VOLUME 18, ISSUE 9
construction-today.com
The sky is the limit Scaffolding, hoisting, access, safety, and protection company Universal Builders Supply (UBS) is able to handle complex challenges, which means its portfolio includes some truly significant projects
An organized plan Overcoming the ‘Information Deficit’ for infrastructure and buildings through a US National BIM program pg. 6
Beneath our feet With the advent of nodes, seismic survey technology has evolved to once again break new ground pg. 10
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Hello and welcome to the September issue of Construction Today. We always cover an array of fascinating subjects in the magazine, but this issue I did find the geotechnical surveys article particularly interesting. It’s always great to see a new evolution in technology, and with the advent of seismic nodes, a new opportunity has arisen to more easily gain data on what lies beneath our feet. Read more on page 10. Our front cover story this issue focuses on the 90-year old company that sets itself apart through
construction-today.com
adaptability, creativity and capacity. “As we are able to follow a project through from conception to completion, we have a lot of input when it comes to delivering advice on things such as value engineering, efficient design, lightweight structures, the means and methods of constructability, and other aspects of a job that can provide a client with significant value,” explains UBS President, Chris Evans. Chris also reveals
© 2021 Schofield Publishing Ltd
VOLUME 18, ISSUE 9
successes of Universal Builders Supply (UBS), a
more detail about the innovative solutions embraced
The sky is the limit Scaffolding, hoisting, access, safety, and protection company Universal Builders Supply (UBS) is able to handle complex challenges, which means its portfolio includes some truly significant projects
by UBS and the benefits these bring to projects. Schofield Publishing - Corporate Head Office Cringleford Business Centre, 10 Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich, NR4 6AU, U.K.
T: (312) 854-0123 T: +44 (0)1603 274130
An organized plan Overcoming the ‘Information Deficit’ for infrastructure and buildings through a US National BIM program pg. 6
Looking to the future, Chris highlights that the business wants to maintain control of its ambitions.
Beneath our feet With the advent of nodes, seismic survey technology has evolved to once again break new ground pg. 10
“What we don’t ever want to do is over promise and under deliver,” he said. For further insights into this fascinating business, turn to page 32.
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Features 4
SECTOR PERFORMANCE
How have small businesses performed in the construction industry – why was the sector one of
Exclusive Feature
18
the leading industries over this recent period?
6
BUILDING INFORMATION
MODELING To address the US infrastructure deficit, first of all the sector needs to tackle the ‘information deficit’ says Roger Grant
10 SEISMIC TECHNOLOGY
GAMETIME Construction
New ground is being broken in geotechnical surveys with the use and adoption of nodes that allow faster projects in challenging locations
12 SUPPLY CHAINS
26
The supply chain challenges that have resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic can act as a learning experience for contractors
14 NEWS The latest news and announcements from the world of North American construction – contracts, projects, products and more!
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Magil Construction
Profiles Exclusive Feature
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Accès Location + COVER STORY
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Universal Builders Supply (UBS)
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Prescient 3 WWW.CONSTRUCTION-TODAY.COM
Continued
growth
New clients added and project growth has allowed for the construction industry to prosper throughout the Covid-19 pandemic
W
hile the majority of 2020 was spent in
and remodeling - swiftly causing a higher-than-average ten percent
the midst of a pandemic, with many small
increase in clients.
businesses across various sectors experiencing the hardships of shutdowns and local and
New project growth and invoice value
global restrictions like never before, the construction industry
Restrictions causing less travel and more time at home, needing to
reported an all-time high in spending across the United States.
adapt the space for work, school and leisure, was a leading factor to
Accounting software firm, FreshBooks, looked at the key
an increase in projects such as renovations and repairs. The sector
performance indicators of small businesses in the construction
also saw higher invoice value, leading to expansive growth in the
industry, including new clients added, revenue and invoices
industry overall as the demand for work rose.
generated, in order to understand how this sector performed throughout the pandemic as compared to historic norms and why
Rise in annual expenditures
construction was one of the leading industries during this period.
Annual expenditures for remodeling and repairs rose to $332
Despite slight declines early in the year, with a seven-week period
billion amidst the pandemic and are expected to continue to rise
in April and May 2020 falling below historic norms, the construction
to $337 billion by the second half of 2021 due to higher home
industry fared well throughout the duration of the pandemic -
prices, sales, and second home purchases according to the Leading
performing consistently above historic averages by the end of
Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) released by the Remodeling
summer and into 2021 due to several observed factors.
Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.
Increase in clientele Downturns at the beginning of the pandemic were observed due to
Decrease in expenses
lower key inputs such as new clients added, but quickly recovered in
As lockdown measures went into effect and travel was limited, it
following months due to an uptake of projects on the go, renovations
is not surprising that the most impacted expense category for the
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Sector performance
construction sector was travel - experiencing the greatest decline.
in homeowner spending and the resilience of the housing market
However, taking into account the higher-than-average numbers of
caused the alleviation of initial concerns of downturns caused by
new clients added, greater invoice value due to increased demand for
the pandemic.
work and more jobs to travel to overall, less distance was travelled
While the pandemic forced people to stay in their homes for
between sites decreasing travel-related expenses such as gas.
extended periods of times, it changed the way that homeowners
Compounded with greater expenses on meals and utilities, the
thought of their space - bringing greater value on what it means
construction sector did not see a major impact on expenses due to
to own and upkeep a home. In turn, the construction industry
Covid-19, yet continued to see growth in other sectors.
benefited from the uptick of these values and renovations with a large increase in clients, revenue and demand without the need
How global markets fared differently
for greater expenses. These businesses were able to prosper
Every country had to handle Covid-19 in ways specific to themselves.
throughout the duration of a pandemic and, seemingly, will
When looking at how small businesses fared in different markets
continue to do so as values of homes and homeownership continue
around the world, it is apparent that patterns are similar with respect
to rise.
to downturns, yet some markets were less affected than others. Businesses in the US returned to growth activities faster than other parts of the world - bouncing back to historical range after only five weeks, about 1.6 times faster than the UK which recovered to the same range after 11 weeks. Many other parts of the world follow a similar path as the UK but struggle to move consistently beyond historical averages, making recovery a more challenging state.
Continuation into 2022 This upturn is expected to carry the way through to 2022. Financial boosts from stimulus packages and recent appreciation of housing prices lead experts to believe that homeowners will continue to invest greater amounts in their properties - incentivized by the ongoing strengthening of the housing market. As DIY and small project activity shows gains to the remodeling market along with the shift to large, professional projects, annual remodeling expenditures could boost to upwards of $370 billion by early 2022.
Implications and opportunities The overall health of the construction industry shows that this sector may be one of the outliers that has benefitted from Covid-19. Gains
FreshBooks is the #1 cloud accounting software for selfemployed professionals and their teams. The company has helped more than 20 million people process billions of dollars through its easy-to-use invoicing, time-tracking, expense management, and online payments features. Recognized with ten Stevie awards for the best customer service in the world, the company’s mantra is to ‘execute extraordinary experiences every day.’ FreshBooks is based in Toronto, Canada. www.FreshBooks.com
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An organized
plan
Overcoming the ‘Information Deficit’ for infrastructure and buildings through a US National BIM program. By Roger Grant
T
o help the country recover from
estimated that the United States had
schools, repurpose office buildings, address
the economic impact of the
an unfunded infrastructure gap of more
housing shortages, build data centers and
pandemic, the US government
than $2 trillion. That figure may now be
respond to climate change impacts, to
is working on funding for
an underestimate: Public infrastructure
name a few.
infrastructure improvements. A wise
federal, state, and local spending was only
government investment is estimated by the
2.3 percent of the GDP in 2017 (the latest
maximize this critical investment and
Congressional Budget Office to yield $2.20
year for which figures are available)—a
stretch the funding across many priorities.
of economic benefit for every dollar spent1.
record low2. There are also many needs
We can’t do this effectively by continuing
related to public and private buildings,
down the same road. The building
including the need to upgrade aging
enterprise continues to become more
An investment is sorely needed. In 2016, the American Society of Civil Engineers
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If funding becomes available, we must
Building Information Modeling
demanding and complex, in terms of use
To be successful, we need to streamline
the efficiency in what we do and how we
of resources (money, material, workforce,
processes, integrate workstreams, and
do it. Substantial cost savings (estimated at
carbon) and performance (climate change,
increase the use of digital information to
13 percent – 21 percent)3 can be achieved to
public health) but relies on discontinuously
maximize benefits.
stretch investment dollars and create more
digitized processes that are incoherent.
