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HOW TODAY’S CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYERS CAN COMPETE FOR SKILLED WORKERS

Issue 8, 2026 • www.ccr-mag.com

Built for the Rush

How Undefeated Tribe is bringing visibility and discipline to Crunch Fitness’ rapid expansion

Also inside:

J.B. Lacombe VP of Construction & NCO Undefeated Tribe

Exclusive Inside: Turning collaboration into a competitive advantage

Official magazine of:

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Vol. 25, Issue 8, 2026 FEATURES

Built for the Rush

How Undefeated Tribe is bringing visibility and discipline to Crunch Fitness’ rapid expansion.

Serving Up Safety

The Employer Edge

How restaurants can reduce risks, protect staff through workers’ comp.

How construction employers can stand out in today’s workforce.

Building a Safer Jobsite

Turning injury trends into smarter prevention.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

Adaptive Reuse

Creating innovative futures for older buildings.

Vol. 25, Issue 8, 2026

107

119

127

INDUSTRY SEGMENTS 60 Project Management Services & Construction Software

DEPARTMENTS 6 Editor’s Note 12 Industry News 42 ConstructEDU Student Insider 160 CCR Data 162 Ad Index 164 Publisher’s Note

141 SPECIAL SECTIONS

IT Corner 23 The Executive Fear Driving the AI Bubble Why fear of falling behind is fueling investment faster than strategy. Commercial Kitchens 107 Behind the Bottle Inside the Smith Brothers Farms facility. Commercial Facilities 119 Designing for Life Why AEC professionals must confront invisible obsolescence.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

Multi-Housing 127 Connection. Community. Contemporary Living. How amenities helped define North Texas’ The Buckley at Heritage Creekside. Residental Construction & Remodeling 141 Built as One Living with Lolo’s Lauren Lerner on where design vision meets construction reality. 154 Residential Reinvention Maximizing property potential via popular home expansions.

EDITOR’S NOTE

by Michael J. Pallerino

The Little Things “Hey, hold on a minute. Let me unpack the car first.”

s my brood has transitioned from children to adults (and with my first grandchild on the way—it’s a girl, by the way), I still remember those early vacation road trips.

You pack the car. You find whatever it is you have to entertain the troops on the drive to wherever it is you’re going. And you set out like Odysseus (only with a better compass) to parts unknown. When you finally reach your destination, you look for the reinforcements. Maybe it’s the hotel pool. Maybe it’s a game

room. Maybe someone at the front desk handed out crayons and a coloring sheet. And if that pool had a slide, you had officially hit the vacation jackpot. I don’t have to tell you times have changed. Well, I’m going to try anyway. Thanks to initiatives like the ones Loews Hotels & Co is taking, today’s kids are getting a different kind of vacation experience. Its Loews Little Legends program—available at select properties through Labor Day—offers hands-on STEAM experiences built around science, technology, engineering, art and math. STEAM Explorer Kits put tools such as binoculars and magnifying glasses into kids’ hands while Discovery Days bring everything from art classes to interactive science sessions into the stay. It may seem like a small touch, but there is a much bigger hospitality lesson here. Today’s guests aren’t simply buying a room. They’re buying an experience. And for families, that experience belongs to everyone who walks through the lobby doors— not just the person whose name is on the reservation. That’s what makes programs like Little Legends so interesting. A kid spending the afternoon exploring, creating or discovering something new probably isn’t thinking about brand loyalty. But Mom and Dad might be. Because the little things have a funny way of becoming the things we remember. And those memories have an even funnier way of influencing where families decide to stay the next time around. The best hospitality brands understand that standing out doesn’t always require a massive renovation or the latest amenity. Sometimes it simply means seeing the experience through a different set of eyes. In this case, a much smaller set. And if those eyes happen to be looking through a magnifying glass, even better.

Michael J. Pallerino is the editor of Commercial Construction & Renovation. You can reach him at 678.513.2397 or via email at mikep@ccr-mag.com.

We want to hear from you At Commercial Construction & Renovation, we’re always looking to showcase the best of what our industry is doing. If you have a project profile or a fresh perspective on how to keep our industry positively moving forward, shoot me an email at mikep@ccr-mag.com. We’d love to take a look.

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COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

F&J PUBLICATIONS, LLC Commercial Construction & Renovation is published monthly by F&J Publications, LLC. The opinions expressed by authors and contributors to Commercial Construction & Renovation are not necessarily those of the editors or publisher. Commercial Construction & Renovation is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Articles/content appearing in Commercial Construction & Renovation cannot be reproduced in any way without the specific permission of the publisher or editor.

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CCR EDITORIAL BOARD ACADEMIA DR. MARK LEE LEVINE Professor Burns School/ Daniels College University of Denver

ADA BRAD GASKINS Principal The McIntosh Group

ARCHITECTS/ENGINEERS MICHAEL MAGEE Studio Leader Retail, Store Design Senior Associate Little FRED MARGULIES Director of Retail Architecture Onyx Creative STEVEN MCKAY Managing Principal, Global Design Leader DLR Group STEVEN R. OLSON, AIA President CESO, Inc.

JIM SHEUCHENKO President Property Management Advisors LLC CHRIS VARNEY Managing Partner, BuildRite Consulting & Project Management STEPHEN HEKMAN Executive VP Kingsmen Retail Services US KEN DEMSKE Vice President Jones Lang LaSalle SARA SMITH Senior Consultant The Sigma Group, LLC VAUN PODLOGAR Partner, Vaun.com

EXPERIENTIAL AGENCY MICHELLE M COLLINS President & CXO A\N/A A Non-Agency

GENERAL CONTRACTOR CONSULTANT GINA MARIE ROMEO Chief Heart Officer & Principal Consultant, Allied RDI

DEVELOPMENT/PROJECT MANAGEMENT KAY BARRETT NCIDQ, CDP Senior Vice President Cushman & Wakefield PAM GOODWIN Goodwin Advisors, LLC Goodwin Commercial The Pam Goodwin Show

DAVID THOMPSON Vice President TCB Construction Group LLC. MATT SCHIMENTI President Schimenti Construction JOHN STALLMAN Marketing Manager Lakeview Construction JEFFREY D. MAHLER RCA Advisory Board Member JENNIFER SUSSMAN Director National Accounts & Business Development Powerhouse

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

HEALTHCARE CLINTON “BROOKS” HERMAN Principal Facilities Project Manager, MD Anderson Cancer Center

HOSPITALITY SAMUEL D. BUCKINGHAM, RS AMS CMCA President of Construction Devco Development GARY RALL Vice President of Design and Development Holiday Inn Club Vacations ROBERT RAUCH Chairman Brick Hospitality

JOE THOMAS Joseph K Thomas Sr. Consulting Senior Consultant Hospitality Engineering LU SACHARSKI Vice President of Operations and Project Management Interserv Hospitality ANDY BRIGGS, CHA Managing Principal A14 Capital Management

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CRAIG WEBER Director of Business Prime Retail Services, US Prime 3 Retail Canada, Inc.

REAL ESTATE ROB ADKINS, LEED AP CDP Senior Project Manager Cushman & Wakefield MEGAN HAGGERTY Founder Legacy Capital Investment MARIE ANTONETTE G. WAITE Founder and CEO Finest Women in Real Estate

RESTAURANTS DAVID SHOTWELL Director of Construction & Facilities, BOJ of WNC, LLC DAVID D. DILLON Principal Design Lead, Templates & Standards Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center

RETAILERS AARON ANCELLO Facilities Asset Management Public Storage DEDRICK KIRKEM Facility Director Fragrance.com

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INDUSTRY NEWS

NEWS, NOTES & TRENDS...

AroundtheIndustry HOSPITALITY

Hilton Hilton is expanding its college-town strategy with Undergraduate by Hilton, a new hotel brand targeting smaller markets not served by its Graduate portfolio. The upper-midscale concept will feature a streamlined operating model and fewer amenities, with the first property expected in 2027 and the potential to grow to as many as 500 hotels. Hyatt Regency Hyatt is expanding its Southern Arizona presence with plans to open the 291-room Hyatt Regency Tucson Convention Center in late 2027. The downtown Tucson property is undergoing a multimillion-dollar transformation and will feature 22,000 square feet of meeting and event space, positioning it to capture convention and business travel demand. APA Hotels APA Hotels is targeting U.S. growth as part of a broader international expansion strategy, with plans to double its overseas room count to 10,000 by 2031. The Japan-based company expects to directly operate hotels in major U.S. cities while using franchising to expand into regional markets. IHG Hotels & Resorts IHG Hotels & Resorts is expanding in Orlando, Florida, with the opening of a 288-room dual-branded Even Hotel and Staybridge Suites near Universal Orlando Resort. Developed with Daiwa House Group, the property combines wellness-focused accommodations with residential-style extended stay offerings while strengthening both brands’ presence in the market. Ruby Hotels Ruby Hotels is entering New York City with a 187-room property expected to open in 2027 on Avenue of the Americas. The IHG Hotels & Resorts urban lifestyle brand will transform a historic 1930s building through an extensive renovation, marking another step in Ruby’s expansion into the U.S. market.

PM Hotel Group PM Hotel Group is expanding its presence in Nashville, Tennessee, after taking over operations of a 12-hotel portfolio for Pinnacle Hospitality Partners. The collection of branded properties strengthens the company’s footprint across the Southeast while expanding its hotel management platform in one of the region’s key hospitality markets. Sonesta International Hotels Sonesta International Hotels is expanding its Houston footprint with the opening of the 131-room Sonesta Essential Houston Hobby Airport. Located near William P. Hobby Airport, the upper-midscale property marks Sonesta’s third opening this year in the Greater Houston market with owner Veritas International Capital. LivAway Suites LivAway Suites is expanding its Arizona footprint with the opening of a new extended stay hotel in Surprise. The property marks the brand’s third location in the state and features residentially inspired suites with in-room kitchens, designated bathrooms and smart laundry facilities as LivAway targets growing business and leisure demand across Arizona. BWH Hotels BWH Hotels is strengthening its upscale and luxury growth strategy with the launch of its Upscale & Luxury Worldwide Sales division. The new group will focus on building strategic agreements in high-yield sectors and strengthening relationships with procurement leaders to drive commercial growth across the company’s upscale and luxury portfolio. CitizenM CitizenM has opened a 230-room hotel in Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood, marking the lifestyle brand’s first opening under Marriott International since its acquisition last year. The design-forward property features shared living spaces, a 24-hour snack shop and a gym as Marriott looks to expand the CitizenM footprint.

Equinox Hotels Equinox Hotels is redefining luxury hospitality with a health-centric model built around movement, nutrition, recovery and community. The brand combines hospitality design with insights from neuroscientists and sleep psychologists, creating environments designed to support physical and mental performance while extending the Equinox wellness experience into travel.

Reside, A Wyndham Residence Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and Reside are expanding into Los Angeles with the opening of the 110-unit Reside Craftsman, A Wyndham Residence. Located in a historic downtown building, the apartment-style property marks the brand’s Los Angeles debut and seventh location as it targets growth in high-demand urban markets.

My Place Hotels My Place Hotels of America is expanding across the Midwest through a franchise agreement with Lloyd Companies to develop 10 hotels over the next five years. Initial locations are planned for Missouri and Ohio, with construction beginning this year and two properties expected to open annually starting in 2027.

Accor Accor is accelerating its luxury expansion across Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean as demand for high-end travel experiences continues to grow. The company is prioritizing brands, including Fairmont, Raffles and Orient Express, with a focus on immersive experiences that extend beyond the traditional luxury hotel stay.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

RESTAURANTS

Chick-fil-A Chick-fil-A is expanding its off-premise strategy with its first Florida ghost kitchen in Miami’s Wynwood district. Developed in partnership with CloudKitchens, the location focuses primarily on delivery, operates extended hours and offers core menu favorites along with all-day Chick-N-Minis and a streamlined breakfast selection.

D-Spot Dessert Café D-Spot Dessert Café is making its U.S. debut with its first location opening in Dallas. The Canadian dessert chain, known for Belgian waffles, croffles and other indulgent offerings, plans to continue its international expansion with additional locations in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and Nashville.

KFC KFC is testing a new Open House concept in McKinney, Texas, with a redesigned restaurant offering traditional and new menu items alongside table service, drive-thru and takeout options. The brand is also expanding its Saucy spinoff beyond Florida and bringing Saucy’s sauce offerings into its traditional restaurants.

Jersey Mike’s Jersey Mike’s is targeting significant franchise expansion with the potential to grow from 3,300 to as many as 7,500 U.S. locations. With 1,600 new restaurants already in development, the chain is also accelerating international growth in Canada and the United Kingdom as it works toward a long-term goal of 15,000 locations worldwide.

Dairy Queen Dairy Queen is offering franchisees cash incentives to accelerate expansion across the U.S. and Canada. The program provides $150,000 for qualifying freestanding DQ Grill & Chill openings and $200,000 for additional locations opened within 18 months, supporting both new construction and second-generation drive-thru conversions.

Pollo Tropical Pollo Tropical is preparing to resume expansion in 2027 following a multiyear effort to simplify operations, strengthen customer service and refocus on its core menu. The Florida-based chain plans to introduce double drive-thru locations and explore growth beyond its home state as it enters its next phase of development.

Starbucks Starbucks is shifting to smaller store formats as it looks to accelerate expansion and open thousands of new locations. New stores will range from 1,000 square feet to 1,350 square feet while still offering drivethrus, delivery, mobile ordering and seating, giving the coffee giant greater flexibility to enter more markets with smaller real estate footprints.

Slim Chickens Slim Chickens is introducing a drive-thru-only format designed to support its continued expansion. The new Fly-Thru concept gives franchisees greater real estate flexibility while meeting growing demand for off-premise convenience, allowing the Arkansas-based chain to enter a wider range of markets and locations.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers plans to open 60 locations in 2026 as it approaches the 600-unit milestone. The chain is targeting growth across the Northeast, Midwest and Pacific Northwest while increasingly using endcap and in-line formats to give franchisees greater flexibility as the brand enters new markets.

Taco Bell Taco Bell is expanding its Cantina concept with its first airport location at Denver International Airport, marking the format’s airport debut and first Colorado location. The concept builds on the traditional Taco Bell experience with alcoholic beverages and an expanded dine-in environment designed for social occasions and special events.

Einstein Bros. Bagels Einstein Bros. Bagels is accelerating its expansion with plans to open more than 300 locations by 2030, pushing its footprint beyond 1,000 restaurants nationwide. The Panera Brands chain will support the growth with its redesigned Elevate the Morning store template, designed to facilitate faster development across new and existing markets.

Portillo’s Portillo’s is expanding its Texas presence with its first airport location at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The Terminal B restaurant features a smaller footprint focused on to-go orders and is one of three Texas openings planned this year as the Chicago-based brand looks to build awareness across the market.

Raising Cane’s Raising Cane’s is expanding into airports with its first location at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Located in Terminal B, the restaurant introduces a new growth channel for the brand while increasing its visibility among the millions of travelers who pass through one of the nation’s busiest airports each year.

Walmart Walmart is accelerating its U.S. store investment with plans to remodel more than 650 Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets and open about 20 new locations in 2026. The retailer is also introducing a rapid remodel program that condenses renovations at select Neighborhood Markets into four weeks to minimize disruption for shoppers. (Continued on next page)

RETAIL

ISSUE 8, 2026 — COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION

INDUSTRY NEWS

NEWS, NOTES & TRENDS...

AroundtheIndustry Target Target has started expanding its footprint with six new stores opening in across Arizona, North Carolina, Missouri and New Jersey. Five will exceed the retailer’s average store size and support same-day services, including Drive Up and Order Pickup, as Target works toward its goal of opening more than 300 locations by 2035. BJ’s Wholesale Club BJ’s Wholesale Club is entering the North Texas market with four new stores, beginning with a Forney location opening April 24. Three additional clubs are planned for the region in the coming weeks as the retailer expands its footprint and looks to reach more families in the growing market. Tractor Supply Tractor Supply is moving ahead with its expansion strategy after opening 40 new stores in the first quarter, with approximately 100 more locations planned by the end of 2026. The retailer is also advancing its Project Fusion initiative, which includes extensive store remodels and upgrades to garden centers across its existing footprint. True Religion True Religion is accelerating its retail expansion with plans to open 90 new stores over the next four years, growing its fleet to 150 locations. The strategy centers on smaller-format stores that carry the brand’s full product assortment and feature weekly product drops to encourage repeat visits and support continued sales growth.

GROCERS

Kroger Kroger is investing $112 million across central and northwest Ohio through 2026, including two new stores in Canal Winchester and Delaware and renovations to 15 existing locations. The new stores are expected to create approximately 470 jobs combined, with both locations slated to open in fall 2026. Trader Joe’s Trader Joe’s is continuing its nationwide expansion with plans to open more than 20 stores in 2026. The specialty grocer has announced 17 upcoming locations across markets including California, Washington, Illinois, New Jersey, Louisiana, Utah, Florida and Georgia, building on the 43 stores it opened in 2025. ALDI ALDI is using the U.S. as a testing ground for a new global store format, beginning with locations in Florida. Developed with Landini Associates, the modular concept can adapt to different store sizes and urban settings, with insights from the U.S. trials expected to influence future store designs across Europe, Australia and other markets. Amazon/Winn-Dixie Amazon and Winn-Dixie are expanding their grocery delivery partnership to reach most households across Florida, including Miami, Orlando and Tampa. Customers now can shop more than 15,000 Winn-Dixie products through Amazon, extending the grocer’s digital reach while giving shoppers greater access to convenient home delivery.

Salomon Salomon is strengthening its U.S. growth strategy by expanding partnerships with leading retailers while opening select branded stores in key metro markets. By refining its wholesale network and adding new collaborations, the mountain sports brand is reinforcing its premium positioning and broadening its reach among performance and lifestyle consumers.

Albertsons Albertsons plans to invest as much as $2.2 billion in 2026, with a focus on store modernization and technology enhancements. The investment is designed to strengthen the in-store experience, deepen shopper engagement and give customers more reasons to consolidate their grocery trips within the Albertsons store network.

Miniso Miniso is accelerating its United States expansion with larger-format stores and a shift toward open-air and lifestyle centers. New experiential concepts, including 15,000-square-foot Miniso Land locations, are designed to broaden the retailer’s family-focused shopping experience while strengthening its growing brand presence.

Schnucks Schnucks is testing products from 10 local brands across 15 St. Louis-area stores through its Springboard emerging business accelerator. The four-week trial will gauge customer demand and determine whether the products earn a place in the grocer’s regular inventory, supporting Schnucks’ efforts to introduce and grow emerging local brands.

Sukoshi Sukoshi has expanded into Texas with the opening of its first store in the state at Frisco’s Stonebriar Centre. The Asian beauty retailer is building its U.S. presence as consumer demand for Asian beauty products grows, with additional locations planned in Illinois, Arizona and California.

Giunta’s Meat Farms Giunta’s Meat Farms is acquiring King Kullen, bringing together two family-owned supermarket chains with deep roots on Long Island, New York. The deal, expected to close in September, includes 24 King Kullen stores and four Wild by Nature natural foods markets, significantly expanding Giunta’s presence across the region.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

NEWS, NOTES & TRENDS...

Building the Bench The Lowe’s commits $250 million to train the next generation of skilled workers

he skilled trades have been sounding the alarm for years. There simply are not enough workers entering fields such as plumbing, electrical work and carpentry to replace those leaving them. Lowe’s is putting some serious muscle behind changing that equation, committing $250 million through the Lowe’s Foundation to train 250,000 skilled tradespeople over the next decade. The commitment significantly expands the foundation’s previous $50 million investment in skilled trades training. The goal is to create stronger pathways into careers that remain essential across construction, renovation and home improvement. For Lowe’s, the investment is about more than filling today’s openings. It is about creating a sustainable pipeline of trained workers who can help meet demand for years to come. As AI continues to reshape how people work, Lowe’s sees skilled trades as an area where human expertise will remain indispensable. By investing in training today, Lowe’s is helping tackle an immediate labor shortage while opening doors to careers that offer long-term opportunity. For an industry searching for its next generation of talent, that is an investment worth watching.

Leading the Way Women’s Hospitality Initiative helps female leaders find their voice

alent has never been the issue. Opportunity, visibility and access to the right people can be another story. In Las Vegas, Nevada, the Women’s Hospitality Initiative is working to close that gap by giving women across the hospitality industry the connections, mentorship and platform they need to build businesses and step confidently into leadership roles. Programs and events such as Picnic in the Alley create opportunities for women to showcase their work while building relationships with others navigating similar challenges. Hospitality professionals including baker Kimmie McIntosh and chef Erica Bell have used the initiative to gain greater visibility and guidance as they continue developing their careers. The organization also places an emphasis on community involvement, creating a network that extends beyond individual events. The bigger impact comes from helping women advocate for themselves and recognize the value they bring to the table. By combining mentorship, exposure and real-world connections, the Women’s Hospitality Initiative is creating an environment where emerging leaders can learn from those who came before them— and help open doors for those coming next.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

Numbers Game

The percent who say funding pressure is keeping them up at night, reflecting the persistent financial strain shaping project pipelines and planning, according to Mobilization Funding’s “2026 Construction Growth and Cash Flow Report.”

