Robotics in Construction

Posted on | by Nikki Lopez

With a continued labor shortage across the country and no signs of change in the near future, some firms are looking to/have implemented robots into their workforce to help combat this issue. Robots in their present capacity are being used to perform repetitive tasks like laying brick, tying rebar, hanging drywall, etc. They are also performing demolition, 3-D printing, and assisting with lifting activities. In 2018 the construction robotics industry was roughly a $23 million market, however, this market is being forecasted to grow to nearly $226 million by 2025 according to the article by Tractica. Some of the benefits being reported by those utilizing robots are increased speed and efficiency, higher levels of safety, and the ability to integrate with design software such as BIM. As one who has never had robotics performing labor on a construction project, I am looking forward to experiencing it and to what impact...

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Construction has begun on HarborChase of Stuart

Posted on | by Nikki Lopez

The Douglas Company, an award-winning Toledo, Ohio based general contractor specializing in senior living, multi-family and mixed-use construction projects, is pleased to announce that construction has begun on HarborChase of Stuart, a 127,798 square-foot assisted living and memory care community in Stuart, Florida.

Co-developed and owned by Denver-based Confluent Senior Living, co-developed and operated by Florida-based Harbor Retirement Associates and designed by Baker Barrios Architects, Inc.; HarborChase of Stuart will provide a mix of 134 assisted living and memory care apartments in the two-story facility.  The luxury senior living community will feature amenities including a full-service commercial kitchen, multiple dining areas, a salon, massage room, wellness room, three interior courtyards complete with multiple fountains, a shade sail, a putting green, resident planting beds, a fire pit, and high-end interior finishes.  Construction is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2020.

“Our project team is excited to be building this phenomenal development. ...

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The Productivity Problem

Posted on | by Nikki Lopez

Construction is an industry obsessed with productivity - And for good reasons. The more productive our field operations, design teams, and management work is, the faster and less expensive the projects are. Unfortunately, construction has suffered from losses in productivity over the last decade, particularly at the field level. Major trades like framing, drywall, and concrete are slipping several percentage points.

This phenomenon is attributable to many factors, but several key ones include:

  • Changes in Scope and/or Project Expansion - No matter how well you plan a project, changes happen - And they slow things down. The Independent Project Analysis Group has estimated by a study that more than 35 percent of all construction projects will incur a major change. They've also concluded that any change puts the project at a 1 in 4 risk of schedule slippage by 20% and a 1 in 4 risk...

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The Douglas Company Celebrates Groundbreaking of the New Blue Heron Health and Rehabilitation Community in Wesley Chapel, Florida

Posted on | by Nikki Lopez

The Douglas Company, an award-winning Toledo, Ohio based general contractor specializing in senior living, multi-family and mixed-use construction projects, celebrated with the owner, TLC Management, Inc., a recent groundbreaking of their new $33.2 million Blue Heron Health and Rehabilitation Community in Wesley Chapel, Florida.

Blue Heron Health and Rehabilitation Community will feature a total of 201 residences inclusive of 106 skilled nursing, 22 memory care, and 73 assisted living suites. Meticulously designed by Cuhaci & Peterson, the community will encompass approximately 158,971 square feet of living and communal space with amenities including a health spa, theater, game room, wellness gym, activity center, resident art gallery, library, putting green, and bistro shop – all conveniently located on-site. Construction is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2020.

“It's gratifying to bring TLC Management’s vision to life.  Blue Heron Health and Rehabilitation will be a beautiful space with first-rate services that meets the...

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Senior Living Renovation is an Investment, Not an Expense.

Posted on | by Nikki Lopez

With the number of new senior living communities recently opened or currently under construction, there is a growing need to update and refresh existing facilities to help improve their viability in the marketplace. 

As new senior housing communities, with all of the latest amenities and design trends, are coming online, older facilities need to position themselves as the better local option. The appearance and freshness of a community can have a significant impact on many aspects of a business. Having an attractive, appealing, and comfortable community can improve resident’s happiness and well-being, increase staff morale, and create a more positive public opinion, all which lead to increased occupancy and better financial performance of the community.

Investing in a renovation project can be a challenging process that can seem overwhelming and complicated.  The Douglas Company team has experience in planning and executing renovation projects.  We know and understand the unique requirements that skilled...

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The Great Depression’s Impact on Senior Living Occupancy

Posted on | by Nikki Lopez

All of us in the senior living industry understand that inventory growth has exceeded demand, causing vacancies to rise.  I was at a recent symposium and one of the speakers said that the decline in demand was caused by the great depression, an intriguing concept.  Research indicates that from 1927 to 1933 that birth rates decreased by more than 425,000, over 15%.  This would certainly impact demand, it seems.

The speaker then said that this reversed in the 4th quarter of 2017 and that demand was picking up.  A study of US census information shows that it started picking up in 1937, escalating significantly through the start of world war two.  1937 was 82 years ago.  The average age for entry to senior living communities is 84 according to most of our clients.  This would mean there may be a little more time to wait for a resurgence of demand, unfortunately.'

