Case Studies

Few things can deteriorate like a big unmaintained building, and the folks of Greensboro, North Carolina, were constantly so reminded when they ventured just north of the downtown. For it was there where much of a sprawling, once-teeming mill complex had been crumbling since its looms ceased operating in 1982, there being little need in […]

For two generations, Bridgewater, Massachusetts-based Callahan Construction Managers, a family company, has been bringing projects to life from inception to completion with services designed to meet every phase of construction. Pre-construction, construction management, design-build and design assist as well as the ability to self-perform site work — Callahan Construction Managers has mastered efficient project delivery […]

When the Hyatt chain opened one of its newest resorts near the Caribbean paradise of Cancun on Mexico’s eastern shore, Carl Kernodle, vice president of planning and design, practiced his own method of quality assessment. “I walk the property and talk to the people, asking them where they’re from, how they’re enjoying their vacation and […]

Just business as usual, Carol A. De Young tells Blueprint in late October, and for customers of Countryside Plumbing and Heating Inc. in western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota, that’s cause for comfort. Though she anticipates retiring as president, likely in 2019, De Young assures that family-owned Countryside will keep on keeping on. It’s been six […]

He won’t reveal the client, other than it’s a very well-to-do man—obviously—from Burlington, Vermont, who now calls Greenwich, Connecticut, his legal residence, but returns to the Green Mountain State as often as circumstances allow. By midsummer, that gentleman and his extended family should be enjoying their Vermont downtime in the picture-postcard town of Shelburne where […]

For many professionals, especially the young up-and-comers who so drive the hi-tech, innovative and creative economies, inspiration may not easily spring up among the bland office cubicles where Dilbert is doomed to toil. Co-working spaces may better nurture that all-important start-up feel and foster a sense of community. Then again, traditional offices still serve a […]

At four years old, Graham Garrenton knew he would one day join his family’s utility contracting company, Chesapeake Bay Contractors Inc. (CBC). “I was hopeless even then,” he says. “I had been around this business my whole life, and always wanted to ride the equipment and be out in the field.” Based in Virginia Beach, […]

In the mid-1800s, seeing a mill in New England was about as common as spotting a Red Sox or Patriots cap is today. There were thousands of mills scattered across the region, and towns depended on these local factories not just for the items produced, but even more so for the jobs. Southern Maine’s cities […]

Many construction companies may call themselves custom home builders, but in Chris Edwards’ experience, oftentimes they are only offering customers a choice among pre-selected homes. “It’s what I call a ‘modified tract home,’ and they basically show you their product line of maybe a handful of floor plans and a few designs, and that’s it,” […]

True custom homes are as much art as abode, but building them isn’t without stress for contractors and clients alike. Staying on schedule and on budget is an especially difficult prospect, to a large degree because crews and project managers often work from plans that have never been built before, and clients can request changes […]