The percent growth in office construction being driven by data centers—which now account for more than half of total office spending—highlighting a major shift in what is fueling the sector, according to FMI’s “2026 North American Engineering and Construction Outlook (Q2).”

1.7

The amount, in trillions that business travel spending is estimated to reach in 2026, surpassing 1.84 billion, according to the Global Business Travel Association’s Business Travel Index. The report highlights that while spending is rising by 7.2%, the number of trips is growing more slowly due to increasing transportation and travel costs. The US and China are the largest markets, accounting for nearly half of the total spending.

INDUSTRY NEWS

NEWS, NOTES & TRENDS...

Smarter Workforce Walmart brings AI training to 2.1 million employees

or Walmart, artificial intelligence (AI) is not being positioned as technology reserved for engineers or executives. The retailer wants all 2.1 million employees to understand how to put it to work. Through partnerships with Google Gemini and OpenAI, Walmart is rolling out role-specific certifications designed to build AI literacy across its workforce and help employees incorporate the technology into their everyday responsibilities. The effort builds on AI tools already being used throughout Walmart’s operations. AI agents can help employees locate inventory, translate customer interactions and handle routine workflows, giving associates more time to focus on customers. The certification program is designed to take that experience further by teaching workers how AI can complement their individual roles rather than simply adding another piece of technology to learn. The strategy reflects a broader shift taking place across retail and other industries. As AI becomes embedded in daily operations, knowing how to use it effectively is quickly becoming another workplace skill. Walmart’s approach puts training at the center of that transition, betting that a workforce comfortable with AI will be better equipped for whatever comes next.

They said it... “Technology is probably the one area of all of our businesses that you will as driving the most transformation in the next 12 to 18 months. We want the tech experience to not only enable our employees to be better at their jobs, but to offer customers a single sign-on when you shopany of our brands.” — Bed Bath & Beyond President Amy Sullivan on what role technology innovation plays in the brand’s corporate strategy

“The biggest opportunity for us right now is building brand awareness. We find that once people experience the brand, they stick with us—whether as an employee or a customer. Growing our team from within has allowed us to deliver a brand experience at scale that’s extremely consistent, whether you’re on the West Coast or the East Coast.” — Dutch Bros CMO Tana Davila on the how the brand’s marketing playbook is fueling its expansion

2026 Annual Lighting Products/Services LED Lighting Supply Cory Peterson, VP of Marketing & Sales Operations 1 Chestnut Street, Suite 4M Nashua, NH 03060 (888) 423-3191 cory@ledlightingsupply.com www.ledlightingsupply.com Number of Employees: 30, Year established: 2008 Markets Served: Commercial, Other: Industrial, Sports Lighting Product Type: Commercial Lighting, Exterior Outdoor Lighting, Highbay Lighting, LED Linear Indoor, Security Lighting, Other: Sports Lighting, Industrial Lighting, Utility, Architectural Lighting, Commercial Fans, Industrial Fans

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

“That’s why having a brand platform matters so much: because you’re no longer trying to hit it out of the park every single time. Content has never been cheaper to produce. The need to get people’s attention has never been higher. If you can de-risk that environment, you actually hit some singles and doubles that turn into home runs.” — Hilton Global CMO Mark Weinstein on why brand marketing is an “irrational affinity business”

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INDUSTRY NEWS

NEWS, NOTES & TRENDS...

Pitching Innovation Commercial UAV Expo puts emerging drone technology in the spotlight

ommercial UAV Expo brought exhibitors and industry media together in Las Vegas for its annual “Pitch the Press” competition, giving companies two minutes to showcase some of the newest technology shaping the commercial drone market. Commercial Construction & Renovation served as a media sponsor of the event. Fourteen exhibitors were selected to make their case before a panel of UAV industry journalists, who evaluated each presentation

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

for innovation and potential return on investment. Harris Aerial, Skyline Nav AI and UtopiaCompression Corporation emerged as the 2026 winners. The winning technologies addressed needs ranging from stateside drone manufacturing and GPS-independent navigation to aircraft detection as commercial drone traffic continues to grow. For more information, visit expouav.com.

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CORNER

The Executive Fear Driving the AI Bubble Why fear of falling behind is fueling investment faster than strategy

IT CORNER

The Executive Fear Driving the AI Bubble Why fear of falling behind is fueling investment faster than strategy By Neil Sahota

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

ublicly, executives describe artificial intelligence (AI) as inevitable. Privately, many fear it. Why? Because the incentives surrounding it have become impossible to resist. Over the last two years, corporate America transformed AI adoption into a public performance of relevance. Boards demand AI roadmaps. Investors reward AI narratives during earnings calls. Consultants promise autonomous enterprises. CEOs fear appearing technologically obsolete. Entire industries now speak about AI with the nervous intensity of traders watching a market bubble inflate in real time. And beneath all of it sits one increasingly dangerous force.

> Fear. > Fear of falling behind competitors. > Fear of disappointing shareholders. > Fear of appearing slow. > Fear of questioning the hype too publicly. > Fear that someone else understands the future better. And perhaps most of all… Fear AI systems will eventually replace executive decision-making. Today, this fear drives corporate behavior across the world. Moreover, it fuels organizations

Many organizations don’t use AI simply to improve decisions. They use AI to legitimize decisions they already wanted to make.

to deploy AI faster than they understand it. I was working with a large marketing organization preparing a major product launch. Leadership proudly discussed its AI-driven analytics strategy. The company positioned itself as highly data-driven and deeply committed to AI-powered decision-making. Then, the launch failed spectacularly. The company spent roughly $50 million on a marketing campaign that dramatically underperformed expectations. During the postmortem analysis, my audit found something strange. The executive who championed the campaign repeatedly claimed the decision aligned with AI analytics. It didn’t. The AI system recommended a very different messaging campaign based on customer psychological and behavioral analysis. However, the executive privately distrusted the AI insights because they conflicted with instinct and personal assumptions about how customers think. So, the executive overrode the recommendations while still leveraging AI to justify the decision afterward. Sadly, I’ve seen this happen too many times (with a lot of bad results.) It also reveals a deeper truth about the modern AI economy: Many organizations don’t use AI simply to improve decisions. They use AI to legitimize decisions they already wanted to make. Consequently, AI is less an intelligence system and more a political shield for executive intuition. This creates a dangerous illusion inside organizations. Leadership publicly celebrates AI transformation while privately distrusting the outputs, overriding recommendations, or rebuilding human verification systems underneath the technology. Employees notice this immediately. They often understand operational reality long before executives do because they interact directly with the consequences. They see hallucinations. They fix broken outputs. They manually repair automated workflows. They absorb the operational friction leadership dashboards rarely capture. As a result, a strange organizational psychology emerges. Executives publicly amplify AI enthusiasm because markets reward visible

ISSUE 8, 2026 — COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION

IT CORNER

THE EXECUTIVE FEAR DRIVING THE AI BUBBLE

adoption. Conversely, operational employees privately distrust the systems because they experience hidden instability firsthand. In the end, the result is an economy built on performative confidence. And that combination rarely ends well. History repeatedly shows what happens when institutions adopt transformative systems faster than developing the discipline to govern them properly. Before the Great Recession started in 2008, we created opaque financial structures few leaders fully understood until the hidden risks cascaded across the economy. Likewise. social media platforms optimized engagement for years before confronting the social consequences from their incentive-based systems.

This is what haunts corporate America. The modern AI economy rewards organizations for appearing technologically advanced long before anyone verifies whether the systems create durable operational value. Sadly, this incentive structure distorts behavior. Consulting firms rebrand overnight into AI transformation experts because clients demand visible AI strategies. Boards pressure executives for aggressive adoption timelines because investors fear missing the next technological revolution. Leaders approve deployments before governance structures mature because slowing down feels politically dangerous. The problem is not irrationality.

In the next phase of AI adoption, companies that succeed will be disciplined enough to resist performative transformation. Today, organizations deploy AI into workflows they barely understand while simultaneously lacking visibility into how work truly happens inside their own companies. At a healthcare company I advised, leadership proudly described its AI-driven workflow as highly automated. Executives believed the process dramatically improved efficiency. Then, I observed the actual workflow end-to-end. Three separate operational teams independently created hidden manual verification layers because repeated AI hallucinations had shaken their trust. Incredibly, none of the teams knew the others were rechecking the same data. Leadership didn’t know either. The illusion collapsed only after I had the first-line managers walked through the real workflow live during a Zoom meeting. The executives sat stunned. Because they realized the company did not understand where the real intelligence work happened.

The problem is institutional panic. No executive wants to be remembered as the person who missed AI. Consequently, fear now drives billions of dollars in strategic decisions across the global economy. And unlike previous software revolutions, AI systems possess an unusually persuasive characteristic: they sound intelligent. A polished chatbot feels competent. A fluent AI-generated summary feels authoritative. A convincing recommendation feels insightful. Thus, people naturally overtrust AI systems that communicate with confidence, even when the underlying reasoning remains flawed. Research shows people routinely struggle to distinguish fluent AI-generated communication from genuine expertise. This is enormous institutional vulnerability because organizations increasingly reward the appearance of intelligence faster than they verify actual understanding. So, when confidence becomes easier to simulate than

competence, institutions reorganize around performance instead of value creation. The consequences already appear across industries. Legal professionals face sanctions after submitting hallucinated AI-generated court citations. Similarly, Air Canada lost a legal dispute after its chatbot invented a refund policy. Consequently, companies expand remediation teams because automated systems still require constant human correction behind the scenes. Meanwhile, executives continue presenting AI transformation narratives to boards and investors because the market currently rewards momentum more than discipline. Welcome to a key danger of the AI era. (No, it’s not AI becoming sentient. It’s not Skynet or the singularity.) The real risk is losing the ability to distinguish between systems that genuinely create intelligence and systems that merely imitate it convincingly enough to satisfy institutional pressure. In the next phase of AI adoption, companies that succeed will be disciplined enough to resist performative transformation. They will ask harder questions: > Does this system create measurable value? > Does it reduce hidden labor? > Does it improve judgment? > Does it actually learn? > Do employees trust it operationally? > Does leadership understand how the work truly happens? Most importantly, they will understand that intelligence cannot simply be performed. It must be cultivated, reinforced, and earned over time. For decades, society feared machines becoming more human. Now, we spend less time considering what happens when institutions begin making decisions primarily because they fear appearing less intelligent than everyone else.

Neil Sahota is a globally recognized AI strategist, Chief AI Officer at Consolidated Analytics, AI Advisor to the United Nations and the author of two books: “Own the A.I. Revolution” and “AI Activation Code.” With 20-plus years of business experience, he works with organizations to create next-generation solutions powered by emerging technology.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

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EVENTS

Connections That Build RCA Orlando networking reception brings industry connections together

CA brought the industry together in Orlando for an evening of conversation, connections and introductions during ICSC@Florida. Hosted by RCA with event partners Commercial Construction & Renovation and RDI, the casual Happy Hour brought ICSC@Florida attendees and Orlando-area industry professionals together over drinks and appetizers. Stanley Black & Decker—which hosted a special raffle during the event—sponsored the reception and hosted a special raffle drawing. The reception was held at Fast Break inside the Hilton Hotel/Convention Center.

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COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Scott Mellen and guest Janine Buettner, ArcVision; Jeremy Just, Blacktie Development LLC Matt Salts, Olio Development; Wade Lynsey and Marcus Butler, Downstream Adam Acosta, Boston Retail Solutions; Sage Gardner, Olio Development; Drew Romanic, Martin Architectural Lauren Vereen, Metro Green Construction; Bill Leeka, Shawn Koch; Narry Barlow, TDS Construction Rob Cutrupi and Seth Land, Fabcon Precast; Delisse Haley, Katherine Long, DW1; Rich Seiff, Xanadu

Jonathan Dabney, Trademark Signs; Jeff Mahler, Onyx Creative; Karl Uftring, Trademark Signs 8. Bard Fulton, Fortney & Weygandt; Gina Romeo, Connect Source Consulting Group 9. Brent Bolen, Marissa Hines, Sara McCallion, Boston Retail Solutions; Greg Healy and Chade Valerio, GPRS 10. Rick Winkel, Victoria Winkel, Victoria Hedberg, Winkel Construction, Inc. 11. Mike Morelli, National Sign Team; Samra Savioz, Atlas Construction; Dan Morelli, National Sign Team 12. Tony Ricci, Valentina Guite, Jen Eisenmann, Amanda Melagarno, Boston Retail Solutions

ISSUE 8, 2026 — COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION

in the news SARA NY Celebrates 31st Design Awards Annual program honors standout architecture and design across New York

he SARA NY Council celebrated its 31st SARA NY Design Awards June 4 at The New Yorker Hotel, bringing together architects, designers and students for an evening recognizing achievement across the profession. Drawing entries from across the country and around the world, the annual program honored work spanning a wide range of categories and project types, with 48 professional firms and 24 students receiving 2026 Design Awards. The evening opened with a cocktail reception and live musical entertainment from Natalie Pierro and Ross Lower before turning the spotlight to this year’s honorees. Saatva sponsored a student grant awarded to Aatika Hayat of The New School while SARA NY President Tzara Peterson presented the Kathryn Marie Firneis Student Scholarship to Yale University student Na rye Han.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

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Special Awards recognized several notable New York projects, including The Frick Collection by Selldorf Architects with Beyer Blinder Belle, The Delacorte Theatre in Central Park by Ennead Architects, The Davis Center at the Harlem Meer by Susan T. Rodriguez | Architecture & Design with Mitchell Giurgola and The Wagner Park Pavilion by Thomas Phifer & Partners. Together, the projects reflected the range of design, restoration and public-space work celebrated throughout the evening. The 2026 SARA NY Design Awards were sponsored by Acelab, ArkDesign.AI, Armstrong World Industries, Brickworks Design Studio, DACOR, Hafele, James Hardie, JFP Studios, NanaWall, Porcelanosa, Saatva, Zetlin & De Chiara Law and 2Fabricate.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

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INDUSTRY NEWS

BUILDING BETTER COMPANIES

The Alignment Advantage Are you and your leadership team solving the same problem?

ou are sitting around the leadership table talking about what is holding the company back. Operations sees one problem. Sales sees another. Finance has its concerns. Someone thinks the company needs better people. Someone else thinks it needs better systems. None of them is necessarily wrong. That’s what makes it difficult. Each person is looking at the business from where they sit, seeing something that is real and trying to solve it. You can have capable people working hard on legitimate problems and still not be working on the same problem. Ask each person on your leadership team, separately. What is the biggest thing holding this company back right now? Then listen.

If the answers are different, don’t rush to decide who is right. First ask why people responsible for leading the same company are seeing it differently. What looks like a list of separate problems may be something else. A company can start treating every symptom as its own problem. > A new system gets considered. > A new person gets hired. > A new process gets created. > Another initiative gets started. Each may make sense on its own. If you haven’t stepped back far enough to understand what is underneath the problems you’re seeing, you can spend a lot of time fixing things without fixing what is actually holding the company back.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

By Pat Alacqua

The differences in your leadership team’s thinking are worth paying attention to. Your operations leader sees what is happening in the field. Your sales leader sees what is happening before the work is won. Finance sees what happens to the numbers after decisions have been made. You see the whole company and the pressure coming from customers, employees and the future you are trying to build. Those views are all useful, but they don’t automatically add up to a shared understanding of the business. That becomes more important as the company grows. When you were smaller, you could often carry enough of the business in your own head to connect the pieces. You knew the people, the customers, the jobs, the decisions and the problems. You could walk down the hall, ask a question and get to the answer.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

BUILDING BETTER COMPANIES

At some point, that stops working. It isn’t that you stopped being capable. The company just became too large and too complex for one person’s view to hold everything together. I’ve been there. I’ve built and led growing companies, and I’ve learned that one of the hardest parts of growth isn’t recognizing that something needs to change. It’s figuring out what needs to change first. Then getting the people responsible for the business to see it clearly enough to move. That becomes harder when everyone is consumed by today’s business. Customers need answers. Jobs need attention. People need decisions. Cash needs to be managed. Problems need to be solved. The next project has to be won and the current one has to be delivered. Those aren’t distractions from the business. They are the business. But they can consume every bit of leadership attention you have. Running today’s business is not the same job as building tomorrow’s business. Tomorrow requires somebody to step back and ask where the company is going. What it will need to do then that it cannot do today, and what must change before that becomes a problem. If nobody has that responsibility, tomorrow gets pushed behind today’s most urgent problem. Today’s problems will always win. That’s one of the hardest transitions in growth. The entrepreneurial company can often succeed because the founder sees the whole picture, makes the connections, makes the calls and keeps things moving. That way of operating may have been exactly what the company needed to get where it is. The company has now reached a stage where the way its pieces work together has to change.

The leadership team must be able to look at the business together. They need to determine what actually matters, decide what needs attention now and what can wait, and make sure someone owns what happens next. It doesn’t mean everyone has to agree. If two leaders see the same situation differently, the company needs to understand why before it decides what to do about it. Sometimes the difference is information or it’s perspective. Sometimes it exposes a decision that was never clearly made. And often the CEO has to make the call. What matters is that the decision gets made, ownership of the outcome is clear, and the organization moves. That is what changes when a company grows. The company no longer

needs one person to hold the whole picture together. It needs a leadership team capable of seeing the business together, deciding what matters, and leading what comes next. The next time your leadership team sits around the table talking about what is holding the company back, listen differently. Don’t just listen to the answers. Listen for whether you’re all describing the same business. Growth eventually asks more of a company than more revenue, more people and more work. It asks the company to become something different. And when the company changes, the way it is led must change with it. Who owns tomorrow? CCR

Asking questions I’ve got a question I’d like you to ask your leadership team. And I mean ask them individually, not around the conference table. Ask each of them: “What’s the biggest thing holding this company back right now?” Then listen to the answers. Don’t help them. Don’t give them choices. And don’t tell them what you think the answer is. Just listen. Because here’s what I’ve learned about growing companies. Sometimes... the most important thing you learn isn’t what the answer is. It’s how different the answers are. You may have one leader talking about people. Another talking about systems, another about sales, and yet another talking about margins. And everybody may have a legitimate reason for saying what they’re saying. That’s where it gets interesting. Your see... if you have good people, working hard, looking at the same company and they’re seeing very different things, you may have learned something important about the business before you’ve fixed anything. You may have discovered that the problem isn’t what you thought it was. So try the question. Ask everybody separately. Then put the answers side by side. What you learn from the differences may be more valuable than ANY ONE answer.

Pat Alacqua is a business growth strategist and Amazon best-selling author of “Obstacles to Opportunity: Transforming Business Challenges Into Triumphs.” He helps leaders fix and prevent what growth breaks. If a version of this is sitting on your desk right now, a second set of eyes that has run a growing company can help you see it clearly. Reach out at patalacqua.com or pat@patalacqua.com.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

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VOICES

Building Better Together Turning collaboration into a competitive advantage By Whitney Altizer

y bringing together property leaders and corporate executives, Newport Hospitality Group is creating a collaborative leadership model that strengthens

strategy, improves performance and delivers greater value for hotel owners, associates and guests Often great ideas in hospitality originate at the property level, not the corporate office. They come from the people working directly with guests, meeting planners, owners and hotel teams every day. Recognizing that many of the best ideas come from those closest to day-today operations, Newport Hospitality Group created its Compass Circle Councils. The leadership initiative brings together property and corporate leaders to exchange ideas, improve communication, strengthen accountability and help guide organizational decisions.

