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Blog written by Findorff’s Evan Bond, Project Engineer

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‍Recently, Findorff utilized BubbleDeck™ Technology at our ProHealth Care – Central Utility Plant project in Waukesha, Wis. Bubbledeck™ is a voided structural slab design that uses recycled plastic spheres sandwiched between layers of reinforcing steel lattice to introduce “voids” into the two-way slab. Using BubbleDeck™ in place of traditional slab construction can reduce weight by up to 35%, thereby dramatically reducing the structural dead weight, and allowing for smaller columns and beams. Similarly, with BubbleDeck™ construction, approximately 1kg of recycled plastic used to form voids will replace 100kg of concrete, while maintaining the two-way span (biaxial) strength. This reduction in concrete provides the following benefits:

Another advantage of utilizing BubbleDeck™ is the positive effect on schedule and the use of prefabrication. The panels utilized at ProHealth Care were constructed offsite and included partial precast with about 2.5″ of concrete, bubbles, and steel. Once the project team was ready, these panels were delivered to the project site and flown into place with a crane where they were poured to grade. The precast concrete allowed the slab to be set on temporary shoring and eliminated the need for all formwork on the underside of the deck. The combination of precast, custom panels and the elimination of formwork vastly increased the installation process.

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Findorff has utilized this technology for several years. In 2012, Findorff was the first general contractor to install BubbleDeck™ in the United States, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison LaBahn Arena. This innovation reduced overall costs, saved two days of construction and used 30% less concrete than traditional methods. Although the BubbleDeck™ system requires extensive coordination at the inception of the project, the cost and time savings benefit everyone involved.

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MADISON – On Thursday, July 14, local truck dealership Wisconsin Kenworth will host a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new state-of-the-art facility at 4539 Kenworth Drive in Windsor, Wis. The site is just north of the company’s former dealership. The event is open to the public and will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

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Wisconsin Kenworth is a subsidiary of CSM Companies based in Madison, Wis. It operates six commercial truck sales and service locations across Wisconsin.

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The 75,700-square-foot building incorporates many new technologies including bays specially designed to provide rapid-assessment diagnostic services and specially equipped areas to service environmentally friendly CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) powered units. Other innovative features include energy-efficient lighting and geothermal heating throughout the service bays and offices.

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Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch will be the event’s guest speaker. CSM Companies CEO Jim Moeller and dignitaries from PACCAR will also be in attendance. Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony will be site tours, food, and entertainment. Additionally, Wisconsin Kenworth is partnering with Second Harvest Foodbank to “fill a truck” with nonperishable food items for local families in need.

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“We are excited to open this new state-of-the-art facility in Windsor,” said Moeller. “This is where we started in 1978. The new technologies and additional space allows us to provide our customers with the best service they have come to expect in a working environment our dedicated employees deserve.” The new facility is expected to add 30 new employees following the opening. It is the newest and most advanced commercial vehicle dealership in the Midwest.

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Media is welcome to attend this highly anticipated ceremony. Photo opportunities will also be available.

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Wisconsin Kenworth selected Findorff as its general contractor. The project’s architect is Excel Engineering.

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Blog written by Findorff’s Joel Powers, Senior Virtual Construction Specialist

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A new generation in the world of Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) and Building Information Modeling (BIM). Advanced technology has allowed for process improvements and efficiencies in the production of construction documents, where a drafter is able to “make the numbers work” from a dimensioning stand point. Within CAD, designers can set a dimension to the nearest inch, when in reality the dimension in a 3D model could be 4’-11 ¾” rather than the 5’-0”.What may seem like a minimal discrepancy can actually lead to significant problems in the field if interior walls are laid out per the construction documents at measurements of 5’-0” versus the model at measurements of 4’-11 ¾”. For example, compound this discrepancy over a 100-foot span. The results could be catastrophic, meaning a project’s plumbing pipes that were supposed to be within a wall cavity could very well be jutting out beyond the wall. This issue would result in unnecessary rework to fix interior walls, which in turn could impact the construction schedule and add unforeseen costs.

