise with technology, Ryan is ensuring Colt is providing an experience unique to the industry.

Like most industries, budget is one of the most critical factors for a construction project. Being awarded a project comes with a sense of trust from the customer, and in order to maintain that good faith, Colt knows that providing an accurate monetary outline is necessary.

Ryan Burd is head of the estimating department, and before a single nail gets hit, his team is the first to touch the job. Together, Ryan and his colleagues determine a cost estimate for every project, including labor, materials, and more.

—MICHAEL CORCORAN, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

“We strive to identify problems early during plan reviews by recognizing tricky or difficult framing details, coordinating shop drawings with structural plans, and writing RFIs when plans and details have missing information,” explains Jim Junkin, head of the department. “We pave the way for our people in the field to be successful so they can frame things once and frame things correctly.”Unforeseen challenges can occur on any job site, but by investing time and resources into preconstruction planning, costs are lowered and jobs get done faster. And overwhelmingly, the clients appreciate it. “Our clients love it when we can meet their scheduled milestones,” says Jim. Y Vest Bri G ade: t he  s afet Y d e P artment

“ s afet

“The Colt culture runs through everything we do, including safety,” explains Bill Cuddeback, head of the depart ment. “We’re a small department, but we work hard to educate and enable our site, our people, and our production managers to incorporate safe manners into the way they put up a building.”

a Pr O mise t O Build C O mmunities

Construction is rife with opportunities for injury and accident, but Colt is committed to keeping every worker on site in compli ance with safety guidelines and necessary precautions to ensure that no one gets hurt. This means not only frequent site checks by members of the safety team but a robust training program that happens when the teams aren’t working on a job.

magazinePre10 P arati O n m a K es Perfe C t: t he Pre CO nstru C ti O n d e P artment

“The safety team plays a supportive role for every team,” says Bill. “Our safety program enables our site people and our production people to incorporate safe practices into the way they put the building up. Safety is part of our program operations rather than an accessory.”

Once an estimation is complete, a project gets handed over to the preconstruction department. This team acts as a bridge between the estimating department and the teams on the job sites, and takes the project to the threshold of a job site.

“I think Colt’s overall goal is not to do business with everybody who needs what we provide. The goal is to do business with people who believe what we believe.”

—JANUSZ SAKOWICZ, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Green”

Once the preconstruction team has finished their assessment, projects are opened up to the people on the job site itself, and that’s where the safety department steps in.

Bill’s job includes both site inspections and safety training so that, at the end of the day, “Every single worker who shows up to a site can go home in the exact same condition. A safe, protected workforce is the best workforce.”

A common phrase at Colt is “time invested equals time gained” a belief that hard work off site leads to a better, higher-quality product in the end. As Ryan says, “I don’t think there’s too many framers that are doing what we do. We really approach our projects differently than our competitors.” And that unique approach makes all the difference.

“It’s exceptionally satisfying to have the opportunity to work with a group of folks of such tremendously high amounts of character and integrity. Especially notable is the willingness of everyone in the organization to contribute large amounts of blood, sweat, and sometimes tears over the course of the past year. Despite a tremendous amount of disruption in everyone’s lives and the business community, everyone has just found a way to buckle down and meet our commitments to the business and the communities in which we all live.”

—MIKE GREEN, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Buildin G a Brand: t he Business d e V el OP ment d e P artment

The Colt Builders business development department, home of our marketing team, is where the company’s overall branding voice is established and maintained. They are inspired by the Colt culture, and it is the forerunner of everything they do as they focus on growth across the nation. Takara (Kara) Lawrence puts it this way: “By maintaining a unified appearance and branding voice, we help manifest our vision in each of our regions. We pride ourselves on our ability to reach our customer base from a national level while ensuring local management.”

“Colt stands out for its unyielding commitment to ‘doing the right thing.’ Even in the face of historic and extremely challenging times, Colt did not waver from its true north and remained steadfast in its determination to do the right thing—by its employees, its customers, and its community.”

h ittin G the B OOK s: t he aCCO untin G d e P artment

Like every industry, technology has revolutionized the way construction works. Norm Santos and his team ensure that Colt Builders is at the forefront—utilizing the latest innova tions in technology to lead the market while providing human-focused customer service. “As a team, we strive to create an effort less experience company-wide when interacting with technology,” says Norm. “We aim to detect and solve issues before they become a challenge, and if we aren’t able to accomplish that, we work hard to provide a helpful and human approach to solving technical challenges.”

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While accounting may seem intim idating, Crystal Evans sees it as storytelling for a business. Crystal’s team analyzes raw financial data to determine how best to grow the com pany. “We strive to provide our people with information they need so they spend less time in the field on lower-priority tasks and instead keep their focus on maintaining the job’s margins,” says Crystal. And with the financial plan at the center of every build, they know how important it is to keep their part of the “machine” running smoothly. “Whatever we can do to streamline and more efficiently relay the financial picture of the individual jobs and the company financials as a whole—this is our focus,” she says.

COLT HEADQUARTERS

—JANE IMPERATORE, CHIEF RISK OFFICER

t e C h- s a VVY C O nstru C ti O n: t he it d e P artment

Culti V atin G Culture: t he h uman r es O ur C es d e P artment

Maureen Main believes a positive and inclusive culture can transform a company, which is why, as head of the human resources department at Colt, she makes the culture her focus.

“Our team works to excel at the pillars of the Colt culture, which means we work as a team to discuss and collaborate ways to support the employees of the company,” she says. Colt knows that building people is just as important as creating strong structures, which means Maureen makes integrity and honesty her primary goal. Simply put, the team “does what we say we will do, when we say we will do it.”

OregonBritishWashingtonColumbiaNevadaIdaho MontanaWyoming Utah Colorado KansasOklahoma ArkansasMissouriLouisianaTexas New Mexico Arizona Nebraska Iowa South NorthDakotaDakota Minnesota CaliforniaNorthernCaliforniaSouthern magazine12 REGIONAL TOUR PaCifiC Canada RGM: Joe Schlachter p. 38 nO rthern Ca. RGM: Pete Yanez p. 36 sO uthern Ca. RGM: Greg Evans p. 34 sO uth W est RGM: Colin Waits p. 28 m t. West RGM: Joe Aagard p. 32

ArkansasMissouriLouisianaMississippi Alabama Georgia Florida TennesseeKentucky VirginiaMD DE VirginiaWest CarolinaSouthCarolinaNorth Wisconsin Michigan Illinois Indiana Ohio Pennsylvania NJ NewYork VTCTMassachusettsMaineNHRI nO rtheast RGM: Jeff Beauchemin p. 14 m id- a tlanti C RGM: Matt Kimmel p. 18 sO utheast RGM: Brandon Green p. 22 t exas RGM: Brett Mauthe p. 24 t exas RGM: Phil Blake p. 24 m id- a tlanti C RGM: Jarred Swope p. 18 Magazine 13 From coast to coast, Colt Builders is building up structures, people, and communities. Learn more about each of our nine regions and the inspiring regional general managers who keep things running smoothly and truly make an impact on the communities they serve.

magazine14MontanaWyomingColorado Kansas Missouri VirginiaMD DE VirginiaWest Nebraska Iowa SouthNorthDakotaDakota Minnesota WisconsinIllinois Indiana Ohio Pennsylvania NJ NewYork VTCTMassachusettsMaineNHRIREGIONNORTHEAST REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGER: JEFF BEAUCHEMIN

—JEFF BEAUCHEMIN, NORTHEAST RGM

“Workingscope.in the Northeast gives us the opportunity to provide some ‘TLC’ to some of the existing mill buildings in the area,” says Jeff. “One of our current projects is a restoration and third floor addition to an existing mill building. It is a tight, urban space with very little room for equipment around the outside of the building, requiring close coordination with the general contractor to plan and schedule material deliveries to arrive on site at just the right moment.”

While the Northeast market covers more states than any other Colt Builders region—including Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey—Jeff says it all feels local. “Colt’s projects in the Northeast are typically within driving distance for our crews, allowing us to provide local labor and knowledge on our job sites,” says Jeff. “Our employees appreciate being home with their families in the evenings and on weekends as well.”ButNew England isn’t without its unique challenges. As Jeff explains:NewEngland is a well-established market, with many strong general contractors and a lot of good competition. OSHA is obviously all across the country, and the many local offices in this region are well staffed and well trained.