If stimulus funding does not materialize,
benefit from the same or less expenditures.
Further, demands transform how we build
or is limited, then we will need to do
At the same time, US design,
- automation, robotics, digital building
everything we can to leverage the funding
construction and technology firms are
control systems, etc. - are increasing
that is available along with securing
global leaders in their fields. Many have
the demand for coherent information
investment from the private sector. To
been leaders in adopting and using
strategies across the delivery system.
justify this effort, we will need to increase
building information modeling (BIM) and
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jobsite management technologies, and
potential of new technology, they often
insufficient internal processes and risk
US-based technology companies have
hesitate to risk multi-billion-dollar projects
aversion’4.
developed tools to assist. However, they
on applications they consider unproven.
have not reengineered processes and
New technologies - advanced analytics,
technological expertise and address our
supply chains to really gain advantages.
automation, machine learning, and the
nation’s infrastructure deficit, we first
And, asset owners have not consistently
Internet of Things, for example - have
need to tackle our ‘information deficit.’
demanded better support for their process
delivered substantial benefits to industries
As noted, the United States is home to
and information needs. There is willingness
at the forefront of adoption, particularly
the world’s best technology for the built
to address this, but there are some
telecommunications and finance. And while
environment, which we can plug into a
fundamental disincentives in contracting
these disruptive forces will eventually
whole-sector information management
procedures and related risk aversion they
wash over every industry, the construction
approach. This approach should optimize
create. It is widely understood that much
industry still lags. Digital tools are already
common processes and standards, enable
more can be done. According to a 2019
available, with $18 billion invested in
projects to be built and managed digitally,
McKinsey & Company report: ‘An industry
construction technology between 2013 and
and provide support and education for
notorious for cost and time overruns, the
early 2018. McKinsey research, however,
decision makers and industry workforce.
construction sector can capture significant
finds that leaders struggle to adopt these
Now is the time to dramatically and rapidly
efficiencies by adopting new technologies.
applications—not because of cost concerns
improve the building process to meet the
While many executives acknowledge the
or lack of interest, but rather because of
unprecedented demands set before us.
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So, to leverage our practice and
Building Information Modeling
more ‘pull’ from the owners. From the
improve the relationships, performance and
can allow us to be more effective in what
The right information on existing assets
consultation, there is strong support for
profitability of the increasingly digitalized
work is carried out and more efficient in
a national coordinated approach with
US architecture/engineering/ construction/
how the work is performed. Information
owners providing leadership. This national
operation (AECO) industry. Next steps for
gathered, used, and shared in a reliable,
approach requires a plan, and it will need
the program include:
systematic process is key to effective
resourcing and should be led by a coalition
information management. This creates the
of owners, industry and membership
expanding and extending BIM standards
opportunity for owners to build and operate
organizations.
and support for their widespread adoption
buildings and infrastructure in more agile and resilient ways. Consulting with owners and industry,
1. Develop an operational plan for
and implementation
The US National BIM Program
2. Build a leadership coalition of
The National Institute of Building
public and private owners and industry
we have formed a consensus view that a
Sciences (NIBS) is leading a consortium
representatives
shift toward an information management
of government and private sector owners
approach is needed for the sector. Owners
and industry representatives from
program to gain broad adoption and use of
want to be better informed with reliable
design, construction, manufacturing,
the standards and digital ways of working
data to make more effective decisions - this
technology and asset operation sectors,
will support resiliency and agile decisions to
plus software vendors in the development
improve the designing, building and use of
and dissemination of a next-generation
public assets.
information standard for the built
3. With a coalition in place, create the
environment. The US National Building
An organized and coordinated national plan for ‘owner centric BIM’
Information Management Program will
A coordinated vision of how BIM and other
Modeling Standard (NBIMS-US) to provide
digital approaches can meet the challenges
a step-change in capacity, creating a
faced today by owners and the sector
platform for the next phase of digital
is needed. Having an effort that is too
innovation.
narrowly focused on creating a standard
build on the work of the NIBS BIM Council and the US National Building Information
The program offers the opportunity to
to fix the ‘standards problem’ is not the answer. Common approaches between clients for bidding and project requirements combined with a common process for information management across the sector will provide owners the foundation to tackle the infrastructure deficit – helping to get more built for less cost with less waste. To accomplish this, we need a coordinated national approach to BIM
Roger Grant is Executive Director, BIM, National Institute of Building Sciences. The National Institute of Building Sciences brings together labor and consumer interests, government representatives, regulatory agencies, and members of the building industry to identify and resolve problems and potential issues around the construction of housing and commercial buildings. NIBS was established by the US Congress in 1974. More information about the US National BIM Program is available on NIBS website at https://www.nibs.org/projects/national-bim-program. www.nibs.org
increasing the capacity of owners and the AEC sector akin to what has been done successfully in other countries, most notably the United Kingdom. By
Contributors to this report include Philip Bernstein, Associate Dean and Professor Adjunct, Yale University; Adam Matthews, Head of International, Centre for Digital Built Britain; and John Messner, Chair, US National BIM Standard and Professor, Penn State University.
committing to a collective information
This article was first published in The Hill: https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/563284-
management framework and leveraging
overcoming-the-information-deficit-for-us-infrastructure-and?rnd=1626384806
the buying power of public and private owners using this framework will help to build consistency and in turn build capacity of the whole sector. Owners are calling for better use and management of information, and industry representatives want to see
1 Estimated impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on employment and economic output in 2014, Congressional Budget Office, February 20, 2015, cbo.gov. 2 Reimagining infrastructure in the United States: How to build better, McKinsey and Company, July 2020 3 Boston Consulting Group (2016) Digital in Engineering and Construction http://futureofconstruction.org/ content/uploads/2016/09/BCG-Digital-in-Engineering-and-Construction-Mar-2016.pdf 4 Governments can lead construction into the digital era. McKinsey & Company, April 2019
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Beneath
our feet
Seismic nodes are breaking new ground in geotechnical surveys says Mike Popham
T
his year marks a century of
and difficult to manage in many settings,
seismic survey reduces the need to sample
seismic imaging, a type of
including urban areas and rugged terrains.
the ground through boreholes or test pits,
geotechnical survey that has
and even when the latter are required, it
Seismic acquisition today
complements the information in between
game-changing discoveries beneath the
Conventionally, seismic acquisition today
these coarse measurements. This provides
Earth’s surface, without actually having to
is done with vibroseis; big trucks mounted
essential information for planning major
break the ground first.
with hydraulic shaking plates that inject
construction or engineering projects.
enabled ground-breaking,
Since the first successful surveys in
vibrations into the earth. The seismic
Increasingly, many infrastructure and
the 1920s, the evolution and contribution
waves they generate are reflected and
construction projects are being built
of the technology has been remarkable,
collected by geophones on the surface
in environments that are difficult for
particularly for the oil and gas and
and used to estimate the properties of the
trucks or heavy machinery to access. For
engineering sectors.
