< PreviousAnother successful project completed by Flat Iron Building Group was First National, one of the new towers in Down- town Toronto. This project involved a pressurized raised floor system, meaning all airflow and electrical ran under the pressurized raised floor, creating great air quality inside the building. The client originally contemplated tearing out the exist- ing pressurized raised floor system and replacing it with a new finished product. Early in planning, Flat Iron with B+H architects highlighted that this approach would dramatically impact the process of construction due to the opening of the plenum, and the resulting increase in material storage requirements, all of which would impede the trade work and negatively affect the overall schedule and project costs. Due to these concerns, the full team worked very closely and when the client fully understood the tradeoff decisions around schedule and cost, it became clear that the new focus was to achieve the same design intent without having to replace the existing system. With Flat Iron’s assistance in early planning, First National was able to maintain their schedule, but to also come in $500,000 under budget. These stories feed into the values at the heart of Flat Iron and help bring them to life. The values that existed 20 years ago are still inherent in the business today: Be Bold, Be Open and Create Community. The business has grown and evolved through the years and while its core values may have adapted, fundamentally they have not changed. Workers at Flat Iron face the choice to be bold every day. This involves acknowledging problems and addressing uncomfortable situations head on. Not only does this involve being up front with each other, but it requires above all being upfront with clients. Being Bold, in other words, means always doing what is right, not what is easy. The value of being bold for Flat Iron opens the door to the company’s next two values, openness and community. Being open involves the exchange of ideas and taking the most novel viewpoints seriously, while community supports all parties involved and elevates everyone who walks through Flat Iron’s doors. These values are actually particular areas that empower Flat Iron to add that more unique touch, and no one knows this better than Phillips. “Nothing makes me more excited than when somebody says I've got a crazy idea; that is the first step toward openness. But it is really about hearing that out of the box thinking and taking a novel viewpoint First National Toronto, ON | 60 JUNE 2023 seriously while asking, ‘could we actually use a different approach on this?’ The best outcomes are often the result of team effort. No one individual can be as good as a team and to build a team, or community, we need to elevate everybody that comes through the doors and make sure they are properly heard.” As Phillips explains, the essence of a community is ultimately rooted in diversity and inclusion. While the construction indus- try may skew unhelpfully from the level of gender balance found across society, that is far from the case at Flat Iron. “We far exceed on diversity and inclusion metrics. Around 35% of our employees are women but the bigger picture is that we're 50-50 at the senior management team. In addition, 40% of that management team represents different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. That’s unheard of in the sector and we do a lot to develop that in the market. We're very focused on how we bring different perspectives to the market and get them equal voices at the table.” The theme of inclusivity flows through all aspects of Flat Iron Building Group, and not just in the diverse, multicultural, socio-economic background of its workers; but also, through its approach to business. The commitment to have the best minds and best parties at the same table at the same time is not only strategic business, it is strategic inclusion. Looking ahead, Flat Iron plans to work with more strategic business partners from project inception and hopes to be seen as a strategic business partner by their clients. After speaking with Phillips and examining Flat Iron’s business model, it is hard not to see the company as a collective of smart profes- sionals searching for a better, smarter way to do business. Flat Iron plans to work with its clients before a real estate problem has even been identified. For there, it can be part of defining the solution. This way, it can ensure that it can hit both architectural form and function requirements, as well as address any issues related to cost and schedule require- ments. This company cares about the construction industry immensely, and for Phillips, it doesn’t stop there. Along with care, she is extremely proud of the industry as a whole. “I think the other thing for me is to raise the profile of con- struction as a sector. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, people who can build things became somewhat looked down upon by the knowledge worker. Yet the people that I meet in the world of construction know so much and add so much value. If I'm trying to solve a problem from a cost perspective, I want to involve the person, man or woman, that has been on site one hundred times and seen it. There are so many smart people in this world that just might not show up in a suit every day.” Sobeys Innovation Hub Toronto, ON IMCO Toronto, ONBrian Sampson President of ABC Empire State | 62 JUNE 2023WRIT TEN BY EMM A KILCAWLEY HEM ANI ABC Empire State is the New York branch of Associated Builders and Contractors – a construction trade association representing contractors across the United States. The chapter represents more than 400 contractors across the state of New York, assisting its members with business-to-business development through networking events and other connections. Much of the work that ABC Empire State carries out is in the training and education sector. From enroll- ing staff in the associations’ apprenticeship program to providing craft training, safety training or professional training, the association places huge value on ensuring its members are operating at the highest standards. In addition to all this, much of ABC Empire State’s work is in the area of government affairs. According to association President, Brian Sampson, lobbying both in Washington DC and in Albany, the state capital, is hugely neces- sary to “fight against things that tip the scales against our members.” Topics high on its agenda are voicing its opposition to apprenticeship mandates, project labor agreements and responsible contractor ordinance. ABC Empire State places a huge focus on safety. As Sampson explains, much of the work being done at the association is trying to change the narrative around the industry. While he accepts that a mentality still exists that construction