< PreviousCEO and President of ABC Michigan, Jimmy E Greene, took time out of his day to discuss a number of important issues the ABC are currently dealing with. One of the main issues the chapter faced recently was the union-led push to bring back a non-right to work state. “That advocacy piece was to ensure that we remained a ‘right to work’ state. We advocate on behalf of our members to ensure that we have fair and open competitive commercial building here in the state of Michigan, that we have a robust workforce here in the state of Michigan, and more impor- tantly, ensuring that we are a culture where new business wishes to come in and be able to build under those kinds of cultural and philosophical issues.” The term ‘right to work state’ simply means that unionization is not compulsory in states where this law applies. Therefore, employers are not able to force employees to participate in a union or to pay union dues. If a worker is not in a right to work state, this mandates union participation, manufacturing, and some commercial aspects. There are currently only 26 states who have the right to choose union representation. While recent political challenges have repealed right to work in Michigan, in a move that will lead to mandated unionism, Jimmy believes that this is not what the people of Michigan want. While he may not be able to speak for the whole state of Michigan, he can certainly speak for the construction industry within it. ABC Michigan is an association driven by its members and everything the association does is for the benefit of its mem- bers. Listening to their members and finding the best way to represent them is a giant part of what this association does. “The association is nothing without its people. What do you advocate for? Who are you advocating on behalf of if not your members? That’s really what I love about our associ- ation. That we are advocating on behalf of real people who have real businesses, who hire real employees, and that's what makes it all worthwhile. The building is nothing more than a name, a structure. The people that run or operate those companies, who work for those companies, that’s where advocacy really matters.” With the members forming the core of ABC Michigan, it only makes sense that the association finds ways to celebrate and honor them. The Excellence in Construction (EIC) awards recognizes and promotes the quality workmanship by ABC merit shop contractors and their employees. Projects are judged by a panel of independent, non-member judges repre- senting a cross-section of the construction industry including clients, facility directors, building inspectors, architects, and engineers from the Michigan area — almost like the Oscars of the construction industry. “We are advocating on behalf of real people who have real businesses, who hire real employees, and that's what makes it all worthwhile.” Midland Country Club Photo by Three Rivers Corporation | 40 MAY 2023Nominees compete against each other for the Michigan title, with the winner of Michigan going on to compete at national levels. When explaining to me how the competition process works, Jimmy compared it to The Miss America Pageants — each state finds one individual to represent that state nationally — which I must admit gave me a good giggle. While the process may be similar to that of Miss America, the “talent round” is in a league of its own. Nomi- nees are competing against the best of the best within their industries and simply being nominated is an outstanding achievement in its own right. Recognition and publicity will be given to the Excellence in Construction winner in each category as well as the Project Manager, Superintendent, and/or Foreman on the project. Having the option to attend these awards is something that not so long ago was unavailable. COVID-19 took its toll on the construction industry, and many are still dealing with the aftermath of the pandemic. While sickness seemed like the major threat at first, a lot of companies within the construction industry have been chasing their tail to try to get back on track. “We have a terrible workforce gap. I'm not sure where every- body went, but that's been a slowdown. When you have less workers to finish a project, this elongates the timeline, which of course pushes the backlog out further and further. It’s not the best environment to be in because building construction is not supposed to be permanent. You know, these are all temporary jobs. You start, you finish, you move on to the next one. So, the longer you're on the job site, the longer the next job timeframe begins.” While the condition of the industry itself suffered in certain areas, ABC Michigan’s business actually grew considerably. The pandemic brought on a lot of extra work such as read- justing building codes, separation of workspaces and more. The backlog of work which resulted from the pandemic has also ensured that ABC Michigan is in for a busy next year. If anything, the pandemic