< PreviousAddressing a need“What we have found as we worked through this project is that our current facility was not adequate as far as capacity goes,” explained Felts. “It was not necessarily designed to meet some of the modern applications that are being performed in deten-tion centers. That would be education and other programming events that you might be able to bring in to a detention facility to augment the population there. Those two factors prompted us to really begin looking at it in 2009.” A separate evaluation of the Granville County Animal Shelter, just outside of Oxford, determined that this facility was also no longer adequate to meet the County’s needs. Located on the grounds of a former state prison and operating from several individual buildings, the facility offered no room for expansion. It was also deemed to be outdated and inefficient. The Granville County Board of Commissioners agreed that a new adjacent animal shelter should be added to the project and 35 acres of land were purchased on New Commerce Drive in Oxford. Moseley Architects were hired to do the primary design; Bordeaux Construction was hired to do the construc-tion; and Risk/CMaR was hired to manage the whole project.The new center will include the County Sheriff’s Office, the Emergency Communications Center (911 call center) and a Detention Center, all in one facility spanning over 88,000 square feet. The Detention Center will house 176 beds for men and women at the outset, with capacity for up to 250 beds in the future. Wise use of resourcesThe main reason for combining all of these services under one roof is the economy of scale – meaning they can take advan-tage of the cost savings in mechanical equipment, and in equipment for heating and cooling. “A lot of our facilities have to maintain communications between law enforcement and the detention center, so having one facility also makes it a little easier to have all those commu-nications under one roof,” said Felts. “There are also the added benefits of being able to respond to issues in the detention center, so overall better security, better oversight, better com-munications and economy of scale – and ultimately, better effi-ciencies in operation.” When the County began looking at the type of facility to be built, two models of detention centers were explored: direct supervision, where detention officers are in with the inmates in some capacity, and indirect supervision, where they are not in the room with the inmates but have visual review of the inmates through off-site video monitoring, or an overview site. What they opted for was a design combination of both. “The center of the housing units is an elevated facility with glass walls looking into each of the housing units,” explained Felts. “Staff engage with the inmate at the point of intake, and once [the inmates] are into the housing unit [the staff] have the ability to do 100 percent indirect monitoring of inmates. There is also a station inside the housing unit, for the detention officer to be inside the housing units with the inmates, which will be used primarily in the day time.”With this design they feel the populations will be better managed. By replacing the gang domiciles with double and single occupancy cells, they have the ability to lock down to individual cells to manage the population, when needed. And by having recreational yards attached to the housing unit there is less transporting of inmates within the facility.“With that managed population you can imagine that my costs for workers’ compensation claims – medical expenses arising from disputes, for lack of a better word – all those should also be [reduced] in this new facility,” said Felts.“Granville County is looking to get people the help they need before they enter the system.” Current Detention Center, built in 1970 A groundbreaking ceremony was held in March of 2019 to officially get the new project underwayDEC 2019 - JAN 202020Savings through efficiencyThe total budget for the overall project is $31,000,000, which will be paid for through public funds. The county has already paid a portion of the build out of savings that were accumulat-ed during the planning phase, with the balance being covered by debt servicing.While they are not expecting a net cost saving for the county in operations, they are looking at being able to take some of the inefficiencies that are costing the county and improve on those, rolling them into the greater operational efficiency of the new facility. “Because we have added capacity when we open up the new facility, we will be able to house inmates from outside of Granville County,” said Felts. “So just like we were sending people to other facilities, people will now be able to send inmates to Granville County for housing.”Felts went on to explain that “this is not an ‘if we build it, they will come’ model. The County looked at how we can afford this project and how we can manage this project, assuming we do not house outside inmates. So any of those inmates’ dollars coming in from outside the county will just add to, and allow us to accelerate, debt service – but they’re not necessary to pay for this facility.”Currently 37 people are employed by the county; however, when the new facility is complete, it will include six additional detention center positions and fewer kitchen staff positions – as that service will be subcontracted – for a total of 35 to 37 full-time employees.