The Compass Circle Councils are divided into two distinct but closely connected groups. The Horizon Council focuses on commercial strategy, sales leadership, and revenue growth, while the Operations Council concentrates on guest satisfaction, property performance, team engagement and operational excellence. While each council has a unique mission, they were intentionally designed to work together because great hotels are built when sales and operations move in the same direction. Sales creates opportunity by bringing guests through the doors. Operations delivers the experience that keeps those guests

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

coming back. When those two disciplines collaborate from the beginning rather than working independently, hotels perform better, teams communicate more effectively and owners ultimately benefit. What makes Compass Circle Councils different is that they are not traditional meetings where information simply flows from corporate leadership to the field. They are working groups made up of experienced hotel leaders who actively contribute ideas, challenge assumptions and shape future strategy. The program was developed at the corporate level, with the executive team playing an active role in facilitating each council’s progress and clearing roadblocks property leaders may encounter. Within the Horizon Council, Directors of Sales from across the Newport portfolio openly share what's working in their individual markets, discuss emerging challenges, identify new business opportunities and provide meaningful input before company initiatives are launched. More importantly, they share proven sales strategies that can be replicated throughout the portfolio. A successful approach developed at one hotel may create new opportunities for dozens of others. Instead of every property solving the same challenges independently, the council allows hotels to benefit from each other's experiences while giving corporate leadership a clearer understanding of emerging trends and customer expectations across multiple markets. That collaborative approach leads to stronger decisions because they are built upon real-world experience rather than assumptions made from a distance. One of the Horizon Council's earliest accomplishments demonstrates the value of this model. As budget season approached, council members recognized an opportunity to better align commercial planning with operational goals. Together, they developed a more comprehensive planning tool that combines sales strategy, revenue forecasts, market intelligence and property objectives into a single planning document. The result is more than a budgeting exercise. It provides DOSs and GMs with

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VOICES

a shared roadmap for the year ahead, encouraging strategic conversations earlier in the planning process and creating stronger alignment between commercial objectives and hotel operations. The council is also developing a portfolio-wide lead generation initiative designed to encourage cross-selling throughout Newport's collection of hotels. By sharing opportunities, resources and market intelligence across the portfolio, the company is positioning every property to benefit from collective knowledge rather than competing in isolation. The spirit of collaboration extends well beyond individual projects.

Just as importantly, the councils strengthen corporate oversight without creating unnecessary bureaucracy. Leadership gains greater visibility into what's happening across the portfolio, allowing successful ideas to spread more quickly, potential challenges to be identified earlier and strategic priorities to remain aligned across every hotel. Rather than directing hotels from a distance, Newport is creating a partnership where corporate guidance and property expertise continuously inform one another. The benefits extend beyond organizational strategy. For many DOSs, participation on the Horizon Council provides an opportunity to

When sales strategies become more consistent, communication improves and best practices are shared across the portfolio, hotels are better positioned to deliver stronger financial performance. One of the council's greatest strengths is its ability to create greater consistency across the Newport portfolio. Best practices developed at one hotel can quickly be shared with others. Innovative sales strategies can be adapted across multiple markets. Challenges become opportunities for collective problem-solving rather than isolated obstacles. Equally important, communication no longer flows in only one direction.

Collaborative Culture

Compass Circle Councils have created an ongoing dialogue between property leaders and the Newport corporate office where ideas, market intelligence, opportunities and concerns are exchanged openly. That continuous feedback allows corporate leadership to make more informed decisions while giving hotel leaders confidence that their experience and perspectives genuinely influence the company's direction.

contribute beyond the success of their own property. It exposes them to different markets, different leadership styles, and broader business challenges while encouraging strategic thinking and professional growth. Rather than simply executing company initiatives, they become active participants in creating them. The level of engagement strengthens leadership throughout the organization while reinforcing Newport's culture of collaboration and shared ownership.

Greater Value for Owners

Owners ultimately see the greatest return from this collaborative approach. When best practices are shared across the portfolio, commercial strategies become more consistent, operational priorities remain aligned and leadership teams make better-informed decisions. Corporate leaders gain greater insight into property performance while hotel teams

benefit from the collective expertise of the entire organization. The result is stronger execution, greater accountability, improved financial performance and long-term value creation for every asset Newport manages. Rather than each hotel operating independently, every property becomes part of a larger network that continuously learns, improves and raises the standard for the entire portfolio. When sales strategies become more consistent, communication improves and best practices are shared across the portfolio, hotels are better positioned to deliver stronger financial performance. Greater alignment between property teams and corporate leadership supports more informed decision-making, stronger execution and long-term value creation for every asset Newport manages. As the hospitality industry continues to evolve, no single leader or department has all the answers. Market conditions shift quickly. Guest expectations continue to change. Technology is reshaping nearly every aspect of hotel operations and commercial strategy. Organizations that consistently outperform will be those that create environments where ideas can move freely, expertise is shared openly, and leadership is developed at every level. This is exactly what the Compass Circle Councils were designed to accomplish. Looking ahead, the councils will continue serving as incubators for innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. New ideas will be tested, best practices will be refined and commercial and operational strategies will be strengthened before they are implemented across the portfolio. Most importantly, Newport's future growth will continue to be shaped by the people who know its hotels, understand its guests and recognize opportunities firsthand, all while remaining united by the company's mission to enrich lives and redefine hospitality excellence. CCR

Whitney Altizer is Senior VP, Chief Commercial Officer, for Newport Hospitality Group, where she leverages decades of experience in marketing, sales, and revenue management to provide integrated solutions and lead new initiatives. Whitney’s commitment to her craft has her certified through the Hospitality Marketing and Sales Association International (HSMAI) in revenue management, digital marketing, and sales. She travels when not orchestrating ongoing growth for her team or solidifying the company’s financial position.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

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EDUCATION

Student Insider A division of Commercial Construction & Renovation

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Student Insider

A division of Commercial Construction & Renovation Dear Skills Trade Student While construction and technical skills are your primary focus, ConstructEDU Student Insider (CEDU) is designed to supplement your education by providing content that dives into the business of the commercial construction and renovation industry. The bi-monthly newsletter covers areas such as emerging technologies, regulatory issues and other factors shaping the diverse industry’s future. CEDU also features insights and profiles from industry thought leaders on the trends and challenges affecting the marketplace.

Delivered at no charge, we not only encourage you to make CEDU a part of your educational consumption, but also to share it with your peers. To Subscribe CLICK HERE!

TRF Camp Build Gives 102 Students Hands-On Introduction to Skilled Trades The Rosendin Foundation introduced 102 middle school students to construction careers during its fourth annual TRF Camp Build, giving campers hands-on experience with professional tools and the skills used across the skilled trades. The free camps were held over 21 days in McKinney and Austin, Texas; Huntersville, North Carolina; Sterling, Virginia; and Commerce, California. Read More HERE

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

NTI Graduates 103 Skilled Trades Technicians From Phoenix Campus National Technical Institute (NTI) recognized 103 graduates who earned HVAC, plumbing and electrical certificates at its Phoenix campus, marking the school’s largest graduating class of 2026. The class included 37 HVAC students, 37 electrical students and 26 plumbing students. Students completed NTI’s accelerated 12- to 16-week programs, which combine classroom instruction with hands-on training in professional lab environments designed to mirror field conditions. Read More HERE

NIBCO, Webstone Donate Training System to Red Rocks Community College NIBCO and its Webstone brand have donated a custom-built boiler and water heater system training board to Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, Colorado. The training board was created as part of the Community Over Competition Build showcased at AHR Expo 2026. Organized by Impetus Media and sponsored by NIBCO, the initiative brought together plumbing and HVAC professionals, manufacturers and industry leaders to highlight collaboration across the trades. Read More HERE

Aureon Awards $12,000 in STEM Scholarships to Nine Iowa Students Aureon has awarded $12,000 in scholarships to nine Iowa high school students pursuing technology and STEM-related education at colleges, universities and trade schools across the state. The Aureon ITC Scholarship Program—awarded through two annual programs—supports students from communities served by Iowa Independent Telecommunications Companies who plan to pursue STEM-related fields. Read More HERE

ISSUE 8, 2026 — COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION

EST

2010

Built for the Rush

How Undefeated Tribe is bringing visibility and discipline to Crunch Fitness’ rapid expansion Interview by Michael J. Pallerino

pening one location is complicated enough. Opening nearly 20 in a year while simultaneously managing dozens of existing clubs turns development into an

entirely different exercise. That’s the challenge facing Undefeated Tribe, one of Crunch Fitness’ largest and fastest-growing franchise operators. With 51 locations operating and an aggressive pipeline ahead, growth increasingly depends on more than finding sites and building clubs. Architects, contractors, vendors, developers and operations teams all need access to the same information while decisions, deadlines and potential problems move quickly across multiple projects. J.B. Lacombe, VP of Construction & NCO at Undefeated Tribe, understood the challenge from previous experience scaling multi-unit portfolios. His response was to bring in SiteRise, a retail development platform designed to create a single source of truth across the development process. Rather than chasing information across emails, spreadsheets and individual teams, Undefeated Tribe is using the platform to create greater visibility from design through construction and opening. The goal is straightforward but increasingly important as the pipeline grows: give everyone involved a clearer picture of what is happening, what comes next and where attention is needed.

We sat down with Lacombe and SiteRise CEO Dillon Okner discuss what rapid expansion looks like behind the scenes, where development programs begin to strain as volume increases and why better visibility may be just as important as speed when the mandate is to keep building.

Give us a snapshot of Undefeated Tribe and the strategy behind growing one of the largest Crunch Fitness franchise portfolios.

Lacombe: Undefeated Tribe has grown into one of the largest Crunch Fitness franchise operators in the country because we’ve been intentional about building the infrastructure to support long-term growth, not just opening clubs quickly. We currently operate 53 locations and plan to open 20 or more clubs annually over the next seven to 10 years, which means we’re managing projects across multiple markets, municipalities and development stages simultaneously. Our philosophy is that every new club should reflect the same quality and member

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

ISSUE 8, 2026 — COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION

BUILT FOR THE RUSH

UNDEFEATED TRIBE/CRUNCH FITNESS

experience, regardless of where it’s located. That requires standardized processes, strong partnerships, constant communication and great people across every stakeholder involved in development. A big part of preparing for that growth has been intentionally building out our Construction and New Club Openings teams so we have the people and expertise in place to support that pipeline. Growth only works if your operational foundation and your team can keep pace. We’re continuing to invest just as much in recruiting, developing, and retaining talented people as we are in improving our development processes. Okner: What makes Undefeated Tribe unique is that they’ve approached development as a strategic business function rather than simply a construction process. As organizations scale, the complexity grows exponentially. Every additional location introduces new vendors, jurisdictions, schedules, approvals and risks. The companies that continue growing successfully are the ones that invest early in the operational systems that allow them to maintain visibility and consistency across the entire portfolio.

Dillon Okner, CEO, SiteRise

What attracted you to Undefeated Tribe and what have you learned about the Crunch Fitness brand since joining the team?

Lacombe: I was drawn to Undefeated Tribe because of its growth trajectory and its leadership team’s commitment to building the organization the right way. They weren’t simply focused on opening more clubs—they were focused on creating sustainable processes that would support growth over the long term.

Since joining, I’ve developed an even greater appreciation for the Crunch brand. It’s an incredibly recognizable brand with a distinct identity that’s energetic, welcoming and accessible, grounded in its No Judgements philosophy. Fusing fitness with entertainment to make serious fitness fun, we offer miles of cardio, awesome classes, tons of weights and an elevated experience, open and staffed 24/7 starting at $9.99 a month. I’ve been really impressed by how much members can access at that price point. Every development decision ultimately supports that member experience, so there’s a real responsibility to deliver consistency across every location.

With 53 Crunch Fitness clubs operating and plans to open 20 or more each year for the next 10 years, what does it take to manage that level of growth?

Lacombe: Visibility, communication and discipline. Every project is moving at a different pace. Some sites are still being negotiated while others are going through permitting, construction, equipment installation or final inspections. You’re coordinating architects, contractors, landlords, consultants, equipment vendors, operations teams and executives, all with different priorities and timelines. The biggest challenge isn’t managing one project. It’s understanding the health of the entire portfolio at any given moment. Just as important is building a team that can grow alongside the business. As we continue expanding, we’re also growing our construction, new club openings, and CapEx teams. Great processes and technology are important, but they’re only effective when you have talented people who enjoy what they do, understand the business, and are empowered to make decisions. That’s how you sustain this level of growth year after year. Okner: That’s something we hear from virtually every growing retailer or franchise operator. Once you’re managing dozens of projects simultaneously, spreadsheets and email simply can’t provide the visibility leadership needs.

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The organizations that scale most effectively are able to see where every project stands, identify risks early and make decisions before small issues become major delays.

Unlike traditional retail, members interact with virtually every square foot of the building. Every development decision directly influences the customer experience, so attention to detail is incredibly important.

What makes developing and building a Crunch Fitness location different from other retail or fitness projects you’ve worked on?

How does Crunch Fitness’ brand identity influence decisions around club design, layout, finishes, and the overall member experience?

Lacombe: Fitness facilities are among the more complex retail environments you’ll build. You’re coordinating specialty fitness equipment, locker rooms, recovery spaces, group fitness studios, technology infrastructure, HVAC systems, branded environments and member amenities—all while delivering a space that’s operationally ready from day one. That can include recovery offerings like HydroMassage and red light therapy, as well as a range of group fitness experiences, from Pilates and hot studios to Ride. Each brings its own design and operational considerations.

Lacombe: The brand influences virtually every decision we make. Crunch has built its reputation around its No Judgments philosophy and creating an environment that’s fun, energetic, inclusive, and approachable. Whether we’re evaluating equipment layouts, finishes, lighting, circulation or recovery spaces, we’re always asking how those decisions support the overall member experience. We’re evolving beyond traditional fitness to become a comprehensive wellness destination. By pairing world-class workout facilities with premium recovery experiences under one roof and one membership, we’re

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

redefining what everyday gym-goers should expect from their fitness investment. While every building has different constraints, the member will immediately recognize the Crunch experience regardless of which location they visit.

As the portfolio expands into new markets, how do you maintain a consistent Crunch experience while adapting each club to its individual site and community?

Lacombe: Standardization and flexibility have to coexist. Every municipality has different permitting requirements, every landlord has different expectations, and every building presents unique opportunities and challenges. Our job is identifying where we can standardize our processes and brand standards while adapting intelligently to each site’s specific conditions. That’s really where experience becomes invaluable. You learn which elements are non-negotiable and which can be

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adjusted without compromising the overall member experience.

You’ve said some of the biggest development bottlenecks occur before construction begins. Where do Crunch projects typically encounter those challenges and how do you get ahead of them?

Lacombe: Most schedule delays are created long before construction starts. They’re tied to lease negotiations, entitlement, permitting, utility coordination, design approvals, procurement and making sure every stakeholder is working from the same information. By the time construction begins, many of the biggest decisions have already been made. That’s why we spend so much time improving visibility during preconstruction. The earlier you identify potential issues, the easier —and less expensive—they are to solve. Okner: That’s one of the biggest misconceptions in commercial development. People tend to think construction determines

whether a project opens on time, but most schedule risk originates upstream. If communication is fragmented or project information is spread across multiple systems, teams often don’t recognize delays until they’ve already impacted the schedule. Better visibility during planning and preconstruction allows organizations to become proactive rather than reactive.

How much of a successful Crunch Fitness opening is determined during site selection, planning, design, and preconstruction?

Lacombe: Honestly, I’d say the majority of it. Site selection influences operating costs for years. Design decisions affect constructability. Procurement impacts schedules. Early coordination determines whether contractors have the information they need to execute efficiently. A well-planned project almost always becomes a smoother construction project. You can never eliminate every challenge, but thoughtful planning dramatically reduces surprises.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

What have you learned about selecting and working with architects, contractors and vendors when opening Crunch locations at this pace?

Lacombe: One of the biggest lessons is that technical expertise is only part of the equation. We look for partners who communicate well, solve problems proactively and understand what it means to work within a fast-moving development pipeline. When you’re opening this many locations, consistency matters just as much as capability. The best architects and contractors don’t simply execute a project—they understand the broader business objectives and recognize how their work impacts every downstream milestone. Strong partnerships are built on transparency, accountability and a shared commitment to keeping projects moving. Okner: We see that across the industry. Successful development teams create ecosystems of trusted partners who understand each other’s workflows. Technology helps facilitate that collaboration, but ultimately it’s

BUILT FOR THE RUSH

UNDEFEATED TRIBE/CRUNCH FITNESS

about making sure everyone has access to the same information and is aligned around the same schedule and priorities.

How closely do construction and operations work together to ensure a completed club delivers the experience Crunch members expect from opening day?

Lacombe: Construction and operations are completely intertwined. Long before a club opens, operations is thinking about staffing, training, equipment installation, merchandising, technology, marketing and member onboarding. Development isn’t just about delivering a finished building—it’s about delivering a club that’s fully operational on day one. That requires constant communication between construction and operations throughout the entire process, not just at turnover.

project updates or waiting for manual status reports before our weekly development meetings. Implementing SiteRise gave us a single source of truth where executives, development teams, architects, contractors and operations could all see exactly where every project stood. Instead of chasing information, we could focus on identifying risks early, making faster decisions and keeping projects moving. It’s also become a valuable onboarding tool. As we continue hiring across construction, new club openings and CapEx, new employees can quickly understand how projects are organized, where to find information and how our team works. That consistency helps people get up to speed much faster and creates a better experience for everyone involved.

The companies that continue growing successfully are the ones that invest early in the operational systems that allow them to maintain visibility and consistency across the entire portfolio. — Dillon Okner, CEO, SiteRise

What prompted you to implement SiteRise at Undefeated Tribe and what challenges were you trying to solve across the Crunch development pipeline?

Lacombe: I had worked with SiteRise in previous roles and had seen firsthand how much visibility it created across complex development portfolios. When I joined Undefeated Tribe, I was brought in to help support an ambitious long-term expansion strategy. With plans to open 20 or more clubs annually for the next seven to 10 years, we needed a more scalable way to manage our development pipeline. Information was spread across spreadsheets, emails, shared drives and individual conversations. Everyone had pieces of the puzzle, but no one had a complete picture. With the pace we were growing, we couldn’t afford to spend time hunting down

Okner: That’s exactly the problem SiteRise was built to solve. Development has traditionally been managed across disconnected tools, making it difficult for leadership to understand portfolio health or spot issues before they impact schedules. Our goal isn’t to replace people’s expertise—it’s to give them better information. When everyone is working from the same source of truth, decisions happen faster, communication improves, and teams spend less time tracking down updates and more time delivering projects. For organizations growing at Undefeated Tribe’s pace, that visibility becomes a competitive advantage.

With architects, contractors, vendors, developers and operations teams involved, how has a single source of truth changed the way you manage projects?

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

Lacombe: It’s changed the conversation from, “Where does this project stand?” to “What do we need to do next?” Instead of spending time gathering status updates from multiple sources, our team can immediately identify what’s on track, what’s at risk, and where we need to focus attention. That level of visibility allows us to be much more proactive. It also creates consistency across the organization. Whether someone has been on the team for years or just joined, everyone is working from the same information and following the same process. That’s been incredibly valuable as we’ve continued to grow our team and onboard new employees. Okner: Development is fundamentally a coordination challenge. Every project involves dozens of organizations, each responsible for a different piece of the process. When everyone has access to the same real-time information, accountability improves naturally. It also gives leadership confidence because they can understand the health of the entire portfolio instead of relying on anecdotal project updates.

With dozens of Crunch locations at different stages of development, how do you know whether the overall pipeline is on schedule and performing as expected?

Lacombe: We focus on trends rather than individual projects. Every development portfolio will experience occasional delays—that’s part of construction. What matters is understanding whether those delays are isolated or whether they’re revealing broader issues across permitting, procurement, design or construction. Having visibility across the portfolio allows us to identify those patterns early and allocate resources before they impact multiple projects. Okner: That’s one of the biggest differences between managing projects and managing a development portfolio. Leadership needs to understand where systemic risks exist, not just whether Project

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A is on schedule. The ability to view dozens of projects together gives organizations much greater confidence in forecasting openings and planning future growth.

What has Undefeated Tribe learned from scaling Crunch Fitness that other high-growth, multi-location operators can apply to their own expansion?

Lacombe: Growth exposes every weakness in an organization. Processes that work well for five locations often don’t work for 50. The earlier companies invest in standardized processes, trusted partners, operational visibility and scalable systems, the better positioned they’ll be to grow sustainably. I’d also encourage companies to invest in their people as early as they invest in their processes. Sustainable growth requires great systems, but it also requires hiring the right people, developing them, and creating an environment where they enjoy coming to work every day. When you have a strong team supported by the right tools, you’re in a

much better position to sustain growth over the long term. Okner: I’d add that development shouldn’t be viewed simply as a construction function—it’s a strategic business function. The organizations that scale successfully treat development as a competitive advantage. They invest in data, transparency and repeatable processes because they recognize that opening locations faster and more predictably creates meaningful business value.