Magazine 15 J eff Beauchemin knows the power of good relationships— while he’s only been regional manager of Colt Builders for a little over two years, he’s known the president, Glen Yates, for over twenty. Like most of the regional managers at Colt, he’s been in the business since he was a teenager. After starting off as a carpenter, he worked his way through the ranks to become a foreman, a supervisor, a manager, and then a regional manager, and his years of experience has helped him grow one of the oldest markets in the country. n e W e n G land, Old m ar K et

Pre P arin G f O r the f uture

After working in the region for years, Jeff also knows the importance of a good reputation. As he says, “The community impact and job opportunities Colt Builders brings to our regions is unique to the industry. Our mission is to provide national reach with local management, and the jobs we provide in these local areas are important in fulfilling that goal.”

Unions also have a strong presence in the area, which changes the dynamics of the market. The good thing about Colt is that we’ve applied our high standards nationally, so we are set up to meet the challenges of the Northeast and the entire United States. And then there are the builds themselves. New England is home to some of the oldest settlements in the United States, which means that unique, restorative work is part of this region’s project

Jeff is therefore strategic about where he places his people because he knows that growth is inevitable when you bring the right people on board. “Our teams are currently based in a few key areas within the region,” he says. “Good people tend to know other good people who they refer to come join our team here at Colt, by default, building our workforce in those areas.”

“The good thing about Colt is that they’ve applied these high standards nationally, so we’re not just following these exceptionally stringent requirements here in New England—we’re following them everywhere.”

But Jeff is aware that construction isn’t always the first choice for people coming into the workforce. It’s hard work, and New England winters can be tough, which is not lost on Jeff having come up through the field. But he’s still optimistic about getting people engaged in rough carpentry despite the high demands of the job.

This kind of challenging work makes Jeff passionate about what he does and where he does it. As general regional manager, Jeff is not only concerned with ensuring that his current employees are well trained, but he’s also looking out for trade students who will be entering the industry in the coming years.

“We’re trying to get further involved with the local technical colleges in the area,” he explains. “We want to develop those relationships and tap into that knowledge.”

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ABC CT Safety “STEP” Award Northeast team-building fishing trip Melrose Mill renovation“At Colt, we host summits and team-building events that encourage positive corporate culture.”

Culti16 V atin G a Culture O f i n C lusi O n

And at the end of the day, that’s what Jeff loves about his job— the familial atmosphere that makes Colt such a special place to work.

—SHANE BROUGHTON, VICE PRESIDENT

“We try to keep the guys as a big family group,” says Jeff. “These kinds of events are a great way to pull everyone together outside of work.”

“It’s the people,” he confides. “We have such great staff both in our office and out on projects, and we all complement each other. Those hard-working, devoted workers that go the extra mile to get a project completed? I love working with people like that.”

“Checking in with the guys” is something that Jeff takes seriously, and it’s a principle he’s strived to embed into the culture of his region. A construction crew works hard through rough weather and difficult builds, and Jeff believes that being able to play just as hard is critical to ensuring a healthy work culture and a quality product.Oneof the Northeast region’s new traditions is the annual Colt World Cup soccer game that takes place around Christmas every year. After a fun but competitive game, the entire company enjoys a catered dinner and drinks. This is in addition to fishing trips and baseball games Jeff regularly hosts for his managers throughout the year.

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magazine18 WashingtonColumbiaIdaho MontanaWyoming Utah Colorado KansasOklahoma Arkansas Mississippi AlabamaTennesseeKentucky VirginiaMD DE VirginiaWest CarolinaSouthCarolinaNorthNew Mexico Arizona Nebraska Iowa SouthNorthDakotaDakota Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan Illinois Indiana Ohio Pennsylvania NJ NewYork VTCTMassachusettsMaineNHRI REGIONMID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGERS: MATT KIMMEL & JARRED SWOPE

“The Colt culture is different from what I’m used to,” says Matt. “Even though I’m relatively new to Colt, I can pick up the phone and meet with anyone at any level. Everyone I’ve met is there to help guide you and show you the ropes. It really speaks to the way they’ve grown—everyone is welcome.”

—MATT KIMMEL, MID-ATLANTIC RGM Maryland: Brewers

“We’re confidently monitoring usage at every point, and that gives us a pretty good look ahead.”

“Colt as a whole is very different from region to region,” says Jarred. “It’s still a national company, but it speaks to their business understanding when they let each region be unique. But everyone follows the Colt culture, which is good.”

Magazine 19 B uilding in one of the oldest parts of the nation means working around history—sometimes literally.

Born and raised in Maryland, Matt has worked in construction in the area since he was a teenager. It was actually his work with another company that brought him into contact with Colt, and after nurturing relationships with other members of the Colt team, Matt was invited to join them.

“Colt can handle the 500,000-square-foot and the 100,000-square-foot jobs and treat them both with the same level of professionalism and skill,” notes Matt.

That look ahead is helpful with handling the massive volume of work the region oversees. Currently, the Mid-Atlantic area does a handful of retirement community and student housing projects, but the large majority is for-rent apartments.

Building in the Mid-Atlantic area comes with some unique opportunities.“Buildingin Virginia or DC means there’s a lot of logistical planning on how to get materials on site,” explains Matt. “We’re working in very urban areas, which means you don’t always have a lot of area to spare. That means that there has to be a lot of coordination with general contractors, and our guys have to build relationships with them.”

The Mid-Atlantic region of Colt Builders covers the coun try’s capital and the surrounding states, including Maryland and Virginia. For Matt Kimmel, one of the regional general managers in the area, that means he gets to work close to home.

Jarred considers that act of building relationships the most important to running the business.

“No matter what the job is, Colt is prepared to handle it . . . with . . . professionalism and skill.”

“We have a really good team of vendors outside of Colt who work with us, which is a real key to our success.”

“Over the years, we’ve developed a network of suppliers that know how we operate and how best to work with us,” says Jarred.

treamlined Pr OJ e C ts h andled Pr O fessi O nall Y And because Colt manages those relationships so well, it keeps projects streamlined in a way that sets them apart from their competitors.“Anaverage Colt job will have several guys running different aspects of that job, ensuring quality control,” Jarred explains.

a n ati O nal C O m P an Y W ith a lOC al f eel Jarred Swope, another regional general manager, also came to Colt by way of another company. While Matt rented site equipment to Colt for many years, Jarred sold Colt most of their lumber. While he’s native to the Mid-Atlantic region, Jarred has spent the majority of his time in positions with national coverage. While his role with Colt now focuses on a smaller region, he can bring his country-wide experience to a national chain.

s

“With multifamily housing, we’re doing a lot of urban infill work, which means larger jobs in tighter spaces,” says Jarred. And with less space to move, that means more planning. But no matter what the job is, Colt is prepared to handle it.

magazine20

“A lot of our guys have been with Colt for a long time,” says Jarred. “Some of us left other lucrative jobs to come here because we wanted to be part of the workforce and culture.”

The company owes much of that professionalism to the workforce they’ve assembled in the region, a powerful collection of hard workers who are dedicated to ensuring the best final product for every client.

“The people make the job,” says Jarred. “Everyone comes to work to make a living, but we’re all involved with each other’s lives even outside of work. We’re invested in each other, not just the business. No matter how hard we’re working, people don’t get lost in the shuffle, and that’s not true of many companies— especially ones that are growing as fast as we are.”

“Our long-standing relationships with some of the best vendors and subcontractors in the market, combined with our experienced project management teams allow us to successfully take on even the most challenging projects.” SWOPE

Matt agrees.

“It might sound basic, but Colt really does what they say they’re going to do, and then they follow through,” he says. They work for their customers and they save them money where they can. They’re honest, and it’s a big reason why I came here. I’ve seen the way Colt has maintained the same people for years— they’re an honest, open book.” That makes Jarred and Matt’s day-to-day work a real joy.

