< PreviousPROUD TO BE PART OF YOUR SUCCESSrun our crews have been with us eighteen to twenty years, and our shop foreman has been with us for seventeen years.” The company often has as many as thirty people on its job sites but has had up to 250. MacDougall Steel Erectors is very proud of all the projects it has taken on and completed – from the Whitehorse Airport to a hotel and school in Yellowknife. “We’ve had a lot of projects over the years, some big, some small,” says Clark. “We just finished a hotel in Iqaluit, Nunavut, and we’re doing two schools in northern Manitoba where all the steel’s shipping right now on ice roads. So, we’ll be able to fly in next summer and build these remote communities’ schools,” he says.“In these communities, these are not just schools; they are so much more. They’re where everyone meets,” he says. “So, to be part of these projects, in these remote places, and to have been part of some large projects in the oil sands, is something that we’re very proud of. Those were some pretty large projects and some pretty defining moments for us as a company. However, the fact that from little Prince Edward Island, we’ve been able to do work in nearly every province across Canada, is a feat all on its own. We look at what we’ve done, and it’s like a pat on the shoulders to know that we’ve been a part of such projects.”MacDougall Steel Erectors’ owners believe in treating others the way they would like to be treated. “Our guiding principles have always been to just do the best that we always do, and to always treat everyone the way we want to be treated,” says Clark. “We’ve always said: treat people right, do the best we can do, and constantly try and strive to improve and learn from any mistakes.”As MacDougall Steel Erectors continues to grow, it aims to continue being the leader it is in steel construction solutions; focused on service, safety, and efficiency on its job sites and making those factors top priority in its bid to making steel erection as seamless as it possibly can be.“We have significant space to grow as far as fabrication goes,” says Clark. “And one thing that we would like to start doing more of is modular fabrication. We see ourselves growing and hopefully becoming one of the largest steel companies in Eastern Canada someday.”20012005 “To have been part of some large projects in the oil sands is something that we’re very proud of.”2014200531CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS APRIL 201932Award-winning concrete construction firm Milis Flatwork is a fairly young company, having been in business less than a decade. However, it was successful right from the start, thanks largely to owner and founder Dylan Milis’ extensive experience. Milis Flatwork specializes in agriculture-related and commercial concrete construction projects.Written by Nate Hendley“I’ve been doing concrete my whole life, since 1992. I did a lot of stuff with my dad. Then I went to college to get a degree in civil engineering. Then, I did a lot of layout work for a paving company and a lot of inspection work for agricultural facilities,” recalls Milis, whose firm is based in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. “I was pouring concrete the whole time, kind of as side work. In 2012, that’s when I totally went off on my own.” That year, he began acquiring equipment. “That’s when the big step forward was,” he continues.The fledgling firm did not suffer from the kind of growing pains common to many new contractors. Milis’ background, savvy, and contacts made for a high-profile start. “Most concrete companies start out with like two guys in a pick-up truck. I started out with twelve guys. Our first contracts were bigger contracts than concrete companies that had been around twenty-five years had ever seen. We came in very strong.” “We worked fast but did quality work. We had all the right equipment, and that definitely got us repeat business. It’s been good, steady, continuous growth the whole time [since we started],” states Milis.The early days of the firm were physically demanding. Milis recalls “pouring concrete twenty hours a day, delivering equip-ment in the middle of the night, moving stuff around. I was the only one with a CDL (commercial driver’s license). That was difficult. But as far as getting the business off the ground and running, no, that did not seem hard at all.”Initially, the firm was mostly focused on the agricultural side of things, working on waste storage facilities, feed pads, bunkers, barns, grain facilities, and the like. As of late, the company has been handling “a lot of commercial work. Over the past few years, with agricultural dairy prices being down, we did pre-dominantly commercial work,” says Milis.Commercial jobs can involve parking lots, foundations, grocery stores, gas stations, multi-family apartment complexes, ware-houses, gyms, and more. Some of these assignments feature ground-level work while other jobs entail pouring on the fourth story or higher The company prides itself on doing most of its own duties. “We self-perform pretty much everything. We have subbed out foun-dations before, but we pretty much do everything,” says Milis. 33CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS Employment levels tend to fluctuate a bit, depending on season and workload – a common occupational hazard in the construc-tion sector. At present, the firm’s employee roster represents a fairly significant increase over this time last year. Milis attributes the company’s recent growth to a strong economy and a hard-charging salesperson who has successfully augmented the com-pany’s impressive rate of repeat business with new clients. Anyone who wants to work at Milis Flatwork needs to meet certain qualifications before being brought on board. Job-seekers do not need to know anything about concrete. They do, however, have to be willing to labor hard in a hands-on manner and be an early riser. Six AM is a common start time, except in summer months, when work begins even earlier. Sometimes, jobs are even scheduled for the middle of the night.“When we have big flatwork pours, we’ve started at midnight. We’ve done a lot of four AM pours. Get it poured out before the sun comes up to beat the heat, then get home early. We don’t usually start after seven in the morning,” says Milis.In other words, if you work hard and can forgo sleeping in, Milis Flatwork might be a good fit. “We can teach you anything. We provide multi-level training, so people have something new to work on each year, so they can build their career. We find it very important for employees to have a career and not just a job; it’s important to have a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day,” explains Milis. The company offers American Concrete Institute (ACI) certi-fied commercial flatwork finishers and is up to speed on all pertinent Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) regulations. In addition to industry certifications and knowing the latest state and federal rules about concrete construction, Milis Flatwork boasts a strong reputation. Notable projects include the Drumlin Dairy, a 470,000-square-foot goat facility in Brothertown, Wisconsin; the Spring Breeze Dairy, a 625,000-square-foot waste storage facility in Bryant Wisconsin; an 80,000-square-foot project at the Festival Foods grocery store in Green Bay, Wisconsin; and a 74,000-square-foot job at an orthopaedic medicine facility called the Hand to Shoulder Center in Appleton, Wisconsin. “We tend to get some of the largest projects, for sure. We have a pretty good track record of working effectively and fast and putting down a high-quality floor,” states Milis. Milis Flatwork’s handiwork has earned industry honors. The company’s work at the Drumlin Dairy, for example, netted a 2017 design award from the Wisconsin Ready Mixed Concrete Association (WRMCA). The parking lot at the Hand to Shoulder Center also won a WRMCA design of the year award, while Sheboygan Falls’ Kwik Trip parking lot project was also a WRMCA Design of the Year Award Nominee.Milis Flatwork does not make its own concrete, but relies on a variety of vendors to supply a steady stream of ready-mixed concrete. When the company needs ready-mixed concrete, an order is placed, the concrete is prepared, and then vendors drive the batch to wherever it needs to go. Milis wants vendors that make a good product and can deliver in the necessary timeline. “They have to be within an hour or a for-ty-five-minute drive or less,” he says. If the quality of the concrete is satisfactory and the producer promises speedy delivery, the final requirement is quantity. “Can they provide us with enough concrete? If they can’t provide us with a lot of concrete at one time, then we have to do a lot of smaller pours which takes time. That leads to extending the project,” explains Milis. Milis intends to remain focused on concrete in the future but is eyeing new markets and possibly new concrete-related ventures. “We are a full-service concrete contractor right now, but there are other things we can add to our lineup that we are working on adding in. We want to make sure we have the right people hired,” he explains.Currently, Milis Flatwork does most of its work in Wisconsin, but has also completed assignments in Minnesota, Iowa, and APRIL 201934Michigan. Milis expresses a common industry lament when he observes that many young people do not seem eager to take jobs in the skilled trades sector. During their schooling, “a lot of people are pushed to go to college. They’re not pre-sented with the whole picture, that there are phenomenal opportunities in the trades. There’s lots of hours and good pay,” he says.On top of that, “concrete