As Undefeated Tribe expands its Crunch Fitness footprint, what excites you most about what’s ahead and how will the construction and development strategy evolve? Lacombe: I’m excited about continuing to refine the way we build. Every project teaches us something new, and we’re constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency, strengthen partnerships

and create even better experiences for our members. Growth isn’t just about opening more locations. It’s about building an organization that’s capable of delivering 20 or more successful openings year after year. That means investing in our people, developing future leaders, improving our processes and creating an environment where our teams enjoy what they do. If we continue doing those things well, we’ll be in a great position to support our growth for years to come. Okner: Across the industry, we’re seeing development become much more data-driven. Organizations want greater predictability, better forecasting, and real-time operational insight. I think the next evolution of commercial development will be giving leaders the information they need to make smarter decisions earlier in the process. That’s ultimately how companies continue scaling while maintaining quality. CCR

One on One with

Undefeated Tribe’s J.B. Lacombe Describe a typical day. There’s really no such thing as a typical day, and that’s one of the things I enjoy most about the role. One morning might start with reviewing development dashboards and project milestones before jumping into design meetings, contractor calls, permitting discussions or site visits. By the afternoon I could be working with operations on upcoming openings or helping resolve challenges on projects in completely different markets. Every day is about removing obstacles so our teams can continue making progress.

What’s the biggest item on your to-do list right now? Delivering our current pipeline while continuing to improve the systems that will support the next phase of growth. When you’re growing this quickly, you have to balance today’s

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

priorities with building the operational foundation that will support tomorrow’s expansion.

What’s the best advice you ever received? “Slow down enough to speed up.” Taking the time to plan thoroughly, communicate clearly and establish strong processes almost always saves significantly more time later in a project’s lifecycle.

What part of opening a new location still gets you excited? Opening day never gets old. Seeing members walk through the doors for the first time and knowing that months of planning, design, construction and collaboration have resulted in a space that will positively impact the community is incredibly rewarding. That’s what makes all the work worthwhile.

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SPECIAL REPORT

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES/CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE SURVEY

Software Survey Highlights Technology Driving Smarter Construction

rom estimating and project management to scheduling, collaboration and field operations, our Software Survey spotlights the technology helping construction teams work smarter and stay connected. These platforms are giving contractors greater visibility, improving workflows and helping teams manage increasingly complex projects from preconstruction through closeout. If you want to be listed in a future issue, contact Publisher David Corson at davidc@ccr-mag.com.

1st Inspection Services

Kal Patel, CEO 5720 Gateway Blvd., Suite 104 Mason, OH 45040 (800) 944-7211 (513) 290-7211 Fax: (866) 251-1965 kal@1stinspections.com • www.1stinspections.com Project Management Services: Other: Property Condition Assessments (Inspections), Software Features: N/A Business Size: N/A, Platform: N/A Intended Users: N/A, Open API: N/A, Pricing Model: N/A

3MG, PSC

Manuel Ray, Principal 1649 Ponce de Leon Ave. De Diego Ward San Juan, PR 00926 (787) 979-9982 (787) 979-9973 mray@3mg-pr.com Project Management Services: Architecture/Engineering Services Software Features: N/A, Business Size: Small/Medium Platform: On Premise, Intended Users: N/A Open API: Yes, Pricing Model: N/A

Andrews GMT

Steve Puhl, Director of Business Development 10235 Philipp Parkway Streetsboro, OH 44241 (216) 973-3245 (216) 973-3245 spuhl@andrewsgtm.com www.andrewsgtm.com Project Management Services: National Warehousing, Logistics, Final Mile, Consolidation, White Glove Deliveries, and FF&E logistics project management, Software Features: Utilize Smartsheets, Warehouse Management Systems, Customized Tracking, Inventory management, and Real Time Reporting Web Portals Business Size: Serving Small, Medium, and Large Customers Platform: Phone, email, web portals Intended Users: Construction, Retailers, Restaurants, Manufactures & Medical, Open API: Yes, Pricing Model: Quote

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

Apex Imaging Services

Lynelle Grimes, Director, Business Development 720 Indigo Court Pomona, CA 91767 (909) 593-9539 • (480) 577-3393 (480) 577-3393 lgrimes@apeximagingservices.com www.apeximagingservices.com Project Management Services: Architecture/Engineering Services, Due Diligence, Facility Maintenance, New Construction/Renovations, Planned Capital Programs, Rollout programs,Site Services,F A-B services include Apex IQ - Facility Condition Assessments (FCAs), Program Management, Surveying,Rrapid As-Builts, Manufacturing, Logistics, General Contracting, Construction, Installation, Portfolio Project Management Platform - ApexView. Software Features: Accounting. Budget/Schedule Tracking, Document Storage, Estimating, Logistics, Project Management, ApexView Dashboard Access On Any Device Business Size: Small/Medium, Platform: On-line Intended Users: Architects, Design Firms, Construction Management Firms, Engineering Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors, Open API: Yes Pricing Model: Subscription Based, Per User, Per Project, Amount of Data, Built to scale

Aphex

Carlos Carvalho, Co-Founder 240 Richmond Street W Toronto, ON M5V 1V6 hello@aphex.co www.aphex.co Project Management Services: N/A Software Features: Budget/Schedule Tracking, Other: Lookahead Planning, Weekly Work Planning, Resource Planning, Staging Diagrams, Daily Meetings/Briefings, Production Tracking, Site Diaries Business Size: Large, Platform: On-line Intended Users: Construction Management Firms, Engineering Firms, General Contractors, Open API: Yes Pricing Model: Subscription Based, Per User, Per Project

archSCAN, LLC Vivica Williams, President 7172 Columbia Gateway Dr, Ste C Columbia, MD 21046 (410) 553-6383 (443) 710-5700 archscan@archscan.com www.archscan.com Project Management Services: Other: Document Management, Digitization, and Indexing Services Software Features: Document Storage, Service Management, Other: Document Management, Space Management, and Complicance Management Software Business Size: Small/Medium Platform: On-line, On Premise, Mobile Intended Users: Architects, Design Firms, Construction Management Firms, Engineering Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors, Open API: Yes, Pricing Model: Subscription Based, Per User, Amount of Data

Bluebeam Josh Edmundson, Sales Director, Americas 3232 McKinney Ave, Ste. 900 Dallas, TX 75204 support@bluebeam.com www.bluebeam.com Project Management Services: N/A Software Features: Architects, Engineers, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Public Sector, Business Size: Large Enterprise, Small/Medium Enterprise, Platform: On-Line, On Premise, Mobile Intended Users: Architects, Design Firms, Construction Management Firms, Engineering Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors Open API: Yes, Pricing Model: Subscription based, Per User

BuildRite Chris Varney, Managing Partner 7250 Dallas Pkwy, #400 Plano, TX 75024 (214) 851-1741 (602) 708-8613 chris.varney@buildritecpm.com www.buildritecpm.com Project Management Services: Due Diligence, New Construction/ Renovations, Planned Capital Programs, Rollout programs Software Features: Project Management Business Size: Small/Medium Platform: On-line, Intended Users: Construction Management Firms, Property Owners/Brands, Open API: Yes Pricing Model: Per User

Bureau Veritas

6021 University Blvd., Suite 200 Ellicott City, MD 21043 (800) 733-0660 bvnammarketing@bureauveritas.com www.bvna.com Project Management Services: New Construction/Renovations, Site Surveys, Rollout Programs, Planned Capital Programs, Architecture/Engineering Services, Due Diligence, Facility Maintenance, Surety/CPA Services, Software Features: Accounting|Bidding|Budget/ Schedule Tracking|Document Storage|Estimating|Logistics|Service Management|Project Management, Business Size: Large Enterprise Platform: On-Line, Mobile, Intended Users: Property Owners/Brands Open API: Yes, Pricing Model: Subscription based, Per User

CADSERVICESPT

Carlos Silva Rua Domingos da Silva Reis, 9 Lisboa, PT 2615675 carlos.h.silva@netcabo.pt www.renders-and-drafting.squarespace.com Project Management Services: Architecture/Engineering Services Software Features: Other, Business Size: Small/Medium Platform: On-line, Intended Users: Architects, Design Firms, Construction Management Firms, Engineering Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors, Other Open API: N/A, Pricing Model: Per Project

CDO Group

Anthony Amunategui, Founder 333 Harrison St Oak Park, IL 60304 (708) 383-0586 anthony@cdogroup.com www.cdogroup.com Project Management Services: Due Diligence, New Construction/ Renovations, Planned Capital Programs, Rollout programs, Site Services Software Features: Accounting, AI, Bidding, Budget/Schedule Tracking, Document Storage, Estimating, Logistics, Service Management, Project Management, Business Size: Large Platform: On-line, On Premise, Mobile, Intended Users: Construction Management Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors, Open API: Yes, Pricing Model: Per Project

Chain Store Maintenance an MCS Company

John Catanese, Sr. Vice President 81 Union Street Attleboro, MA 02703 (800) 888-1675 CSMsales@ChainStore.com www.ChainStore.com Project Management Services: Facility Maintenance, New Construction/Renovations, Planned Capital Programs Software Features: Accounting, AI, Bidding, Budget/Schedule Tracking, Project Management, Business Size: Large, Small/Medium, Platform: On-line, Mobile, Intended Users: Construction Management Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors, Open API: Yes, Pricing Model: Per Project

ISSUE 8, 2026 — COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION

SPECIAL REPORT

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES/CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE SURVEY

CivilGEO, Inc. Chris Maeder, Engineering Director 708 Heartland Trail, Suite 3000 Madison, WI 53717 (800) 488-4110 (608) 729-5100 Fax: (608) 729-5100 marketing@civilgeo.com • www.civilgeo.com Project Management Services: Architecture/Engineering Services, Other: SaaS, Software Features: AI, Other: Flood Engineering, Stormwater Engineering, Hydrological Engineering Business Size: Small/Medium, Platform: On Premise Intended Users: Construction Management Firms, Engineering Firms, Property Owners/Brands, Open API: Yes Pricing Model: Subscription Based, Per User

Coast2Coast Survey Corp. Tim West, Director 7704 Basswood Drive Chattanooga, TN 37416 (423) 710-4714 twest@coast2coast.net www.coast2coast.net Project Management Services: Site Surveys, Due Diligence, Laser Scanning, 3D Modeling, MEP Reports, ADA Surveys Software Features: N/A, Business Size: Small/Medium Enterprise Platform: N/A, Intended Users: Architects, Design Firms, Construction Management Firms, Engineering Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Speci

Connect Source Consulting Group, LLC. Gina Marie Romeo, Founder & Principal Consultant 3 Pheasant Run Forked River, NJ 08731 (609) 661-9636 • Cell: (609) 661-9636 gina@connectscg.com • www.connectscg.com Project Management Services: New Construction/Renovations, Site Surveys, Rollout Programs, Planned Capital Programs, Architecture/Engineering Services, Due Diligence, Other: Specializing in Management Consulting - one source with trees to keys services, outsourced business development/sales training, Connect and Source industry experts for various national retail and restaurant chains Construction Software Features: N/A Business Size: Small-Medium Platform: N/A Intended Users: Architects, Design Firms, Construction Management Firms, Engineering Firms, General Contractors Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors, Other: Retailers Open API: N/A Pricing Models: N/A

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

Construction Market Consultants

Bobby Darnell, Managing Principal 3651 Peachtree Pkwy., Suite E-275 Suwanee, GA 30024 (770) 887-4941 www.cmconl.com • info@cmconl.com Project Mgmt. Services: N/A Construction Software Features: CRM Business Size: Small-Medium Platform: On-Line Intended Users: Architects, Design Firms, Construction Management Firms, Engineering Firms, General Contractors, Specialty Contractors, Building Products, Open API: Yes Pricing Model: Subscription based, Per User

CSI Estimation LLC

Bryan Willmer, Business Development Manager 78th St, Brooklyn Brooklyn, NY 11214 bryan.csiestimating@gmail.com Project Management Services: Architecture/Engineering Services Software Features: Estimating, Business Size: Large, Small/Medium Platform: On-line, On Premise, Intended Users: Engineering Firms, Other: Estimation, Open API: No, Pricing Model: Subscription Based, Per Project

eGate Smart Building Innovation Oy

Jarkko Haukijärvi, CEO Ylöjärventie 18 Tampere, FI 33420 (44) 583-3410 (35844) 600-0000 jarkko.haukijarvi@e-gate.io • www.e-gate.io Project Management Services: New Construction/Renovations, Site Services, Other: eGate provides the European construction market with a scalable, IoT-based, independently validated and industry-driven digital solution - delivering patented concrete analytics, comprehensive site condition monitoring and proven added value for developers, builders, service providers and communities whenever construction happens, Software Features: Other: eGate provides the European construction market with a scalable, IoTbased, independently validated and industry-driven digital solution delivering patented concrete analytics, comprehensive site condition monitoring and proven added value for developers, builders, service providers and communities whenever construction happens. Business Size: Small/Medium, Platform: On-line Intended Users: Construction Management Firms, Other: Construction companies & developers General contractors / main construction companies Real estate developers / property investors Subcontractors (concrete works, HVAC, interior finishing) üîπ Construction industry service providers Equipment & tool rental companies (Boels Rental, Cramo, Ramirent) Concrete suppliers & laboratories (Lujabetoni, Thomas Concrete Group, LafargeHolcim) Dust and air quality management service providers Measurement and quality assurance services, Open API: Yes Pricing Model: Subscription Based, Per Project, Amount of Data

SPECIAL REPORT

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES/CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE SURVEY

Eno Enterprises

Ralph Buckles, Chief Estimator 741 Reinholds Rd Denver, PA 17517 (717) 278-1143 Ralphbbuckles@gmail.com • www.linkedin.com/in/ralphbuckles Project Management Services: Other: Estimating and Scheduling (Includes Lump Sump Bids, Change Orders and Claims) Construction Software Features: Other: Quality control Business Size: Small-Medium Platform: On-Line, Mobile Intended Users: Construction Management Firms, Engineering Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors Open API: Yes Pricing Models: Subscription Based

nterprises

EVOLVE Adam Heon, VP of Product PO Box 421069 Atlanta, GA 30342 (678) 460-8996 teena.hart@EVolveMEP.Com • www.evolvemep.com Project Management Services: N/A, Software Features: Other: Design and prefabrication for MEP contractors Business Size: Small/Medium, Platform: On-line Intended Users: Other: Electrical contractors, Open API: Yes Pricing Model: Subscription Based

FCP Services Tim Hill, National Business Development 3185 Terminal Drive Eagan, MN 55121 (630) 816-0631 thill@fcpservices.com • www.fcpservices.com Project Management Services: Facility Maintenance, New Construction/Renovations, Planned Capital Programs, Rollout programs, Other: Painting, General Contracting Software Features: N/A, Business Size: Small/Medium Platform: N/A, Intended Users: Architects, Design Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Open API: N/A Pricing Model: N/A

Field Services Unlimited Jenna Miller, VP Business Operations 1355 S. Colorado Blvd., Building C Denver, CO 80222 (402) 980-1872 bd@fsusurveyor.com • www.fsusurveyor.com Project Management Services: Architecture/Engineering Services, Due Diligence, Facility Maintenance, New Construction/Renovations, Planned Capital Programs, Rollout programs, Site Services, Other: ADA Compliance, Drone Surveys, 3D Surveys, 2D Architectural As-Builts Software Features: N/A, Business Size: N/A, Platform: N/A Intended Users: N/A, Open API: N/A, Pricing Model: N/A

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

Fleetio

David Bragiel, Fleet Solutions Specialist 1900 2nd Ave North, Suite 300 Birmingham, AL 35203 (205) 953-4017 dbragiel@fleetio.com • www.fleetio.com Project Management Services: N/A Software Features: AI, Document Storage, Logistics, Service Management, Other: Maintenance Management, Fleet Maintenance Business Size: Large, Small/Medium, Platform: On-line, Mobile Intended Users: Construction Management Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors Open API: Yes, Pricing Model: Subscription Based

Flexecution

Nick Harbaugh, VP International 16601 Blanco Road, Suite 112 San Antonio, TX 78232 (888)611-3539 • (858)752-1168 nickh@flexecutioninc.com • www.flexecutioninc.com Project Mgmt Services: New Construction/Renovations|Site Surveys|Rollout Programs|Planned Capital Programs|Other: Installations Construction Software Features: Project Management Business Size: Small/Medium Enterprise Platform: Mobile Intended Users: Construction Management Firms Open API: No Pricing Model: Other: N/A

Foundation Software

Drew Breeden, Sales Director 17800 Royalton Road Strongsville, OH 44136 (800) 246-0800 (330) 220-1443 sales@foundationsoft.com • www.foundationsoft.com Project Management Services: N/A, Software Features: Job Cost Accounting, Takeoff & Estimating, Project Management, Expense and Pay Management, Payroll Processing Services, HR, Mobile Time Tracking and Field Management, Safety Management, Executive & Construction Reporting, Budget/Schedule Tracking, Document Imaging & Routing Business Size: Large, Medium and Small, Platform: On-line, Mobile, Intended Users: Specialty Contractors, General Contractor Open API: Yes, Pricing Model: Subscription-based

Gordian

Sarah Walker, Senior Manager, Marketing Communications 30 Patewood Drive Building 2, Suite 350 Greenville, SC 29615 (800) 874-2291 s.walker@gordian.com • www.gordian.com Project Management Services: Due Diligence, Facility Maintenance, New Construction/Renovations, Planned Capital Programs, Rollout programs, Site Services, Other: Non-structural seismic, energy assessments, safety/code (OSHA/ADA) Software Features: AI, Bidding, Budget/Schedule Tracking, Document Storage, Estimating, Service Management, Project Management, Other: Workflow Mgt, Procurement, Asset Mgt, Facilities Mgt Business Size: Large, Small/Medium, Platform: On-line, Mobile Intended Users: Architects, Design Firms, Construction Management Firms, Engineering Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors, Open API: Yes Pricing Model: Subscription Based, Per User, Per Project, Other: We currently offer multiple pricing/provisioning options depending on which solution you’re using.

SPECIAL REPORT

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES/CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE SURVEY

GSI Estimation LLC

Albus Fletcher, Bussiness Executive Manager 1500 N Grant St, Suite 10073 Denver, CO 80203 (720) 764-1660 (720) 764-1660 gsi.albusfletcher@gmail.com www.gsiestimationllc.com Project Management Services: Other: At GSI Estimation LLC, our workflow is designed to ensure accuracy, speed, and clarity at every stage of the estimating process. We combine expertise, technology, and proven systems to deliver results that contractors can trust for winning bids, Software Features: N/A, Business Size: N/A Platform: N/A, Intended Users: N/A, Open API: N/A Pricing Model: N/A

INFORM North America

Justin Newell, CEO 1050 Crown Pointe Pkwy, Suite 310 Atlanta, GA 30338 (404) 333-0233 justin.newell@inform-software.com www.inform-software.com Project Management Services: N/A Software Features: AI, Logistics, Business Size: Large, Small/Medium Platform: On-line, On Premise, Intended Users: Construction Management Firms, Specialty Contractors, Open API: Yes Pricing Model: Subscription Based, Amount of Data

JLL

3344 Peachtree Rd., NE Atlanta, GA 30326 (818) 620-2974 www.us.jll.com/en/deliver-projects Project Mgmt. Services: New Construction/Renovations, Site Surveys, Rollout Programs, Planned Capital Programs, Architecture/Engineering Services, Due Diligence, Construction Software Features: Budget/Scheduling Tracking, Document Storage, Project Management, Business Size: Large Enterprise, Small-Medium, Platform: On-Line, On Premise, Mobile, Intended Users: Construction Management Firms, General Contractors Open API: Yes, Pricing Model: Subscription Based

JobPlanner Construction Software

DeWayne Adamson, CEO & President 3015 Airways Blvd Memphis, TN 38131 (888) 357-5935 dewayne.adamson@jobplanner.com www.jobplanner.com Project Management Services: N/A, Software Features: Accounting, AI, Bidding, Budget/Schedule Tracking, Document Storage, Project Management Business Size: Small/Medium Enterprise, Platform: On-Line Intended Users: General Contractors, Specialty Contractors Open API: Yes, Pricing Model: Subscription based, Per User

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

KAJE Legacy LLC Kimberly Pierce SMP, CHST Owner/Constultant 2297 SW Trapp Terrace Port St Lucie FL 34953 (772) 265-3626 Inquiry@kajelegacy.com • www.kajelegacy.com Project Management Services: Other: Safety Expert Witness/Consultant Software Features: N/A, Business Size: N/A, Platform: N/A, Intended Users: N/A, Open API: N/A, Pricing Model: N/A

Kingsmen Projects US, Inc. Stephen Hekman, Executive Vice President 7157 Colleyville Boulevard, 101 Colleyville, TX 76034 (619) 719-8950 • (619) 719-8950 stephen@kingsmen-usa.com • www.kingsmen-usa.com Project Management Services: Architecture/Engineering Services, Due Diligence, New Construction/Renovations, Rollout programs Software Features: N/A, Business Size: Small/Medium Platform: On Premise, Intended Users: Architects, Design Firms, Construction Management Firms, Engineering Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors Open API: N/A, Pricing Model: N/A