Virginia: Braddock Virginia: Braddock

Pride in W O r K manshi P

When asked what makes Colt so attractive to outsiders, Jarred’s answer was “Everyonesimple.feels vested in their work,” he explains. “Our guys take a lot of pride in what they do, and they all do a great job. Our people see their work as a representation of themselves, and with so much pressure to hit budgets and timelines, a lot of people take the product they turn over very seriously.”

—JARRED

Transforming the Way you Design, Make, and Build.

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MiTek is working alongside partners like Colt Builders and the multi-family industry to create the next generation of building technology. With advanced planning and design software, services that let you cost-effectively scale your team, precision-crafted off-site construction technology, and trusted engineered systems and products, we help enable better housing and better profits.

magazine22 AlaskaOregonBritishWashingtonColumbiaNevadaIdaho MontanaWyoming Utah Colorado KansasOklahoma ArkansasMissouriLouisianaMississippi Alabama Georgia Florida TennesseeKentucky VirginiaMD DE VirginiaWest CarolinaSouthCarolinaNorth Texas New Mexico Arizona Nebraska Iowa SouthNorthDakotaDakota Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan Illinois Indiana Ohio Pennsylvania NJ NewYork VTCTMassachusettsMaineNHRICaliforniaNorthernCaliforniaSouthern SOUTHEASTREGION REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGER: BRANDON GREEN

“Working with general contractors on student housing deals means it’s a fast-paced, tight-scheduled project,” explains Brandon. “If anything happens prior to our arrival, we are imme diately against the clock. We have had projects where we have had to work seven days a week for weeks or months straight, yet we were able to get the job done and meet the milestone dates.”

a n u n CO n V enti O nal aPP r O a C h Brandon came to Colt with an extensive background in framing, having started construction with his father in his teens. But he also spent a few years in school, where he earned an associate degree as a computer systems specialist. However, after he spent a few years in the tech industry, he decided to make a change.

Like much of the country, states in the Southeast are seeing a rapid expansion in building, and markets are expanding in ways they haven’t before. Cities across the region, from Charlotte to Atlanta, are attempting to keep up with the high demand for a variety of housing types, and Brandon Green, as general regional manager for Colt Builders in the area, is attempting to keep up.

The clientele in the Southeast region is unique when compared to other Colt Builders locations since student housing is one of the most common project types. Colt has proven itself to be a reliable partner on these builds, which can be difficult.

And unlike many companies, Colt rewards its builders with exceptional benefits—a 401K, paid leave, and hourly pay that’s consistent across jobs, which ensures that the people working on the job sites feel stable and secure in the work they’re doing. This means a big payoff for both employees and the company itself. “Having the right staff on a job is very important,” says Brandon. “It’s very important to us that we produce a good product and stay on schedule—those are the biggest things we can give our clients.” a u nique Clientele

“I like to be out working with my hands,” he says. But even though his current role doesn’t keep him out on the job site for most of the week, he’s still fairly busy. “We’re working to open new markets, so when I am out in the field, I get to help teach them,” says Brandon. “But I also get to do a little supervisory work, along with my regional general manager duties—it’s a little bit of Eveneverything.”withhispreference for outdoor labor, Brandon takes his role as regional general manager very seriously. Across the board, Colt Builders strives to create teams that are composed of exceptional workers, and in return, Colt provides their employees with stability and compensation that’s rare for the industry.

“We don’t always hire worksite guys that are experts in the trade,” says Brandon. “We look for honest, hard-working people who show up everyday and who are willing to work and willing to be trained. With the long days and six- to seven-day weeks, carpentry and building is hard, so we’re finding people who love that kind of work.”

“Right now, the area is booming,” he says. “I don’t see us slowing down any time soon.”

Magazine 23 “F ast” isn’t generally a term associated with the Southern states—it’s a region that for decades has embraced an attitude of slower, more relaxed living. But Colt Builders has a different view.

—BRANDON GREEN, SOUTHEAST RGM

“It’s very important to us that we produce a good product and stay on schedule—those are the biggest things we can give our clients.”

Brandon plans to maintain his high-performance standards with the team as they continue to expand and take their experi ence with them.

“The market has been so unpredictable over the past year and a half,” says Brandon. “But I think there is plenty of good work out there, which means we should stay busy.”

Florida: Winter Springs

“After two years at school and a year and a half with an engineering company, I realized I didn’t like that kind of work,” Brandon explains. Facing an uncertain future but having grown up in the construction business working alongside his father, he decided to return to his roots. “So, I went back out into the field and started my own business,” he says. Brandon joined Colt Builders in 2015 and has spent most of that time working in management. But he admits that the office isn’t his favorite place to be.

magazine24 AlaskaOregonBritishWashingtonColumbiaNevadaIdaho MontanaWyoming Utah Colorado KansasOklahoma ArkansasMissouriLouisianaMississippi Alabama Georgia TennesseeKentucky Virginia Texas New Mexico Arizona Nebraska Iowa SouthNorthDakotaDakota Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan Illinois Indiana OhioCaliforniaNorthernCaliforniaSouthern TEXASREGION REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGERS: PHIL BLAKE & BRETT MAUTHE

Magazine 25

t

—PHIL BLAKE, TEXAS RGM Texas: Park Place

he Genius O f PreC O nstru C ti O n Phil was the mastermind behind Colt’s preconstruction or “pre-con” services, which ensures that Colt is prepared to provide not only their standard top-notch service to their clients but “Investing time in the pre-con stage saves both time and money on the build itself since obstacles on a job site are usually derived from poor planning and preparation. And Colt isn’t willing to compromise on either.”

But Phil, an Australian native who’s been working in the States since the late 1990s, has provided Colt with the necessary administrative structure to make building in the Texas market— as well as other regions—easier than ever before. The only way to get better is to learn from our mistakes and communicate those challenges to others.

T hey say that everything is bigger in Texas, and Phil Blake agrees. As the regional general manager for Colt Builders’ Texas region, he has a rare view into the particular market expectations that make the state one of the more unique areas to workUnlikein. the rest of the United States, Texas builders provide a full-package service for framing that includes more than just the walls, floors, and roof—windows, doors, siding, building wrap, and fur-downs are also expected as part of a project’s scope, which means that Phil and the rest of his team have their work cut out for them, literally.

Both Phil and Brett are confident about where Texas is headed in both the near and long-term future. Despite the upheavals the industry has faced over the past year, they see Texas as a promis ing place for both business and people to flourish.

Buildin G the f uture

Texas: Lamar

magazine26 also pre-plan for any contingencies that could arise during construction.“Thepreconstruction department tries to mitigate any issues well before labor is on site,” explains Phil. “We identify certain situations that could possibly arise and determine a solution, which ensures we can properly navigate the scope of the work on a project.”Preconstruction includes a wide variety of services, such as creating in-depth review of build plans, designing detailed jobsite layouts, and providing clients with computer-aided design (CAD) drawings—all of which serve to make the job itself as easy and seamless as possible. As Phil puts it, investing time in the pre-con stage saves both time and money on the build itself since obstacles on a job site are usually derived from poor planning and preparation. And Colt isn’t willing to compromise on either. a Gr OW in G m ar K et Because of their commitment to quality design and delivery, the Texas region has experienced a massive growth spurt in the last few years and is projected to reach nearly $40 million in revenue by 2022. Texas owes much of its growth to tech giants relocating from the Bay Area thanks to the state’s business incentives and low tax rates. And with big companies setting up shop in places like Austin and Dallas, more and more people are moving to the area to compete for jobs.

“The country has really become a renter nation,” says Brett. “People who are moving to Texas now tend to rent rather than buy, and they are expecting their apartments and condos to come with certain amenities. We have to live up to those expectations since the population is really building here.”

“We know the folks who work for us really well,” explains Brett. “And with our estimating services, we can estimate how many people it will take to do the job easier than anyone else.”

Because of their reliable workforce, Colt is also able to estimate projects differently than their competitors: by manhours instead of square footage.

And that makes Brett really excited.

“Texas in general has a huge labor pool to draw from,” says Phil. “And there’s an element of comfort for a client when our people who work on their projects are part of the community. They like that we have local connections, local project managers, and then give back to the community through local charity work. It speaks to the stability of Colt, too, since people feel confident to live, work, and play all in the same place.”

This ensures a job is done well and done quickly—both important elements for clients when choosing who they’d like to work with.

“I’ve been with this industry a long time,” he says. “And what I value most is quality of life over money, and that’s Colt. We’re not a ‘seat-of-the pants’ kind of company—we’re all planned out. That’s what I like about Colt, and the longer I’m here, the more I like it. I think it’s a bright future.”

q ualit Y Pe OP le, q ualit Y W O r K

Brett Mauthe joined the Texas region in late 2020 as one of the regional managers, and as native to the area, he’s only ever known the Texas way of doing things. As someone who’s had his finger on the market for well over three decades, he sees the changing demographics and living styles as signs for what’s to come for Colt Builders.

“The goal is not to be the biggest but the best at what we do,” says Phil. “After having the privilege to focus our efforts on supporting other markets like Arizona and California previously, we’re excited to turn our focus back to Texas.”

To keep up with demand, both Phil and Brett have focused on hiring the right people. As a people-first business, Colt believes that attract ing top talented people and then retaining them is the best way to ensure that projects meet their incredibly high quality standards.

Scott

More at AbandonGypsum.com Johnston | scott.johnston@huber.com207.219.0117

Magazine 27 BUILD. PROTECT. LIVE.™ ABANDON GYPSUMUNDERLAYMENT *EXACOR™ panels are designed to function as wall or oor panels in speci c re and sound rated assemblies. © 2021 Huber Engineered Woods LLC. EXACOR and the EXACOR logos and designs are trademarks of Huber Engineered Woods LLC. HUB 82432 REV 7/21 EXACOR™ MgO underlayment panels are framer installed and can help meet acoustic performance requirements, while replacing the need for gypsum underlayment. Materials matter when you’re installing floors. EXACOR™ MgO boards can help protect against fire and sound in multifamily structures,* and stay dimensionally stable during your build. EXACOR™ panels can also help projects stay on schedule by reducing the number of trades on site. So the question is, why would you ever build with gypsum underlayment again?

magazine SOUTHWEST28REGION REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGER: COLIN WAITS AlaskaOregonBritishWashingtonColumbiaNevadaIdaho MontanaWyoming Utah Colorado TexasKansasOklahomaNew Mexico Arizona SouthNebraskaDakotaNorthDakota Minnesota CaliforniaNorthernCaliforniaSouthern

Arizona: Agritopia

“Phoenix is a really interesting market because we do so many different kinds of jobs,” explains Ben. “We have a mixture of urban infill and suburban builds, and the diversity of the projects can make it challenging.”

Magazine 29 W ith some of the harshest, highest temperatures in the entire United States, Phoenix, Arizona, can seem like a daunting market for just about any business—construc tion and building included. But for Colin Waits, regional general manager, and Ben Lehan, a vice president, the heat is nothing to be afraid “Phoenixof. is seasonally pretty forgiving, although we do have the extreme heat in the summer,” says Ben. “But it helps that we don’t have to worry about a lot of things the rest of the country does. We don’t have to think about snow removal or temporary heating for building units, which means we can pretty much build year round without too much affecting our production” a hO t m ar K et The Arizona market is home to a huge swath of projects, ranging from high-end senior retirement communities to multifamily homes. With a large retirement population that’s growing every year on top of being one of the biggest cities in America, the demand for housing is extremely high.

“This is a market that has more people moving in than moving out, so ensuring we have the right amount of labor has been really important,” he says. “With these urban sites, you can’t store materials the way you would on a lot with more area, so you have to ensure you have the right materials showing up at the right time, which means there’s a lot more thought that goes into theseAcrossprojects.”theboard, Colt prides itself on providing a wide range of services for its clients, from the early design phases to the final walkthroughs, and while providing top-notch quality builds for every project is imperative, Ben sees a longer-term plan in the works.

—BEN LEHAN, VICE PRESIDENT

“We have a lot of repeat clients . . . because we look at our jobs not just as a physical structure we need to get up—it’s about the ride you’re taking with the client and the people you’re working with as well as the product you’re producing.”

Colin agrees, and sees logistics as one of the most important parts of his job as regional manager.

magazine30

“There’s a reputation in the industry that Colt conducts business as a standup company,” he explains. “They think, ‘These guys are true builders who know how to build,’ which is import ant. We’re looking for people who can do that too, because with good people who do the right thing at the center of your business, there’s a solid foundation to build on.”

just the clients themselves who are noticing the good word of mouth—both Ben and Colin are seeing that in their hiring procedures, too.

“We have a lot of repeat clients,” explains Ben. “And I think that’s because we look at our jobs not just as a physical structure that we need to build, but the ride we’re taking with the client and the people you’re working with as well as the product you’re producing.”Butit’snot

a G O lden r e P utati O n

Arizona: Agritopia Arizona: Mayo Blvd.

Like Ben, Colin is keeping an eye out for the right kind of people to grow their staff.

And solid foundations? That’s what Colt specializes in.

This dedicated approach to ensuring builds are done well and done right means that the Arizona branch of the Colt family has built a solid, reliable reputation for itself.

“We experience a really low turnover rate, and we owe that to a culture where people are cared about and given the tools to keep them here,” says Ben. “They’re not out there on the job sites by themselves, and it’s not all about the numbers. It’s really about the people and their ideas.”

“Colt’s entire business model is a service-oriented approach, rather than a contract,” he says. “We don’t think, ‘What’s the bare minimum we can do?’ but rather, ‘How do we turn this job into a lastingColinrelationship?’”hasfocused on identifying problems early in a project as a means to solidify the trust that’s necessary to forming good client relationships, and he takes that part of the Colt model very seriously.“Weknow how these projects work because of our extensive experience,” he says. “We keep an eye out for issues early so we can resolve them early. When we can review the plans early and identify what constraints there may be and immediately begin working with the general contractor and the developer, we can come up with solutions before it’s time to actually start the build.”

Your Trusted Partner for Multifamily Solutions www.southerncarlson.com/multifamilyMultifamilySolutionsKevinTrippie Sr Director Multifamily East 704-517-2790 Kent Phillips Sr Director Multifamily West multifamily@southerncarlson.com417-849-4692 Southern Carlson is the leading national distributor for structural hardware, weatherization systems, fasteners, adhesives, fall protection and other building materials. We provide: • In-house Estimating Services •Guarantee Material Packages •On-Time vs One-Time Delivery Division 6: Simpson FramingFallCordlessPowerPneumaticStructuralPneumaticHytekConstructionStrongtie,Fasteners,AlternateFasteners,20D-60D,Screws,Tools,Corded/Tools,Protection,PPE,Accessories,Adhesives Division 7: Tyvek Wrap/Flashing Systems, Huber Zip System, Grace Vycor Flashings, Everkem Firestop & Fireblock Foam, Synthetic 100%Polyurethane-Butyl,Underlayment,Silicone,Sealants ...and Much More! Structural Hardware Building Wrap Fasteners Safety MultifamilySolutionsSince 2004...

magazine32 AlaskaOregonBritishWashingtonColumbiaNevadaIdaho MontanaWyoming Utah Colorado Kansas Missouri New Mexico Arizona Nebraska Iowa SouthNorthDakotaDakota Minnesota WisconsinIllinois CaliforniaSouthern WESTMOUNTAIN REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGER: JOE AAGARD

Colt Builders’ Mountain West region is one of the fastest growing regions in the country. Covering parts of Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, the exponential industrialization of the territory poses both opportunities and challenges for the company, and Joe is working hard to figure out how to solve them.

Joe and his team have discovered ways to provide greener options for their clients, and Joe’s background in insulation has provided a few key insights into ensuring success. Because the Mountain West region experiences annual temperature fluctu ations of over 100 degrees, finding a singular option that keeps buildings cool in the summer and warm in the winter is critical.

f a C in G an u n C ertain f uture W ith C O nfiden C e

Gr OW in G Green sO luti O ns

In an effort to accomplish these goals, Colt Builders provides a full framing package, where the teams in charge of projects are hands-on at every stage of the project. Joe and his team have focused on Colt Builders’ core values, like communication, integrity, and a sense of excellence, as they provide an excep tional product to the people who will eventually use and live in the structures they’re providing. As Joe explains:

J oe Aagard grew up in Montana a mere quarter mile from mountains and great stretches of wilderness. His childhood in the “Big Sky” state made him grow to love the landscape, which meant that when he became the regional general manager of Colt Builders’ Mountain West region, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, he couldn’t think of any place better. Joe’s childhood and teenage years were filled with construction labor. His father owned an insulation business, where Joe worked his first jobs. But eventually, he came to a realization. “Insulation is terrible work,” he confides with a grin. Eventually, he switched his focus to framing, and that’s when everything fell into place.

“Our ultimate goal is to build more faster, especially along the Wasatch Front,” he says. “This area in particular has a unique dynamic since it’s a place where so many people are coming to work. Because of that, we have lots of opportunities to take advantage of, especially because families in this area are tradi tionally larger than average. They’re going to need somewhere to live, and our challenge is to do more with less while efficiently and effectively building projects as fast as we can.”

As building expands and housing density increases, finding ways to create not only cost-efficient but energy-efficient products for consumers is front of mind for Colt Builders.

“The industry is headed toward a lot more efficient building,” Joe says. “We’ve got years and years of building science we can rely on. I want Colt Builders to have a hand in designing future projects with architects and engineers and doing what we can to keep developing better ways to build.”

In building energy-efficient housing, Colt Builders prioritizes safety in both their final builds as well as the production line itself. “Doing work properly is our primary concern and our primary goal,” says Joe.

Buildin G mO re (and Buildin G f ast)

“Living areas are expanding faster than cities and counties can build more power stations and windmills,” Joe says. “On whatever level we can, we’re working with architects and engineers to produce a product that’s as efficient as possible.”

By partnering with Colt Structures to build functional wall panels, providing top-notch insulation options and reducing energy consumption in the building process, Colt Builders can reduce waste and ensure the final product delivers to its consumers.

In recent years, the building industry has experienced a cacophony of challenges, like increases in material costs and a lack of available land. But Joe is undeterred. He sees the future of the industry as one of unparalleled growth, and even amid the uncertainty that almost every industry—construction or not—has experienced at one point or another, he’s looking forward to that future with resolve.

The biggest concern for any project is running into problems that cause significant downtime. Our goal is to prevent as many potential issues as possible by deter mining what they might be and then providing possible solutions, because the biggest delays come when you run into a problem and you can’t proceed with the project until you find an answer. Time on site leads directly to revenue, which means as soon as we can get people into units, the property owners can make a return on their investments. If you have to slow down on site, you experience a loss in revenue, and we do what we can to prevent that.

“Having the best people and leadership, combined with the desire to be best in the industry, is what makes Colt special.”

Magazine 33

“I love framing because of the gratification you get from it,” Joe explains. “There’s a lot of reward in the ability to take a plan, a pile of lumber, and a hole in the ground and turn it into a house. There’s so much satisfaction in what we’re helping to create.”

—KARL MEEKS, VICE PRESIDENT

magazine CALIFORNIASOUTHERN34 REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGER: GREG EVANS AlaskaOregonBritishWashingtonColumbiaNevadaIdaho MontanaWyoming Utah Colorado New Mexico Arizona CaliforniaNorthernCaliforniaSouthern

“When we pay at a good scale with good benefits, we create a culture that in turn provides different opportunities for a region that’s been stuck in its way for a long time,” Greg says. “And when we do that, people in turn are loyal to Colt.”

“Our market is looking sustainable,” says Greg. “And with three to four major projects each year, we’ll have lots of opportu nities for growth.

Loyalty will come in handy as the region continues to expand.

Like their Northern California counterparts, the SoCal region pays hourly rather than “piece work.” But because Colt’s vision for their people involves steady, predictable work, those hourly wages are amplified with additional benefits.

Buildin G a t eam One of the region’s current projects includes a student housing development in Reno, Nevada, and Greg is optimistic about the changes for growth it will provide to his people. With a unique combination of traditional stick framing and engineered wall panels, he looks forward to cross-training workers on a lot of different tasks. “It’s also a chance to expand my management, especially since this is such a good project that we can start to build a team around,” Greg says. Greg is able to appreciate the importance of an expert-driven team more than most. For most of his career, he reports being the only “construction guy” on a project. But in his role at Colt, which he took on in 2019, he’s finally with “his people,” and he couldn’t be happier.

“We try hard to find people who have been trained in one task and then teach them to do multiple,” he says. “And our people feel good about that because they now have a much broader scope in what they choose to do. We help give them the skills to follow a path that’s more suited to their goals.”

“Instead of moving people around when their job is finished, we like to keep the same people on the same job site,” says Greg. “And we try to grow their skills. There’s a point on every project where you no longer need guys to stand up walls—you’ll need someone to handle the joists instead. And our foremen try hard to recognize the talents of our guys and communicate our desire to have them try different things.”

“It can take three hours to get across Los Angeles alone, and even more to get from L.A. to San Diego. That means that moving men and trying to keep crews localized is more important than ever.”

—JANUSZ SAKOWICZ, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Southern California: Hollywood “Opportunity for what’s ahead of us as it relates to the California market, not just from a company growth perspective, is nothing short of amazing! But as with everything in life, with great opportunities comes great challenges! And if there’s one thing this company doesn’t shy away from, it is to take upon itself big challenges.“

Because of his unique understanding of what it takes to cultivate good culture, he takes his responsibilities to build out teams in his region very seriously.

i

This belief in training and advancement is at the core of Colt’s culture, and Greg sees the benefits.

Magazine 35 H ome to beaches and amusement parks famous the world over, Southern California is also the site of one of the newer Colt Builders regional offices. As regional general manager, Greg Evans leads the charge in the area, and with several years in the industry and an in-depth knowledge of the local market, he’s helped cultivate an innovative approach to the projects he manages.

nn OV ati O n in t rainin G Like other places in the country, Southern California has a partic ular approach to job sites. In particular, the area relies on “piece work,” which usually means contractors and subcontractors are trained and paid to perform one particular task and then perform it repeatedly across a variety of projects that they work on. Greg attributes this preferred method to the volume of work in the area and the massive distance between projects, but Colt figured they could do things a little differently.

“Being surrounded by construction people and construction knowledge has been so rewarding,” Greg says. “It’s been an opportunity for personal growth to be around so much talent in management and design.”

“Building across Southern California can be difficult for a few reasons, but the geography is one of the big ones,” he explains.

magazine CALIFORNIANORTHERN36 REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGER: PETE YANEZ AlaskaOregonBritishWashingtonColumbiaNevadaIdaho MontanaWyoming Utah Colorado Arizona CaliforniaNorthernCaliforniaSouthern

“I’ve been on this train for 43 years, and while you think you know it all, you’re really learning a lot,” he says. “Colt is all about technology, and that’s what’s exciting. You have more information at your fingertips than ever before. You used to have to ask an engineer to fix a problem when we found one on a job site, but now you can walk around with an iPad and see issues that don’t work, write an email, attach a picture, and send it off for a quick solution. Technology has made us stronger.”

But Colt Builders’ regional manager in the area doesn’t think so.

—PETE YANEZ, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA RGM Northern California: Dublin Station

“Cities are getting planned, freeways are getting built,” Pete explains. And that means projects for Colt Builders are also in the works. “So it’s good from what I can gather.” “Colt is all about technology, and that . . . has made us stronger.”

Magazine 37

In addition to wall panelings, Colt is also focused on introducing time-saving technology into their work on job sites, which Pete sees as one of the most compelling changes within the industry given his experience.

Pete got started in construction back in the 1970s, and with more than four decades under his belt, he’s seen the market change and grow. When Colt approached him to start establishing their Northern California market, he was well prepared for the task.