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To avoid such mishaps, Findorff’s Virtual Construction team is a valuable asset early on in a project to confirm various dimensions from a 3D model to those in construction documents. This ultimately helps prevent issues from arising in the field. Additionally, working collaboratively with architects and engineers, as well as requesting their BIM files at the start of a project, makes it possible to coordinate items faster and more accurately, saving time and money. In other words, it is incredibly valuable to have accuracy in the numbers.

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Blog written by Findorff’s Nancy Mayek, Marketing Manager

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‍Findorff has had the good fortune to partner with Madison’s John Muir Elementary School for the last few years. It’s rewarding to help in the classroom and cheer students on as they participate in athletic challenges like the Muir Mile Fun Run.

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This year, among other things, Findorff donated school spirit t-shirts to students and staff members. Their appreciation and excitement was evident in the dozens of colorful thank you cards we recently received. Each of them took the time to design their own card and write a personal note.

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Gloria, a fourth grader, mentioned what it means to go to such a great school. “It means you are cared about” she said. “There are fun activities, inside and outside. On fieldtrips, we learn and have fun. We feel safe and trusted.” But it was Liam, a second grader, who summed up what is most important to the student body, “Having at least three recesses is the best.

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”Hanging out with such great students, teachers and staff, means a lot to those of us at Findorff. We look forward to future opportunities to share our continued support of their incredible school community.

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MADISON – Findorff is excited to announce Project Manager Mike Stern has been recognized as the 2016 Chairman of the Year by the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Greater Milwaukee.

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Stern lives and breathes project management, yet he still maintains a grassroots approach and prides himself on remaining fully invested in the Milwaukee community. Through Stern’s role in the AGC of Greater Milwaukee’s Construction Leadership Council, he has been a conduit for general contractors, specialty contractors, and many others to help develop future industry leaders.

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Stern has also made his mark on many notable projects throughout Milwaukee. For instance, Stern completed The Moderne, a 30-story mixed-used high rise in Milwaukee’s Park East Corridor. His proudest accomplishment while working on The Moderne included helping put at least 500+ union builders to work. Additionally, Stern recently completed the 15,000-square-foot, new premier office for Milwaukee World Festival Inc., as well as numerous projects for ProHealth Care Waukesha Memorial Hospital. Currently, Stern is working on the office development for Wangard Partners at North Water Street in downtown Milwaukee.

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When not volunteering his time for many community service initiatives, such as Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee and the American Heart Association, Stern enjoys spending time with his wife Kari and their two young daughters.

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June 1, 2016 (Madison, Wis.) – Findorff is excited to announce several recent promotions of talented, hardworking people that have been instrumental to the Company’s success over the years:

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Blog written by Findorff’s Jeff Eckstein, Business Development Healthcare

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‍In celebration of National Hospital Week and its “Health Care from the Heart” message, I’m reminded of how important a hospital’s staff members are to Findorff. Whether we are building a new state-of-the-art healthcare facility or performing renovations, maintaining a healthy relationship with hospital employees is key as they support all of our healthcare projects.

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Recently, Findorff completed over a 152,000-square-foot renovation for a large, community-based acute care hospital. Over 430 patient rooms, spread throughout 10 departments on four floors, underwent a multiphased renovation. One area in particular that stood out during this renovation included the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Labor, Delivery, Recovery and Postpartum (LDRP) units. These departments were top priorities for Findorff, as they care for the most vulnerable children, as well as calmly support labor and delivery activities on a daily basis. During this delicate renovation, Findorff worked with hospital staff to:

While caring for these sensitive departments, the hospital staff spent a lot of time with Findorff planning, verifying critical details, as well as ensuring all facilities were always safe and functional. Such efforts simultaneously took place to also manage routine care of patients with the hospital’s increased safety demands. Without a dedicated hospital staff, we wouldn’t have been able to seamlessly transition from one phase to the next.

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We join you in celebrating everyone that contributes to the health of our communities and invests in caring from their hearts everyday of every year – Thank you for your dedication!

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April 29, 2016 (Madison, Wis.) – Findorff received the Safety Excellence Award from the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Wisconsin. This award recognizes construction firms with at least 4,000 work hours, no fatalities, and a low lost-time incident rate.

