Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and their Greater Michigan Construction Academy (GMCA) further supports Michigan contractors with an additional training program for interested high school students. First a little history, Wolgast was one of the founding contractors to bring the local ABC Chapter to the Saginaw Valley Area in 1977. Six years later ABC started the Merit Shop Training Program, now known as the GMCA, to train construction workers on skilled trades. They started by provided training for a variety of construction workers. Until recently, their traditional student has been the adult learner taking evening classes. In 2011, ABC expanded from the Saginaw Valley Chapter to the Greater Michigan Chapter, and included a total of 23 Michigan counties.
The Right Mix for Pre-Bond School Election Services
Preparing for a Bond Election is critical to school construction projects because if the election isn’t successful, there is nothing to construct. Therefore, Wolgast has developed Pre-Bond Election Services to set up School Districts for building success. While we haven’t won them all on the first try, we have maintained a 92% success rate for schools we’ve helped over the past 5 years.
How the Condition of Your Facility Could Attract the Best Successor
Most of us want to retire as soon as we’re ready and able, but business owners have a unique situation of preparing for a successor to take over their operation. Ideally, they’d have started planning for successorship early so the transition can happen during high times when business and the economy are strong. This way the owner was able to choose the best candidate and get the anticipated value of the company. The best successor is one that will take care of employees and clients as well or better than the predecessor did. And the best way to find them is to remove all obstacles to entice a successor who’ll continue the business legacy.
What to Know before Hiring a Commercial Architect or Contractor
The Jack Miller Group was a former industry network for General Contractors across the United States. In 1988, Mr. Miller had published a paper called, “Rules You Should Know before You Build Your Important Project”. He started by stating that there are a few basic questions that business owners should ask themselves as they start to plan a construction project1:
Preparing for Michigan Schools’ Safety in 2020
Over the last year, a lot of action has happened to make K-12 schools safer for students in Michigan. While still in office, Gov. Snyder implemented legislation for a School Safety Task Force. The Task Force has been meeting to oversee School Districts and their Safety Plans for each of their buildings. Schools are required to have their plans in place by January 2020. Also, as part of the Legislation, starting in 2020, new construction and renovation plans for schools have to be shared and consulted with their local law enforcement agency for their evaluation from a safety standpoint.
Set Your School to “Snow Day” with the Push of a Button
School Districts waste energy when building systems run while school isn’t in session, and face additional security threats, too. The good news is that schools are estimated to be able to save considerable energy costs by adding building system controls and sensors for real-time control. By automating school buildings with sensors and smart controls, the EPA says “schools and school districts can lower their operating costs by up to 30%. Existing schools can save 25% of operating costs by implementing some basic efficiency measures, occupant education, and engagement programs.”1 Additionally, installing integrating security systems to ensure all doors are locked and surveillance or movement sensors are operating after hours provides peace of mind when no one is in the building.
Four Things to Know When Planning a Groundbreaking Ceremony
When building a new business or relocating, it pays to start your publicity early. An inexpensive way to create buzz is to host a groundbreaking or a “kickoff” ceremony at the beginning of your project. I’ve had clients who’ve broke ground both before starting a project or soon after a project has started, with construction being the backdrop during the ceremony. We call it a project “kickoff” instead of “groundbreaking” when we renovate an existing building.
Tips to Pass a School Bond Election
We have found that there’s not a single formula to passing a school bond vote. Every community is different in regard to their support of their school district, so each campaign needs to be tweaked and managed. However, Wolgast's School Facility Specialists have discovered a couple of tactics over the years as former School Superintendents on how to give every bond campaign a better chance for success and offer their expertise as part of our Pre-Bond Services.
First, the most important aspect of a successful millage election is staff and community involvement in the planning process. With that said, the likelihood of the passage of a millage proposal is determined days and even months prior to the election. The development of the bond proposal, the inclusion of groups that will be affected by it, along with the marketing plan and execution are all key ingredients that will help lead to a successful election.Repurpose Your Commercial Office to Be More Modern
What Ideas Will Work for You?
Appearance is one of the triggers that leads to remodeling, but isn’t the only good reason to remodel. Other reasons like efficiency, reorganizing unused space, right-sizing, and new technology can make a big difference in attracting or retaining talent, saving money and improving productivity. Furthermore, modern designs that are created with goals of safety, appearance, efficiency, and increased focus or productivity can help you to make your space more useful for staff and enticing to clients.
Four Steps for School Boards to Plan a Construction Project
So, you’ve been elected to your District’s School Board and have four years (or so) to help make the best decisions for the students and staff. You likely anticipate facing many issues that’ll require research plus your life experience to decide what’s best for your School District. One of those issues could be the maintenance, remodel, rebuild or relocation of school buildings. Do you know where to start? Below, we explain the steps you should take to have a successful construction project.