Since its introduction into the region, Colt has performed exceptionally well, doubling their revenue in a single year and with projections to keep growing. Much of the growth owes itself to the tech industry that makes Northern California its home, but the lifestyle that accompanies the industry also makes a big difference.“Apartments are in big demand here because of the traffic,” Pete explains. “People prefer to live in a place where they can work nearby and access entertainment nearby. But with more people working from home now, we also see a high demand for suburban living.” And this means an opportunity to provide both single-family and multifamily homes.

t e C hn O l OGY Pa V es the Wa Y One of the best ways Colt has managed their massive workload is to rely on engineered wall paneling as opposed to traditional stick framing, which a large portion of the country still relies on. Pete sees several advantages to this approach. “I’ve been doing panels for over 30 years, and I find it to be a lot cleaner and faster than traditional stick framing,” he says. “There’s less liability on the job site, you need less manpower to get the job done, and there’s an element of cost savings when you ensure you won’t misuse materials in the field.”

N orthern California is home to one of the hottest housing markets in the country, and with resident tech giants like Facebook, Google, and Apple gaining more financial ground every year, matching the demand can seem like a huge problem.

Because Pete has worked in the industry for a long time, he’s seen a thing or two.

“Keeping up won’t be a problem,” says Pete Yanez, who’s been with Colt since 2015. “I’ve got the manpower, and Colt has the reputation, so I think we’ll be able to keep up.”

But Pete also knows the power of good people and that tech nology alone is not enough. In the California market, employees are paid hourly, but unlike other companies in the region, Colt supplements that pay with consistent benefits like 401Ks and paid time off. Having been in the area for a long time, he’s seen how piecemeal contracting affects a job. Colt’s offerings of stable work and additional benefits “attracts people who want to settle down,” which makes working jobs easier and more consistent.

Colt is working on several multifamily homes in the area and sees no reason why that will change going forward. And he’s excited about it.

m a K in G t heir m ar K

a n u n C ertain f uture W ith d efinite P O ssi B ilities

“I’ve been doing nothing but carpentry since I was 16,” Pete says. “With my work experience, I accepted Colt’s offer right away. And it doesn’t hurt that I can also speak Spanish.”

“I’ve lived through several recessions,” he says. “But I see the next few years staying pretty busy. I’m hopeful that after the past year, we’ll see what we did after 2008. It’s still growing here.”

magazine CANADAPACIFIC38 REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGER: JOE SCHLACHTER AlaskaOregonBritishWashingtonColumbiaIdaho Montana North Dakota Minnesota

“Our biggest challenge is introducing the dirt to dry-in way we do business, which is new and unfamiliar, especially on the wood framing side of things,” Joe says. But he’s risen to the challenge and loves getting the opportunity to share how valuable Colt’s services can be. To do that, he’s relying on a local workforce that’s able to sustain the impressive reputation Colt has established in the States.

he founders of Colt Builders are native to Canada, and after headquartering their firm in Utah, they’re returning to their roots. Colt Building Solutions, a sister company to Colt Builders, is growing fast in the Pacific Northwest and is led by Joe Schlachter, a construction manager very familiar with the region.

As Joe explains, Colt Building Solutions’ dirt to dry-in service is a rare offering in the Canadian framing market. Unlike traditional framing contractors in the area, Colt provides a variety of services from the beginning of a project—when a building lot is nothing but soil—to handing over the keys once the build is at the lock up stage.

“We’ve got some good feet on the ground locally,” says Joe. “We’re working hard to build up resources and crews, as well as creating a good reputation through quality work.”

And it’s already paying off; Colt Building Solutions’ first project led to another one in a neighboring region, and Joe sees the business expanding outside of British Columbia and into adjacent territories. And as a recent joiner to the firm himself, Joe is perfectly primed to see what sets Colt apart.

“One of the things that attracted me to Glen and the Colt group was the fact that they are different and they’re doing good work,” he says. “When I was the client, I was dealing with framers, and I see how Colt has taken it a step up from that experience. We’re a ‘white-collar’ framing company, and because we manage so professionally while still thinking outside of the box, we can ensure quality and provide a one-person accountability contact that ensures we have our rigid quality control measures in place.”

Partnershi P s aC r O ss the B O rder As Joe focuses on growth, he’s grateful for the powerful support network that Colt Builders provides.

This innovative building approach provides value to the clients who partner with the Colt. Joe explains: By providing all that we do, it lets us shoulder some of the responsibility traditionally put on general contractors. Normally, they’d be required to take on the extra steps, including supply purchasing, administration, and labor coordination that we now oversee as a “single-point contact format” for our clients. And because our scope is larger, combined with wholesale buying power, our fees and costs are typically less or very competitive, with much fewer headaches for owners and general contractors.

“I’m getting 110 percent support from our sister company down south,” he says. “They’ve developed a great reputation in the industry that I get to hang my hat on, and that makes my job a littleAndeasier.”Joe,as always, is looking at the bigger picture.

“This dirt to dry-in framing program is a new approach to building construction in our region,” says Joe. “From British Columbia to Saskatchewan, it’s typical for general contractors to specialize in one area. But we’re capitalizing on our relationships with wholesale accounts, which means we can get lumber and other materials at wholesale prices, which provides savings we can pass along to our clients.”

British Columbia: Promontory

Magazine 39 T

Buildin G a r e P utati O n Keeping roadblocks to a minimum keeps Joe busy, especially as he’s bolstering an emerging market.

As a newer addition to the Colt family, Joe is focused on replicating the success Colt has experienced, as he puts it, “south of the“Theborder.”Canadian market is extremely healthy,” says Joe. “There is no lack of projects to pursue, and because we provide a ‘dirt to dry-in’ service that includes concrete, framing, siding, and roofing, we have a lot to do.” a f ull- s er V i C e aPP r O a C h

“I’m an empathetic person, so nothing makes me happier than getting to see people settling into a new home and their quality of life going up,” Joe confides. “Because at the end of the day, we’re not just building widgets—we’re building lifestyles.”

“Our goal in manufacturing is to ensure that the design is optimized and correct per plan. When optimized, it reduces the amount of extra, wasted material. When plans are followed in detail, there are fewer errors and no wasted time fixing mistakes in the field,” Jamie explains. “And when we make things efficient, the overall quality of the product is better, which is the biggest benefit.”Minimizing architectural or engineering mistakes through detailed design isn’t the only way that Technical Framing Solutions is focused on making the entire construction process smoother. Technical Framing Solutions utilizes top-of-the-line

magazine40 W hen asked about his favorite part of the job, Jamie Howard, director of manufacturing for Technical Framing Solutions, answers quickly. “The best part of the job is being able to solve problems,” he says. “Coming up with new or improved processes that save people time and energy—that’s what I love to do.”

Pr OV idin G s u PP l Y t O m eet d emand As Colt Builders grew to new markets, the demand for panels in the Northeast expanded. The company soon realized that it couldn’t keep up with demand for wall panels unless they started producing the product themselves. In diversifying their produc tion line, the company was able to design and manufacture the panels off site and deliver them ready-to-assemble to each project location. “Traditional stick framing is much more time consum ing,” Jamie explains. “Raw lumber shows up to a site, and the framing crew measures it, cuts it, and then nails it together. With wall panels that are manufactured off site, the field crew just has to stand a wall that’s already nailed together.”

t he Partnershi P Bet W een s ustaina B ilit Y and i nn OV ati O n In order to make a building a reality, reducing the time between an initial drawing to completion of a build is critical, and sustain ability is the key component in that effort.

a Buildin G Ba CKG r O und Technical Framing Solutions is a sister company to Colt Builders and specializes in designing wall panels and floor trusses for many of their wood-framed buildings. Wall panels are a relatively new addition to the framing industry in some markets, offering an alternative to more traditional stick framing. Jamie, as director of manufacturing, oversees the design center and manufacturing process and credits his diverse background for preparing him for this unique role. Like many people across Colt Builders and its sister compa nies, Jamie grew up in a construction family. His father worked as a building and remodeling contractor, so high school and college summers were spent learning the trade from his dad. Jamie decided to leave construction work and attend university to earn a degree in mechanical engineering. A few years later though, he found himself working in the framing industry once again. In the early 2000s, Glen Yates, who would become president of Colt Builders a decade later, offered Jamie a job, and for the next sev eral years, Jamie worked in various construction-related positions. In 2012, Jamie joined Colt Builders as a project manager and assisted in the initial setup of some of the necessary programs for safety, estimating, and preconstruction.