did not weaken ABC Michigan, it made them stronger. As the association continues to grow and strengthen, at its core will always be their members. Everything ABC Michigan does, or every task they undertake, is done so with the ben- efit of their members at the forefront. While society may not have latched on to the meritocratic approach of making sure people are rewarded for their worthiness, you can bet that the people at ABC Michigan will continue fighting to make sure their members are rewarded on merit alone and continuing the business of a one stop merit shop. MyMichigan Health Heart and Vascular Center Photo by Three Rivers Corporation | 41 APEIRON CONSTRUCTION| 42 MAY 2023WRITTEN BY AOIFE CHANEY W olverine Building Group is a general contractor and construction management company headquartered in Grand Rapids, West Michigan. A nationally rec- ognised construction leader backed by an impressive eighty years of service, Wolverine Building Group prides itself on being one of West Michigan’s most trusted construction com- panies. It’s not unusual for a construction company to claim involvement in all facets of construction, but in the case of Wolverine Building Group the claim is meant quite literally. One day you might see the company building natural habitats for the animals at John Ball Zoo or a state-of the art healthcare facility, while the next it’s busy raising the roof on a multi-storey hotel building or bringing a new Wendy’s restaurant to a North American town. Whatever it does comes with an excellence that stems from eight decades of experience. Wolverine Building Group works primarily in four market seg- ments, all of whiach brings it varied levels of demand depend- ing on socioeconomic trends. The first is the multi-family mar- ket, followed by industrial, commercial, and finally the National Accounts division. Within these market segments Wolverine Building Group provides a long list of construction services, from General Contracting and Construction Management to Design/Build and Historic Preservation. The multi-family market is wide ranging and includes afford- able housing, market-rate units, historical renovation, student housing, senior living, and in-place rehab. “That’s been my main focus for the last couple of years,” says Kurtis Fritz, Senior Project Manager at Wolverine Building Group. “I’m currently working on a 233-unit apartment building in Brighton, Michigan called Vista. That’s going to be one of largest single construc- tion projects in the city. It’s a very cool apartment building, very modern. It has a large central courtyard, the middle of the build- ing is carved out and open to the sky, so the residents have a nice secure outdoor area to hang out.” Another project that falls under the umbrella of the multi-family market is Home- 2Suites by Hilton, a 4-story residential building in Byron Center, Michigan. The building also hosts a saltwater pool, outdoor patio seating, a fire pit, and electrical vehicle charging facilities. The project’s complex design was achieved through Wolverine Building Group’s extensive pre-planning process and its unique ability to understand the project’s intricate needs. | 43 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONThe commercial construction market is a catch-all for every- thing else and can include projects such as healthcare facil- ities, offices, and business complexes. On the Commercial side Fritz is quick to highlight the Helen Devos Children’s Hospital, a state-of-the-art healthcare facility dedicated to paediatric care. “That was probably one of the most-high profile projects we’ve done,” he says. The construction of the facility included the use of Building Information Modelling, or BIM, which provides a digital representation of a built asset based on collaboratively assembled information and acts as a shared source of knowledge which can be accessed during the building's life cycle, from conception to demolition. Fritz also mentions John Ball Zoo which represents some of the more speciality work that Wolverine Building Group has grown accustomed to. “We do a lot of work with John Ball Zoo on various animal habitats and other improvements around the zoo facility,” he says. Since 2017 Wolverine Building Group and John Ball Zoo have completed 14 projects together in what continues to be a successful partnership. The National Accounts division focuses on big-brand retailers and fast-food restaurants across the country. Joining me to provide insight on that is General Superintendent, Jeff Hennip. “Taco Bells, McDonalds, Wendy’s, basically any of the big fast- food joints that you see all around America,” says Hennip. The fast-food and retail market in America is one that shows no sign of slowing down, and so this is an ever-expanding market segment for Wolverine Building Group and one that acts as a safety net when times are tough. “That division really carried us through the covid years” says Hennip, reflect- ing on a time when