Earth’s subsurface.
instance, obtaining seismic acquisition for
But that doesn’t mean that innovation
For the construction and engineering
a city-center subway project would require
can stop. The equipment has evolved to
industries, geotechnical site
disruptive, lengthy road closures, as trucks
be large, cumbersome and fuel-guzzling,
characterization (understanding the soil
and people are positioned to gather data
requiring environments to be partially
properties under a proposed construction
recordings. Mapping the subsurface of, for
cleared or roads to be closed in built
site) through seismic surveys has been one
instance, mountainous terrain throws up
up areas. This is making the process
of a key, non-intrusive method of provide
different but equally difficult challenges,
expensive, environmentally disruptive,
an accurate image of the subsurface. A
with steep inclines and roads that are
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Seismic technology
difficult to navigate. In short, bulky seismic receivers are simply not fit for geotechnical surveys of less accessible locations – and they’re not great for any project’s budget sheet or carbon footprint either. That is where nodes – no heavier or larger than a smart phone – and pioneered by seismic technology providers like STRYDE, are enabling seismic surveys to be carried out in less-accessible locations and in a way that is less disruptive for the environment. They are making an enormous difference, bringing the advantages of high-density seismic to more challenging environments in a way
posing numerous health and safety risks in
Nimble system and the PinPoint source
that is affordable and efficient.
the process.
system, could fit into a single pickup truck
At 150g, nodes are light enough for a
The mountain, surveyed by Explor in
and 20-foot trailer. This is in stark contrast
single person to carry 90 of them. This
the Summer of 2020, was particularly
to a previous, similar Explor seismic study,
means that a two-person crew can deploy
inaccessible, reaching over 2000 meters in
which had required a 50-foot tractor
and retrieve hundreds of nodes in a single
height, with the steepest slope gradients
trailer and a truck, plus 18 people, just
shift, reducing the need for heavy vehicles
exceeding 40°. Large, unstable boulders
to transport the system into the seismic
to transport equipment and, allowing
meant that the only way to deploy nodes
camp.
seismic contractors to work without roads
was on foot – but a team of three people
being closed, all while helping to lower the
was able to do this, deploying one node
carbon footprint associated with project
every minute, with remote support to
The opportunity for the construction industry
development.
assist with distribution and activation.
One hundred years on from the first game-
This saves time and money. Nodes
From there, the nodes can continuously
changing seismic surveys, the technology
are now being used extensively and
record seismic data for at least 28 days at
has evolved to once again break new
across various industries, to image the
temperatures well below freezing, without
ground. And for the construction industry,
subsurface, whether it’s for oil and gas,
being touched. The nodes worked in
these inconspicuous nodes represent an
renewable energy projects, such as
conjunction with Explor’s own PinPoint
geothermal or for archaeologists seeking
seismic source, gathering a 2D seismic line
data, that paints a picture of the layers
to unearth the past.
of the mountain’s subsurface.
beneath our feet, enabling more efficient,
TM
Once the data had been collected, two
incredible opportunity to obtain seismic
accurate and decisive planning of complex
Seismic acquisition in challenging environments
members of Explor’s team spent just
infrastructure and engineering projects.
three hours retrieving several hundred
And this in a way that is far more accessible
As I’ve touched on, one area in which these
nodes from across the mountain. The
and far better for the environment –
nodes have a particular advantage – and
equipment needed for deployment and
whether that’s in the heart of Quebec, or at
the potential to be revolutionary – is in
recording, including both the STRYDE
the peak of Mount Robson.
mountainous terrain. Earlier this year, we announced that we had been working with a company called Explor to trial seismic imaging of a mountainous terrain in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Ordinarily, given the limitations imposed by steep and narrow mountain paths that limit access to smaller vehicles, mapping of this sort would require expensive and carbon-omitting helicopters to draft in heavy equipment,
Mike Popham is CEO of STRYDE. STRYDE’s mission is to make high density seismic affordable to any industry. Its customers benefit from a substantially reduced environmental footprint, reduced HSE risk, faster surveys, and significant operational efficiencies. Put simply, STRYDE’s products save customers money and time while enabling them to deliver the best quality seismic data. With over 170,000 STRYDE NodesTM deployed or purchased globally, STRYDE is helping customers around the globe to acquire an unparalleled understanding of the subsurface. www.strydefurther.com
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Important
lessons
How contractors can learn and strategically emerge in a postpandemic climate. By Lisa Palladino
T
he construction industry has
pandemic hopefully nears its end,
companies for new projects. These sudden
faced trying times throughout
contractors can reflect on the various
price increases can dramatically impact
the past year. With economic
supply chain obstacles experienced this
companies who may have just recently
shutdowns and industries
past year to become more strategic in their
won a bid or were mid-job utilizing a lower
operations moving forward.
rate. In this instance, when the pandemic
on pause, construction companies have wondered how they would deal with the
and the resulting supply chain issues hit,
supply chain obstacles, price increases
Price escalations
it is likely that original budgets were going
and project backlogs that stem from the
Beginning in early-mid 2020, the supply
to be affected and would cause over runs
pandemic. As a result, the industry was
chain issues and increasing material
on projects due to new pricing on various
forced to be dynamic in its response
costs have greatly impacted construction
materials.
to these unprecedented times and the
companies across the globe. Throughout
many challenges that it brought about.
the year, the industry saw pricing
an acceleration pricing clause in their
Contractors will be responsible for
escalate on various materials with lumber
contracts, allowing them to bill extra in a
addressing these concerns throughout
skyrocketing in the spring and steel costs
change order for the pricing difference,
the remainder of 2021 and beyond. In
soaring in mid-summer.
others may need to accept the over-run if
fact, many of these hurdles have shaped
Due to both pricing and availability,
how contractors will conduct business in
these costs continue to negatively impact
the future.
both construction companies and potential
As the industry rebounds and the
12 WWW.CONSTRUCTION-TODAY.COM
owners seeking to hire the construction
While some contractors may have
this type of clause does not exist or if the clause stipulates an upper pricing limit. As 2021 continues, pricing is starting to balance back out and return to pre-
Supply chains
no longer be viable with the current increased pricing. Contractors are also experiencing project
with a lack of skilled workers for years. As many US citizens are currently getting paid more from unemployment than
fade, as only a number of clients have been
from low wage jobs, many are refusing
able to issue change orders to recoup some
to return to work and industries, such as
of the higher costs. In this unprecedented
construction, are lacking skilled laborers.
environment, staying on top of pricing
However, the Covid-19 federal relief
and being proactive with customers is the
programs, such as the SBA’s Paycheck
best way to mitigate any extreme budget
Protection Program (PPP) as introduced by
overruns.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic
As pricing rebounds throughout the
Security (CARES) Act, have helped
remainder of 2021, contractors located in
contractors maintain employment levels
areas that experience extreme weather
throughout project delays.
conditions should keep the end of
Luckily, the supply chain obstacles
construction season top of mind. Rather
resulting from the pandemic haven’t yet
than holding off until later in the year to
resulted in major industry layoffs, but the
pick up on paused projects, contractors
lack of manpower will likely play a role as
may want to work with customers to
the supply chain stabilizes.
strategize next steps on these projects to be proactive.
A lesson learned: tackling future supply chain challenges
Decreased backlogs
The supply chain challenges resulting
As projects pause in anticipation of
from the pandemic can act as a learning
material shortages, the demand is slowing
experience for contractors. As companies
down. With this in mind, contractors
continue to navigate material delays and
experienced a decrease in job backlogs as
price increases, they must be strategic
the pandemic continued.
about bidding on new projects and picking
Almost a year into the supply chain
up on paused jobs. When applicable,
challenges, contractors are trying to
contractors should continually factor in
become more aware of their ability to
the future cost of materials into quotes,
perform under these circumstances and
and they should also look to include price
more strategic about which projects they
acceleration and force majeure clauses in
are choosing to move forward with. For
future contracts in the case that another
pandemic levels and material costs,
example, due to price increases, a business
pandemic or emergency event presents
such as lumber, are slowly declining. It
owner hiring a contractor for a project may
itself.
is anticipated that as 2022 approaches,
choose to temporarily hold off on a project
steel and additional materials will begin
or make the decision not to do the project
projects can have extreme benefits as
declining as well.
at all.
the country emerges from the pandemic.
