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You hear a lot of talk these days about the economic downturn and how no one saw it coming. While we may not have anticipated the main players or the severity of the downturn, we certainly had enough information to know the end of a boom economy was ahead. After all—what goes up, must come down!
Over the past several months, I have been advocating belt-tightening and restraint when analyzing our 2009 budget. In November, I was a guest on Business Solutions with Diane Chamness, a Saturday live talk radio show on WISN 1130AM at 1:00p.m., talking about Managing in a Down Economy. Here are some highlights:
- Maintain internal metrics so you can monitor your backlog, profit margins, overhead, and deal velocity (work in the pipeline).
- Re-energize your action plans (get work, do work, keep score).
- Increase marketing and enhance customer service.
- Return to best practices.
- Intensify collection efforts.
- Communicate often with your stakeholders.
- Keep employees informed.
- Have a plan in case the economy worsens.
- Stay positive.
For a transcript of the show, drop me a note at leif@berghammer.com, and
I’ll send it to you.
Sincerely,
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 Howell Oaks Retail
Location: Oak Creek, Wisconsin
Architect: Zimmerman Architectural Studios
Duration: 3½ months
Scope: 5,400 square feet
Berghammer is currently working on the Howell Oaks Retail Center, a 5,400-square-foot retail center designed for three tenants. Zimmerman Architectural Studios designed the facility, which is owned by Willow Tree Development. Construction began in late October 2008 and is scheduled for completion by the beginning of February 2009.
Berghammer, Zimmerman Architectural Studios, and Willow Tree worked closely to design and construct a cost-effective and architecturally pleasing retail center. Constructed of wood with a masonry exterior, the design includes parapet walls and tall doors to accentuate the building's clear height. The facade will be complemented with decorative sunscreens and awnings. All construction waste at the project site has been removed and will be sorted and recycled by the Commercial Waste Reduction and Recycling Center.
Froedtert and Community Health
Construction is complete on the 48,000-square-foot commercial office tenant improvement for Froedtert and Community Health. The project is located within the Woodland Prime business park in Menomonee Falls.
Froedtert continued to occupy a portion of the office space during the interior build-out and was able to conduct business as usual. Berghammer planned construction in multiple phases to minimize the office disruption while transforming three floors of the building for occupancy by Froedtert and Community Health. Fast track scheduling was utilized, with construction beginning in September 2008 and concluding in mid-January 2009. Ric Miller Construction/Consulting served as the Owner's Representative, and Eppstein Uhen Architects provided design services.
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Butler Public Library
In the spirit of good corporate citizenship, Berghammer participated in the construction of the new Butler Public Library, donating labor and materials to the project. Many employees also gave of their personal time to perform the labor for concrete foundations, building slab and sidewalks. Six of our employees were instrumental to the project; they installed all of the acoustical ceiling grids and tiles, plastic laminate windowsills, wood doors and hardware. We would like to recognize the following gentlemen and thank them for their generous efforts:
 Gary Artymiuk - Tom Hade
- Tom Morris
- Royce Neuman
- Steve Strelka
- Mike Wolfe
Dedicated to Total Customer Satisfaction
At Berghammer, customer satisfaction is more than just a marketing slogan. We are committed to keeping promises and commitments and to making sure our customers are satisfied. We've found that the best way to really know how we're doing is to ask our customers, and we do that regularly. We also ask our subcontractors what it's like to work with Berghammer. Do they get the information, the support and the fair treatment they deserve and expect? We ask these questions every year. And to drive home our point, we provide options for customers and subcontractors to deliver their feedback to us—by U.S. mail, via e-mail or by phone. We know that people are busy and that even filling out a report card for us takes time. We want you to know that, in addition to our relentless commitment to customer satisfaction, we also respect your valuable time.
So, when we say that Berghammer's mission is to deliver innovative commercial space solutions to the marketplace with a team of professionals dedicated to total customer satisfaction, that is exactly what we mean. And we're always checking to make sure we're living up to our word.
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Berghammer Employee Becomes Managed Forest Law (MFL) Landowner
Berghammer is proud to announce that Project Superintendent Bryan Pichler has become a Wisconsin Managed Forest Law (MFL) Landowner. To qualify for the MFL program, at least 80 percent of a landowner's property must be wooded. Bryan owns 160 acres in Ashland County that are part of the MFL program, and his family owns an additional 535 acres that qualify.
The MFL program, administered by the Department of Natural Resources, strives to retain vital Wisconsin forest industries and the thousands of jobs they represent by building a credible supply of certified raw materials. MFL is the largest group certification program for private landowners in North America .
Berghammer Leads LEED Certification Process
 Berghammer is overseeing the LEED accreditation process for a new building designed by Cornerstone Architects. The 320,000-square-foot facility is located in Park 94 at Mount Pleasant, a new business park being developed along the Milwaukee-Chicago corridor by HSA Commercial, Chicago. The building Berghammer is constructing to achieve LEED accreditation at the “certified” level includes the following environmentally friendly elements:
- Detention ponds for water efficiency
- Designated parking (10 percent) for low-emission and carpool vehicles
- Tankless water heaters to optimize energy performance
- More than 20 percent of the building materials extracted, processed and manufactured within the region
- Low-emitting adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings and carpet systems to control indoor environmental quality
- One hundred percent certified lumber used on the project
Park 94 at Mount Pleasant is located within a tax incremental district (TID) that is part of a 950-acre development zone. The area will accommodate corporate and professional office space, hotels, research and light-industrial buildings, retail shops and restaurants in the heart of fast-growing Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin.
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An additional one billion dollars in nonresidential construction spending would add about $2.4 billion to the state's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and about $746 million to personal earnings. It would create or sustain 22,000 jobs.
- 7,500 of these jobs would be on site construction jobs located in Wisconsin .
- 3,500 of these jobs would be direct and indirect jobs associated with construction supply materials and services. The majority of these jobs would be in Wisconsin , but some out-of-state jobs would also be supported.
- 11,000 of these jobs would be created when construction, supplier and service providers spend their incomes. These jobs would be based in Wisconsin and throughout the economy.
Source: Ken Simonson, Chief Economist, AGC of America http://www.agc.org/galleries/econ/WIstim.pdf
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As a contractor, Berghammer’s reputation is its stock in trade. It is built on consistently providing the best possible solutions for our clients, and conducting business in an honorable, ethical way.
That reputation manifests itself in a commitment to total customer satisfaction that echoes throughout the company. It is found in an unending drive to deliver the highest quality workmanship and a mission to improve our work and improve our results.
Your feedback is appreciated.
Berghammer Construction Corporation
4750 N. 132nd Street
Butler, Wisconsin 53007
http://www.berghammer.com
Telephone: 262-790-4750
Facsimile: 262-790-4755
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