Krank Mark Turner, CEO Krank Ltd Milton Hall Cambridge, UK CB24 6WZ mkt@krank.com • www.getinspeq.com Project Management Services: N/A, Software Features: AI, Project Management, Other: Equipment Inspections Business Size: Small/Medium, Platform: On-line, Mobile Intended Users: Construction Management Firms, General Contractors, Specialty Contractors, Open API: Yes Pricing Model: Subscription Based, Per User

MuleHide Jenny Emann, Marketing Manager 1195 Prince Hall Drive Beloit, WI 53511 (800) 786-1492 (888) 218-7838 marketing@mulehide.com www.mulehide.com Project Management Services: N/A Software Features: Other: Maintenance & Repair Selection Tool; Pre-Packaged Submittals; Silicone Coatings Calculator Business Size: Large, Small/Medium, Platform: On-line Intended Users: Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors Open API: No, Pricing Model: Other: No charge

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SPECIAL REPORT

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES/CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE SURVEY

Newforma

Malcom Tinkler, Chief Revenue Officer 1750 Elm St Manchester, NH 03104 (877) 875-8252 mtinkler@newforma.com www.newforma.com Project Mgmt Services: N/A Construction Software Features: Document Storage|Project Management|Other: BIM Coordination, Action Items, File Manager, Project Email, Search, 2D/3D viewer, Construction Administration, Contract Change Management, Document Control Business Size: Large Enterprise|Small/Medium Enterprise Platform: On-Line|On Premise|Mobile Intended Users: Architects| Design Firms|Construction Management Firms|Engineering Firms|General Contractors|Property Owners/Brands|Specialty Contractors Open API: Yes Pricing Model: Subscription based

Ocean Ridge Project Management Group

Darwin Brumley, Managing Principal 3504 Highway 153, #307 Greenville, SC 29611 (864) 303-3912 darwin.brumley@orpmg.com www.orpmg.com Project Management Services: Due Diligence, Facility Maintenance, New Construction/Renovations, Planned Capital Programs, Rollout programs, Site Services Software Features: Accounting, AI, Bidding, Budget/Schedule Tracking, Document Storage, Estimating, Logistics, Service Management, Project Management, Business Size: Small/Medium Platform: On-line, On Premise, Mobile, Intended Users: Architects, Design Firms, Construction Management Firms, Engineering Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors Open API: Yes, Pricing Model: Per Project

Outbuild

Franco Giaquinto, CEO / Founder 2021 Fillmore St San Francisco, CA 94115 sales@outbuild.com www.outbuild.com Project Management Services: First, Fully-Integrated Construction Scheduling & Field Coordination Software Software Features: Budget/Schedule Tracking, Project Management Business Size: Small/Medium, Platform: On-line, Mobile Intended Users: Construction Management Firms, General Contractors Open API: Yes, Pricing Model: Subscription Based

OxBlue

Tracy Douglas, VP of Marketing 1777 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd NW Atlanta, GA 30319 (855) 580-0361 tdouglas@oxblue.com • www.oxblue.com Project Management Services: Other: Construction Time-Lapse, Software Features: N/A, Business Size: N/A, Platform: N/A Intended Users: N/A, Open API: N/A, Pricing Model: N/A

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

PermitFlow

Francis Thumpasery, Co-Founder and CEO 234 W 39th St, Floor 7 New York, NY 10018 sales@permitflow.com • www.permitflow.com Project Management Services: Other: Permit Management, Centralized Permit Database, Permit Research, Submittals Software Features: AI, Other: Real-Time Updates, End-to-End Tracking, Nationwide Coverage, Business Size: Small/Medium Platform: On-line, Intended Users: Architects, General Contractors, Specialty Contractors, Other: Home Builders, Developers Open API: N/A, Pricing Model: N/A

PinPoint Analytics

Jim Carr, CEO & Co-Founder 151 HIGHWAY 33 East, Suite 206 Manalapan, NJ 07726 (732) 444-7051 • (732) 754-2360 jim@pinpointanalytics.ai www.pinpointanalytics.ai Project Management Services: Architecture/Engineering Services, New Construction/Renovations, Planned Capital Programs Software Features: AI, Bidding, Estimating, Logistics Business Size: Small/Medium, Platform: On-line Intended Users: Architects, Construction Management Firms, Engineering Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors, Open API: Yes, Pricing Model: Subscription Based, Per User

Poma Retail Development Inc.

Tony Poma, President 727 Silver Spur Suite 202 Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 (310) 833-7662 www.pomaretail.com • tonyp@pomaretail.com Project Mgmt. Services: New Construction/Renovations, Site Surveys, Architecture/Engineering Services, Due Diligence, Facility Maintenance, Fixture Roll Outs and Shop in Shops Construction Software Features: Bidding, Budget/Scheduling Tracking, Estimating, Logistics, Service Management, Project Management, Business Size: Small-Medium, Platform: N/A, Intended Users: N/A, Open API: N/A, Pricing Model: N/A

Project Management Consortium (PMC)

Chris Love, President 7728 Henefer Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90045 (347) 392-1188 www.pmconsortium.com • chris.love@pmconsortium.com Project Mgmt. Services: New Construction/Renovations, Site Surveys, Planned Capital Programs, Architecture/Engineering Services, Due Diligence, Facility Maintenance, Construction Software Features: Bidding, Budget/Scheduling Tracking, Estimating, Project Management Business Size: Small-Medium, Platform: On-Line, Mobile Intended Users: Architects, Target User, Open API: Yes Pricing Model: Per Project, Best Fit for Client

SPECIAL REPORT

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES/CONSTRUCTION SOFTWARE SURVEY

Projectmates

Sensera Systems

Marcus Bliss, Vice President 2435 N Central Exp, #640 Richardson, TX 75080 (214) 217-4100 info@systemates.com • www.projectmates.com Project Management Services: N/A, Software Features: Budget/ Schedule Tracking, Document Storage, Project Management, Other: Risk Management, Business Size: Small/Medium Platform: On-line, Mobile, Intended Users: Property Owners/Brands Open API: Yes, Pricing Model: Subscription Based

Rob Garber, CEO 17301 W Colfax Ave, STE 235 Golden, CO 80401 sales@senserasystems.com • www.senserasystems.com Project Management Services: N/A Software Features: AI, Other: Jobsite Intelligence Business Size: Large, Small/Medium, Platform: On-line, Mobile Intended Users: Construction Management Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors Open API: Yes, Pricing Model: Subscription Based

Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) Joel Brown, Vice President 4343 East Camelback Road, Suite 350 Phoenix, AZ 85018 (602) 443-4848 joel.brown@us.rlb.com • www.rlb.com/americas Project Management Services: Architecture/Engineering Services, Due Diligence, New Construction/Renovations, Planned Capital Programs, Rollout programs, Other: Construction Costing, Data Center Planning, Sustainability Planning, Software Features: N/A Business Size: N/A, Platform: N/A, Intended Users: N/A Open API: N/A, Pricing Model: N/A

Safe Site Check In LLC David Ward, CEO 4216 N Mississippi, Suite 401 Portland, OR 97217 (503) 217-4209 • (503) 217-4209 david.ward@safesitecheckin.com www.safesitecheckin.com Project Management Services: N/A Software Features: Service Management, Project Management Business Size: Small/Medium, Platform: On-line, Mobile Intended Users: Construction Management Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors Open API: Yes, Pricing Model: Per Project

Search North America Richard Poindexter, President/Senior Recruiter P.O. Box 838 Summerfield, NC 27358 (336) 456-8657 (336) 456-8657 richardp@searchna.com • www.searchna.com Project Management Services: N/A, Software Features: N/A Business Size: Small/Medium, Platform: N/A, Intended Users: N/A Open API: N/A, Pricing Model: N/A

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

Spatial Construx Alexa Romanek, Director of Sales & Marketing 11175 Cicero Drive, Suite 109 Alpharetta, GA 30022 (877) 892-7391 (404) 702-9199 alexa.romanek@spatialconstrux.com www.spatialconstrux.com Project Management Services: Rollout programs Software Features: AI, Document Storage, Project Management, Service Management, Other: Real-time multiplayer 3D model review / BIM visualization and collaboration, Business Size: Small/Medium Platform: On-line, On Premise, Mobile, Intended Users: Architects, Design Firms, Construction Management Firms, Engineering Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors, Other: Real estate developers, government facilities, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, Open API: Yes, Pricing Model: Subscription Based

The Contractor Consultants Ashley Penrod, Director of Marketing 611 N Brand Blvd Suite 1300 Glendale, CA 91203 (208) 859-9720 ashleypenrod@thecontractorconsultants.com www.thecontractorconsultants.com Project Management Services: Other, Software Features: N/A Business Size: N/A, Platform: N/A, Intended Users: N/A Open API: N/A, Pricing Model: N/A

The Hardy Group Leah Blank, Director of Marketing 6085 Barfield Road, Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30328 (470) 363-4329 lblank@jhgi.com • www.jhgi.com Project Management Services: Due Diligence, New Construction/Renovations, Planned Capital Programs, Rollout programs, Site Services Software Features: N/A, Business Size: N/A, Platform: N/A Intended Users: N/A, Open API: N/A, Pricing Model: N/A

The Townson Company

Kevin Townson, President 7157 Colleyville Blvd, Suite 101 Colleyville, TX 76034 (817) 903-2834 kevin@townsoncompany.com www.townsoncompany.com Project Management Services: New Construction/Renovations, Site Surveys, Rollout Programs Construction Software Features: Budget/Schedule Tracking, Document Storage, Project Management Business Size: Small/Medium Enterprise Platform: On-Line, On Premise, Mobile Intended Users: Architects, Design Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors Open API: No Pricing Model: Per Project

Track3D

Chaitanya NK, Co-founder & CEO 691 S Milpitas Blvd Milpitas, CA 95035 (424) 946-5040 track3d@themicdropagency.com • www.track3d.ai Project Management Services: N/A Software Features: AI, Budget/Schedule Tracking, Project Management, Other: Reality Intelligence / Automated Progress Tracking Business Size: Large, Small/Medium, Platform: On-line, Mobile Intended Users: Construction Management Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors, Other: Owners’ Representatives & PMOs, Open API: Yes Pricing Model: Subscription Based, Other: Priced based on tracked square footage per year or Annual Contract Value (ACV)

Trimble

Greg Norris, Communications Director 10368 Westmoor Drive Westminster, CO 80021 (720) 887-6100 PR@trimble.com • www.trimble.com Project Management Services: N/A Software Features: Accounting, AI, Bidding, Budget/Schedule Tracking, Document Storage, Estimating, Logistics, Project Management, Service Management, Other: ERP; Design; 3D Modeling/BIM; Fabrication Planning and Management; Asset Lifecycle Management; Positioning, Machine Guidance Business Size: Large, Platform: On-line, On Premise, Mobile Intended Users: Architects, Design Firms, Construction Management Firms, Engineering Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands, Specialty Contractors Open API: Yes, Pricing Model: Subscription Based

Trunk Tools

Sarah Buchner, Founder & CEO PO Box 683 New York, NY 10038 (650) 471-9687 sarah@trunk.tools trunktools.com Project Management Services: Other: Software Construction Software Features: Accounting, AI, Budget/Schedule Tracking, Other: Incentive Management Business Size: Other: Startup Platform: On-Line Intended Users: Construction Management Firms, General Contractors, Property Owners/Brands Open API: Yes Pricing Model: Subscription based, Per User

Vectorworks, Inc. Jason Pletcher, CEO 8621 Robert Fulton Drive, Suite 200 Columbia, MD 21046 (410) 290-5114 sales@vectorworks.net • www.vectorworks.net Project Management Services: Other: Design Software Software Features: N/A, Business Size: N/A, Platform: N/A Intended Users: Architects, Design Firms, Open API: N/A Pricing Model: Subscription Based

VisiSpecs by Chalkline Seamus McGrady, COO 400 Congress St., Suite 15012 Portland, ME 04112 (207) 221-7732 (734) 633-5999 info@chalklineinc.com • www.chalklineinc.com Project Management Services: N/A Software Features: Document Storage, Project Management, Other: Construction specification software based in Microsoft Word with Autodesk Revit integration, Business Size: Small/Medium Platform: On-line, On Premise, Intended Users: Architects, Design Firms, Construction Management Firms, Engineering Firms, Property Owners/Brands, Open API: No, Pricing Model: Subscription Based

Williams Estimating,LLC John Stewart, Senior Estimator 5100 Poplar Avenue Clark Tower, 7th Floor Memphis, TN 38137 (202) 968-4008 (202) 968-4008 johns.williamsestimating@gmail.com www.williamsestimating.com Project Management Services: N/A, Software Features: N/A Business Size: N/A, Platform: N/A, Intended Users: N/A Open API: N/A, Pricing Model: N/A

Zetlin & De Chiara James Terry, Partner 801 Second Avenue New York, NY 10017 jterry@zdlaw.com • www.zdlaw.com Project Management Services: Other: Construction Law Software Features: N/A, Business Size: N/A, Platform: N/A, Intended Users: N/A, Open API: N/A, Pricing Model: N/A

ISSUE 8, 2026 — COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION

Advertorial

Designing for Infection Prevention: The Role of Plumbing in Healthcare Spaces Every design decision in a healthcare facility is important - from the materials selected to the way water is delivered at the point of use. For architects, engineers, and facility teams, that means taking a closer look at sinks, faucets, and plumbing systems as part of a broader strategy to reduce opportunities for contamination. The need remains significant. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately one in 31 U.S. hospital patients and one in 43 nursing home residents has at least one infection associated with their healthcare on any given day.¹ For architects, engineers, and facility teams, this puts greater focus on how the design of an environment can help reduce opportunities for contamination. Plumbing is an important part of that conversation. Healthcare sinks, for example, require more consideration than simply location and accessibility. The CDC notes that water is not sterile and that sinks and drains can become contaminated with multidrug-resistant organisms. Its current guidance recommends intentional sink design to help prevent splashing, including adequate basin depth and positioning faucets so water does not flow directly onto the drain.² Options like the Delta® Commercial’s hooded cast brass offset lavatory drain offer a patented drain cover designed to reduce splashing, along with a seven-hole grid pattern that minimizes surface area where bacteria can grow. Reducing touchpoints at the faucet is another consideration in healthcare spaces. Delta Commercial offers hands-free solutions including Proximity® Sensing Technology, which transforms the entire faucet into a sensor and activates as the user approaches. H2Optics® Sensing Technology uses advanced distance-sensing technology to

Proximity® Sensing Technology helps reduce touchpoints to support infection prevention in healthcare spaces.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

Purpose-built faucets can help limit opportunities for cross-contamination in healthcare spaces.

detect users and provide consistent operation across varying lighting conditions, clothing colours and other environmental factors. Healthcare-specific fixtures are also evolving around the realities of clinical environments. Gooseneck spout faucets, for example, can provide the clearance needed for surgical scrubbing while appropriate spout positioning, outlet selection, flow rates, and sink design can help support infection prevention efforts. Delta Commercial’s healthcare-focused solutions also include smooth end spout options with laminar flow and a 1.5 gpm (5.7 L/min) flow rate, designed to facilitate cleaning, enhance rinsing efficiency, and minimize areas where water can collect. Together, these features can help reduce the potential for microbial and biofilm buildup while supporting overall hygiene protocols. “Plumbing specification in healthcare has to consider much more than water delivery,” says Jennifer Mitrovich, Senior Category Manager, Delta® Commercial. “The way a faucet operates, how easily it can be cleaned and maintained, and how water interacts with the surrounding environment can all contribute to creating spaces that better support infection prevention.” No single fixture can prevent a healthcare-associated infection. Instead, infection prevention relies on layers of protection - from clinical protocols and water management programs to decisions made during facility design and renovation. For project teams, that means considering plumbing earlier and more strategically. View the sink, faucet, and surrounding environment as a system, with each component selected to support safe water use, effective cleaning, and long-term facility performance. Explore plumbing solutions designed for today’s healthcare environments at deltafaucet.com/commercial. References: 1. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2024 National and State Healthcare-Associated Infections Progress Report. Published 2026. 2. CDC, Considerations for Reducing Risk: Water in Healthcare Facilities, 2026.

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Serving Up Safety How restaurants can reduce risks, protect staff through workers’ comp By Bryan Smith

estaurants are powered by people, from line cooks and servers to dishwashers and delivery staff. Foodies are routinely

served by a person performing a physical role in a fast-paced environment, which comes with certain risks.

Kitchens are rife with hot surfaces, sharp tools and wet floors. Dining rooms are bustling with customers, which challenges workers to navigate crowded areas while carrying heavy trays. Long shifts, repetitive motions and frequent lifting are further increasing the potential for worker injuries and business interruption.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

ISSUE 8, 2026 — COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION

SERVING UP SAFETY

WORKERS’ COMP

Those realities make workplace injuries and disruptions more common in restaurants than in many other industries, placing workers’ compensation insurance at the center of restaurant risk management. While often viewed as a legal requirement, workers’ compensation serves a vital role for restaurants, by providing protection for employees, offering a way to manage unexpected disruptions, and offering a level of stability when injuries occur. Some common workers’ compensation claims in the restaurant industry include: > Slips and falls on wet or greasy surfaces > Burns from grills, fryers or hot liquids > Cuts from knives and food prep equipment > Back and shoulder injuries from lifting supplies > Repetitive strain injuries from food preparation or dishwashing

With many restaurants experiencing high turnover and regularly onboarding new employees, maintaining consistent safety awareness can be an ongoing challenge.

By focusing on prevention, restaurant owners can create a safer work environment while helping protect customer service standards and business continuity.

Why Workplace Safety Is Good for Business

Protecting the People Behind the Business

For many restaurant owners, workplace safety is viewed primarily through a compliance lens. However, a strong safety culture can deliver meaningful business benefits beyond reducing injuries. Preventing injuries can help restaurant owners avoid indirect costs that often accompany workplace incidents. For example, an employee injury may result in disruptions, overtime expenses, temporary staffing needs, training costs for replacement workers and decreased productivity while teams adjust to staff shortages.

By investing in their people and fostering a culture of prevention, restaurant owners can help create safer workplaces, stronger teams and more resilient businesses.

Workers’ compensation insurance plays a vital role in helping restaurants protect the employees who keep their operations running. By understanding workplace risks and taking steps to manage them, restaurant owners can support their teams while building resilience in their business. In a restaurant, workers’ compensation may help cover: > Medical care related to workplace injuries > Partial wage replacement during recovery > Rehabilitation or physical-therapy services > Legal defense costs that arise from employee injury lawsuits For example, if a server slips while carrying a tray, or a cook burns their hand during food preparation, workers’ compensation can help ensure medical needs are addressed, while supporting the business through the disruption. Workers’ compensation is often misunderstood in restaurants, particularly where part-time or seasonal employees are common. Coverage generally applies regardless of hours worked, and even minor injuries may be covered if they occur on the job.

Practical Steps Restaurants Can Take To Reduce Risk

While insurance provides essential protection, prevention remains a critical component of managing workplace injuries. Restaurants can take proactive steps, such as: > Providing consistent safety training during onboarding > Addressing spills and hazards promptly > Encouraging slip-resistant footwear > Clearly marking hot surfaces and high-risk areas > Promoting prompt injury reporting > Offering light-duty options for employees returning from an injury-related leave

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

SERVING UP SAFETY

WORKERS’ COMP

These measures can help reduce the frequency and severity of injuries, while reinforcing a people-first approach to operations.

Build a Culture of Safety Every Day

Safety programs are most effective when they become part of daily operations rather than a one-time training exercise. Restaurant managers can reinforce safe practices through regular shift meetings, quick safety reminders and ongoing coaching. Simple discussions about topics such as proper lifting techniques, safe knife handling, ladder use, spill response procedures or heat-related precautions can help keep safety top of mind for employees. Restaurant owners should also encourage workers to report hazards and near-miss incidents. Identifying and addressing potential risks before an injury

Safety programs are most effective when they become part of daily operations rather than a one-time training exercise. occurs can help strengthen workplace safety and prevent future claims.

