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General Contracting, Pre-construction, Construction Management, Budget Development, Design-Build, Ground- Up , Tenant Fit-Out, and Renovation

INTERVIEW WITH BEN HARRIES, CFO OF DEVELOPMENT

What is your business model?

“Our business model operates with a team oriented approach. When a job comes in the door, estimating and executive management generate a construction proposal or design build proposal. Each project is then handed off to a field superintendent, project manager, and assistant pm. The team is responsible for turning the site into an occupiable space, with management oversight and a solution oriented support network.”

What is your personal role in the business?

” I act as CFO and am in charge of business development. My role is to run the back office as well as act as a project and relationship oversight. My partner Todd Haynie, runs estimating and is in charge of the field side of all the construction, as well as acting as Project Executive on multiple concepts we work with. Both of us strap a fire extinguisher on our back every day as we push our teams to be passionately solution oriented.”

Briefly explain the stand out projects you are currently working on.

” We are currently building a Catch Steak Restaurant in Manhattan in the meat packing district. This is a fast paced build with extremely high end finishes. It’s our second high end restaurant project in Manhattan, NY.”

” Secondly, we are converting the medical office building at 51 Franklin, in downtown Annapolis, into multi family condos. On this project, we’re working for a developer to convert the infrastructure from office to residential multi family use. Then Gate One Builders is coming in to build out the high end residential interiors.”

You seem passionate about the project in Annapolis. Tell me more.

“Well we really enjoy projects where we can be conservative and take advantage of the existing structure, without creating a new footprint. This particular project is an adaptive reuse of an old medical building, which we are turning into luxury condos. The building will have a complete facade remodel including a roof deck, balconies, the addition of a lot of glass, as well as high end finishes inside and out.

What is your goal for 2019?

” We are focused on growing our volume this year. We anticipate a 30% growth over last year, at a minimum. We are focusing more on our design build relationships and growing that side of our business right now. In construction, you’re only as good as your last project. Relationship management is something we work to improve every day, and that will continue as well. If you haven’t heard it enough, our culture is to provide our customers with a consistent level of service and insist on providing a solution, rather than presenting problems and roadblocks at every turn.”

Brian Jacobs | 301-461-7987