Case Studies Region: Midwest

While Chris Freund’s title at Rockwood School District may be director of facilities now, it’s not the one he started with. He was previously the district’s grounds services coordinator. Before that, grounds services supervisor, and before that, grounds services employee. Prior to holding any of those titles, though, he held one much more common in […]

The demand for fast food remains high even with the worst of COVID-19 seemingly over. That should keep Chad Halley busy as he helps three popular outlets meet demand while factoring what might be changing consumer habits. More drive-thru lanes or restaurants with only drive-thru lanes? More investment in the technology and machinery strictly for […]

The pandemic notwithstanding, it always helps to walk the premises and meet the decision-makers. Carleton Knotts did just that this past December at a small rural hospital undergoing renovations in the Texas Panhandle. Director of energy, construction and facility management for the group purchasing organization Intalere, Knotts was in the Lone Star State to advise […]

There’s something about an on-site visit from a corporate boss that can be unsettling. Especially in these uncertain economic times. Though Curtis Furtaw doesn’t want that to be the case when he makes regular stops at the eight rental properties he oversees for City Club Apartments. Sure, his letterhead identifies him as senior regional facilities […]

Once completed in the fall of 2020, the 275,000-square-foot Catalyst Development building—located in the heart of downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan—will stand as a towering testament to the city’s recent resurgence. Known as CD-12, the seven-story multi-use structure of concrete, brick and glass, will strike a deft balance between modernity and the region’s industrial past. The building’s […]

Craig Carpenter says he is not the jack-of-all-trades, he’s the master of one—and that suits him just fine. On the cusp of celebrating a 30-year anniversary in the home remodeling business, Carpenter remembers starting up Custom Remodelers in Lino Lakes with brothers Kevin and Chad and older sister Corinne. Back in the early days, growing […]

If you’ve ever wondered why the parking lots of America’s convenience stores and gas stations aren’t constantly jammed with delivery trucks—one for each of the hundreds of brands that line the shelves inside—Core-Mark International’s Henderson Distribution Center is one of the big reasons why. Located on the southwest outskirts of Las Vegas, the sprawling complex […]

Three major casinos abound in the greater Tulsa, Oklahoma, area, means a high-stakes arms race among them, and the need for each to adapt in an ever-evolving gaming business. This past fall, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa ascertained it’s in the game for the long haul. Completing an extensive remodeling of rooms, some of […]

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 […]

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 […]