The Importance of Return-to-Work Planning

Another often-overlooked aspect of workers’ compensation is helping injured employees return to work safely when medically appropriate. Many restaurants can accommodate temporary light-duty assignments that align with medical restrictions. Examples may include greeting guests, assisting with inventory, administrative support or other modified responsibilities. Return-to-work programs can help employees remain connected to their

workplace during recovery while allowing restaurants to retain experienced team members and reduce the operational impact of extended absences. In an industry built on serving people, protecting employees should remain a central part of every restaurant’s business strategy. Workers’ compensation insurance plays an important role when injuries occur, but the most effective approach combines coverage with ongoing training, hazard awareness and a commitment to workplace safety. By investing in their people and fostering a culture of prevention, restaurant owners can help create safer workplaces, stronger teams and more resilient businesses. CCR

Bryan Smith is Chief Product Officer for Small Business at The Hartford.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

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The Employer Edge How construction employers can stand out in today’s workforce By Kit Dickinson

s the competition for talent heats up in the construction industry, new data shows just how much leverage em-

ployees have in today’s blue-collar labor market. According to ADP Research’s Today at Work 2026, Issue 2, construction workers who changed employers in June 2026 received an average pay increase of 12.9%, nearly double the 6.6% average increase for job changers across all industries. Since mid-2025, annualized pay growth for construction job changers has outpaced every other industry in all but two months, underscoring the intense competition for skilled talent across the trades

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

ISSUE 8, 2026 — COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION

THE EMPLOYER EDGE

TODAY’S WORKFORCE

For contractors looking to employ experienced workers, it’s a reminder that replacing talent is getting more expensive while retaining quality people becomes more valuable. When skilled employees can earn up to double-digit raises by moving across town or across the state, keeping your best people becomes just as important as finding new ones. The ADP data also found that median annual gross pay for construction job changers reached more than $59,100, compared with $43,200 for job changers across all other industries. Those numbers reflect a labor market where experienced construction workers have options and employers are competing hard to stand out from the crowd to attract and retain talent. With construction hiring outpacing overall private-sector job growth for more than a decade, this isn’t a particularly new problem. Yet the industry hasn’t been able to add enough workers to meet the heightened demand of construction labor market. Several long-term trends are contributing to the shortage as well. A growing number of experienced workers are nearing retirement, while the pipeline of younger skilled trades workers has not fully kept pace.

To retain quality talent in the long-term, employers should ensure that their benefits programs are thoughtfully built out. ADP Research found that since January 2020, the median age of electricians, plumbers, and HVAC professionals has fallen by as much as five years, highlighting the significant impact of retirements on the construction workforce. But there are encouraging signs. Higher wages, expanding apprenticeship programs, and increased investment in workforce training are helping attract new talent. Growth in residential construction activity and above-average bonuses are also drawing more workers into the industry. ADP Research found that employees hired within the previous three months accounted for an average of 3.6% of construction employment between 2019 and 2025. So far in 2026, that figure has increased to 4.6%. Still, every time an experienced employee leaves, contractors lose valuable

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

institutional knowledge, productivity and jobsite continuity. That’s why in today’s construction workforce, recruiting alone isn’t enough. The most successful employers are focusing just as much on retention as they are on hiring.

5 Ways to Keep Skilled Workers Know What The Market is Paying Construction wages can change quickly, especially in high-demand markets. One way for organizations to keep a pulse on how their wages are tracking is through compensation benchmarking tools. Taking time to regularly compare your organization’s pay to what competitors are offering is another great way to understand the market rate for a position, particularly if you’re bidding for work in a new city or state.

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Geo Week is an amazing opportunity to network, learn about innovations, and grow as a geospatial professional. I highly recommend attending if you get the chance!” - 2026 Geo Week Attendee from VDOT

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THE EMPLOYER EDGE

TODAY’S WORKFORCE

Reliable market data enables employers to make competitive offers, retain skilled workers and avoid unnecessary labor costs. Tell Your Story While pay is important, it’s not the only reason people stay. Workers want to know who they’re working for and what they can build over the course of a career. Your website, social media and employee testimonials all help to communicate what makes your company different. Highlight interesting projects and their impact on the community, your commitment to safety, and career development opportunities to illustrate to prospective employees that the environment is well suited for growth. In a competitive labor market, a strong employer reputation can be a meaningful differentiator.

Offer More Than a Paycheck To retain quality talent in the longterm, employers should ensure that their benefits programs are thoughtfully built out. Today’s workers value offerings like health insurance, paid time off, retirement benefits, training and opportunities to advance. But different employees value different things. A new apprentice and a superintendent with 20 years of experience likely aren’t looking for the exact same benefits, so the more flexible your total rewards package, the more workers you can attract and keep. Construction companies are also positioning workplace retirement plans as another way to retain experienced employees. A good retirement plan won’t outweigh every outside offer, but it shows workers you’re invested in their future, not just the next project.

Help People Build a Career Employees are more likely to stay when they can see what’s next. Apprenticeships, certifications, cross-training and leadership development all show that the company is investing in their future.

In fact, ADP Research’s Today at Work found that workers who feel their employer is investing in the skills they need for career advancement are significantly more likely to be productive, recommend their company as a great place to work, and intend to stay with their organization. Additionally, workers who believed their education prepared them for the workforce were far more likely to feel they have the skills needed to advance, highlighting the value of continuous learning and development. In the age of AI, construction companies should think about how they can integrate technology into their workflows, whether it’s teaching employees how to leverage AI to create invoices or using it to help solve complexities with payroll and compliance. This kind of future-focused and practical training also benefits the business by preparing more people to take on greater responsibility as the company grows. Stay Connected with Your Workforce By the time one of your employees provides notice, it’s likely too late to ask how things are going. Managers should aim to check in

regularly, recognize good work and talk with employees about their goals and growth within the organization. When you’re consistently keeping a pulse on how your workers are feeling, even when issues arise, they become much easier to solve. Listening to employees and actually acting on their feedback builds trust and can improve organizational morale in the long run.

The Bottom Line

A 12.9% pay increase for construction job changers is more than a passing labor market statistic. It’s a clear signal of the growing competition for skilled workers. Contractors cannot prevent competitors from making offers, but they can create compelling reasons for employees to stay. That means regularly evaluating compensation, providing meaningful benefits, investing in career development and fostering a workplace culture where employees feel valued. In a market where replacing experienced workers can be expensive and time-consuming, developing your best people may be one of the smartest investments you can make. CCR

After spending six years at Accenture leading technology and strategy projects, Kit Dickinson moved on to IDI where he was president and responsible for managing strategic partnerships, product innovation, sales, marketing and overall company leadership. Dickinson led IDI to a successful acquisition by ADP where he was responsible for overseeing integrating IDI’s capabilities into ADP technology. Dickinson recently moved into ADP’s Business Development organization as an industry executive to help lead ADP’s industry-focused efforts.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

Building a Safer Jobsite Turning injury trends into smarter prevention

onstruction has never been a business with much room for error. Crews are moving faster, skilled labor

remains tight and every lost day can ripple across schedules, productivity and the bottom line. But the numbers behind jobsite injuries show just how high the stakes have become. Travelers’ latest Injury Impact Report found construction workers miss an average of 114 days per injury while claims cost nearly twice the average across industries. We sat down with Claude Howard, VP of Workers Compensation Claim, and Ken Wengert, VP, Risk Control – Construction, Energy & Marine, to discuss what the data reveals, why new hires remain particularly vulnerable and how contractors can strengthen prevention, onboarding and return-to-work strategies.

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BUILDING A SAFER JOBSITE

What’s the Travelers Injury Impact Report, and why does the company conduct this analysis?

TRAVELERS INJURY IMPACT REPORT

Howard: This is our fifth consecutive year issuing the Travelers Injury Impact Report— and the sixth time overall. For this year’s report, we analyzed more than 1.2 million workers compensation claims received by Travelers from 2021 to 2025, across industries and business sizes. We know past losses can tell us a lot about future risk, and we want employers to have that information so they can act on it.

What does this year’s report show about workplace injuries in construction specifically?

Howard: A few things really stand out. Construction workers miss more days per injury than any other industry in our data—114 days on average, compared with an 80-day overall average. That gap reflects the gravity of these construction site injuries: spinal cord damage, amputations, traumatic brain injuries and multiple fractures—injuries that are not resolved quickly. As you might expect, we also found that workers compensation claims in

We’ve found that about 40% of injured employees have at least one behavioral health risk factor—things like catastrophic thinking or limited coping strategies—that can significantly slow their return to work. — Claude Howard, VP of Workers Compensation Claim, Travelers

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construction are the most expensive— almost double the all-industries average. Some of the most common causes of large losses (which we categorize as those with a cost of $250,000 or more) include slips, trips and falls; being struck by an object; overexertion; motor vehicle accidents; and caught-in or caught-between hazards.

The report identifies first-year employees as a disproportionately affected group. What does the data show in construction?

Howard: The numbers are significant. First-year employees accounted for 44% of all construction injuries and 47% of workers compensation costs over the past five years—well above the all-industry averages of 37% of injuries and 34% of costs. When you think about why new employees are more likely to be injured, it comes down to the nature of jobsite work. Safety habits are still forming. Workers are encountering equipment and site-specific

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BUILDING A SAFER JOBSITE

TRAVELERS INJURY IMPACT REPORT

hazards they may never have dealt with before. That combination creates heightened exposure to the risk of injury in those early months on the job.

Given that new hires are affected disproportionately, what can contractors do differently in onboarding to help address this?

Wengert: Moving away from a one-sizefits-all orientation and toward tailoring the onboarding experience to workers’ roles can have a significant positive impact. That means identifying workers’ most common tasks and making sure they receive targeted training on their exposure to those risks before they encounter them in the field. For example, this could mean providing fall-protection instruction before workers enter an elevated environment or requiring hands-on equipment training before a worker operates machinery on their own. Beyond formal training, pairing new hires with experienced workers in those first 90 days goes a long way toward reducing

Moving away from a one-size-fits-all orientation and toward tailoring the onboarding experience to workers’ roles can have a significant positive impact. — Ken Wengert, VP, Risk Control – Construction, Energy & Marine, Travelers

risks. And creating a culture where people feel comfortable raising a concern or asking questions matters more than it might seem. Workers who know it’s okay to speak up tend to catch and report hazards before they become accidents.

Falls are consistently a major hazard in construction. What does the report show about their impact?

Howard: Slips, trips and falls are the leading cause of injury in construction, accounting for 47% of claims, and they’re also one of the top drivers of large losses. Across all industries, fall-related claims cost about 19% more than the average

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claim. One thing that stands out to us in the data this year is the impact on older workers. For employees 60 and older, slips, trips and falls account for roughly 39% of claims, which is about 15 percentage points higher than for other age groups. That’s a trend we’ve been watching for some time now as the workforce continues to age.

How do falls from height fit into that picture?

Wengert: Falls from height carry a distinctly different severity profile from ground-level slips, trips and falls. They are among the leading causes of construction’s most catastrophic injuries. The injured workers in

BUILDING A SAFER JOBSITE

TRAVELERS INJURY IMPACT REPORT

these cases can face some of the longest recovery timelines and the most complex care needs. The first question for contractors to ask is whether elevated work can be reduced or eliminated altogether. For instance, can a task be redesigned or completed from the ground before it becomes a height exposure? Where working at elevation is unavoidable, fall protection protocols are critical; guardrails, personal fall arrest systems and controlled access zones need to be consistently in place for every worker involved, regardless of their level of experience.

With 114 average lost workdays, post-injury management seems especially critical for construction. Why does planning before an injury occurs matter so much?

Wengert: When an injury happens, you don’t want to be figuring out the process at the same time you’re trying to support the employee. Improvising that process after the fact can lead to longer absences. A return-to-work plan that’s already in place can help you focus on getting the worker connected to appropriate care, keeping lines of communication open, and identifying transitional-duty options rather than defaulting to full time off.

What role does transitionalduty or light-duty work play in shortening that recovery window?

Wengert: Transitional-duty or light-duty work keeps people connected, which matters more than it might seem. In our experience, injured workers who stay engaged with the workplace—even in a modified capacity—tend to have better recovery outcomes than those who are completely removed from their work environment. Prolonged time away from the workplace can introduce challenges that go beyond the physical injury itself. Howard: That’s a real issue. We’ve found that about 40% of injured employees have at least one behavioral health risk factor— things like catastrophic thinking or limited

coping strategies—that can significantly slow their return to work. Assigning a worker transitional duty addresses some of that and helps them maintain a sense of routine and connection. Pairing these duties with early behavioral health support, rather than waiting for them to reach a physical milestone before bringing them back into the workforce, tends to produce meaningfully better outcomes.

Anything else to add?

Wengert: I’d just say that the data in this report is meant to be actionable. The injury patterns we see year after year—the concentration among new hires, the severity of fall and caught-in or caught-between incidents, the long

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

recovery timelines—aren’t inevitable. They’re driven by conditions and decisions that contractors can influence. Howard: And the post-injury side is just as important as prevention. Having a returnto-work plan, building in transitional-duty options, thinking about the behavioral health dimension of recovery—these aren’t just the right things to do for your employees. They translate directly into shorter absences, lower costs and less disruption to your business. Our hope is that employers come away from reviewing this report with specific standards and processes they can put in place—and that they don’t wait for an injury to prompt them to act. CCR

Adaptive Reuse Creating innovative futures for older buildings By Steve Corletta

daptive reuse—the transformation of a vacant or underused building for a completely new purpose—is more

than a trend. Over the decades, the strategy has evolved into a major sector of the construction industry given its efficiencies, savings in materials and time, sustainability benefits and the goodwill it can generate with communities where the projects

Photography courtesy of David Lamb Photography

are located.

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Public waiting/lounge area.

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ADAPTIVE REUSE

FUTURES FOR OLDER BUILDINGS

The benefits reaped from repurposing a vacant mall, factory or office building are clear: the footprint exists, the site is often easily accessible and the utilities and surrounding infrastructure are usually in place. The benefits reaped from repurposing a vacant mall, factory or office building are clear: the footprint exists, the site is often easily accessible and the utilities and surrounding infrastructure are usually in place. In many cases, a reuse project preserves a beloved local structure, honoring its legacy while providing up-to-date comforts and amenities. Existing buildings also create opportunities for sustainability by repurposing valuable elements while reducing demolition waste and the need for all new concrete, lumber, steel and other materials. Unique architectural details can often be incorporated into a building’s metamorphosis, adding character in addition to the environmental benefits.

Aerial view of the UR Medicine Saunders Center for Orthopaedics & Physical Performance, located at Rochester’s Marketplace Mall. The surgical center (at left) and CHAMPP therapy (center) were built within the shell of a former Sears anchor store. The new-build four-story clinic tower, with its distinctive curved façade, is at right. From this view you can also see the remaining mall areas behind the Saunders Center and the redone parking areas and landscaping in front.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

Photography courtesy of Perkins&Will; (TOP) Photography courtesy of Gene Avallone

After a historic transformation, the 275,000-SF EJ Victory building is once again an important part of the Johnson City community, providing apartments, a parking garage and future retail space. Near the top of the second stair tower from right, note the original inlayed stone V that was uncovered and restored.

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ADAPTIVE REUSE

FUTURES FOR OLDER BUILDINGS

Top photo shows general condition inside the annex pre-restoration; Bottom photo shows the fitness center – one of the amenities that now occupies the annex space.

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Photography courtesy of Gene Avallone; (TOP) Photography courtesy of Lion Construction Supply & Services, LLC

Take Johnson City, New York, where LeChase Construction Services created the Victory Lofts apartments in a long-shuttered shoe factory. The project married contemporary design and modern amenities with elements like massive factory windows and exposed brick that reflect the building’s industrial character. Victory Lofts, which provided 156 market-rate apartments in the community, earned recognition from a variety of organizations, including the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. As a reuse project, it was in good company. Retrofitting, renovating, adapting and remodeling buildings account for approximately half of all architecture billings in the U.S., according to the American Institute of Architects. Further, the blog RentCafe reports that office-to-residential conversions in the U.S. have skyrocketed from 31,200 in 2022 to almost 70,700 last year – a

FUTURES FOR OLDER BUILDINGS

step in helping address the nation’s housing shortage. As malls and other stores have closed, the healthcare industry has discovered the benefits of locating in retail space as well. In fact, it’s become common enough to generate its own name: “medtail.” Reuse often is the default destiny for former shopping malls, which offer open floor plans, accessible locations and ample parking.

The great majority of malls have been shuttered by the seismic shift to online shopping. Forty years ago, 25,000 retail malls dotted the nation. About 1,200 remain and the number continues to drop, according to CapitalOne Shopping. LeChase saved nearly a year when it developed the University of Rochester Medicine’s Saunders Center for Orthopaedics & Physical Performance in a

Adaptive reuse projects require patience, creativity and a willingness to solve problems that were not anticipated at the outset.

Extensive repairs underway on the building’s exterior.

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former Sears store and other space at a suburban mall. Today, the 19-acre, 330,000-square-foot center—the largest orthopedic facility in the Northeast— provides patients with a range of services they can conveniently access from across the Rochester area.

Expect the Unexpected

But any construction manager who has led conversion or retrofitting projects knows that adaptive reuse jobs can be more complex than they seem from the outside. A construction crew never knows what it will find until it opens the walls. That’s why planning, expertise and a different mindset from ground-up construction are crucial. Time, water intrusion, rust

Photography courtesy of LeChase; (RIGHT) Photography courtesy of Revette Studio

ADAPTIVE REUSE

This view of shows the modern, industrial look of the building’s apartments. Note the expansive replica windows and historically accurate brick window sills – which took an artisan a year to recreate throughout the building.

and rot can take a toll on a building that may go undiscovered in preconstruction tests and inspections. In some cases, a building’s existing documentation is incomplete or inaccurate— especially in buildings that have already undergone one or more renovations. Construction managers may encounter deteriorating masonry, undersized structural systems or outdated utilities that require extensive upgrades. Asbestos, lead paint or

other hazardous materials can also emerge once demolition begins. LeChase’s University of Rochester Medicine project encountered an issue with the structure when transforming the former big box store for medical use. The original light-gauge steel framing system, sufficient for the retail space, could not support the heavy mechanical systems and piping required for a modern healthcare facility.

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ADAPTIVE REUSE

FUTURES FOR OLDER BUILDINGS

Work proceeds on both the former retail space (left) and the new-build clinic tower (right).

Ultimately, crews had to build an entirely new structural steel frame for the equipment. As with any project, collaboration among construction managers, architects, engineers and owners is critical. The more extensive the evaluation before work begins, the better positioned the project team will be to avoid or manage surprises later. It also is important to carefully delineate which parties are responsible for specific circumstances that may arise. Adaptive reuse projects require patience, creativity and a willingness to solve problems that were not anticipated at the outset. But when managed effectively, they can transform obsolete properties into assets that serve communities for decades to come. CCR

Steve Corletta is Regional Operations Manager with LeChase Construction Services in the New York Metro office in Armonk, New York. Learn more about LeChase at LeChase.com.

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Photography courtesy of LeChase; (TOP) Photography courtesy of David Lamb Photography

Nurses’ station in the completed surgical center.

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Let’s make the first ever North Georgia Cattle Baron’s Ball one unforgettable night—and an even bigger force for good! 104

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Karim Muri vice president of marketing services and strategy development, Kingspan Insulated Panels North America

A special supplement to:

Behind the Bottle

Inside the Smith Brothers Farms facility

Behind the Bottle Inside the Smith Brothers Farms facility By Karim Muri

mith Brothers Farms has spent four generations building trust with Pacific Northwest customers through its milk

and dairy products, organic foods, and home delivery service. That trust translated into rapid growth: Weekly deliveries climbed from approximately 53,000 to 73,000 between 2020 and 2023, pushing the company’s longtime Kent, Washington, facility past its capacity.

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COMMERCIAL KITCHENS

SMITH BROTHERS FARMS

To keep up, Smith Brothers Farms built a new facility in Federal Way, Washington, a 40,000-square-foot warehouse on 20 acres with refrigerated storage, distribution space, and offices, providing nearly four times the refrigerated capacity of its previous location. The company brought in architecture firm NELSON Worldwide and contractor Fisher Construction Group to design and build it. Like most food processing and cold storage projects, the new facility had to maintain precise interior temperatures, control air and moisture movement, support frequent cleaning, and withstand daily operational wear, all while housing several environments, including refrigerated rooms, freezers, dry storage, processing and office space, under one roof. The Smith Brothers Farms project shows how those demands can be met without settling for a conventional cold storage box design.

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Food processing and distribution companies whose facilities increasingly serve as visible representations of the brands operating within them and often include offices and spaces visited by employees, customers and vendors. Holding the Line on Temperature Temperature control was one of the defining requirements at Smith Brothers Farms. Because the facility handles dairy and other perishable products across several zones, even small temperature fluctuations can strain refrigeration equipment and make it harder to maintain consistent conditions. Mechanical systems play a central role in that effort, but they cannot work efficiently if

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

the building envelope allows uncontrolled heat or air movement. Gaps, poorly detailed transitions, and thermal bridging force mechanical systems to work harder than they should. Insulated metal panels (IMP) form the exterior walls at Smith Brothers Farms and separate its refrigerated, freezer, and dry storage areas from one another and from the outside, with nearly 88,900 square feet of panel incorporated into the facility.

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COMMERCIAL KITCHENS

SMITH BROTHERS FARMS

IMPs combine metal facings and a continuous insulating foam core into a single prefabricated assembly, providing thermal insulation, and air, water and vapor control in one step. That integration helps limit heat transfer and uncontrolled air movement between the facility’s refrigerated spaces and the outside environment.

The Pacific Northwest climate added another layer of complexity for the project team. Exterior moisture and shifting seasonal conditions place extra demands on a building envelope, and controlling vapor movement reduces the potential for condensation inside wall and ceiling assemblies, a factor that affects both energy performance and long-term durability.

Performance wasn’t the only priority at Smith Brothers Farms. As a fourthgeneration, community-facing brand, the company and its design team wanted the Federal Way facility to look different from a conventional refrigerated warehouse.

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Designing for Sanitation

As a dairy processor and distributor, Smith Brothers Farms’ interior surfaces are exposed daily to wash-downs for sanitation and to heavy equipment traffic. Materials throughout the facility had to be durable and suited to those cleaning procedures. The IMPs used at Smith Brothers Farms were specified with smooth interior surfaces and finishes suited to controlled food environments. Their large-format construction also limited the number of individual components in each wall assembly, and tight-fitting joints helped create a continuous surface with fewer places for moisture or contaminants to collect.

Simplifying Construction

With weekly deliveries continuing to climb, Smith Brothers Farms needed its new facility up and running efficiently. Food processing

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COMMERCIAL KITCHENS

SMITH BROTHERS FARMS

projects like this one require close coordination among structural, refrigeration, mechanical, electrical, and food-equipment contractors, and that coordination gets harder when a facility has multiple temperature zones and a fixed opening date. Fisher Construction Group served as the sole installer for the panel system, which simplified part of the process by combining several enclosure functions—cladding, insulation, and environmental barriers—into a single component. That helped the team achieve faster dry-in, earlier weather protection, and an earlier start for the interior mechanical, electrical and refrigeration work Smith Brothers Farms needed to open on schedule.

Beyond the Industrial Box

Performance wasn’t the only priority at Smith Brothers Farms. As a fourth-generation, community-facing brand, the company and its design team wanted the Federal Way

facility to look different from a conventional refrigerated warehouse. NELSON Worldwide specified IMPs in Imperial White for the exterior, using panel placement and profile to break up the building’s scale and give the façade a more distinctive identity, while maintaining the continuity the enclosure needed to perform. Food processing and distribution companies whose facilities increasingly serve as visible representations of the brands operating within them and often include offices and spaces visited by employees, customers and vendors. A well-considered exterior helped the team reinforce the Smith Brothers Farms identity and help a large industrial building relate visually to its surroundings without compromising performance.

Lessons for Future Facilities

The Smith Brothers Farms project offers a few takeaways for teams planning

their own food processing or cold storage facilities. Temperature and humidity requirements should be established early, with each operational zone clearly defined, and the building envelope should be coordinated with refrigeration systems. Additionally, finishes should match the cleaning and sanitation procedures required of the facility. Appearance is worth considering from the start, too. Color, profile and panel orientation can add visual interest without adding unnecessary complexity to the enclosure. Smith Brothers Farms needed a facility capable of supporting its growth and protecting temperature-sensitive dairy and food products. The completed project shows how a carefully planned building envelope can meet those demands while creating a facility that looks less like a traditional refrigerated warehouse and more like a modern home for a growing food brand. CK

Karim Muri is vice president of marketing services and strategy development at Kingspan Insulated Panels North America. He has led strategic marketing in the construction products industry for nearly 20 years, with experience in Australia and the United States across both residential and commercial building sectors.

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Designing for Life

Why AEC professionals must confront invisible obsolescence

Designing for Life Why AEC professionals must confront invisible obsolescence

rchitects, engineers and contractors have always operated with a dual obligation: Deliver a building that meets code on day

one and design for longevity. The first obligation is well-understood. The second is becoming consider-

ably more complicated. A new class of building deficiency is emerging across the commercial real estate market, one that is not visible at project closeout, does not show up on a punch list and cannot be resolved through a warranty claim. It is the deficiency of invisible obsolescence. Buildings that lack IoT-integrated mechanical systems, verifiable energy performance records and the digital infrastructure to demonstrate ongoing compliance are increasingly being treated by lenders, insurers and institutional tenants as compromised assets regardless of their physical condition. For design-build and AEC professionals, this shift redefines what it means to deliver a complete project.

The 2026 Regulatory Baseline Has Moved

The regulatory environment arriving in 2026 is not a single mandate but a convergence of requirements across multiple jurisdictions. California’s updated Title 24, effective Jan. 1, 2026, raises the bar on electrification, mechanical efficiency and indoor air quality. New York City’s 2025 Energy Conservation Code, effective March 30, 2026, applies updated ASHRAE 90.1 standards to new and substantially altered commercial buildings. Nationally, JLL research projects more than 40 U.S. cities will have active building performance standards in place by 2026, covering the majority of large commercial buildings nationwide.

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DESIGNING FOR LIFE

AEC PROFESSIONALS

For AEC professionals, this matters at the design stage, not the facilities management stage. A building delivered today without the mechanical integration and digital infrastructure required to demonstrate ongoing compliance will create liability for owners within months of occupancy. The architects and engineers of record who did not account for these requirements in their systems design will find themselves in difficult conversations. The financial stakes of non-compliance are significant. Washington D.C.’s Building Energy Performance Standards carry maximum penalties of $10 per square foot of gross floor area. Boston’s BERDO 2.0 imposes $1,000 per day for noncompliant buildings over 35,000 square feet.

more expensive than specifying it correctly at the outset. For design-build teams, this is an argument for raising the standard of mechanical and electrical specifications now, ahead of owner requests, rather than delivering to yesterday’s minimum. There also is a performance accountability question emerging. Buildings commissioned to an energy use intensity target but lacking the real-time monitoring infrastructure to verify ongoing performance are not, in any meaningful sense, delivering on that target. Energy codes increasingly require continuous metering data retained at 15-minute intervals for multi-year periods. A building that cannot produce this data is a building that cannot demonstrate

Architects, engineers and contractors have always operated with a dual obligation: Deliver a building that meets code on day one and design for longevity. New York City’s Local Law 97 charges $268 per metric ton of CO2 over the allowable annual limit. These penalties are charges against net operating income, and they accrue from assets that AEC teams designed and handed over.

The Mechanical Systems Gap

MERV 13 filtration has moved from a wellness amenity to a tenant expectation and, in many Class A markets, a lease requirement. IoT-enabled HVAC, metering, and building management systems are no longer premium specifications. They are the baseline that institutional operators, underwriters, and benchmarking ordinances assume will be in place. Yet a significant portion of existing commercial stock and even recent vintage construction was delivered without these capabilities integrated at the systems level. Retrofitting IoT infrastructure into a building that was not designed for it is materially

compliance, regardless of what the original energy model predicted.

Digital Continuity as a Deliverable

When commercial properties change hands, mechanical service records, commissioning reports and equipment histories are routinely lost. For insurers, that gap is an underwriting risk. For lenders, a due diligence problem. For incoming owners, it means operating a building whose history is functionally unknown. The AEC community is positioned to solve this by treating digital continuity as a project deliverable: specifying systems that generate transferable operational data and commissioning to documentation standards that outlast the project team. Healthcare and biopharma facilities have operated this way for years out of necessity. Those same practices are now becoming competitive differentiators in the

broader commercial market, and eventually, baseline requirements.

From Delivery to Lifecycle Design

The traditional AEC project model ends at substantial completion. The owner takes the keys, the O and M manuals go in a binder, and the design team moves on. That model is increasingly misaligned with how buildings are now underwritten and valued. Lenders, insurers, and investors are evaluating operational trajectory, not just physical condition. A building with verified predictive maintenance records and compliance documentation is a fundamentally different asset than one without it, even at the same address and vintage. The difference shows up in insurance premiums, cap rates and lender appetite. Designing for digital continuity and anticipating the monitoring requirements of 2026 and beyond are no longer add-ons. They are components of responsible professional practice.

What the AEC Community Can Do Now

The shift from deferred maintenance to asset obsolescence is not a future problem. It is a present one, and it is accelerating. AEC professionals who understand the operational and regulatory context their buildings will enter are better equipped to design for it. That means specifying mechanical systems with integrated monitoring capabilities, designing for data accessibility and transferability, commissioning to documentation standards that persist beyond project closeout, and advising owners on the compliance trajectory of their assets before the building is occupied rather than after the first penalty notice arrives. The buildings being designed and delivered today will be navigating building performance standards, energy disclosure requirements, and tenant wellness mandates for the next 30 years. Whether those buildings are resilient assets or stranded ones will depend in large part on decisions made at the design stage, long before any of those requirements come due.

Trevor Vick is the CEO of UMIP Inc. and founder of the Global Infrastructure Identity Standard (GIIS). For more information visit www.umipinc.com.

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On this episode of Commercial Construction Coffee Talk (CCCT), David Corson sits down with Colin Gilboy, Chief Business Officer of Notability, to explore how the popular digital note-taking platform is moving into the workplace. Gilboy discusses how shared workspaces, document annotation, meeting transcription, AI-powered insights and digital collaboration can help construction teams better connect the field and office. From marking up PDFs and capturing jobsite information to meetings, sketches and project communication, the conversation examines how Notability can turn everyday information into action while helping contractors, architects, engineers and project managers communicate more efficiently and GSD—Get Stuff Done.

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Inside the 2027 North Georgia Cattle Baron’s Ball | Give Cancer the Boot

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On Feb. 27, 2027, business and community leaders from across North Fulton, South Forsyth and North Georgia will gather at Reid Barn in Cumming for the inaugural North Georgia Cattle Baron’s Ball benefiting the American Cancer Society. In this special conversation, David Corson sits down with Event Chair Justin Ducharme from NAPA Auto Parts, Justin Newell of INFORM North America and Alyson Kuhl of Krause Auto Group to discuss the vision behind the event, why they became involved and how the Western-themed evening will bring business, community and philanthropy together for an important cause. With food, drinks, dancing, auctions and plenty of boots-and-bling fun, it promises to be a great night with an even greater mission—helping give cancer the boot.

On this episode of Commercial Construction Coffee Talk (CCCT), David Corson sits down with Kim Pierce, author of The Hands That Built This: Restoring Respect and Rebuilding the Future of the Trades, to discuss the men and women who build America and why the future of the skilled trades matters to everyone. Drawing on her experience as a carpenter, ironworker and construction safety professional, Pierce discusses the skilled labor shortage, apprenticeships, career education and the need to restore pride in working with your hands. The conversation challenges the idea that the trades are a backup plan and instead highlights them as a pathway to a successful career, financial independence and a lasting legacy. America was built by people who GSD—Get Stuff Done. The question now is: Who will build the next generation of America?

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Connection. Community. Contemporary Living.

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How amenities helped define North Texas’ The Buckley at Heritage Creekside

Connection. Community. Contemporary Living. How amenities helped define North Texas’ The Buckley at Heritage Creekside By Chloe Guernsey, Christine Clark Witz & Regan Sanders

onnection, community and an amenity-rich resident experience are at the forefront in this 156-acre

An urban mixed-use neighborhood district in the heart of Plano, Texas, Heritage Creekside is 156 acres of high-density, walkable real estate being shaped around residential demand. On a prime corner in Heritage Creekside sits The Buckley, a four-story midrise multifamily property offering 338 apartment homes and premium amenities, next door to The Ludlow apartments and surrounded by local dining, boutique shops, green spaces and commuter access.

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Photography by Aaron Dougherty

North Texas development

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Developed by Rosewood Property Company and partner MetLife Investment Management, Heritage Creekside occupies one of Plano’s most visible corners at Plano Parkway and the George Bush Turnpike. In a part of the burgeoning Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex that once leaned heavily on office development, community- and amenity-focused residential demand is inspiring the design and construction of luxe lifestyle properties like The Buckley and The Ludlow, one of Dallas-Fort Worth’s fastest-leasing apartment communities of 2024. Anchored by lush outdoor spaces and hospitality-inspired interiors by B2 Design Co, The Buckley blends the comfort and warmth of home with a highly curated amenity experience designed to enrich everyday life. The flexible spaces encourage seamless movement between connection and

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retreat, with carefully programmed amenity spaces, including the champagne-inspired Bubbles Lounge, an intimate poker lounge, and a curated wine dispenser experience. Rich overlays of color and texture bring energy to spaces designed for gathering, entertainment and community engagement while maintaining a sophisticated residential feel. Both The Ludlow and The Buckley were designed by B2 Design Co to have its own personality, with a design philosophy centered on the idea that tailored, elevated surroundings can enhance daily living. Stepping into The Buckley feels like being welcomed into a well-traveled neighbor’s curated, stylish and highly livable home.

Thoughtfully Curated Interiors Elevate the Home Experience

Every detail in The Buckley’s interiors has been intentionally considered to create an

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environment that feels polished yet approachable, stylish rather than trend driven. The result is a collection of interiors that are both timeless and highly livable, offering residents of this modern community spaces that support the way they work, relax, entertain and recharge. Over 11,500 square feet of community space designed by B2 Design Co includes the lounges, flexible living/club room, an expansive fitness center with individual workout pods, co-working areas within a library setting, a mailroom with custom wood millwork, and a comfortably layered leasing office. Tailored to the more established resident, the design embraces understated sophistication through timeless materiality, layered textures, and a refined palette of warm neutrals accented by rich jewel tones. A soft, neutral backdrop allows the craftsmanship and materials to truly shine, while the thoughtful architectural details and textures add depth and character throughout the spaces.

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By pairing refined aesthetics with purposeful functionality, The Buckley creates a lifestyle experience that elevates everyday moments where residents can feel inspired, connected and at home. The project’s hospitality-inspired craftsmanship is especially evident overhead, where the ceilings, what B2 Design Co calls “the fifth wall,” became a defining design feature rather than an afterthought. In the lounge spaces, B2 partnered with local architectural millwork studio

Woodhaus to create a highly detailed wood ceiling installation, with a plaid-like pattern woven between the beams. The design integrated lighting to emphasize the depth, rhythm and texture of the millwork. The significant investment and craftsmanship give the spaces the warmth and character of a custom-built residence and makes the ceiling one of the project’s most memorable elements. Complementing the well-appointed community spaces and amenities, The

By pairing refined aesthetics with purposeful functionality, The Buckley creates a lifestyle experience that elevates everyday moments where residents can feel inspired, connected and at home.

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Buckley’s apartment homes feature topof-the-market finishes including Samsung stainless-steel appliances, wood flooring, quartz countertops, generous closet space and designer backsplashes. Other apartment amenities include private balconies and workspaces, a dog park along the greenbelt and activated courtyards. The expansive resort pool blends seamlessly into indoor lounge spaces, generating a refined environment for residents.

Cohesive Mixed-use Neighborhood Design

The Ludlow is a 326-apartment-home community completed in early 2024, garnering multiple real estate awards including one of the fastest-leasing multifamily properties in the region. The unique layout of the 4.29-acre property

incorporates multiple activated courtyards connected by open-air paseos, allowing for pedestrian ease. With high-end finishes and top appliances in each apartment home, the development is intentionally created to truly feel like home, while top amenities help foster connection and community among residents. Due to the overwhelmingly positive response to The Ludlow, Rosewood’s first multifamily community in Heritage Creekside, the company used the same development team for The Buckley. Hensley, Lamkin, Rachel Inc. serves as the architect, while LandDesign (landscape design), B2 Design Co (interior design), KFM (civil engineering) and Blackland Partners (general contractor) also are involved once again. Rosewood’s goal is to set the highest quality of life in the surrounding area, and the resident experience is at the forefront of that vision. Heritage Creekside’s leading multifamily options of The Buckley and The Ludlow make it one of the most

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vibrant mixed-use developments in the area, with spaces crafted for living well and a lifestyle that feels beautifully effortless.

A History of Collaboration

Rosewood Property Company has a long history of multifamily ownership and development in the DFW area. With a

robust development team based in Dallas, Rosewood has been active throughout Texas with mixed-use developments such as The Gilman in Las Colinas and Penrose at Frisco’s Southstone Yards, as well as the multiphase Tobin Estates in San Antonio. B2 Design Co is Rosewood’s interior design partner on all of those projects, with more in the development planning phase.

Working with the same development team over multiple projects enables all partners involved to build stronger relationships and share lessons learned over time, allowing the team to refine their processes and get better with each project. The trust and ease that comes with that plays a large role in the team’s success.

Chloe Guernsey, AIA, LEED AP is an architect and interior designer at B2 Design Co, where she is associate principal overseeing multifamily, senior living and procurement projects in diverse markets nationwide. A senior project manager at B2 Design Co, Christine Clark Witz, RID, NCIDQ, LEED leads each project with an artist’s perspective. Regan Sanders, RID, NCIDQ, senior interior designer, lends her penchant for experimentation with materials, textures and colors to her projects at B2 Design Co.

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NOVATION RE

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TRUCTIO S N N O C

2026

HISTORY IN THE MAKING

The Hall of Fame recognizes individuals whose careers have meaningfully shaped the commercial construction and renovation industry through sustained excellence, leadership and lasting impact. This honor is not awarded for a single project or moment, but for decades of building trust, developing talent, delivering consistent results and advancing the industry as a whole. Beyond recognition, the Hall of Fame serves a broader purpose: preserving the industry’s legacy while inspiring its future. To that end, CCR has announced plans to develop a permanent, brick-and-mortar Hall of Fame and industry experience center in Cartersville, Georgia’s Museum City. This facility will function as a living archive, bringing the story of commercial construction and renovation to life through curated photography, artifacts and storytelling that connect the past, present and future. In addition, CCR plans to launch an annual Hall of Fame Reception honoring each new class of inductees, creating a dedicated opportunity for industry leaders, partners and peers to gather, celebrate achievements and recognize the individuals who continue to shape the built environment. Additional details regarding the inaugural reception will be announced in the coming months.

Inductees represent the highest standard of professional achievement in the commercial construction and renovation industry. With a minimum of 20 years of experience, they have demonstrated sustained performance and influence across multiple brands, project types and commercial sectors. Selection is grounded in proven leadership, accountability, and consistent execution, supported by a verifiable record of successfully delivered commercial projects. Beyond results, honorees are distinguished by their innovation, adaptability and unwavering commitment to doing the work the right way—setting a standard that strengthens the industry and inspires the next generation of leaders.

The Commercial Construction & Renovation Hall of Fame represents more than recognition—it represents legacy. CCR Hall of Fame Founder’s Board in Planning Stages. For more information: ccr-mag.com/ccr-2026-hall-of-fame

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Built as One Living with Lolo’s Lauren Lerner on where design vision meets construction reality

reat design has never been just about how a space looks. It is about how it works, how it feels and how

naturally it supports the people living there. Lauren Lerner brings that perspective to every project she leads as founder and principal designer of Living with Lolo. As both a full-service interior designer and licensed general contractor, she understands the creative vision as well as what it takes to bring it to life. We sat down with Lerner to get her perspective on livable luxury, creating deeply personal spaces and why connecting design and construction can make all the difference.

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Built as One

Living with Lolo

Tell us a little about yourself. What is your industry story? I started Living with Lolo in 2017 after spending years in retail and following a pull toward design I could not ignore. After growing a successful interior design business, I realized that the luxury renovation experience was broken. Clients were being handed off between designers and contractors who never fully communicated and the result was projects that went over budget, over schedule, and under-delivered on the original vision. I got my interior design credential, then went further and earned my Arizona ROC general contractor license so I could own the entire process from the first concept sketch through the final walkthrough. That dual credential is still rare in this market and it is what everything we do is built on.

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What inspired you to establish your company? How has your founding mission evolved over time? I built my company out of a genuine love for transforming spaces, starting with my own homes. Over time I had watched too many homeowners get stuck in the gap between their designer and their contractor, each pointing at the other when things went sideways. I wanted to build something where that gap simply did not exist. The founding mission was one team, one vision, no handoffs. What has evolved is the scope of what we can deliver. We started with interior design projects and grew into full design-build, and now we are also doing real estate investment work through our development arm. The mission is the same but our platform is bigger.

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Describe the signature style or characteristics that define your residential projects. We design spaces that feel collected rather than decorated. There is a warmth and a groundedness to our work that I think comes from the way we listen before we ever pick up a pencil. Our projects tend to be layered, textural, and rooted in the architecture of the home rather than imposed on top of it. You will see a lot of natural materials, considered lighting, and spaces that feel intentional in every corner but never stiff. The construction quality underneath all of it is what allows the design to breathe. When the bones are right, the rest follows.

What types of residential projects do you specialize in? What market segment do you primarily serve? We specialize in full-scope luxury renovation and design-build projects in Scottsdale,

Built as One

Living with Lolo

Paradise Valley, and the greater Phoenix metro. Our projects start at $150,000 and most of our work is in the $300,000 to $1 million-plus range. Our clients are typically high-networth homeowners, entrepreneurs, and professional athletes who want a seamless experience and are not interested in managing multiple vendors. They want one point of contact and a team that takes complete ownership of the outcome.

What has been your most challenging project to date? How did overcoming those challenges shape your approach to construction? Every project has a chapter that tests you. Some of the most challenging work we have done has been on older homes with significant hidden conditions, where the walls open up and you find that the original construction has surprises for you. One of the things that has shaped us most is learning to plan for discovery. We do thorough pre-construction assessments now and we build contingency into both the schedule and the budget as a standard practice, not an afterthought. Clients who go through a hard chapter with us almost always become our most loyal advocates because they see how we handle pressure. When something unexpected surfaces, that is actually where this team is at its best.

Can you share details about your favorite completed project and what made it particularly meaningful or successful? The project that comes to mind is one we called Lolo Prestige Property, a full renovation in North Scottsdale that we took from concept through construction as a design-build firm. The home is about 5,000 square feet and the transformation was significant. What made it meaningful was the integrity of the process. Every decision from the structural work to the finish selections was made with the same level of intention. It is the kind of

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Built as One

Living with Lolo

project where you walk through at the end and every room tells a coherent story. That project has since been featured editorially and it represents exactly what we set out to build when we started this company. It was also the first project we completed as a design-build firm, with all the construction done in-house. It gave us the runway to figure out our processes, how to integrate construction with our design team, and to really hone our expertise so we could offer this to clients.

How do you integrate sustainable building practices into your construction process? What specific eco-friendly innovations have you implemented? Sustainability in luxury renovation is less about checking boxes and more about building things that last. We specify materials with durability and longevity in mind because the most sustainable renovation is the one you do not have to redo in ten years. We work with low-VOC finishes, energy-efficient systems, and we source from vendors who can speak to their supply chain. When clients want to go deeper on sustainability, we build that into the design conversation early so it is integrated rather than added on.

What sets your company apart from other residential contractors in your market? The dual credential is the clearest answer. Very few firms in Arizona hold both an interior design credential and an active ROC general contractor license. That means we can legally and professionally execute both the design and the construction under one contract, one schedule, and one team. There is no translation layer between what was designed and what gets built. Our clients never have to manage that relationship because it is internal. Combined with the national press recognition we have received and the operational infrastructure we have built,

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we are a different kind of firm than what most people expect to find in this market. We also built our own operating system called Lolo OS to manage procurement, scheduling, and project visibility in real time. It has changed how we run projects and how we communicate with clients.

How do you balance client design preferences with structural integrity and building code requirements? This is where having the dual credential

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

actually changes the conversation in real time. When a client falls in love with something that has a structural implication, I can assess it on the spot rather than waiting for a contractor to weigh in later. We have an honest conversation about what is possible, what it costs, and what the alternatives are. Most of the time there is a path forward that honors both the vision and the reality of the building. And when there is not, I would rather tell a client the truth early than let them discover it during construction.

Built as One

Living with Lolo

What emerging trends in residential construction are you most excited about, and how are you incorporating them? The shift toward integrated design-build is the one I think is most significant and most underappreciated. Homeowners are increasingly sophisticated and they are tired of the fragmented experience. They want firms that can hold the whole thing. The other trend I watch closely is the way artificial intelligence (AI) is changing how buyers discover service providers.

The clients who find us now are often doing research through AI tools before they ever land on our website. That has changed how we structure our content and how we think about visibility. We have put real work into AI-indexed content and structured data so that when someone asks an AI assistant who the best design-build firm in Scottsdale is, we show up. Our process and what we learned about showing up on AI has been so successful that I launched a new business called Cited Co, where we work on AI visibility for other service businesses.

I built my company out of a genuine love for transforming spaces, starting with my own homes. Over time I had watched too many homeowners get stuck in the gap between their designer and their contractor.

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How do you approach collaboration with architects, designers, and other professionals during your projects? We collaborate well because we come in with a clear scope and clear ownership of our portion. When we are brought in alongside an architect, we are not trying to redesign the building, we are translating their vision into a buildable, beautiful interior. We have strong relationships in this market with architects and agents who send us clients specifically because they know how we operate on a job site. Respect for the other professionals in the room is not just a value, it is a business strategy.

What values drive your day-to-day operations, and how do these translate into the final homes you deliver? Ownership is the one I come back to the most. Every person on this team is expected

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to take full responsibility for their piece of the project. We do not point fingers and we do not make excuses. That value shows up in the final product because when every person treats the project like it is theirs, the details get handled at every level. The other one is clarity. We are direct with clients, direct with each other, and direct about what is and is not possible. That kind of honesty builds trust faster than anything else.

What trends are you seeing in the residential construction market today? How are they shaping the industry? Labor costs and material lead times are still the biggest operational realities shaping project timelines and budgets. The firms that

are navigating that well are the ones with strong trade relationships and procurement systems that can absorb variability. We built Lolo OS specifically to give us real-time visibility into where every project stands so we can get ahead of delays before they become client conversations. On the demand side, the luxury market in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley has stayed strong. Buyers who have equity in their homes want to invest in them and they want to do it with a firm they can trust completely.

What are your goals for your company’s growth and impact on the residential construction industry? We are growing the real estate investment

side of the business through our development arm and scaling the design-build practice intentionally, not aggressively. I am not interested in volume for its own sake. The goal is to do fewer projects at a higher level and to build a body of work that speaks for itself. On a broader level, I want Living with Lolo to be the firm that raises the standard for what a luxury client can expect from their design-build team in this market. We are also building Cited Co, an AI visibility agency that came directly out of the systems we developed for our own marketing. That is a separate chapter, but it is deeply connected to the same philosophy: build something with integrity and then make sure people can find it.

One-on-One with... Living With Lolo’s Lauren Lerner Describe a typical day

My mornings start early around 5:00 a.m., enjoying a cappuccino outside. This is the time where I set the tone for my day. I spend the first hour on strategy, whether that is reviewing the pipeline, looking at where a project stands, or working through something for the business. By mid-morning I am usually in client conversations or on job sites. Afternoons are team-facing, checking in with Brandie on construction, Robin on operations, and my design team, making sure nothing is falling through the cracks. I try to protect some time at the end of the day for longer-term thinking because it is easy to let the urgent crowd out the important. I always try to get outside at some point too, whether it is hiking or mountain biking, because that is truly where I am able to take a breath, get inspired, and keep going. The reality is, I am also a mom, so saving some energy at the end of the day to cuddle with my kiddo on the sofa is equally important.

What is the biggest item on your to-do list? Right now it is the editorial shoot for Saguaro Reserve in September. That project is going to market in October and

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the content we capture this fall is going to anchor our portfolio for the next year. Getting that shoot right and getting the story told the way it deserves to be told, that is front of mind.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

The moment a client walks through a finished space for the first time. There is nothing like watching someone’s face when the home they imagined is actually standing in front of them. That moment is why we do all of it.

What was the best advice you ever received?

Build the thing you wish existed. Do not wait for someone else to do it better. That advice pushed me to get my contractor license when people told me it was unnecessary. It pushed me to build our own operating system when the off-the-shelf tools were not enough. It keeps pushing me forward.

What is the best thing a client ever said to you?

A client once told me that working with us was the first time in her life she had not felt anxious during a renovation. She said she actually enjoyed the process. That is the whole mission right there.

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Residential Reinvention Maximizing property potential via popular home expansions

or many homeowners, the need for more space arrives long before the desire to move. Growing families,

remote work, multigenerational living, and changing lifestyles are pushing homeowners to rethink how their existing homes can evolve.

Home additions have become one of the most practical ways to gain space, improve comfort and increase property value without starting over in a new location. Yet deciding which type of addition makes sense requires a clear understanding of costs, construction complexity and long-term return on investment. Across the U.S., home addition costs vary widely depending on region, labor availability, building codes and design choices. Nationally, the average cost of a home addition often exceeds the commonly cited figure of $51,000, especially for projects involving plumbing, structural changes or second story construction. Per square foot costs typically range from roughly $100 to $500, depending on the type of addition and level of finish. Understanding these ranges helps homeowners plan realistically and avoid budget shock midway through construction. One of the most important distinctions in home additions is whether a project is considered a dry addition or a wet addition. Dry additions include spaces such as bedrooms, living rooms, offices or sunrooms that do not require plumbing. These additions generally are less expensive because they avoid water lines, drains and complex waterproofing requirements.

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Residential Reinvention

Home Addition

Wet additions include kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms, which add cost due to plumbing work, additional permits, and stricter building code requirements. Knowing which category your project falls into is one of the most reliable ways to estimate overall expense early in the planning process. Room additions, often called bump outs, are among the most approachable projects for homeowners looking to add space without a full-scale renovation. These additions typically extend an existing room by a few feet to create more usable square footage. Nationally, bump outs often cost between $250 and $500 per square foot, depending on size and finish. While smaller in scope, they can dramatically improve daily living by relieving cramped layouts and improving functionality.

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Successful home additions are built on careful planning. Hidden costs such as permit fees, utility upgrades and structural repairs can emerge once construction begins. Second story additions represent one of the most transformative but also most expensive home addition options. By building upward rather than outward, homeowners can double their living space without sacrificing yard area. These projects often range from $300 per square foot to $500 per square foot and require extensive structural reinforcement. Foundations, load bearing walls and framing may need upgrades to support the added weight. Plumbing, electrical

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

systems and roofing also typically are impacted. While the upfront cost is significant, second story additions can deliver substantial long-term value, particularly for homeowners committed to staying in place for many years. Sunrooms offer a different kind of expansion, focusing on light, comfort and connection to the outdoors. These spaces often are used as family rooms, dining areas or quiet retreats. Costs typically fall between $200 per square foot and

$400 per square foot, with total project budgets ranging from $40,000 to $90,000 or more. Three season sunrooms tend to be less expensive, while fully insulated, climate controlled spaces cost more but offer year round usability. Energy efficiency requirements and insulation quality play a major role in pricing. Garage conversions are one of the most cost-effective ways to add livable space because they utilize an existing structure. Nationally, these projects often range from $120 per square foot to $200 per square foot, with total costs commonly between $20,000 and $50,000. Conversions typically involve insulation, drywall, flooring, electrical upgrades and heating or cooling systems.

Adding a bathroom increases both cost and value, but requires plumbing work and additional permits. For homeowners seeking flexibility without major exterior changes, garage conversions often deliver strong value. Over the garage additions combine vertical expansion with efficient land use. These projects create new living space above an existing garage and commonly cost between $250 and $400 per square foot. Structural reinforcement often is required, and design integration with the main house is critical. When executed well, over the garage additions add bedrooms, guest suites or home offices without reducing yard space, making them appealing in many suburban and urban settings.

The Art of Accessory Dwellings Accessory dwelling units have become increasingly popular as homeowners look for rental income opportunities or space for extended family. ADU costs vary widely but often fall between $100,000 and $300,000 depending on size, design and site conditions. Well planned ADUs can generate significant returns through rental income while increasing overall property value. In many markets, returns between 50% and 80% are possible when long-term income and appreciation are considered together. Kitchen expansions and additions are among the most complex home improvement projects. Building a new kitchen or expanding an existing one typically ranges from $50,000 to $150,000 or more.

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Residential Reinvention

Home Addition

These projects involve plumbing, gas lines, electrical systems, ventilation and often structural changes. High quality finishes, appliances and cabinetry can significantly increase costs, but kitchens consistently rank among the highest value improvements for resale. Bathroom additions and expansions also carry meaningful costs but deliver strong returns. Adding a new bathroom often ranges from $30,000 to $75,000 depending on size and plumbing complexity. Expanding an existing bathroom typically costs less but still requires careful planning around waterproofing, ventilation and fixture selection. Bathrooms add both daily convenience and resale appeal, particularly in homes with limited existing bath space.

Choosing the right type of home addition requires balancing personal lifestyle needs with financial considerations. Homeowners should assess how they use their space today, how that use may change in the future and which additions offer the greatest functional improvement. Equally important is considering how future buyers might perceive the added space. Additions that align with common buyer preferences tend to deliver stronger returns. Successful home additions are built on careful planning. Hidden costs such as permit fees, utility upgrades and structural repairs can emerge once construction begins. Understanding local building requirements, maintaining detailed budgets,

and setting aside contingency funds are critical steps. Consulting experienced professionals early in the process helps homeowners avoid delays, unexpected expenses and design mistakes that can be costly to correct later. Ultimately, home additions are not just about adding square footage. They are about adapting a home to better serve the people who live there. When thoughtfully planned, an addition can improve daily life, increase long term property value and allow homeowners to remain in communities they love. With clear expectations, realistic budgets and informed decision making, home additions can be one of the most rewarding investments a homeowner makes.

Jon Grishpul is co-CEO of GreatBuildz.com, a free service connecting homeowners with pre-screened general contractors. Drawing on extensive construction and renovation experience, he helps homeowners navigate projects with resources including BidCompareAI, an AIpowered tool that compares contractor bids and identifies hidden costs and inconsistencies. GreatBuildz also offers Remodeling Advisors for added project guidance. He also is co-CEO of MaxableSpace.com, an accessory dwelling unit design, build and management platform.

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COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

PROJECTS

CCD

Commercial Construction Data The following is a brief report on new commercial construction projects. The information is presented as a service of ConstructConnect. For more information, visit projects.constructconnect.com. PROJECT NAME

CITY

PROJECT VALUE

SQ. FT.

CONSTRUCTION TYPE

START DATE

Convenience Store & Gas Station

Wasilla, AK

$50,000,000

11,144

New Construction

Q4 2026

Popeye’s

Tustin, CA

$800,000

1,413

New Construction

Q1 2027

Backstop Brewing

Canby, OR

$3,500,000

11,230

New Construction

Q4 2026

La La Land Cafe

Del Mar, CA

$580,000

1,168

Renovation

Q1 2027

H Mart - Pacific Commons

Fremont, CA

$30,000,000

100,000

New Construction

Q4 2026

Costco

Tumwater, WA

$36,000,000

166,000

New Construction

Q1 2027

AutoZone #10533

Palmer, AK

$1,500,000

6,000

New Construction

Q2 2027

Cottonwood Travel Center

Cottonwood, CA

$12,000,000

29,200

New Construction

Q1 2027

East Main Village Mixed-Use

Bellevue, WA

$106,280,000

1,900,000

New Construction

Q4 2026

Former Nordstrom Building Redevelopment

Anchorage, AK

$26,000,000

80,000

Renovation

Q3 2027

The Hub

Berkeley, CA

$200,000,000

694,778

New Construction

Q4 2026

Tahoe Keys Marina Redevelopment

South Lake Tahoe, CA

$50,000,000

127,950

New Construction

Q1 2027

Glenoaks Boulevard Hotel Development

Glendale, CA

$120,000,000

165,000

New Construction

Q2 2027

Hyatt House Hotel

Bellevue, WA

$110,000,000

175,000

New Construction

Q4 2026

Historic U.S. Hotel Building Renovation

Jacksonville, OR

$6,000,000

10,000

Renovation

Q4 2026

Cambria Hotel and Event Center

Tracy, CA

$34,000,000

60,250

New Construction

Q4 2026

Dharma Rain Zen Center

Portland, OR

$3,300,000

10,000

New Construction

Q4 2026

Deering K-12 Replacement School

Deering, AK

$48,828,553

21,328

New Construction

Q1 2027

Evergreen Middle School Rebuild

Redmond, WA

$202,900,000

134,000

New Construction

Q1 2027

Montessori School

Bakersfield, CA

$17,000,000

38,000

New Construction

Q1 2027

Sutter Health Rosewood

Morgan Hill, CA

$210,000,000

275,000

New Construction

Q4 2026

PMB Medical Office Building

Bellevue, WA

$230,000,000

377,442

New Construction

Q2 2027

Medical Office Building

Saint John, WA

$3,300,000

9,000

New Construction

Q3 2027

Sutter Gould Medical Foundation River Island Care Center

Lathrop, CA

$34,000,000.00

42,415

New Construction

Q1 2027

RETAIL/RESTAURANTS/QUICK SERVE:

RETAIL/STORES/MALLS:

RESIDENTIAL/MIXED USE:

HOSPITALITY:

EDUCATION:

MEDICAL:

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COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

Sector

Project Status

Won

Private Public $2,000,000

Goderich, ON

GC Bidding

Find and Win More Profitable Projects Nationwide Whether you’re a general contractor in New York, doing concrete work in Los Angeles, or anywhere in between, ConstructConnect can help you find and win the right projects to make you more profitable and productive.

825,000+

382

Active Projects

Metro Areas

$3.5M

575,000+

Annual Document Spend

Construction Companies, Complete With Contact Info and Project Activity

Start searching now at projects.constructconnect.com.

877-422-8665 ccsales@constructconnect.com

ADVERTISER INDEX

SERVICE TO OUR READERS

Advertiser

Page

Advertiser

Page

3mg PSC

Impact Security

Ad Art

irrigreen.com

159

aim

Jones

Alis Design+

Lakeview Construction, LLC

Amazing Pest Control!

LSI Flooring / UnSquashable Padding

AmericanBiltrite

113

MarketNet

103

104-105

Mike Levin

8, 115

American Cancer Society Archlight Summit

140

National Terrazzo & Mosaic Assocation

AVP Coating

Nationwide Cleaners

BlueStreak Consulting

National Sign Team

Bradley

33, 51

Niagara

151

Canada Light Expo 2026

126

North Georgia Insulation, Co.

153

CDO Group

Ocean Ridge Project Management Group

Onyx Creative

Paint Folks

Poma Retail Development, Inc

44-45

Porcelanosa

116-117

Commercial Construction Coffee Talk Podcast

124-125

Commercial Construction & Renovation Digital Advantage

Commercial Construction & Renovation Digital Hub Exchange

106

Commercial Construction & Renovation Hall of Fame 2026

138-139

Portico Systems

Project Management Consortium (PMC)

58-59

Connect Source Consulting Group

118

Quita Doors

149

Construct Connect

161

Retail Contractors Association

Construction One

Rockerz, Inc.

Delta Commercial

72-73

SignWave Elite

CVR 2-1

East to West

StoreCrafters Inc.

Facility RX Services

123

Travelstead Group

Genesis Global Inc.

TYPAR

137

Geo Week Conference and Tradeshow

Vadara

147

Goodwin Commercial

Veterans Worldwide Maintenance

Haas Door

145

Warmly Yours

Heritage Fire Security

Window Film Depot

CV3

Hunter Building Corp

111

Wolverine Building Group

Identicom Sign Solutions

131

ZipWall

162

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

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ISSUE 8, 2026 — COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION

163

PUBLISHER’S PAGE

by David Corson

Opening Day: You Don’t Win Without the Preparation

his weekend marked the opening of another NFL season. Millions of us watched teams finally take the field after months of anticipation. But what we saw on opening weekend didn’t start this weekend. It started months ago.

Teams evaluated talent and made their selections in the NFL Draft. Coaches installed systems during offseason workouts. Players reported to training camp. Teams practiced, competed and worked through preseason games. Rosters were evaluated and eventually cut to the final 53. Then came opening day. Sound familiar? That’s a construction project. Before anybody breaks ground, somebody has to assemble the team. Owners, architects, engineers, general contractors, project managers, superintendents, subcontractors and suppliers all have to be identified and brought together. Then comes planning.

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COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — ISSUE 8, 2026

Schedules are developed. Budgets are established. Drawings are reviewed. Materials are selected. Responsibilities are assigned. Problems are identified before they become problems in the field. That’s your offseason and training camp. Preconstruction is your preseason. You test the plan. You ask questions. You make adjustments. You find weaknesses. You make sure everybody understands the playbook. Then somebody hands you the ball. It’s opening day. Once construction starts, the preparation matters. Weather changes. Materials get delayed. Designs change. Schedules tighten. Something you never anticipated suddenly lands right in front of you. That’s when your people, preparation and tools come together. And today, those tools are better than ever. Project management platforms, construction software, mobile technology, real-time collaboration and AI are giving our industry capabilities we couldn’t have imagined 25 years ago. They can help us communicate faster, manage information, identify problems and make better decisions. But technology doesn’t win the game. People do. The best quarterback still needs an offensive line. The best coach needs players who execute. And the greatest game plan in the world doesn’t matter if nobody can deliver when the ball is snapped. Construction is no different. Give talented people great technology and you have a powerful combination. But at some point, someone still has to make the decision, solve the problem and execute. That’s what this year’s CCR Project Management Services & Construction Software Report is really about—giving good people better tools to perform at a higher level. Every construction project has its draft, training camp, preseason and opening day. The question is what happens when the game begins. Prepare the team. Know the playbook. Use the tools. Execute the plan. Then GSD—Get Stuff Done. That’s how you win. Here’s to prosperity for us all as we begin to close out 2026 and head into 2027 with good health, safe travels & loving what we all do. And as always, Keep the Faith. -DC

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