finishing isn’t considered one of the big trades,” adds Milis. Typically, when people talk about careers in the skilled trades, they mention electricians, plumbers, car-penters, and welders rather than concrete finishers, though the reality is that less than one percent of the population is able to finish concrete.Young people might be more inclined to become concrete fin-ishers if they realized the extent to which technology is used in the sector today. In addition to its pump trucks and convey-ors, Milis Flatwork uses total station three-dimensional layout systems from land surveying equipment specialists Trimble as well as laser screeds. These screeds bring the surface of a concrete pout to the desired smoothness and grade. Laser screeds use an onboard computer to accurately determine the elevation as the self-propelled unit smooths the concrete and removes the excess material.Regardless of any concerns about shortages of skilled workers, Milis has big plans for the future. Over the next five years, the idea is to maintain “continued growth, like we’ve been doing. We’d also like to have multiple locations and maintain our good reputation,” states Milis. “Milis intends to remain focused on concrete in the future but is eyeing new markets and possibly new concrete-related ventures.”35CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS APRIL 201936Written by David H. CaldwellBridger’s wide range of home construction materials boasts both durability and low environmental impact. The company’s roofing and siding panels, made from one hundred percent recyclable metals, are also pre-painted to reflect solar energy, reducing the urban heat island effect while helping homeowners save an estimated forty percent on their annual energy costs. Roofing panels also make excellent platforms for solar panels or rainwater catchments. For centuries, humans have been forging and manipulating the versatile metal we know as steel. Steel is seen in practically every aspect of modern society, particularly in construction. Today, Bridger Steel is bringing forth innovative ideas, both in customer relations and in manufacturing, and enjoying revenue growth and company expansion into new locations as a result.37CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS Bridger Steel materials were used in the Vision House Aspen project, a 2017 program in Aspen, Colorado, a project to design sustainable, aesthetically beautiful houses in nearby Roaring Fork Valley. The company also provided all steel used in Fine Homebuilding magazine’s California 2018 home, another project designed to meet the challenge posed by California’s Zero Net Energy program. Under this measure, the state hopes to have all new buildings have net-zero energy emissions by 2020, thereby decreasing its environmental impact and saving energy costs simultaneously. Since last we spoke in July 2017, the company has built new locations in Colorado and Kalama, Washington, in addition to its several existing locations in Wyoming, South Dakota and Montana. In its Kalama location, it greatly lowered its logisti-cal and supply needs by building its manufacturing plant next door to Steelscape, one of its major suppliers. National Sales & Marketing Director Steve Collins says his office is immediately adjacent to Steelscape. “We’re really close to two of our primary suppliers,” he jokes with wry understatement. For Bridger Steel, the possibility of such proximity drove the decision to build in Kalama. “It ended up creating a unique supply chain opportunity for us,” Collins says. “It was a different approach to choosing a location, and it’s paying dividends for us.”This practical thinking is prevalent here, which also prides itself on its heavy online presence. Its website attracts sixty thousand visits monthly, reaching customers far beyond its local service area and show them what Bridger Steel product would best suit their needs. He says this approach represents a shift in customer thinking, as fewer baby boomers and more millennials comprise consumer demographics. According to Collins, these new customers seek solutions to problems more than simple transactions. “It’s a lot more of an educated buyer than we’ve previously seen,” he relates. “They’re looking for value in every step of the conversation with us.” While previous customers sought to build more personal relationships with providers, he says these newer customers instead seek reliability and solid service. “The structure of the relationship has changed. Rather than the customer looking to create a lifelong bond of friendship with a vendor, they’re looking for a trusted resource.” “We’re investing heavily on the education side so that we can provide that resource for every one of our customer segments.”APRIL 201938 TurboBend / XL Center / XXL CenterAd (8.27 x 11.69) 2.indd 13/18/19 3:20 PMNext >