Paused projects
Labor shortages
reviewed by an attorney, as they may be
Due to delays in materials, contractors
While the Covid-19 pandemic played a
able to think ahead on items that should
have been forced to pause ongoing
role in escalating the labor shortage issues,
be included in contract verbiage based on
projects. It is also important to note that
the construction industry has been dealing
experiences throughout the past year.
Being proactive on bids and upcoming
Companies should have all contracts
some vendors may supply to specific customers, depending on their relationship, and not to whomever purchased the materials first. This lack of ‘first come, first serve’ process is largely affecting businesses in terms of project viability. For example, some jobs that were projected to be profitable under the original bid projections with specific materials may
Lisa Palladino is a CPA and partner at The Bonadio Group. Founded in 1978, The Bonadio Group is a nationally ranked Top 50 CPA firm offering accounting, tax, and consulting services to clients of all sizes. The firm’s professionals deliver practical, proactive, and innovative solutions to help clients reach their financial, compliance, management, and personal goals. The Bonadio Group is the largest independent provider of accounting, tax, and consulting services in upstate New York. www.bonadio.com
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News In Brief California calling
Historic sale DICA recently closed a
Fontaine Heavy-Haul, the leader and
historic sale in Antarctica
innovator in the lowbed and extendable
to the United States
trailer industries, is introducing 53ft
Antarctic Program (USAP).
Xcalibur extendable trailers that are
With this purchase of a set
California legal. “We listened to our
of SafetyTech® Outrigger
customers and responded with four
Pads, DICA’s Outrigger Pads
53ft California legal models offering a
and Crane Pads are now in
choice of spring or air suspension with
use on all seven continents
tandem or tridem axles,” explained Todd
and in more than 50
Anderson, VP Sales and Marketing. “All
countries around the world.
Xcalibur trailers are easy to operate,
“Antarctic ground
extraordinarily versatile and now legal
conditions in the area
on California roads.”
where these are intended
Xcalibur is designed for maximum
to be used consist primarily of volcanic rock or solid ice. SafetyTech Outrigger Pads
uptime. An innovative cable
have unbreakable strength, industrial grade safety texturing, and deliver reliable
management system helps protect
performance in demanding and unpredictable environments, making them perfect for
telescoping air and electrical lines from
USAP’s needs,” said Kris Koberg, CEO of DICA.
damage. Sliding axles are attached
“In addition to standard SafetyTech Outrigger Pads like those purchased by USAP,
to the trailer in a ‘Slider Box’ so they
we frequently design custom load distribution solutions for unique applications,”
move together as a unit. For greater
continued Koberg. “Whether it’s custom designed crawler mats, FiberMax Crane
strength and durability steel I-Beam
Pads, SafetyTech Pads, ProStack® Cribbing, custom jack pads or foundation shoring,
crossmembers are welded on 12 inch
DICA’s engineered stabilizer products are widely used by all five branches of the US
centers. Steel reinforced mainbeams,
armed forces, NASA, nuclear facilities, and electric utility, crane, mining and drilling
structural steel siderails and steel front
operations.”
& rear skirts complete the heavy-duty design.
Making the list Payroll4Construction, the payroll processing service built exclusively for the construction industry, has continued Foundation Software’s streak of being nominated for Inc. magazine’s annual 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the US. Payroll4Construction is a full-service payroll provider that simplifies the most complex aspects of construction payrolls — including prevailing wage, certified payroll, union wage reporting, and calculating multiple cities, states, rates and trades on a single timecard. The Inc. 5000 list celebrates the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment — independent small businesses. The companies on the 2021 Inc. 5000 list have been very competitive within their markets, which was especially difficult given 2020’s unprecedented challenges.
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Highway expansion Flatiron and its joint venture partner Fred Smith Company have been selected by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to complete I-95 improvements in Harnett and Johnston Counties in North Carolina. This $236.5 million bid-build project will add two travel lanes each direction, bringing the total to eight lanes between exit 71 and exit 81. This phase of I-95 improvements - scheduled to begin in late 2021 and complete in 2026 - focuses on the state’s oldest stretch of I-95 that opened in the late 1950s. It’s part of the overall effort to upgrade I-95, a vital artery for the movement of people and goods across North Carolina and along the entire eastern seaboard. Along with the widening of I-95, the project will include grading, drainage, paving, signals and bridges. Notable project highlights include: • Doubling the lanes to alleviate congestion and increase safety; • Replacing two culverts with single-structure bridges to improve the ability of
water to safely flow underneath the interstate;
• Rebuilding interchanges along the roadway to meet modern design standards—
including taller, wider bridges and longer acceleration lanes;
• Realigning and improving service roads.
News New team assembled
$840 million contract
McGuireWoods
The Department of Veterans Affairs and the
has formed a
US Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District,
multidisciplinary
has selected Turner Construction Company and
team of lawyers
Walsh Construction to build an $840 million
and McGuireWoods
full-service medical center to serve military
Consulting policy
veterans in Louisville, Kentucky.
professionals to
In addition to the construction of the new
assist clients with the
104-bed, 910,115 square foot medical center,
expected influx of real
the project includes parking structures, a
estate, construction
central utility plant, roadways, sidewalks, and
and infrastructure
other site improvements.
projects that may
Small, local, and veteran-owned groups
arise from legislation
will be involved in the construction of this
related to the American Jobs Plan.
world-class healthcare facility. The facility
The development and economic policy team includes lawyers from the firm’s
will integrate modern patient-centered care
infrastructure and real estate capital markets groups and McGuireWoods Consulting policy
concepts to veterans. To address the needs
professionals who help clients capitalize on opportunities emerging from anticipated
of women veterans, the facility will include
public investments in transportation, power grids, water supplies, broadband technology
a Women’s Health Clinic with four Patient
and other areas.
Aligned Care Teams (PACT).
“McGuireWoods is uniquely positioned to help clients navigate legal, regulatory and policy challenges as they pursue opportunities emerging from this historic infrastructure investment,” said partner Gregory Riegle, who co-leads the development and economic policy team along with partner Dennis Mensi and McGuireWoods Consulting senior vice president Christopher Lloyd. Added Mensi: “The collective knowledge, experience and strategic insight of our lawyers and policy professionals will provide powerful advantages for our clients.”
Stabilize the shore ECOncrete has partnered with the Seaview at Shark River Island
to create a hybrid living shoreline to prevent the ongoing erosion
Homeowners Association, American Littoral Society, and Neptune
between the marsh and marina bulkhead at the northwest corner
Township to stabilize the vulnerable and eroding shoreline, reduce
of the Island. “It is also to provide an ecological uplift across the
flood risk, protect critical infrastructure, and expand the marsh
site, which will transform the area for community members looking
buffer for a community along Shark River Island in New Jersey.
to utilise the shoreline for recreational purposes, specifically for
In comparison to traditional concrete erosion control
fishing and kayaking. It is an immense honour to be part of the site’s
infrastructure, ECOncrete’s technology enables a biodiverse
transformation, restore its ecological balance and help safeguard
ecosystem of marine life to grow on concrete. This infrastructure
the township.”