AFFILIATE

Jamie and his teams craft their designs for the wall panels based on interpretations of the blueprints provided by engineers and architects. Design projects can take anywhere from a few days to a year to complete depending on the size of the project, but without the work Technical Framing Solutions provides, much more time is spent in the field interpreting and analyzing the plans.

COLT

AN COMPANY OF BUILDERS

One of the most prominent ways that Jamie and his teams do this is by using a Hornet Saw, a recently developed tool that uses computer design and an automated machine to cut wall panel plates to the correct length, noting stud locations and openings for things like windows and doors. The pusher lines up the plates to be cut at the correct location while an inkjet printer then reads the design and prints out the markings.

Nicknamed

“Traditionally, marking out the plates is usually done by hand with one layout person and a tape measure,” says Jamie. “And it’s one of the hardest parts of the job. By designing a computer model and exporting file that we can upload into a machine, we ensure the markings are as accurate as possible—less room for human error.”

Magazine 41 tools that embrace the advances of the digital age to help create modern solutions for age-old problems.

“The biggest benefit of technology is the efficiency it provides to the design,” he emphasizes again. “By providing our clients with 3D modeling and other kinds of innovative approaches, we’re able to complete quicker, faster projects where a lot of the answers and coordination with other trades are figured out ahead of time. Technical Framing Solutions is looking forward to providing more and more of that kind of benefit to Colt Builders.”

By using the Hornet, Jamie estimates that the time his team spends marking and cutting the wall panels to match design specifications is cut by more than 90 percent. The machine is also small enough to transport from plant to plant, meaning no matter where the walls are being framed, the Hornet can make its way there. a t e C h- d ri V en f uture Jamie is optimistic about where Technical Framing Solutions is headed in the next few years, and innovation in machinery is only part of a bigger picture. Training new members to eventually create robust design and estimating teams that can provide Colt Builders and the other companies the control and the support they need is also something he’s looking forward to. Because of his background in developing safety protocols and operation processes for Colt Builders, Jamie is excited for Technical Framing Solutions to teach and mentor young designers who will join the team in the future. This will be important as the trade grows, especially if the industry continues its trend toward a more technology-based approach. Jamie sees this as inevitable, and he’s ready to face it head on.

“When we make things efficient, the overall quality of the product is better, which is the biggest benefit.”

—JAMIE HOWARD, DIRECTOR MANUFACTURINGOF Technical Framing Solutions team “The LEON”

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he tiny town of Nackawic, New Brunswick, sits on the mouth of the Saint John River, just half an hour over the Canadian border. Home to the world’s largest axe and a population of less than 1,000, Nackawic is also the first plant location for Colt Structures.Asister company to Colt Builders, Colt Structures opened their Nackawic location in 2016 and specializes in building wall panels for a variety of architectural projects. A natural expansion of Colt Builders, Colt Structures helps diversify and grow the company’s overall interests. The majority of shareholders at Colt Builders are Canadian natives, which made settling down in Nackawic a natural choice.

The company took up residence in an industrial park that had been abandoned for some time, giving a literal new lease on life to the area. Since Nackawic’s founding, the town and the surrounding populations have relied on employment from companies at the industrial park, meaning Colt Structures has revitalized the town once again. The company has only grown since it began, adding two production lines and becoming the second-largest employer in the region. Even when the COVID-19 pandemic decreased the demand for wall paneling as building projects were put on hold, Colt Structures still kept their employees on board, only cutting hours down from 44 to 40. “The guys were telling me, ‘I need a break anyway!’” jokes plant manager Mark Cormier. But now, as demand is growing again. “We’re heading back in the other direction,” he says. m eet m ar K Mark has been involved in construc tion work for nearly his entire life. In fact, his first job was on-site construction work for his family’s business as a teenager. “My time in construction as a teen really disciplined me, and I appreciated that,” Mark says. This sense of disci pline followed him throughout his career, which had Mark building everything from residential houses to tiny homes that were shipped all over Europe. But after working thousands of construction jobs, Mark was ready for something new. “At that point in my life, I wanted to be involved with something that mattered to someone else,” he explains. When Mark saw an advertisement for a plant manager position with a new company that had just set up shop in the town he’d called home for over two decades, it felt like a stroke of luck.

“I’d never gotten to work in my hometown,” Mark says. “This plant was something that mattered to my immediate family, so it Colt Structures plant in Nackawic, New Brunswick

The world’s largest axe, on display in the tiny town of Nackawic

NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA AN AFFILIATE COMPANY OF COLT BUILDERS

a f uture O f e x PO nential Gr OW th

Colt Structures has also provided funding for the local junior curling league and the high school’s sports teams. But when COVID-19 hit Canada and school programs like the carpentry co-op began to close down, Mark realized that there was another opportunity to help out. In partnership with the local building supply store, Colt Structures provided tool kits for each student, ensuring that they’d have access to the materials that they needed to complete their projects.

Donated equipment for trade students

“Colt Structures coming to Nackawic was a great opportunity for this small community,” he says. “I think the future of Colt Structures is strong. I think the future of this community is strong. I’m looking forward to every minute of it.”

“For a small town, you really need companies like Colt that are involved in the community. That helps your town flourish.”

“I was worried the trade students were going to suffer since they usually have to share tools,” Mark explains. “Every kid has their own books going into class, and trade students deserve their own tool kits hanging on the shelf.”

Even in the wake of a once-in-a-lifetime global health crisis, Colt Structures is looking forward to continuing growth and expan sion, as well as furthering their relationships with community members. With another plant opening up in Kingman, Arizona, the Nackawic branch is preparing to share a period of exponential growth. As Canada and the United States face a serious housing shortage, the company knows that the next several years will require building materials as supply attempts to appease demand.

“Any time you can get someone to help you out with equip ment at school, it makes life a lot easier,” Mayor Kitchen explains.

“We’re a small-town, bedroom community,” Mayor Kitchen says. “Colt Structures has brought a lot of jobs to our town and helped our economy, and they’ve done it all on their own. They’re self-sufficient and doing well.”

But Colt Structures hasn’t spent the last five years only fostering the local economy—they’ve spent time creating relationships with the local community as well. Since opening the plant, the company has found ways to provide funding and equipment for sports teams and student groups. One of the most prominent ways they’ve donated to Nackawic is through the local co-op program at the high school. Mayor Ian Kitchen, who spends his days as a math teacher and volleyball coach when not handling town matters, has seen firsthand the ways his students, as well as his constituents, have benefited from Colt’s relationship with the town.

Mark thinks so, too.

Magazine 43 was a pretty decent opportunity. I met with Colt Structures, and within a month I was hired. We hit the ground running.” Buildin G C O mmunit Y t ies

Curling league Wall panel fabrication and assembly in the Nackawic Colt Structures plant

u sin G the r ailr O ad Opening up a plant in Kingman provides Colt Builders with the opportunity to keep costs low and production timelines shorter, and the company plans to use the Kingman plant to service markets in the Southwest. The location for the plant was selected for a variety of reasons, but one of the biggest is access to rail lines.At their sister plant in New Brunswick, Canada, Colt Structures relies on trucks to drive materials in and out of the plant. This can be tough with harsh weather conditions and capacity limits for semis. By utilizing the rail system that runs through Kingman, the plant can instead get much larger ship ments to the site without having to deal with traditional logistics.

“The Kingman plant is going to be three to four times the size of our Canada branch,” says Shane. “Freight trains are very helpful factors, and thanks to the location, we can begin to support multiple other markets.”

KINGMAN, ARIZONA

About an hour and a half outside of Las Vegas, the city of Kingman, Arizona, sits at the crossroads for routes heading west. A town of 30,000, it’s small—usually considered a short stop in a longer journey. It’s also the newest location for a wall manufacturing plant run by Colt Structures. For outsiders, the choice to settle in Kingman may seem strange, but for the team who runs the business, it was a perfect fit.

d esi G ned t O l ast

For the larger swaths of the markets they serve, Colt relies on traditional stick framing for their structures. They bring raw lumber to construction sites and build the walls on site. There are advantages to building this way—most clients and general contractors are familiar with the process. But in recent years, Colt has been turning to an alternative way of building, thereby controlling cost and quality, by introducing more customers and markets to manufactured wall panels.