restaurants and drive-throughs remained quite profitable. “Those four divisions and our adaptability to move to whatever is the best is really what makes us special,” he continues. “We have a great team here who can roll with punches. If industrial is slow, we focus on multi-family, and if multi-family is slow, we focus on commercial.” In talking about Wolverine Building Groups standout projects, both Hennip and Fritz are in agreement that the 10 Ionia Res- idence Inn by Marriott is not to go unmentioned. “That was a 13-story building that helped further shape the skyline here in Downtown Grand Rapids,” says Fritz. “10 Ionia was full of challenges and full of attributes from the team,” Hennip adds. “The building alone was challenging on every aspect. It was shaped like a pie with curved corners, all precast.” Aside from the physical challenges, the project was also built during covid and right through all the riots that were going on at the time. “Without a great team that project could have fallen apart,” says Hennip. “Not only our internal team but all of our trade partners, we all went through the very same stuff and everyone really stepped it up there.” 10 Ionia Residence Inn by Marriott 10 Ionia Residence Inn by Marriott | 44 MAY 2023solomonplumbing.net616.877.0949 | PYLMANPOWER.COM Congratulations Wolverine Building Group on your continued success! Pylman Power is a full-service electrical contractor experienced in design/build, industrial, commercial, institutional, municipal, and multi-family projects serving clients throughout Michigan since 1968. SERVICES & EXPERTISE Electrical Construction & Installation Electrical Maintenance Electrical Design/Build Electrical Engineering Services Energy Efficiency & Management Services Hennip is perhaps most proud when he goes on to talk about Wolverine Building Group’s non-profit work, namely the 3-story building for Covenant House located on the East Side of the state. This involved the construction of a temporary housing shelter for youths who are experiencing, or at risk of homelessness. The facility allows Covenant House to take in kids, give them housing, help them find work and get them placed into programs for GEDs. “That project was near and dear to my heart, and the heart of Wolverine Building Group because we love our community. Here at Wolverine if you give to an organization, ownership will always match your funds. That makes us pretty special.” Hennip touches on Wolverine Building Group’s superior level of service which is evident in the partnerships it continues to build. “One of the most exciting things we’ve got going on is our partnership with QT Travel stations, starting down south and working their way up to the mid-west,” he says. “We “Its ongoing goal is to be the Master of Construction Delivery in Michigan and beyond.” | 46 MAY 2023started that partnership a couple of years ago in the south and they’ve leaned on us to bring them to the north. We’ve got three going on currently in Illinois and hoping to have another three in Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. It’s a great partnership and that’s really what it comes down to – having someone that really understands you and you understanding them. It makes a big difference.” Wolverine Building Group is busy at work across the state of Michigan, navigating its four market segments and adding new projects to an already-impressive portfolio. Its ongoing goal is to be the Master of Construction Delivery in Michigan and beyond, a goal it is on the right path towards achieving. | 47 APEIRON CONSTRUCTION| 48 MAY 2023WRITTEN BY FIONA SHERIDAN L ansing, Michigan - Consolidated Electrical Contractors, a leading provider of residential, multi-family, and com- mercial electrical services, is closing in on an incredible milestone. Next year, the company celebrates 100 years of business success in Michigan. Since its inception in 1924, the company has been serving its clients with the highest lev- els of professionalism and, in more recent times has grown significantly to become the leading electrical contractor in the region, operating across the state of Michigan from its headquarters in Lansing and regional offices in Grand Rap- ids, Traverse City, Flint and Kalamazoo. This only tells part of the story, however. Consolidated Electri- cal Contractors, formerly known as Lansing Electric Company, has a storied history dating back to its establishment in 1924. Through its commitment to providing exceptional electrical services to the people of Michigan, the company has gained a reputation as a trusted and respected business, thriving even during the challenging times of the Great Depression. However, in 1995, the original owners of the business found themselves unable to continue managing the company due to their advanc- ing age. Thus came a pivotal moment in the history of the busi- ness, one that would herald a hugely successful new period. | 49 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONNext >