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Wolgast Blog - Construction Trends, Tips and Information

Get commercial construction questions answered by a professional contractor sharing building trends, tips and information

Posts about Good for Business

What Every Business Owner Should Know about Design Build Construction

General Construction for a long time was the primary method of delivering construction.  Even Wolgast in the early years was a one-trick pony with General Construction being our only option.  That is, until the 1970’s when we were the first to bring Design-Build to what’s now known as the Great Lakes Bay Region. 

Building Bigger to Benefit from Economies of Scale

A larger building can typically be constructed at a lesser square footage price than a smaller building. The overall price tag may be more, but a bigger building will get better value per square foot than a littler building, based on similar material selection. This information can help an owner plan for their business’ future.

A Guide to Keeping Your Healthcare Practice Open during a Remodel

Healthcare practitioners can have a difficult time deciding when to start an occupied office remodel due to the speculation of shutdown inconvenience, operations minimization, or the lessening of their income. These are all legitimate concerns during healthcare construction, but Wolgast can offer several scenarios and strategies to keep your practice going while remodeling your office.

Warning: Adding on to Your Building May Not Be Possible

 

What you should know before expanding your commercial business space

Many of our clients begin their business expansion quest by attempting to add on to their existing building rather than moving their operation, and most of the time they’re able to move ahead without any problems.  Expanding their existing space to make more room for additional manpower or machinery could be more affordable than building new or renovating another building.  However, there are times when it’s just not possible to expand where they want or at all.  Below we discuss the possible caveats to consider when expanding and to consider for the future when selecting a site.

Revealing the Past: The Importance of Property Surveys

If you’re looking to purchase a property or building for your business, most financial institutions require you to have a property survey to qualify for their loans. Some owners who use a cash transaction don’t always get a property survey, but if they did, they could prevent many issues by knowing all the details and history about their property.

How Economies of Scale Works in Construction

Ray is the owner of a large corporation with his operation spanning over two locations.  When he outgrew his initial office, he got a great deal on a warehouse that was easily adaptable to expand his business.  Now, after years of hard work and smart decisions, he’s outgrowing both locations and has decided that it will be more efficient for his operation to all be under one roof.  But speculating on the costs involved, Ray is wondering if this is the best decision for his company right now?  What Ray may not be considering is economies of scale in construction. With his building being bigger, the duration of the project longer, and the fixed fees being the same, he can benefit from the efficiencies that his Design-Builder will pass through, which will lower the square footage cost.

Precast Concrete Wall Panel Options for Construction Efficiency

Precast Concrete Wall Panel Options for Construction Efficiency

Construction efficiency is a critical factor that can significantly impact timelines and overall project success. The combination of precast concrete wall panels and structural steel and insulation offers a powerful solution to achieve efficiency when needed in construction projects. Wall panel system construction is gaining popularity due to its labor and time savings to erect a building envelope. Precast concrete walls with conventional steel roof framing are one option to use on a large commercial building. Made of a variety of concrete materials, walls are poured in an indoor, controlled environment to the specs of your building’s needs, as specified by your Architect or Engineer (A/E). Each 10,000+ lb. (approximate) panel and other precast parts are then transported on a large truck bed to your building’s site to be put in place by a crane, assembled by a crew that welds/connects them to structural steel and then caulks the gaps to create an energy efficient, structurally sound, quickly installed building envelope ready for your interior buildout.

SBA 504: Funding Business Growth with Less Capital

This blog is intended for small business owners who are looking to grow their business. Have you had a net worth under $15M and an average net income less than $5M for the past 2 years? Do you own your building or want to own your building?  Are you still with me? If so, there’s a less risky way to fund your business growth, and the best part is that it’s meant to keep capital in your business so that you can support economic growth in your community.

You Risk Paying Twice When Sub-Contractors Don’t Pay Their Bills

Liens Can Wreak Havoc on Funding

By Brian Stadler, Wolgast CEO

If you haven’t built a building in the last couple of years, you may be surprised when your banker tells you that they want to hire a Title Company to handle all of your payments to not only the General Contractor, but also directly to the General Contractor’s second tier Sub-Contractors.  On top of that, that they expect you, the owner, to guarantee to the Bank and the Title Company that the project will be lien-free during construction.

Preparing Your Business for a New Buyer

Bruce has owned his business for more than 30 years and he’s ready to retire.  He is five years under the retirement age and has no interested children to take over this operation.  He has poured his blood and sweat into his business for most of his life.  Bruce has a few options.  He can close the doors, walk away, and lay off his staff of 25, he can sell the business and the building to an interested party and use the money to supplement his retirement savings, or he can find someone who wants to buy the business and then lease the building to him or her, keeping rental income for continual cash flow.

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