provides an ecological alternative to traditional concrete, and completes an environmentally-sensitive shoreline erosion control plan. ECOncrete has installed 42 innovative marine mattresses at the site, home to a community of approximately 200 townhouses. The ecological concrete mattresses will be coupled with two additional flooding and erosion control structures, a nearshore sill and upland berm to help dissipate wave energy and protect the adjacent marsh area, which will be restored and planted by a volunteer effort organized by the American Littoral Society. The contractor for the project, Renova Environmental Services is responsible for the regrading of the shoreline, placement of the marine mattresses, construction of nearshore sill, regrading of the eroding marsh and creation of the terrestrial upland berm habitat. Andrew Rella, PhD, Technical Director of Business Development, ECOncrete Inc., noted that the aim is
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GAMETIME Construction
It’s
GAMETIME GAMETIME Construction https://gametimeconstruction.com Services: General contractor
Despite its youth, GAMETIME Construction is making impressive movements to build its name under the leadership of Marcus Roebuck
W
ith 20 years of experience and the invaluable wisdom of his father, Marcus Roebuck is geared with the tools to build big goals for his own construction company. Although still in its ‘middle school phase’ as he says, GAMETIME has grown to specialize in building colleges, universities, sports arenas, as well as homes and luxury condominiums. Since 2017, when the business was first
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established, Marcus has dedicated himself to absorbing as much knowledge and advice as he can from his colleagues, which has been particularly useful when it comes to creating built solutions that can handle natural disasters raging regularly through the States. For Marcus, his carpentry capabilities and industry experience in the built environment provides GAMETIME with the expertise to create infrastructures capable of withstanding
potential devastation. “There are many reliable and responsible construction companies, but where I come in is the various skills across the whole team. I do have some contractors and consultants with more experience in concrete and electrical, so our general contracting focus is very helpful for building safe and sturdy spaces,” he shares. Is this what sets GAMETIME apart from other contractors? Well, for Marcus camaraderie is
Exclusive Feature key. Rather than viewing other companies as competition, he prefers to see them as teachers with ample knowledge on how to excel in the construction field. “Obviously we want to be successful and I want to pay my guys well but at the end of the day, we are all builders, we have to all come together and build as much as we can and I still have so much to learn from everyone,” he adds and this tactic is clearly working. In the short time that the business has existed, it has successfully expanded into to Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee and Alabama, proving that while some new start-ups may choose to take their time in scaling up, Marcus is ready to take risks. “I have already laid out the map just because of the rapport I have with colleagues of mine, as well as people who are actually interested in the business on a larger scale,” he says. Amongst his ambitious goals to continue to grow GAMETIME, he recognizes the importance of taking care of those working under the company name. “I know all the guys on my team on a personal level and I take time to understand what’s happening in their lives because I think that’s the best way to make a team feel motivated. You have to get to know your people and encourage the team in a way that makes them feel heard and appreciated for the work that they do, and I think that in the long run, this is going to play such an important role in making our company culture one of the best out there. We are not waking up just to get the job done; we want to be great and motivated, inspired and innovative. Above that, we want to be cutting edge, especially as a minority business enterprise, we have to shine twice as bright,” Marcus explains. According to an Annual Business Survey conducted by the US Census Bureau in 2018, only 18.3 per cent of all US businesses were minority-owned. In Marcus’s experience, this reality has often led to GAMETIME being overshadowed and underestimated to get the job done. “There is this idea that we can do the work but we can’t lead the work, and I think that is where I want to leave my mark. Thirty years down the line, I want to able to prove that no matter what, we did our best and we completed every project well because there was no reason why we couldn’t,” he shares, and so far, Marcus looks on target to achieve just that. Not even a pandemic could slow this company down. Although the first few months of 2020 were tricky as projects for universities and government agencies slowed down, Marcus remained patient and strategic
Above: Marcus Roebuck to keep the business going. “Streets still needed to be paved, pot holes still needed to be filled, so there was definitely work to be done. Aside from funding being a bit of a hiccup, my persistence and consistency didn’t change. I just had to stay motivated for the team,” he adds. Tied with his dedication to training a strong team, Marcus is equally as passionate about extensive community involvement. Having lived in Chicago for close to ten years, he made the decision to register with the Chicago Housing Authority to help redevelop and liven up neglected areas within the metropolis. “I learned a lot through my adult years living there, which helped me understand both the political and commercial side of the industry, and it puts fuel in the tank to give back to the communities,” he expresses. Marcus is proud to share that the GAMETIME journey could not have been possible on his
own. His eagerness to learn from other experts in his field is setting him in good stead to grow the business and achieve the impressive goals that he has set for the company’s future. “Our name stands for ‘God answers me every time’ so whenever I say ‘GAMETIME’, it happens for a reason. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who continues to help us grow and invest in the projects that we take on; I’ve had to have different freelance contractors help out and some of my colleagues advised me on different ways to approach marketing and how I conduct my operations, similarly to how they run theirs. This industry is constantly changing so I believe that talking and learning from like-minded people gives me that extra push and motivation to deliver the best service I can, which will put us in a great position to take on new projects, grow and ultimately achieve great things,” Marcus concludes.
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eMars Inc.
eMars Inc.
Paying it
www.emarsinc.com Products: Certified payroll on-line compliance software
forward
Compliant Client by eMars Inc. makes payroll easy and worry free for any construction company doing business
A
s countless satisfied customers have come to discover, The Compliant Client system by eMars is the answer for worry free-time saving compliant payment. Easy to install and use, the system provides immediate, concurrent, real time visibility of all payroll records of the sub, prime, plus – the owner agency. All screens are printable, and every
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submitted payroll is audited, on line and in real time, against the wage determination and all 30 causes that are in support of Davis-Bacon and Related Acts. Designed with considerable input from the Department of Labor, and various other agencies and contractors, Compliant Client requires only a PC and less than 30 minutes of training to get started, and complete
implementation takes less than a single day after loading the wage determination. With a typical payroll prepared in less than five minutes, the system represents an 80 percent productivity improvement compared to paper and pencil preparation. Furthermore, instant recognition of payroll errors prompt the user as to how to solve the problems and guarantee compliance.
Exclusive Feature
Another unique feature of Compliant Client is that it encrypts at-rest data, providing an additional layer of security. “Security and peace of mind for our clients is our major concern,” explains President of eMars Inc., Woody Chamberlain. “We handle, save, and encrypt hundreds of thousands of bits of information for our clients, and we understand that their workers’ privacy and sanctity cannot be compromised.” A further benefit of Compliant Client is that it is made available to auditors to receive and review electronic payrolls. eMars authorizes approved auditors to utilize the system so that they can thoroughly interrogate the data and see what is going on with a particular company’s payroll. The auditor also has the ability to send out internal messages within the system, which is another innovative feature of Compliant Client. “By supporting not only our clients, but also auditors, we are delivering a two-pronged service for the betterment of all parties concerned,” Woody enthuses. The multiple system features of Compliant Client are also helping to lend it to other associated demands facing construction companies in 2021. “A new development to have arisen in the last year, in light of the pandemic, has been an increased pressure for public employees working on State of Government funded projects to show that they have been vaccinated against Covid-19,” Woody details. “We have the ability to store this information within our system, providing easily retrievable records of every worker on a project and his or her respective vaccination status and eligibility to work. “The ability to store data that helps to facilitate the correct and legally binding running of projects also extends to things such
as the recording of worker’s criminal records. Many of our clients carry out construction projects on active college campuses, and a general rule is that you cannot have a convicted felon active on said sites. Compliant Client can help to identify those with a prior conviction and therefore would be disallowed from joining a particular project. “We feel it is this ability to store large swathes of easy-to-access data on vaccination and conviction status, as well as elements such as what percentage of a workforce is male or female, or the percentage of say minorities or military veterans there are on a given project, that places our system ahead of the current pack.” With a Spanish language version of Compliant Client currently being actively explored, Woody goes on to conclude how the system is constantly evolving to meet the needs of clients not only today, but in
the future. “As we have displayed numerous times to date, whenever a new requirement is presented to us by either a client or the wider industry, we are very adept at making adjustments to Compliant Client in order to serve said need, before making it available to everybody. “Unlike many other systems out there, which have various versions active at any one time, there is only ever one version of Compliant Client out there, and that is the latest one! Our system operates in real time, so when we roll out an upgrade we immediately make this accessible to all of our users. That is how we continue to introduce change to the market.”
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Accès Location +
A head
for heights
Accès Location + www.acceslocation.com Services: Aerial equipment sales and rentals
I
A specialist in the sales and rentals of aerial equipment and associated products, Accès Location + is driven by its mission to surpass expectations through the quality of its actions
t was in 2004 that Harold Dubé made the decision to establish Accès Location + in Beloeil, Quebec. Beginning life with a handful of aerial lift machines, the business quickly experienced a growing demand for its services, leading to the acquisition of a greater number of machines and an increased focus on the sales and rental of high lift equipment including scissor lifts, articulating and straight boom lifts, forklifts, telehandlers, and rotary telehandlers. Faced with the above mentioned rapid growth, the company moved into new premises in 2017. Four years on, its 33,000-square
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foot state-of-the-art headquarters and 232,000-square feet of land, located on the edge of a major highway in the metropolitan area, continues to contribute to the company’s visibility and development. Two years after it was formed, Luc Bertrand would join the Accès Location + team, initially as a rental representative. He would soon take on more responsibilities, becoming a shareholder and Vice President in 2012, and eventually President of the company in 2018. “Accès Location + is proud of its track record, and of being among the best managed companies in Canada,” Luc tells Construction Today. “We are a
leader in the Greater Montreal area and now have branches to serve our customers on Montreal’s South Shore, North Shore, and in Quebec City.” As of the summer of 2021, the company boasts an impressive fleet of high-quality equipment, totaling more than 1200 lifts. For Luc, its success is due to the exceptional work of his team members. “At Accès Location +, we are one big family,” he proudly states. “Our professionals are dynamic, consistently offer exceptional service, and are not afraid to take on new challenges. It is thanks to them that we have experienced accelerated growth over the last few years, and it’s heartening to know that
Below: left: François Garon, Director of Operations and right: Luc Bertrand, President
today the Accès Location + team is made up of nearly 70 people who are truly passionate about heights.” What also makes the business stand out amongst its peers is its large selection of specialized quality equipment from recognized brands, such as Skyjack, JLG, Genie, MEC, and Dieci. Accès Location + has the youngest fleet in its industry – with an average age of 36 months – while its personalized service has helped to build customer loyalty, and an unmatched reputation in the rental industry. Accès Location + regularly acquires new products and specialized accessories to facilitate
the work of its customers. It has the largest range of Ultra Boom Lifts in Quebec, including aerial work platforms of over 100 feet tall. Meanwhile, equipment acquired more recently typically comes equipped with telematics tools that allow for remote diagnosis and geolocation of the equipment. “Our facilities are at the cutting edge of technology when it comes to the inspection, maintenance, and repair of equipment,” Luc adds. “They have been designed to maximize the productivity and comfort of our mechanics, while the latest tools, machines and programs are available to all of our employees, in order
to facilitate their work and deliver increased efficiency.” To improve and enhance its outstanding customer service, Accès Location + has also recently launched its customer portal. This virtual platform provides a more complete experience for the needs of its growing clientele, and is one of the first advances of its kind in the equipment rental sector. “The online customer portal was developed over the course of several months in collaboration with Orion Software, creating a virtual customer space which meets several needs of our clientele,” explains François Garon, Director of Operations at Accès Location +. “In addition to managing their rental contracts, customers can schedule an equipment rental return directly on the virtual platform, as well as make requests for maintenance from their job site. “Further to this, access to order history is always available, as is the ability to generate relevant reports of transactions made. This new technological support allows greater autonomy to companies in terms of accessibility of their data and offers additional interesting tools to facilitate their accounting. This is a major innovation in the industry, an interface that was custom designed according to the requirements of our clientele, tested and approved by a pool of targeted users.” Equally as vital to the company’s success as its equipment and programs, are its people and its relationships with suppliers. “Corporate culture forms a core part of our DNA here at Accès Location +, and our people are always placed at the heart of our priorities,” Luc enthuses, noting that said culture has earned the company a Bonboss certification; recognition that underlines good management, fulfilled employees, and a healthy working environment. “As well as regularly highlighting and rewarding
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Accès Location +
our people’s work through employee recognition schemes, we also provide access to wellness areas such a gym, yoga room, games rooms, and various social activities, all of which provide opportunities to build solid ties between individuals or teams, and create a strong sense of belonging. We consider ourselves to be one big family, and we know that an employee who is happy, appreciated and feels like a valued member of that family will want to invest more back into the business.” Meanwhile, on the subject of its suppliers, Accès Location + has worked exceptionally hard over the last 20-plus years to develop relationships based on mutual trust and satisfaction. “With the volume of purchases increasing significantly – we have invested nearly $75 million in new equipment over the last five years alone – our suppliers have only
Equipements FDS Acces Location + is Equipements FDS’ Dieci RENTAL Partner, and we are very proud and honoured to be associated with Acces Location +’s great team. Business practices, integrity, service, empathy, credibility, availability, transparency, equity, vision, and passion are all qualities spread across the organisation. Please make sure to keep reinventing the rental business in Quebec, Canada.
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risen in importance, keeping us informed of new products and market trends, and playing an invaluable role in the company’s ongoing growth,” Luc confirms. The growth that Luc alludes to has come in spite of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. “At the onset of the pandemic, we actually took advantage of the forced shutdown period to develop new projects, for which the entire management team of Accès Location + was mobilized. This resulted in, among other things, the planning of new acquisitions,” Luc highlights. “The company also focused on the optimization of numerous internal projects, such as the redesign of documents, the development of technological tools, and a training program for members of the management committee. These projects and initiatives have helped us to recover from the shutdown, and become better prepared to reach our long-term objectives.” One long-term mission for the business is to adopt ever-more sustainable practices as part of its ambition to significantly reduce its environmental footprint. These efforts are companywide, and extend all the way down to small daily gestures, such as the use of reusable bottles, the reduction of printed paper, and the establishment of a community garden. A recent action of note has also been the company’s decision to replace the 12 vehicles used by its representatives with brand new Ford Mach-E’s. “We actually offer a $1000 subsidy for employees of Accès Location + who wish to purchase an electric vehicle, and have installed recharging stations at our Beloeil, Laval, and Quebec City branches that they can use for free,” Luc points out. As it continues to grow and be a leader in its industry in Quebec, Accès Location + understandably wants to leverage this momentum, while also remaining several steps ahead of its competition by relying on a combination of good business practices, its sense of innovation, and its ability to make key decisions quickly. Among its many aims for the coming years, the company intends to build its fleet up to 2000 machines by 2025, and continue to offer its customers reliable equipment and a world-class level of service. One final topic that Luc is keen to address is the company’s commitment and contributions to wider society. “We support a number of causes, particularly those that involve children’s health and people in need,” he says. “As well as supporting several local organizations, Accès Location + is proud to be a member of Entreprise Enfant Soleil, and to support
ambitious projects to provide care and services to sick children and their families. This social involvement is part of the company’s values and members of our team willingly adhere to it by volunteering for various fundraising activities.
What this all comes back to is my belief that a successful company must give back to society, and we try to create several new initiatives each year that allow us to make a difference in the community.”
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Magil Construction
Magil Construction www.magil.com Services: Construction company specializing in project management and turnkey developments
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The Magil
touch
With a track record for building strong client relationships and delivering specialist turnkey projects, Magil Construction is recognized as one of the top 20 construction companies in Canada
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Magil Construction
1, Square Phillips, Montreal
“As project management and design-build experts, we, at Magil, are capable of overseeing all elements of a construction project, as well as collaborating with architects, engineers and other key professionals. We have the tools and expertise to do it well
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P
owered by innovation and a team of skilled, flexible and dedicated employees, Magil Construction has, over the course of more than 70 years in business, carved out an enviable position for itself in both Canada and the wider world. Specializing in major industrial, commercial, institutional and residential projects, the company has become renowned for carrying out complex builds that push the boundaries of what was previously thought possible. “Before I joined Magil in 2017, I was actually working for one of the company’s clients,” recalls Vice President of Operations, Alexandra Murdock. “Through our dealings, I knew Magil to be a really co-operative, good value business, with a trustworthy team and strong leaders. Even back then, it was a very attractive proposition. “Construction is a tough industry,” she continues. “People are under a lot of stress
to carry out complex projects, but inside the walls of a company like Magil, everyone is very respectful and collaborative. There’s no competition between our people – they are all committed to working together and performing great work in line with the values of our business.” Boasting five offices across Canada - in Montreal, London, Toronto, Vancouver and, most recently, Quebec City - Magil’s latest projects include construction of a $560 million residential tower slated to become one of the tallest buildings in Montreal. A collaboration with Brivia Group, the 61-storey development (1, Square Phillips) will house over 800 residential units and offer breathtaking views of historic Montreal. The project is set to be completed by 2024. Elsewhere in The City of a Hundred Steeples, Magil is nearing completion on a project at the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI). Set to be fully operational by 2022, the
company’s work at the MHI has involved the expansion and redevelopment of emergency and critical care units, consolidation of outpatient activities, construction of a training center and storied parking facilities, as well as regrouping of the Institute’s administrative sectors. In order to remain the industry’s first choice for these types of projects, Magil continuously strengthens its highlyrespected project management credentials with ongoing investment in people and technology. Alexandra explains more: “If you don’t have the people and the tools to build and manage your projects, you won’t get very far,” she declares. “On the people front, we need to be attractive and retain our employees in order to keep moving forward. It’s important to offer them an environment in which they really enjoy working. You have to show your people that you are willing to invest in them as the company grows.” As part of this commitment to its people, in June 2020, Magil achieved accreditation from the Certificate of Recognition program (COR®), an occupational health and safety
Vice President of Operations, Alexandra Murdock
initiative that ensures companies meet national standards. Magil’s next goal in this arena is to cement its place as a leader in health and safety, making for better productivity, professionalism and, most importantly, the increased wellbeing of all its employees. In terms of technology, Magil President John Marcovecchio maintains a clear vision for the future and continues to encourage the organization to invest in collaborative tools and software, like Procore and Revizto. “All of our R&D activity occurs internally, through our BIM-VDC department, which was opened in 2016, and has already been the recipient of the CanBIM Innovation Spotlight award for Construction Management in 2020, and been nominated for the same in 2021. This activity helps us to find new technologies and software - such as drones, LIDAR technology and virtual reality for instance - that can then be implemented in our projects. We also have a team that invests 100 per cent of its time in discovering new, cutting-edge applications and products for us to make use of, and what we have
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Magil Construction
done so far in this area is really encouraging.” Of course, like many companies across the world, Magil’s rapid growth was temporarily hindered in 2020 by the Covid-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the company rebounded in the second half of 2020 with employees working tirelessly to help Magil overcome the difficulties presented by governmentmandated Covid-19 regulations. “It’s certainly been a very challenging two years,” Alexandra reports. “Even now, prices are going up, which creates a lot of uncertainty around projects and certain contract issues. Evaluating risk has never been more important because it’s hard to know what’s around the corner, which can complicate lead times and scheduling, but still, we have a team in place and a workforce we know we can trust. By working together, we know we can overcome whatever might impede us on the road ahead.” Despite the trials and tribulations of a very demanding year, Magil still recorded a number of major achievements in 2020. For example, in September, the company began work on Symphonia Sol, a $41 million luxury condominium project for Westcliff. Located on the southern tip of Nuns’ Island, on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River, the 94-unit residential development features innovative architecture incorporating the latest best practices. Alongside a maximization of natural light, the site will include condominiums, penthouses,
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townhouses, two outdoor pools, cabanas and a pavilion, all within a quiet living environment close to downtown Montreal. The Symphonia Sol project, Alexandra says, is just one of many exciting developments in the offing for Magil as demand for construction rises and the industry bounces back from its Covid-19induced slowdown. “Here in Quebec,” she adds, “part of the government’s strategy is to reignite the economy by launching a lot of new construction projects. We definitely want to play a role in it. “On the private side, prices have risen quite high, but the demand is still there. In
spite of any uncertainty they might still feel, developers are still going forward with their projects and the public remains really strong, so all in all, the prospects are very positive. We have always done a lot of condo work, private projects and repeat business, but if that market slows, we can easily shift and focus more on the public side of things.” In the months and years ahead, Alexandra hopes to see Magil performing more complex projects and achieving better results than ever. Using the tools and talents at its disposal, the organization hopes to add more value for its clients for decades to come. “At Magil, it’s not just a game of volume; we
want to be good at what we do,” Alexandra states. “We want to master our work, so it is important for us to find more and more clients in need of our expertise. “As project management and designbuild experts, we, at Magil, are capable of overseeing all elements of a construction project, as well as collaborating with architects, engineers and other key professionals. We have the tools and expertise to do it well. Our goal now is to create a better future. In doing so, we shall continue to improve and to craft a better company for ourselves, our clients and for generations to come.”
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Universal Builders Supply (UBS)
The sky is
the limit
Universal Builders Supply (UBS) www.ubs1.com Services: Scaffolding, hoisting, protection and access solutions
Celebrating its 90th birthday in 2021, Universal Builders Supply (UBS) continues to be a pioneering at-height solutions provider, participating in some of the most prestigious and challenging projects in the world
S
ince 1931, Universal Builders Supply (UBS) has been a trusted and experienced supplier to the construction industry. Now one of the largest scaffolding, hoisting, access, safety, and protection companies in the United States, UBS was founded in New York City by Harold A. O’Callaghan Sr., and began life supplying welded wire fabric and wire
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mesh, with its most memorable job in its early years of existence being its involvement in the construction of the iconic Empire State Building. Today – in what is its 90th year – the company is headed by President and Chief Operating Officer Chris Evans and third generation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kevin O’Callaghan. In the intervening
decades, UBS has shifted and pivoted accordingly in order to establish itself a reputation for innovative engineering, design, and state-of-the-art inventories of high speed hoists, aluminium access equipment, and the latest patented access and protection systems. The result is a company that is proud to have participated in some of the most prestigious and challenging projects in the world.
“Originally founded as a building supply company UBS has evolved to become a turnkey solutions provider,” explains UBS President, Chris Evans. “When it comes to our client’s scaffolding, hoisting, access or protection challenges, we have the ability to conceptualize, design, fabricate, install, and maintain a system to fit their needs, making us a veritable one-stop-shop, if you will.”
As Chris goes on to note, what helps set UBS apart from other players in its field is its adaptability, creativity and capacity. “As we are able to follow a project through from conception to completion, we have a lot of input when it comes to delivering advice on things such as value engineering, efficient design, lightweight structures, the means and methods of constructability, and other
aspects of a job that can provide a client with significant value.” Where UBS especially likes to position itself in the market today is handling truly complex, challenging, engineering-heavy undertakings. This approach has led to it taking on all manner of notable projects, working on buildings such as the Washington Monument, Washington National Cathedral and The Capitol Building in
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Universal Builders Supply (UBS) the nation’s capital, as well as St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 3 World Trade Center, The Spiral, AOL Time Warner, and One Vanderbilt skyscrapers, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. UBS’ involvement in such projects has – in no small part – come about thanks to its excellent track record for delivering innovate solutions to complex problems. “When it comes to innovation and product development, we have never really followed a ‘build it and they will come’ philosophy,” Chris states. “What we do instead is, we look for a specific need that has to be fulfilled or an opportunity for something new, and we get to work on devising a product in-house that will fill said space. A lot of the time, we will readily work alongside our various partners, be it our clients, our suppliers or vendors, or specialists within our industry that we are close to and develop solutions that our engineers and fabricators bring to life. These are then tested and refined until
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they are ultimately put to successful use, and hopefully adopted widely by the industry in time.” Prime examples of UBS’ pioneering
developments include its Common Platform Solution, the UBS Cocoon, and the recently revealed Canopy Overhead Protection System (Canopy). In the case of the Common Platform Solution, the origins of this date back to UBS’ involvement in the Battery Park project in New York City in the 1980’s and a recognition that while hoists are necessary to lift materials and personnel as buildings rise, they can also hinder the timely completion of a project if they take up too much building frontage. The Common Platform solves this issue by allowing up to six cars to run off of one 15’x15’ platform. This concept was further refined and improved upon in 2000 on the AOL-Time Warner Building, where increased service heights and runbacks necessitated the development of a higher capacity system. “What the Common Platform Solution also does is it creates one central access point into the building,” Chris points out. “So, instead of a scenario where you are having to leave out, say, 80 feet of window, curtain wall and building façade, you are leaving just enough to make the necessary connections and to provide a doorway into the building itself. This allows for the project to be finished, fitted out, and completed weeks, if not months ahead of schedule. Such has been the success of the Common Platform Solution that it very much remains the cornerstone of UBS’ business to this day.” Moving on to protection systems, the UBS Cocoon is a patented system introduced to the New York City market approximately 15 years ago, designed to protect the
leading edge of floors under construction. Consisting of vertical panels, solid horizontal flaps, and a secondary safety net, the system is designed to provide fall protection and debris containment at the source instead of catching it after the fact. Connecting to the top two most recently constructed floors, the system extends approximately two-and-a-half additional floors, and is another example of UBS being at the leading edge of safety and protection innovation. Indeed, UBS has been providing high-end, overhead pedestrian protection for decades now, and the next evolution of this comes in the form of the Canopy. “Traditionally, overhead protection has been very utilitarian,” Chris states. “What Canopy does is revolutionize the typical sidewalk shed with a contemporary design that combines function with aesthetics, and the response that we have received to it has been fantastic! We rolled it out in December 2020, and less than year later we have several up across New York City, with many more projects to come as the system continues to gain momentum.” An ongoing mission for the company is to expand its presence throughout the United States, and one of the things making this aim a reality is the much-praised UBS Partnership Program. This unique service gives builders, owners and developers the ability to rent the company’s state-of-theart inventory of equipment, coupled with expert consulting and project support. Through its Partnership Program, UBS is capable of engineering and renting any Common Platform hoist, setback tower, scaffold or access solution needed. “One of the things that the UBS Partnership Program allows us to do is supplement and/or complement existing relationships that clients may have elsewhere in North America,” Chris reveals. “For example, say you have a building being developed on the West Coast, and you have a particular hoist contractor that you trust and like to work with, but they maybe lack the expertise or equipment that UBS has developed over the course of 90 years. What we can do through our program is partner up with both the developer and contractor and fill that engineering and equipment gap by providing a comprehensive solution to meet their needs. As a result of this, we now have a presence on projects across North America, in Boston, Nashville, Tampa,
Washington, Vancouver, and Toronto. Meanwhile, scheduled for installation in the upcoming months are projects in New Orleans, Austin, and San Francisco, with others in development.” As UBS enters its tenth decade of operations, its immediate focus is to concentrate on reinforcing the strength of its core competencies, while continuing to expand the use of its innovative solutions and the reach of its UBS Partnership Program. UBS also has a firm foothold in the oil and gas industry, with UBS Canada, a full-service construction solutions based in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada and UBS Industrial Solutions, a safety and solutions provider based in Houston, Texas serving the Gulf Region and beyond. So, while the future looks very bright for UBS, Chris is keen to add that its mission for the next three-to-five years is first and foremost to maintain control of its
ambitions. “What we don’t ever want to do is over promise and under deliver. We have to ensure that however successful we become, that all commitments that we make to our clients or partners we follow up on. What benefits us is that, while we are not afraid of any challenge, we take a measured, pragmatic approach to the work that we take on. We like to work with good companies that share our values, and we have every intention on retaining this philosophy as we grow our core group here in the North East as well as our partnerships across North America.” Chris admits that the bar for the longterm plan for UBS has been set high, but he and the company have every confidence of its ability to wow the industry, to improve upon its own capabilities, to become evermore efficient, and most importantly of all, continue to provide a high-end service to its clients.
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Prescient
Digital
visionaries A pioneering modular building company developing complete turnkey steel structures, Prescient is leading the industrialization of offsite construction
Prescient www.prescientco.com Products: Modular building company
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“In Europe, I think our solution has the potential to resonate even more than it does in the US. We have carried out studies on the continent and we believe we have some significant advantages, particularly in terms of cost and labor”
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Prescient
D
etermined to transform an industry that has, for many years, been reluctant to embrace the power of new, technology-driven methodologies, Prescient is ‘revolutionizing the building environment’. At the forefront of change for close to a decade, the company believes that the construction sector’s choice is clear – digitize or die out. Launched in 2012 by John Vanker, a real estate executive; Michael Lastowski, an architect and structural engineer; and Satyen Patel, an entrepreneur; Prescient’s Founders had experienced the inefficiencies of traditional construction firsthand and shared a vision to modernize the $10 trillion industry. Working from a 6000-square-foot aircraft hangar in Broomfield, Colorado, the trio soon designed and patented a construction system that would lend itself to better repeatability, standardization and industrialization. “At Prescient, we manufacture a kit of four core structural elements - posts, panels, trusses and roof decks - out of steel and light gauge steel,” explains company CEO Magued Eldaief. “What really sets us apart though is that these parts can be used in collaboration with our own software application, allowing us to model the elements in 3D and employ an algorithm for automated process of solving the engineering for a building structure based on any bespoke design using our system. “Once the design is set, our software identifies every single structural element and material for the project and assigns it a QR code that will shepherd those structural components through our automated
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apartments, student housing, hotels and senior living - the organization can perform developments up to 180 feet in height. “We are now expanding into new geographies that are historically difficult to build in,” Magued points out. “These include places like California, where labor costs are high and building cost effective seismic projects is a real challenge. “In 2020, we completed a 1.3 million square foot housing project at UC Davis– the largest ever built in the United States. Currently, we are working on two 500,000-square-foot projects in San Francisco, so we are certainly gaining traction. People like what we do and now we are getting repeat business, which is really important for us.” Having recently raised $190 million from investors, Prescient will continue to invest in the company’s technology and wider growth in the years ahead. Expansion into new locations and geographies, such as Europe, will also be a core aim going forward. “In Europe, I think our solution has the potential to resonate even more than it does in the US,” Magued
particularly in terms of cost and labor. For example, using our approach, we can build 20,000-square-foot per five-day work week with less than a 30-person crew. If you were to do that same project with traditional methods, you would probably need twice the amount of labor and double the amount of time.” Ongoing software and hardware enhancements, as well as continuous R&D efforts, reflect Prescient’s determination to see more owners adopt its revolutionary platform. Ultimately, the organization believes that its ability to marry digital and physical processes - making for more automation on the factory floor and further development processing at the job site - can not only remain successful in the multi-family sector, but in a whole range of similar markets. “There is a shortage of housing all over the world and that is going to accelerate the adoption of platforms like ours,” Magued states. “There hasn’t been a whole lot of innovation and R&D expenditure in this industry compared to other sectors, but I think that is finally changing. Construction is a multi-trillion-dollar
argues. “We have carried out studies on the continent and we believe we have some significant advantages,
industry crying out for new ways of doing things. It’s an exciting time to be a company like ours.”
manufacturing process. Uniquely, the software adapts to the area in which you are building, meaning that if you are constructing a project in a high wind area or seismic region, for example, the software will automatically set the geometry and placement of the elements to ensure the building structure meets building code.” Boasting manufacturing facilities in North Carolina and Colorado, Prescient’s manufacturing process has become renowned for its efficiency, speed, cost advantage, safety and accuracy. By embracing digitization, the company can now carry out steel engineering with a precision of 1/32nd of an inch. “Our company name, Prescient, comes from our visionary approach and process,” Magued says. “Traditionally, in construction, you would arrive on a job site and find yourself hit with all sorts of surprises due to poor co-ordination, but at Prescient, we deliver an incredibly high level of predictability, eliminating waste and onsite inefficiencies. “Sustainability is another key benefit,” he adds. “The steel we use in our structures is 90 percent recycled, meaning you could pretty much disassemble one of our buildings and recycle it for use in a different structure.” In support of its production sites, Prescient also operates a Global Technical Center in Poland. Home to more than 200 employees, the Polish location oversees the smooth running of the company’s software, as well as engineering back office functions. As of July 2021, Prescient has completed over nine million square feet of construction over 62 projects in 17 states. Focusing on four major segments –
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