Peter...

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John Burlazzi joins The Douglas Company Team as a new Senior Project Manager, Southeast Division

Posted on | by Nikki Lopez

The Douglas Company, General Contractor, announces that John Burlazzi has joined the company as a new Senior Project Manager, Southeast Division, and will be working directly out of the Orlando, Florida office.

Mr. Burlazzi began his career and education in the architectural field and holds a Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering from The New Jersey Institute of Technology. John is a 30-year construction industry veteran of both the public and private sectors with a strong background in varying types of development and construction projects, including multiple senior living, healthcare, governmental, educational, commercial, hospitality, multi-family communities, retail, and residential communities. 

In Mr. Burlazzi's new role he will be responsible for working with owners, architects and subcontractors during the construction process, which includes overseeing all construction activities, controlling building costs, maintaining the project schedule and ensuring that the highest quality product is delivered to our clients.

"John's level...

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Announcing Our New Website – Designed with You in Mind

Posted on | by Nikki Lopez

After several months of hard work and dedication, The Douglas Company is thrilled to officially announce the launch of our new website! We invite you to visit us at douglascompany.com to learn more about our processes, services, culture, and to explore our project portfolio. 

Our new website coincides with our expanding role as an industry leading General Contractor specializing in the construction and renovation of senior living and multi-family projects. The primary objectives of the redesign of our site were focused on providing the opportunity to rediscover who we are as a company, our services and solutions, aesthetics, simplifying our content, and increasing the visibility of our brand. 

We built our new website with you in mind; you'll find our new site is divided into three main sections: Read More >

Success!

Posted on | by Nikki Lopez

The key for every company to continue to be successful is to constantly raise your company standards. Truly great companies understand the difference in what should never change, and what should be open for change.

Every high achiever who wants to be successful wakes up early, works late nights, weekends, and even holidays, but hard work by itself will not provide sustainable success. Success can be defined in thirteen (13) words “do all the crap you do not feel like doing on a daily basis”. By doing this consistently, success will be much more attainable.

Customers love consistency. It provides the true foundation of trust and that comes from having the discipline to follow processes and to constantly work at improving those processes that are being followed.

Brian McCarthy
Executive Vice President, Midwest Construction Operations
The Douglas Company

...

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5 Trends to Look for in Commercial Construction in 2019

Posted on | by Nikki Lopez

In what has been a historically slow adapting industry, we are beginning to see some evolving trends to traditional construction. Below is a list of trends to keep an eye out for in 2019 and beyond:

  1. Modular Construction: The modular construction market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.9% from $112.4 Billion today to $157 Billion in 2023. This large growth is being driven by the reduced skilled labor force.
  2. Technology assisting human workers: There are subcontractor’s that are beginning to utilize robotics in assisting and working alongside their human workforce, whether it be tying lifting items, increasing productivity, etc. Those utilizing robotics believe they are reducing the physical strain on workers allowing them to prolong their working careers, as well as, reducing the repetitiveness/redundancy allowing workers to do more meaningful work.
  3. Design-Build’s Growing Popularity: FMI is predicting spending on design-build to increase around 18% in the...

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The Douglas Company is pleased to announce that Chris Vasel, PE has been Promoted to Project Manager

Posted on | by Nikki Lopez

The Douglas Company, General Contractor, is pleased to announce the promotion of Chris Vasel to the position of Project Manager. In Mr. Vasel's new position, he will directly manage commercial construction projects from early development through project completion and will be responsible for overall cost, schedule and budget evaluation, as well as, all construction coordination. Chris Vasel is an alumnus of The Ohio State University where he received his Bachelor of Science in Technology, Civil Engineering, and holds a Professional Engineer Certification. Chris started his career with The Douglas Company in 2015 and has taken on various roles as an Estimator, Field Engineer, Project Coordinator, progressing to Assistant Project Manager and currently accepting his new position of Project Manager. "We are consistently evaluating how to best contribute to the success of our employees, clients, and partners; Chris will be an integral part of our growth and success moving forward. He has worked...

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Punch Lists and Technology

Posted on | by Nikki Lopez

A lot has changed with the rise of Construction Technology (“Con-Tech”), but one thing is still the same: The end of any job is the hardest part. There’s a lot of details to manage and stakeholders to keep communication with, all while working towards a smooth transition from our construction phase to our client’s activation and lease-up phase. A huge component of this that will forever remain a part of our industry is the punch list process. Thanks to Con-Tech, we have experienced a significant increase in efficiencies in this area. Some of these include:
  • Use of cloud-based platforms that allow continual sharing and updating of information between team and contractors.
  • With the use of new features, punch items can be added on-the-fly from any smartphone or tablet, making punch lists a continuous process throughout the job, instead of one big list at the end.
  • Bar codes and phone scanners...

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