< PreviousToday, the company remains a family-owned business, managed by two generations of the Zavoral family. They work alongside numerous colleagues and friends who have all become an integral part of the company family. Although R.J.’s passing in 1990 was a profound loss, his legacy contin- ues. The values he instilled—high quality work, mutual care, honesty, respect and a steadfast adherence to safety stan- dards—remain the foundation of the company's success. Having experienced the unpredictable nature of the con- struction industry for many decades, the company's current growth trajectory is impressive. From humble beginnings, R.J. Zavoral & Sons Inc. has grown into a powerful force in the Red River Valley region's earth-moving domain. In recent years, the company has seamlessly woven technology into its fleet, harnessing GPS tracking to garner real-time opera- tional data that facilitates insightful management and opera- tion of its projects. This technological edge has proven to be indispensable, enabling precise control and product delivery in its mass excavation, road building, and flood control proj- ects. These developments have reinforcing R.J. Zavoral & Sons Inc. as a paragon of construction excellence, rooted in history, and building towards the future. What distinguishes the company from its competitors is its deeply ingrained family values. Being family-owned means there’s a strong sense of pride and responsibility in how the company operates and serves its clients. "Every proj- ect reflects our family’s name," states Dave, underscoring the company's commitment to upholding the company’s esteemed reputation. Dave is especially keen on emphasiz- ing its dedication to ensuring that every client is treated with the utmost respect and ensuring that “every project is done right" — a sentiment for which the company is well-known. For a company rooted in the community, it is no surprise that R.J. Zavoral & Sons Inc. extends its family values beyond business to societal roles. These values are reflected in its disaster prevention and broader commitments to the Red River Valley region. A particularly noteworthy example is its collaboration with the US Army Corps of Engineers in the flood-prone areas of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks. For R.J. Zavoral & Sons Inc., this wasn't just another project; it was a mission to save countless lives. The company views its role not merely as contractors but as active community members, safeguarding communities against the devastat- ing whims of nature. Additionally, the company's quest for excellence doesn't stop at project completion. Every year, it presents one of its projects for accolades, garnering numer- ous awards and commendations over the years. At the core of R.J. Zavoral & Sons Inc. are its employees. As Dave explains, the company recognizes the integral role his coworkers play, not only in its ongoing success, but in the success of the construction industry as a whole. The com- pany makes great efforts to ensure its values are put into practice by providing a safe, healthy, and flexible environment that promotes a positive work-life balance. "Joining us means you're family. We celebrate together, support each other, and are passionate about our work," he says. "At our company, we strive to create a supportive and family-like atmosphere for our employees. We believe that when our employees feel valued and supported, they are able to do their best work and go the extra mile." This people-centric approach ensures that while the business's objectives are met, employees are also supported, positioning the company as a considerate and forward-thinking employer. Yet, challenges persist. The modern era poses recruitment difficulties, with dwindling interest in construction careers. To combat this issue, the team at R.J. Zavoral & Sons Inc. have prioritized a positive work environment. With the goal of “At our company, we strive to create a supportive and family-like atmosphere for our employees.” | 30 DECEMBER 2023FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP R.J. ZAVORAL & SONS Thank You being an attractive place of employment, existing employees proudly share their positive experiences, advocating for the company's reputation. The company has also embarked on a proactive initiative by reaching out to local high schools. Its objective was to introduce younger individuals to the field, acquainting them with the construction industry and poten- tial opportunities. The belief driving this initiative was simple: young individuals cannot develop a passion for a field unless they are familiar with its ins and outs. Another challenge, and one that is present across the indus- try, is ensuring the safety of its employees. Unsurprisingly, the company’s family ethos, ensures that all employees are given the same level of safety support. For Dave, safety is non-negotiable. “Safety is our top priority. We have a compre- hensive safety program in place, and we train our employees on the latest safety procedures. We also invest in the best safety equipment and technology." The company partners with STEP, an acronym for Safety Training and Evaluation Process, a pivotal program facilitated by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). ABC evalu- ates the company's business practices and helps enhance its safety program. In addition, ABC provides the essential tools and guidance necessary to ensure proper safety training for all employees. Moreover, this program serves as a metric, allowing the company to gauge whether it is keeping on top of current