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For years Findorff has been a trailblazer in safety. As early as 1954, the Company’s field workers were wearing hardhats before they were even required in the industry. Over 60 years later, Findorff continues to be a leader. As the Award exemplifies an ongoing commitment to safety and hard work, “Findorff is proud to again receive such high marks,” said Findorff’s Safety Director Sonny Femal. “Safety is at the core of everything we do. We continuously take proactive steps through preplanning and education to protect our field staff, subcontractors, clients, and the general public.”

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“Our goal is to progressively enhance construction practices to make Findorff the safest contractor in the Midwest,” continued Femal. “Every day we commit ourselves to creating an atmosphere where all employees are involved in making safety one of their top priorities, both on and off the site. The most rewarding part is knowing our safety practices help ensure Findorff’s people can go home uninjured to their loved ones at the end of the day.”

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Much gratitude goes out to everyone that makes Findorff’s sites safe, especially the Company’s dedicated field staff that withstands all four seasons to build the vital communities where we all live, work, and play.

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Blog written by Findorff’s Chad Eschler, Business Development

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‍Findorff created the Special Projects Group (SPG) in Madison 10 years ago. The SPG was developed to accommodate requests for efficient ways to complete smaller, miscellaneous work for our clients.

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So we got busy. We purchased a van, assigned a manager to the group and set out to exceed the needs of our clients. The SPG took off! We found that clients appreciated the resources and expertise that we could bring to projects of all shapes and sizes. From a $150 door adjustment to a $500,000 lab renovation, the SPG can truly do anything. Last year alone, the team completed over 300 projects throughout southern Wisconsin.

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Now a decade later, Findorff is extremely proud of the SPG’s growing success. We’ve added more vans, more staff, a Milwaukee division, and have thousands of successful projects under our (tool) belts. Most recently, the SPG team has worked on a variety of parking ramps in both the Madison and Milwaukee areas. The team is even working on four major parking ramp renovations currently. Due to the nature of repairs, SPG has partnered with our client for almost seven years! Each year we have had a three-month window to get as much work completed as we can – Our last phase will occur this fall.

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Additionally, our team is very excited about completing a major renovation to a historic local sorority this summer. Over the past five years, this sorority has asked Findorff’s SPG to perform various work on its facility. From minor masonry repairs to energy efficient upgrades, SPG has helped the client prioritize projects, budget upcoming work, and ultimately provide its residents with a great place to call home.

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Findorff is prepared to meet any construction need for all types of projects and we look forward to what the year will bring!

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MADISON – Findorff is excited to announce the ribbon cutting at Grace Episcopal Church, which has been a center of ministry on the Capitol Square and throughout Madison for over 175 years. Since 2012, the congregation has been engaged in a process of discernment and fundraising to improve its facilities and make its historic buildings a place of welcome and spiritual respite for the community.

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This special event marks the completion of major renovations, including the Church’s worship space, classrooms, gathering areas, as well as the iconic Cornelia Vilas Guild Hall. Additionally, the reconstruction of the Church’s central stairway from the Loggia to the Nave creates a striking entrance from the courtyard. Rev. D. Jonathan Grieser, Rector of Grace, says “After nearly four years of planning, fundraising, and construction, we are thrilled with the results of the project. Our improved facilities have already enhanced parish life and will open our beautiful and historic facilities to the community.”

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‍Interview and photo opportunities: Media are welcome to attend this local ribbon cutting. Representatives from Grace Episcopal Church, as well as those from the project’s design and construction teams, will be in attendance to speak about the project’s importance to the parish and local community. Photo opportunities will also be available.

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‍Who:   Fr. Jonathan Grieser, John Wood, Vince Micha, Steve Klaven, and Jane Ferris will share special remarks.

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‍When: Sunday, April 24 at 12:00pmWhere: 116 West Washington Avenue in Madison, WI

‍Street parking is available along W. Washington Avenue, N. Fairchild Street, and N. Caroll Street. There are also several parking ramps within walking distance.

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‍Much gratitude goes out to all that helped make this major milestone possible for Grace Episcopal Church, especially Kubala Washatko Architects, who was significantly involved in the design and planning efforts.

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