is an inherently dangerous profession, he believes that accepting this without question is unhelpful. “We want to see people go home the same way they arrive. Our members spend a lot of time looking at safety information and offering safety classes such as the traditional suite of OSHA 10s, OSHA 30s, fall protections, ladders, and scaffolding.” Not only does the association assist its members with the running of these courses, but it also has its own program. ABC STEP is an evaluation system that is unique to ABC and has been identified by OSHA as a best practice program. STEP is a safety benchmarking and improvement tool that, according to ABC, “dramatically improves safety performance among construction industry participants, regardless of company size or type of work.” embers input information from OSHA 300A logs, workers comp reports and other safety related figures such as any expenditure that goes towards education and training. Members then receive a report show- ing where they stand relative to the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) averages – in a tier system from bronze to diamond. Sampson explains that these gradings are all at an incredibly high standard. “For example, if you are a bronze member, you are about 200% safer than the industry average.” Regardless of the grading received, STEP will give members a roadmap with targets and goals to achieve even better safety standards. | 63 APEIRON CO NSTRUC TIO NThese targets cover every aspect of a job site and members can access new safety learning in a variety of ways such as daily site talks, toolbox talks, and lunch programs. “Through STEP, members could go from being 200% better to being almost 600% better than the industry average.” For Sampson and those at ABC Empire State, it is a hugely important initiative both for members and the industry in general. With this in mind, the association is committed to working closely with its members, guiding them through the steps involved to ensure that they see results. “We work with our members, helping them with managing investments in education and training. If they use their processes correctly, the user training and their equipment, everybody should be equally safe on a construction site and be able to go home just the same way they arrived. At the end of the day, I don’t care who you are, nobody wants to have an injury on their work site, nobody wants to have a significant injury on their work site, nobody certainly wants to have a death on their work site.” The benefits of the STEP program are far-reaching. In addition to ensuring that construction workers are safer, Sampson feels that it has the additional benefit of “leveling the playing field legislatively.” For him, it ensures parity between union contractors and non-union contractors. “In a state like New York that has been largely influenced by union propaganda over the years, there's an image that exists about what non- union contractors are, and it's a false narrative. STEP allows us to gather accurate and verifiable safety information. We can use this information when we meet with elected officials, either at the Statehouse or at the localities, and show them the real safety picture in the non-union construction commu- nity as it relates to ABC members.” Working with legislators forms a large part of the work ABC Empire State does. The need to keep a constant presence in discussions is vital. In late 2016, a piece of legislation was introduced in New York City which mandated apprenticeship programs on certain projects. ABC Empire State and Samp- son feel that this has had hugely detrimental effects on its members. According to Sampson, the legislation effectively said that “every project from ten stories up, whether public or private, would have to be built using a state registered appren- ticeship program.” This mandate, he feels, was the politiciz- ing of construction industry deaths and has only resulted in excluding ABC members from a share of the industry. “The narrative coming from the building trades was that there had been an unfortunate number of deaths in the construction industry. They said, ‘if you're a contractor that has an appren- ticeship program, you're naturally safer and better than the industry. Therefore, we're going to do this apprenticeship mandate.’ It had nothing to do with safety. Most of the unfor- tunate deaths were taking place on projects that were nine stories and below. A piece of legislation like that in New York, with apprenticeship being so difficult, is nothing more than a market grab from organized labor. They were politicizing those deaths as a means to get market share back that they lost by being too expensive. If we are really going to talk about keeping construction workers safe, then we have to come up with a plan that keeps every construction worker safe.” | 64 JUNE 2023With this in mind, ABC Empire State introduced its nine- point safety plan, which states that every construction worker in New York City should have OSHA 10, OSHA 30, fall protection, trenching and excavating, first aid and CPR. The process of introducing this plan began in 2017 and, thankfully, the association came through for its members. In October of that year, the city passed the most extensive site safety training requirements for every construction worker, leading to the creation of site safety training cards. These cards govern who works on sites in the city, with Sampson explaining: “Everybody has to have at least an OSHA 10, 8 hours of fall protection, 2 hours of drug and alcohol and an additional 20 hours of additional construction training - or they have to have an OSHA 30 and 8 hours of fall protection and the two hours of drug and alcohol.” For Sampson, this achievement demonstrates the core need for non-union associations. “I think that's the role that organizations like ABC play in leveling the playing field for everybody and cre- ating uniformity. If you are affiliated with a union or not, it shouldn't matter. You're a construction worker. We want to keep you safe.” In terms of the industry outlook for the rest of 2023, Samp- son notes that while the state has a “fairly significant” potential influx of money from infrastructure investment, challenges still remain in the form of inflation and rising interest rates alongside increased pricing of materials and extended delivery times. Coupled with this, there is the constant issue of labor shortages. As Sampson explains, an ageing workforce simply cannot keep up with a demand of over half a million jobs across the country. This is some- thing, he says, his members are finding a challenge. “I don't believe we have a single member in our chapter that isn't looking for people right now and has more than the job openings that they would prefer.” As one of the largest chapters in the country, ABC