safety trends and effectively ensuring the safest possible work environment. R.J. Zavoral & Sons Inc. is a family-owned construction com- pany with a rich history, a deep commitment to community, and a bright future. Built on family values such as hard work, honesty, and respect, the company is dedicated to providing its clients with the highest quality services. This is a company that is growing and evolving, with a considerable history of success already behind it. By remaining true to its core val- ues, R.J. Zavoral & Sons is building a safer tomorrow, one project at a time.WRITTEN BY DAVID O’NEILL C alifornia is currently on track to become the fourth-largest economy in the world. Its scale, quality, and standard of living is the envy of most. However, with any place of this magnitude, significant problems exist. While the state is home to Hollywood, surf, and the Golden Gate Bridge, it is also home to more than 170,000 homeless people, a figure that is almost half of the unsheltered homeless population in the entire United States. When we look at these figures in more detail, it seems that a significant portion of these residents are to be found in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Bay Area is, on any given night, the location for nearly 40,000 homeless individuals. So, in a state as populous, scenic, and wealthy as California, what can be done to combat the rising, and now chronic home- lessness situation? Additionally, can we turn to some of the residents, individual and companies alike, to assist with these efforts? | 32 DECEMBER 2023| 33 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONIt must be acknowledged; the state of California has not been reluctant to offer financial assistance to the crisis. In the four years from 2018 to 2022, a stunning $17.5 billion has been spent trying to address the situation. However, dis- appointingly, homelessness figures have worsened over this time rather than improved. According to Jason Elliott, senior adviser on homelessness to Gov. Gavin Newsom, the state is nowhere near where it would like to be. “The problem would be so much worse, absent these interventions,” he said. “And that’s not what people want to hear. I get it, we get it.” While he accepts that much needs to be done, he states that it is a problem that goes back decades. “We need 2.5 million more units in California. This is a problem that is decades and decades in the making because of policy choices that we’ve made. We are not blameless. And when I say we, I mean Republicans and Democrats alike.” So, what about modular housing? The concept is not a new one. It has been used in some form for decades and is a proven way of incorporating speed and efficiency to a proj- ect, albeit at the cost of quality or longevity. Until now, the use of modular building for long-term family housing has not been explored in great detail. So, as the industry battles to keep up with an ever-growing demand for homes, what use could ‘flat-packed’ homes be to a market that is experiencing a crisis? Given that there a shortfall of seven million homes in the U.S., with the San Francisco Bay Area —the home of Big Tech— one of the worst affected, can the power of these companies be harnessed to fill the gap? Tipping Point Community is a leading philanthropic organi- zation that finds, funds, and strengthens the most promising poverty-fighting solutions in the Bay Area. Led by current CEO Sam Cobbs, the organization works “by pairing effective direct service grantmaking with policy work to disrupt the conditions that hold poverty in place.” It was set up in 2005 by Daniel Lurie who had previous experience in the sector having worked for the Robin Hood Foundation, an organi- zation dedicated to fighting poverty in New York City. Lurie believes that worthwhile connections need to happen for real success. “So many organizations in the philanthropic sector have their hearts in the right place, but when it comes to fight- ing poverty, good intentions aren’t enough. Low-income fam- ilies deserve access to the most effective services that can help them break the cycle of poverty for good, and donors deserve a return on their philanthropic investments.” One of these connections has been with Google and Facebook, two headline employers in the Bay region. Factory_OS is a Google and Facebook backed company that is working towards modernizing, innovating, and revo- lutionizing the modular housing landscape. According to the “On-site assembly is faster, cleaner and far less disruptive to our neighbors.” | 34 DECEMBER 2023company, cost, speed and quality can all be improved upon. “This process brings relentless efficiency to a profoundly inef- ficient industry. In Building 680, Factory_OS can build homes year-round, rain or shine, leveraging the proven principles of lean manufacturing and cutting-edge software technologies. Quality control is better. Workers are safer. Precision cutting and indoor material storage reduce construction waste by more than a third, and reduced transportation requirements lower carbon emissions, making this the greenest building method available today. On-site assembly is faster, cleaner and far less disruptive to our neighbors.” Factory_OS was founded and is currently run by Rick Holl- iday, owner of Holliday Development, a leading provider of sustainable communities through its skill in leveraging private development to create vibrant, sustainable housing in the Bay Area. He believes that the work being done at Factory_OS will ultimately benefit those most in need. “It is an ambitious effort to ease the housing challenge by scaling the off-site production of multifamily housing. Factory OS is a new approach to housing construction, integrating the design and build processes, powered by local union labor and pioneering in-house research and innovation,” he said. The company operates out of an expansive 258,000-square- foot factory in Vallejo, on the outskirts of the Bay Area. According to Holliday’s co-founder, Larry Pace, the speed at which housing can be produced is staggering. “They build one floor approximately every two and a half hours,” he says, referring to the workers in Factory_OS’ HQ. “It’s fast.” Within the factory, workers contribute from various stations, pre- paring separate sections of a house in anticipation of it all being put together. These stations work on sections such as cabinets, roofing, plumbing and electrical wiring. From there, he says, these stations are shipped onto a building site and assembled in a matter of days, rather than months. “It literally becomes a plug-and-play. We have become very proficient at what we do, and it will revolutionize the construction industry from what we’ve seen in the past. It already has.” For Holliday, Factory_OS has come out of a necessity to drive down the costs of housing. “My career has been 40-plus years in housing as a developer with an innovative and affordable focus,” he said. “Eight or nine years ago I started seeing a rapid increase in costs, and knew we had to look at a more cost-ef- fective way.” By partnering with socially focused organizations and securing the necessary funding to expand this cost-ef- fective, fast, and reliable method of producing sustainable housing, we could be at the preface of a sort of revolution. On the Tipping Point project, a remarkable 145 units were created, all at a saving of 30% compared to market rates. However, as Lurie states, things are only just getting started. “At the end of the day we need to prove it’s possible to build in a much more efficient and cost-effective manner. Public-private part- nerships like ours are at their best when they enable the fast moving, flexible approaches we desperately need to accelerate the delivery of homes to those who need them most.” factoryos.com | 35 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONWRITTEN BY MEGHAN BARTON C ompanies everywhere strive to keep up with rapidly changing technology, ensuring their teams use the latest sys- tems and software for efficient production, service delivery, and interactions. While businesses value innovative tools for success, it is equally important to consider how technology is physically integrated into their building infrastructure and how the entire ecosystem increasingly operates harmoniously to realize the full potential of workplace performance, well-being, and experience. | 36 DECEMBER 2023CS Erickson is part of the movement to transform how businesses think of commercial, industrial, manufacturing, and healthcare space construction by shifting to technology-led design. The team, under leadership of President, Josh Lester, is redefining the role of specialty trade construction. “Business owners, facility operators, and builders often leave untapped potential or value on the table by leaving technology out of the conversation at the beginning of the building design process. Given the ever-growing demand for technology, there is a need for reform in the process to capture more value,” says Lester. BAMF Health Grand Rapids, MI | 37 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONCS Erickson is a specialty trade contractor based in West Michigan, sup- porting both their local community partners and global clients to build, maintain, and operate smarter environments. Born from the acquisi- tion of two homegrown West Michigan based electrical contracting companies along with an A/V technology portfolio from one of their owner companies, CS Erickson is a young but powerful addi- tion to the nation’s electrical and tech landscape. They are quickly making a name for themselves, jumping to the front of industry innovation and best practice as well as influencing the way busi- nesses understand, integrate, and utilize emerging technologies in their professional environments. CS Erickson specializes in design and construction of smart build- ings, considering both current construction and future operation. They leverage advanced technology to enhance form, function, and expe- rience, ensuring elevated customer experiences and optimal project out- Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing Grand Rapids, MI | 38 DECEMBER 2023comes for architects, builders, owners, and operators. Lester emphasizes, “We understand the kind of partner builders need as well as the partner building owners need, and we’ve figured out how to create the perfect marriage for all in the process.” Leading electrical & technology sys- tems development from concept to construction, CS Erickson helps deliver high-tech projects on time and within budget. With a proven ability to integrate building systems infrastructure and commitment to deliver on a tight schedule, CS Erickson executed a fast and effective solution for Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing (GRAM), manufacturers of quality sterile inject- able manufacturing services. Partnering with Visser Brother General Contractors, CS Erickson helped design and build electri- cal systems for GRAM’s new state-of-the-art 110,000-square-foot finishing center, a build-out of office, warehouse, and production lines with cGMP space. | 39 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONNext >