South Sound Magazine ran a story on our Pizza Press project! Check it out here: https://southsoundmag.com/newsworthy-pizza-on-sixth-ave/
Building a Culture of Safety
Safety is a core value at Colvos Construction. Our culture of safety is built upon the idea that everyone who steps foot on one of our job sites should return to their families each night in the same condition they left that morning. To do this, we make safety a priority from day one. We build a solid foundation, and then implement and follow protocol that keep our job sites safe and incident free.
Thought Leadership Series: Procore
Implementing Procore
with Operations Support Manager Michelle Cartwright
Colvos was just beginning to use the Procore software system when I came on board, but they were not yet fully utilizing the software's capabilities. I was able to get them up to speed once I started because I had just implemented Procore at my previous job, so I was quickly able to show them how to optimize their experience.
Compared to the process of implementing Procore for a large company, we didn't experience any additional challenges or issues as a much smaller, newer company. In fact, one of the benefits of being a small, new company is that you can simply present the systems and processes to employees and have the understanding that this is what we are doing going forward.
Ideally, we would have done a more gradual roll out by starting with a group of tools, training employees, then moving on to the next group rather than doing it all at once, but we didn’t have that luxury in a fast-paced startup environment. Fortunately, the software is user-friendly enough that our employees quickly figured it out, and Procore's customer service and support has been great when we needed help.
Procore is somewhat customizable, which is beneficial. I am currently building a Colvos training platform that will be hosted on the Procore site, with position-specific training information available to employees so they can access workflows, processes, training videos, etc. It has been a lot of work but it will be incredibly helpful; we are hoping to roll it out in Q2.
Procore has not only helped with developing the Colvos training process, but also with the overall business process standardization. This leads to predictable results on projects, which will ultimately help make us scalable for future growth.
Procore seems to be equally useful for field-based and office-based employees. For example, it has simplified the process of completing daily logs for our Superintendents. They all have the Procore app on their phones, so they can snap job photos with their phones, and attach them to the log.
In the office, it also makes the project management and financial side of the work a lot simpler. It has made my own job easier because everything lives in one spot. We don’t need to use multiple systems to find information because almost everything we need to conduct our daily business can be found within Procore.
It has really emerged as the industry standard as there aren’t currently any high-performing alternatives geared toward construction. Many of the construction management programs in the colleges even offer Procore courses as part of their curriculum.
It seems that these days, it’s not really a question of if a contractor is using Procore, but how they are using it.
Thought Leadership Series: Preconstruction
What is Preconstruction?
Preconstruction is the valuable preliminary planning phase during which the client and contractor work together to define project scope, schedule, and budget, allowing potential issues to be identified as early as possible while keeping the client’s goals in mind.
Small Team = Big Value
The Colvos team members who will influence the project are at the table during preconstruction. We’re a smaller firm, so we’re both afforded that luxury and forced into it by virtue of our size. Larger companies with separate preconstruction departments may ultimately encounter a loss of knowledge as teams transition through the project. At Colvos, we embed the Superintendent and the Project Manager into those preconstruction meetings with the client.
Why does it matter?
Ultimately, the goal of preconstruction is for everybody on the team –the contractor, architects, and owner – to be better prepared for the way things will unfold during construction in terms of costs, schedule, and logistics. Preconstruction:
o Allows the contractor to make recommendations related to budget, schedule, and design elements, giving the client a better idea of how their goals can be met
o Prevents design rework and cost surprises
o Adds value to the project and results in a more successful construction process for all parties
Preconstruction is also beneficial from a project sequence and constructability standpoint. This is an opportunity for the contractor to provide guidance on potential problems that may arise; for example, it may be easier to run an underground sewer line in one direction versus another. Ideal outcomes from a successful preconstruction phase include an accurate design, budget, and schedule, and a satisfied client whose goals will be accomplished.
The most critical elements of the preconstruction process include:
o Assembling the project team early on (contractor, architects, consultants, engineers, etc.)
o Having an organized and structured approach to preconstruction, including regular team meetings with action items and objectives for everyone
o Clearly defined roles and responsibilities for all team members
o Knowing the client’s goal(s) and making sure the team members understand those goals
Types of project that are good candidate for preconstruction include:
o Projects with strict budget requirements and/or many design-build components
o Larger projects generally reap more benefits from engaging in a preconstruction process
o Projects with unique site or logistical constraints
o Multi-family projects (usually large, on tight sites, lots of design/build components), larger commercial office projects, industrial projects, and larger tenant improvement projects
Preconstruction Ensures Success
The Colvos preconstruction philosophy is to ensure from the beginning that everyone fully understands the client’s goals. We have QA/QC processes in place at every step of the project to make sure those goals are being achieved; if there are issues, we correct them immediately. As long as the whole team keeps this measure of success in mind, the outcome at the end of the preconstruction phase will be a satisfied client.
10 Questions with President Devin Page
Devin sat down to answer a few questions about his motivation to open Colvos, his management philosophy, and most importantly... tacos or pizza?
How did you get started in this field?
My entry into this field is unique. Most people get a construction management degree and then work for a general contractor. I have a degree in Physiology and then worked for a biotech company in facilities & operations when I graduated from school. It was interesting and I got to learn a lot about building systems and client/vendor relationships. One of the vendors we had was a general contractor, and after understanding what they did I became interested in it. I was offered an entry -level job by one of our vendors, so I took a 20-percent salary cut and decided to start over in construction. I got to understand the client side because I was the client. For occupied tenant improvement projects, particularly, understanding how to run those efficiently so as not to impact the occupants (because I knew the pain points on the client side!), correlates to a higher level of customer service.
Devin signing Colvos' first project contract early this year.
Can you speak to the current state of building & construction in the Puget Sound region? How does Colvos fit into the changing landscape?
There’s currently a huge construction boom - which is great - and we know that the market is cyclical and we’re probably on the high side. For Colvos:
We think Tacoma is going to be a growth market for a long time, partially because Tacoma tends to absorb some of the coattail benefits of being Seattle’s neighbor. Tacoma’s also a bit underserved on the general contractor side: there are some GCs who’ve shut down or left town recently, and others that have grown into a different market to serve larger projects.
When the cycle’s high, there are labor shortages so contractors tend to hire less qualified employees and client service suffers. Here at Colvos we have a set of employees who have worked together for a long time, even though we’re a new company.
Starting a new business, you have an opportunity to slough off some of the baggage that naturally accumulates over time, and we’re positioned to offer great service to our clients. I think that, by nature, businesses can sometimes accumulate bad habits or lose focus of what their mission and objectives are. As a fresh, new company, we don’t have all those burdens… including financial burdens, so we can be competitive on the cost side as well.
How do you see the Puget Sound region changing in the next two years, and how do you anticipate Colvos responding to that change?
Over the next two years I expect more of the same – fairly aggressive growth, barring some sort of unforeseen event that could disrupt the economy. I think there’s going to be higher-than-average growth in Tacoma, and I think Seattle will continue to experience growth, with a little bit of slowing. Multi-family, commercial, office, assisted living, and hospitality, will all continue to be strong markets. Ultimately, what’s probably going to kill the cycle is the fact that there’s not enough labor to meet the demand for construction. Our industry is suffering because 1) the amount of construction managers that graduate from college every year can’t meet the deman, and 2) Craft labor isn’t being strongly promoted to younger folks. They don’t tell you to be a plumber/electrician/pipefitter, etc.; they tell you to be a computer programmer/data analyst; the consequence is that there isn’t enough qualified craft labor coming out, and that produces labor shortages which translates into cost increases.
Name one trend in your field that you are either currently embracing or bucking?
The (possibly temporary growth cycle) trend of bringing on less-than-qualified personnel is not something that we’re participating in. Also growing too fast, getting too big, and being forced to take on less than A team players.
I think we are embracing more of an integrated approach to the entire project process, which includes the preconstruction phase. We want to be embedded with that project and that client from the very start to the very end, instead of just coming in when the construction drawings are complete, and then bidding and building. Also, technological trends that include cloud-based construction management software, cloud-based data storage, and paperless processes: our contracts, subcontracts, and pay applications are mostly submitted electronically, which reduces costs for everybody involved.
What do you consider your specialty?
Personally, preconstruction and business development. I enjoy helping our clients get something off the ground, and I enjoy seeing our clients’ businesses be successful. I also enjoy that part of my job is to bring business in the door and put a team in place that can execute the vision and the mission.
What’s the most significant project you’ve worked on in your career and why?
I worked on a $75 million tenant improvement project for Safeco when they moved their campus from Redmond to downtown Seattle. That was at an early stage in my career, but it was a 2-year project with the same team for the entire 2 years. There was a lot of opportunity for me, personally, to learn and refine skillsets because I was given a lot of responsibility at a fairly young age. When you have a lot of responsibility on a project like that, you really get to see the consequences of the decisions that are made by all the team members - what’s beneficial for the project or the client, and what’s not. It gave me a good foundation for understanding and mastering the life cycle of construction projects.
Why did you choose to create Colvos and/or what do you most enjoy about working here?
It’s always been a goal of mine to start my own business. I was fortunate enough to have team members that were willing to launch a business with me and I had the support of clients, subcontractors, vendors, and colleagues within the industry that encouraged me to do it. I was also fortunate that the timing with the economy and the market cycle was favorable.
I enjoy the people I work with and the fact that we have the opportunity to make the business anything that we want.
How do you encourage creative thinking or leadership within the company/team?
My philosophy is that you hire smart, qualified people and give them the tools to do their job and the framework in which to do it; smart people excel under those conditions, and if they don’t then this probably isn’t a good place for them. We aren’t very structured, so I think under those conditions independent thinkers and leaders can thrive because they’re somewhat unconstrained. If they love what they do and are good at what they do, then I think they’re going to excel in that environment.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to fish, boat, do things with my kids, travel, play golf (I’ve been playing a lot of golf this summer!), and I like to visit new restaurants.
Tacos or pizza? Favorite spot in the region to enjoy?
I’m kind of a breakfast burrito aficionado. I went to school in Tuscon and I got addicted to breakfast burritos there, so I would say the chorizo breakfast burritos from Taqueria El Sabor.
Saturday Night J-Bird
Team photo shoots can get pretty boring when you're used to fast-paced construction schedules. Good things we have Superintendent Jeff Bird on-hand to get the party started.
The shoot was held inside the Frye Warehouse in the shadow of Century Link Field, where the Colvos team is currently demolishing the warehouse for King County. After demo, the site will be graded and paved to provide addition space for the Transit Authority hub across 1st Avenue.
New general contracting company opens in Tacoma
Colvos Construction in the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce
Fun Times at the Subcontractor Open House
South Sound Colleagues Form New General Contracting Company
Featured in the DJC's 2017 Contractor Surveys
Survey: Colvos Construction
Specialty: Tenant improvement, multifamily, commercial office, hospitality, design/build
Management: Devin Page, president
Founded: 2017
Headquarters: Tacoma
2016 revenues: N/A
Projected 2017 revenues: $10 million
Projects: Infoblox tenant improvement in downtown Tacoma; parking lot upgrades for El Centro de la Raza’s Beacon Hill mixed-use development in Seattle; 40 small efficiency dwelling units for Kamiak Real Estate in the University District of Seattle
Colvos Construction is doing tenant improvements for Infoblox to expand its office in downtown Tacoma.
President Devin Page answered questions from the DJC about his new construction company, which was named after Colvos Passage in Puget Sound.
Q: You are a new firm. What is your background?
A: Anders Bjorn, Colvos Construction vice president, and I have been in commercial construction in the Puget Sound region since the early 2000s. We began our careers as project engineers for growing and large-scale companies, including Skanska, Turner and Andersen, which is where we first worked together. Anders was a project manager in the emergent special projects division that I was responsible for growing. In 2013, I left Andersen to lead the construction arm of a South Sound developer and increased its revenue and staff size by 300 percent.
Participating in the strategic deployment at the executive level for established companies has given me the skills to develop and run a successful construction company. Our combined experience shapes the strategy that we live by at Colvos Construction: Bring on the most talented team members in the region and focus on adding value for our clients.
Q: What are the biggest issues in your industry?
A: There’s fewer subcontractors available than in the last economic cycle, which we feel results from an exodus of skilled labor during the recession and a lack of positive outreach from the trades to millennials. Likewise, local universities produce a fraction of construction management graduates that were produced in previous decades, creating a hiring frenzy for competent superintendents and project engineers. The result is severe cost escalation, schedule delays and talent entitlement. We mitigate this challenge by working with subcontractors we know and trust and by hiring only reputable, vetted team members.
Q: In which sectors are you seeing, or expect to see, growth or a slowdown?
A: Multifamily and mixed-use will continue to dominate the market, but we anticipate a change in popular development project types. Since many of the larger sites have been built in this cycle, we see infill projects and renovation of B and C product in the urban areas of Seattle and Tacoma becoming more attractive to developers. Senior housing and assisted living will also continue sharp growth rates, as more national operators enter the region.
Q: How has design-build changed how jobs get done; where are you using it?
A: Design-build effectively reduces the risk of last minute cost escalation to the owner. Not only are the design and engineering consultants involved from the onset of the project, but so are the subcontractors, allowing us to proactively identify and mitigate any future pain points in construction. Typically on our multifamily projects we design-build the shoring, plumbing, fire sprinkler, HVAC, electrical and fire alarms.
Q: How are rising land costs in Seattle affecting what gets built?
A: Land price escalation is certainly delaying or canceling some projects in Seattle, but savvy local owners who can manage versatile product types will continue to purchase land and move forward with development. Many are exploring submarkets like Bothell, Shoreline, Tukwila and Tacoma. Likewise, with the progressive increase in allowed heights for new development in many Seattle neighborhoods, we’re finding that more SEDU (small efficiency dwelling unit) projects pencil and will be built.