Dual-beam sheathing station

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AN AFFILIATE COMPANY OF COLT BUILDERS

“Kingman’s a neat little town,” says Shane Broughton, one of Colt Builders’ vice presidents. “The people are great, and we’re excited to see how it will continue to grow thanks to our presence there.”Janusz Sakowicz, executive vice president of Colt Builders, agrees.“Kingman is centrally located alongside major routes leading to Southern and Northern California, Nevada, and Utah. This gives us the ability to service a pretty large footprint and provide manufacturing support to our key markets.”

“When you are able to design a project in-house and coor dinate with other trades ahead of time, you can solve problems prior to the framers showing up on the site. This allows for a much quicker and more efficient build,” explains Jamie Howard, head of Technical Framing Solutions, the design arm of Colt Builders. “It means we don’t have to rebuild framing components or waste materials. We have more control over what we make, and by making better use of the materials, the quality of our product is Manufacturedbetter.”wall

panels are designed in advance of a project being constructed on site, cut with high-end equipment and then shipped to a job site ready for quick and easy installation. And Colt has taken the advantages a step further by doing all of their design in-house.

“Vertical integration is always great for our business,” says Shane Broughton, one of Colt Builders’ vice presidents. “We often would buy manufactured products from other vendors, but there’s an element of control when you get to design it yourself.”

The Kingman plant is also much larger than the New Brunswick location, which has lots of advantages all on its own.

And thanks to the vertical integration system that ensures Colt’s people-first business model transforms communities while building structures designed to last, that growth isn’t stopping anytime“Verticalsoon.integration is always great for our business,” says Shane. “We’ll be expanding without a problem.”

“This plant means we get to continue looking for people who are more technical- and engineering-focused,” says Janusz.

“We have the ability to ramp up our production by adding a few additional buildings with more production lines, which was definitely part of our master planning. Current real estate allows us to expand beyond one-production building, and we have made sure we can scale up quickly.”

Opening up a wall manufacturing plant in Kingman is exciting, of course, but it is also helping Colt Structures and the other associated organizations move toward an overarching vision focused on in-house design and engineering.

The extra space also means the plant can store materials for multiple job sites at once, lessening the burden on general contractors working with Colt on certain projects and keeping the actual building areas clear for work. a d esi G n- l ed f uture

Magazine 45 Janusz is also looking even further ahead.

“Because of the plant, our preconstruction departments will continue to grow, and we’ll keep creating opportunities for manufacturing, design, and preconstruction roles.”

“Quality companies like Colt Builders choosing to locate here means more jobs for our residents. It also translates into additional revenue to support our schools, recreational amenities, public safety, and improvements to our infrastructure. We are very excited to see Colt Builders set up shop in our community and look forward to their future success and growth here.”

—BENNETT BRATLEY, KINGMAN INDUSTRIAL PARK MANAGER

The Kingman executive team

T H E P O I N T E R E T I R E M E N T C O M M U N I T I E S Meridian Retirement Living

“The Pointe provides a really unique approach by vertically integrating and value engineering each project,” said Jim. “We do everything from land sourcing, market studies, and entitlements to actually designing and building the facility from the ground up.”

s u PP l Y m eets d emand Jim Petersen, a partner for The Pointe Retirement Communities is in the process of developing several senior living projects designed for modern life, all while maintaining high standards in building and construction. With Colt Builders’ extensive experi ence building so many senior living projects, The Pointe values its partnership with Colt for both design ideas and construction.

“In 2030, there will be 71 million people over the age of 65 living in the United States,” John explained. “If only 10 percent of those 71 million people want to live in a retirement community, you’ll need housing for 7 million people.”

But as of right now, the country only has housing available for 3 million of those seniors, which means there’s a lot of work cut out for builders who want to meet the demand with adequate supply.

W hen it comes to retirement communities, John Robertson, one of the founders of Colt Builders, has done the math.

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Jim began framing commercial buildings in the mid-1990s. He got involved with Colt in the 2000s, but in the last decade has expanded to real estate development, especially in senior living. With his experience in the industry, Jim knew partnering with Colt to provide construction knowledge for developing senior living communities was an obvious choice. t he P OW er O f t he P O inte’s aPP r O a C h

“This method means we’re not overspending in any areas,” explained Jim. “It reduces cost and construction risk. If anything happens in construction—because things don’t always go as

“I really like developing projects—taking a vacant piece of land and coming up with a concept for a project that gets developed into a great real estate development for people to enjoy for years to come,” said Jim. “When we build something that fills a need and adds great value to the community. That’s my favorite part of my job.”

—JIM PETERSEN Snow Canyon Retirement Community—independent housing Cave Creek Assisted Living

planned—we’re able to work through the problems and then create solutions much easier,” said Jim. Working with Colt we value engineer the buildings; during this process we ensure the ultimate design and functionality for the most competitive price.

“Value engineering means we’re not overspending in any areas. For example, on a lot of projects, you’ll typically get an architect who designs the build, but they haven’t really been on site. They don’t understand all the different aspects of what the final build will contain.”

he C O lt Culture

t

“It really feels like a working team,” said Jim. “It’s a great group of people. When people feel like a team and are connected you get a better outcome. The whole culture pays off.” And that payoff is what matters to Jim. After spending over three decades working on all sorts of projects, Jim knows what to look for.

Magazine 47

The building prowess typical of Colt is only one reason why Jim partnered with them for The Pointe project—their culture was just as important.

Pers O nal G O al

arrie Romano, Chief Executive Officer of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Intermountain Area, believes whole-heartedly in her organization’s mission. She centers on the organization’s goal to provide care and support for families with children receiving serious medical care in everything she does.

hO me aW a Y fr O m hO me In providing a “home away from home” for families, the Ronald McDonald charity relies solely on donations from individuals and“Sponsorshipscorporations. and donations entirely fund and fuel our mission,” explains Carrie. “In our charity, volunteers are really core to our mission, and corporate sponsorships are part of that.”

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“We’re a mission-driven business,” Carrie says. “Everything we do is focused around families and providing the support they need to be near and care for their hospitalized children. We’re a soft landing spot for folks who are going through a really tough time.”

In particular, the Ronald McDonald charity provides a variety of services. These include long-term stay facilities, where families can live for several months while their loved ones undergo medical treatment, as well as overnight rooms in select hospitals for fam ilies to get some much-needed rest while remaining close to their child. They also staff a fully stocked kitchen to provide hot meals as well as “respite carts,” which can move throughout medical facilities to provide the necessities to the people they serve.

h el P in G f amilies in n eed

GIVING BACK Colt Builders is grateful for opportunities to give back to the communities in which it operates.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Intermountain Area is a meaningful example.

Donations to the organization provide everything from cooking and serving hot meals to undercutting operation costs for the homes in which families stay while their loved ones are undergo ing treatment. s teadfast s u PPO rt Colt Builders has provided “steadfast support” for the Ronald McDonald House Charities as a corporate partner for nearly a decade.“Iappreciate

“We love Colt Builders,” she says. “They step up proactively. They show up and step up, and we couldn’t be more grateful.”

“Colt Builders has been a long-time supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Intermountain Area. We are proud and thankful for their commitment to help further this most important mission. Not only do they support by annual giving but also by ‘showing up’ personally! We look forward to continuing this valued partnership.”

Pe OP le f irst As the Ronald McDonald House Charities begins to return to their routine operations, Carrie is looking forward to furthering the nonprofit’s relationship with Colt. Colt’s people-first mission makes a partnership between the two a natural pairing, and she knows how fruitful that can be.

donors like Colt because they willingly offer their support for our mission. We don’t have to knock down the door begging; they ask first, ‘How can we help?’” says Carrie. The COVID-19 pandemic was an especially complicated time for the organization, and Colt Builders was there during that, too. “We spent over half a million dollars in emergency off-site lodging during the pandemic so families could quarantine safely. Colt was there as a real emergency lifesaver for the families we serve.”

—LYNNIE ZIMMERLI, RMHC PAST BOARD CHAIR, BOARD EMERITUS

WWW . CO lt B uilders. CO m | 801-365-0999 | inf O @ CO lt B uilders. CO m