Empire State is working tirelessly to alleviate these challenges for its members. With education and training a consistent support alongside a strong legislative presence, achievements are being made and the playing field is being leveled. At its core, Sampson feels that it is an issue of education. ABC Empire State needs to advocate and work for its members because he feels, without this advocacy, the risk is that they may get left behind. “We have to educate, not only our members and their employees, but the general public about what's going on. In New York, you would like to think that politics isn't the ultimate decision maker, but it is.” “If they use their processes correctly, the user training and their equipment, everybody should be equally safe on a construction site.” | 65 APEIRON CO NSTRUC TIO NPresident and COO at Hudson Meridian, Cote “never looked back.” Evidently, it was a wise decision. Hudson Meridian is now one of the largest open shop builders in New York City with a strong reputation as the leading construction manager in the tri-state area. Building primarily for developers, Hudson Meridian works on a large number of residential construction and large-scale proj- ects such as institutions, hospitality, commercial and retail. Unsurprisingly for a company of this size however, its skillset and experience go significantly further than this. In fact, as Monte explains, the scope of services that Hudson Meridian offers to the market encapsulates the full-spectrum. By taking an approach that prioritizes customer satisfaction at every stage of the process the company can bring huge benefits to its clients. “Hudson Meridian excels at the conceptual estimat- ing. We look to get involved in projects early on in a pre-con- struction phase and help developers, or whatever client we’re working for, to shape their budget and time frame.” From there, WRIT TEN BY EMM A KILCAWLEY HEM ANI Success in the construction industry is built on a num- ber of things such as hard work, perseverance, and skill. Occasionally however, timing can be every bit as important. William Cote, Hudson Meridian owner and founder, accepted a contract with the city to manage the post 9/11 clean-up. For Cote, the move meant bravely leaving a company he had worked with for a considerable length of time. While the opportunity to grow and develop may have contained an element of risk, the timing proved crucial. Though his ex-employers may have lost his services, the industry gained Hudson Meridian. According to Peter Monte, | 66 JUNE 2023the team then manages every project across several stages while delivering industry leading quality and professionalism. Things do not stop there either. Under Cote’s guidance, the company has recently expanded to incorporate a development arm which operates alongside, though separate, to Hudson Meridian. Once again, Cote seems to have got the timing right. The company is currently completing its first development, a large residential project in New Haven. Monte explains that this venture is proving to be an exciting one for all at Hudson Meridian. “We are actively looking at other developments, and our strategy is to move further in that direction.” With such unrivalled success and continued growth, it is vital that Hudson Meridian ensures its workers and jobsites adhere to the highest safety standards. In an industry that is struggling to shake off a reputation for being inherently dangerous, it is no surprise to learn that safety is high on the agenda for the team at Hudson Meridian. As Walter Haass, SVP of Risk Management at Hudson Meridian explains, the concept of jobsite safety is a key aspect of the work Hudson Meridian does. “The health and safety of our employees, and all those that our work affects, is of paramount importance.” Haass goes on to share that during his career with Hudson Meridian, he has participated in multiple councils, groups, and trade presentations, all geared towards a focus on safety in the industry. While he found that many participants had framed their approach as ‘making safety a priority’, he believes that lip service and soundbites such as these simply don’t go far enough. “I have never liked that phrasing. Priorities can change and there are always competing interests and competing priorities.” As Haass goes on to explain, Hudson Meridian go much further in this regard. “My time with Hud- son has been to continue the legacy that William established early on, and to ensure that safety has the highest value at the business.” This value, he explains, drives every one of the company’s initiatives and is always part of its approach to providing services within the industry. | 67 APEIRON CO NSTRUC TIO NThese words carry real weight. In an environment where companies can occasionally try to meet the bare minimum in terms of safety, Hudson Meridian is a genuine outlier. The company offers multiple in-house safety initiatives and train- ing to its employees and, as Haass explains, the benefits it brings to the wellbeing of staff is enormous. “While we are a construction management services firm and we utilize con- tractors to perform the physical construction of the projects, we provide training across all trade disciplines to our employ- ees. This enables them to be better prepared, and to provide the necessary support to our trade contractors in the safe performance of their respective work.” For a company of Hudson Meridian’s size, an impressive port- folio of work is expected. However, within this, the company has had a number of standout projects that best showcase the quality of work being completed. One of these is 2401 3rd Avenue in the Bronx. This project is described by Monte as being “a testament to the perseverance of our company”. Beginning right before the pandemic, it is understandably a source of immense pride. This is also in part to the complex challenges the company faced during its completion. With a contractor defaulting mid-way through, Hudson Meridian was tasked with stepping in to finish fabricating both the windows and walls. The project itself consisted of three towers on a podium in Motthaven, The Bronx. Currently, two of the three towers are occupied with the third tower due to reach the market soon. The property has on-site park- ing, 460 rental units and measures an impressive 480,000 gross square feet. Costing around $190 million, the project | 68 JUNE 2023 is “taking a bit longer than we originally scheduled,” Monte explains. However, given the circumstances of its comple- tion, it has been an impressive achievement. “In light of the fact that we were required to complete the project during a pandemic, I think I’m safe to say the owner views the job as a success based.” “The company offers multiple in-house safety initiatives and training to its employees.” | 69 APEIRON CO NSTRUC TIO NNext >