“We’ve done it very deliberately, and very thoughtfully, to better the services to the community.”Renderings of facility exteriors Designed by Moseley Architects Breaking ground on new project March 201921CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS Meeting mental health needsThe community has been very supportive of the facility and is excited to see County Commissioners taking a strong stance on public safety. Law enforcement has been faced with an increasing problem that has impacted all aspects of the com-munity, and this facility should help address the issue. “The biggest issues that most any jurisdiction is facing right now are the mental health issues related to the opioid crisis and other addiction issues,” said Felts. “We are finding, and have found over the years, that a lot of those suffering from addic-tion issues end up in our court and detention system, so deten-tion centers are having a difficult time managing populations. “We’re designed to house inmates, not necessarily to provide mental health services, so Granville County, along with many other counties across our nation, are looking at ways we get people the help they need before they enter into the legal system,” Felts explained.“But if they do get into the legal system, how can we incorpo-rate programs and services inside the detention center to be able to address those needs? In the new facility, because of the way it’s designed – its size and its structure – we will be able to bring in some of those services.”Care for animalsThe issues facing the Animal Control Center have presented in several different forms. The dated HVAC system from the existing facility and the number of animals that are housed there have caused safety issues for both staff and public.“In our current facility, if an animal came in with kennel cough or another communicable disease, it could quickly spread to the other animals,” said Felts. “In this new facility we’ll be able to isolate those animals and because of the air circulation we’ll be able to prevent a lot of that sharing of existing diseases.”Granville County has been experiencing an increase in popu-lation, and has been building to accommodate that, but with new housing come wildlife issues and animals being forced to find new homes and new sources of food. The result is that where there is new construction, there’s also an increase in the appearance of rabies among domestic animals. “The new facility will make a huge impact on our ability to address animal welfare issues, and it should give us the ability to manage the animal population that’s in the facility a little more efficiently,” said Felts.The current staff also feel that a more welcoming building will encourage more visitors and adoptions. “Our staff just wants to do a good job and have the support needed to do that, for the welfare of our animal population,” said Matt Katz, Animal Management Director.“It puts the county’s public safety in a good position for the next 35 to 50 years.”DEC 2019 - JAN 202022Proud momentsConstruction for the facilities began in December 2018 and an official ground-breaking ceremony was held on March 12, 2019. The planned timeline has the Sheriff’s Office moving into the new location in July of 2020, with the Animal Shelter following in September, and finally the Detention Center in December.“For me this has been a decade long process in one aspect or another,” said Felts. “I started out as the finance director working on this project, then in 2013 became the county manager, so I’ve taken this from a conceptual point in 2009 to working it as the county administrator. This did not happen overnight, it’s taken a long time for us to put together and we’ve done it very deliberately, and done it very thoughtfully, because our goal is to not just spend money, but to spend money efficiently and effectively to better the services to the community.”Felts went on to say that he feels that it puts the county’s public safety in a good position for the next 35 to 50 years. “We are not building for today, but building for the future.”Content Developed by Rose Scoville | Designed by Yoana IlchevaProgress being made on new Law Enforcement Center May 2019Current Animal Shelter Located on the grounds of a former state prison siteArchitect renderings of Granville County’s new Law Enforcement Center and Animal ShelterScheduled to be completed in late spring of 202023CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS DEC 2019 - JAN 202024Written by Jen HockenShinn Mechanical fabricates mechanical systems for the commercial and industrial markets in the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area. This consists primarily of piping, plumbing, fire protection, wastewater, fuel, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Shinn serves a variety of markets including aviation/aerospace, industrial, municipal, education, and healthcare and provides its fabrica-tion services to other contractors in the area. Mike Shinn founded the fabrication company in November of 1994. The company began to see success almost immediately, and rapid initial growth set a trend that has continued. “Basically, I left my other employer on a Monday, started my company on a Wednesday, got a job on a Friday, and I had ten guys working by the next Monday. My first job was a $3.5 million job, labor only, and that was twenty-five years ago,” says the president and chief executive officer of Shinn Mechanical. To celebrate the milestone of a quarter of a century in business and show its gratitude to the workers who have helped build Shinn into a leader in its region, the company is hosting a large party on December 19, 2019. Customers, employees, and their families are all invited to attend this event.Located in Kent, Washington, Shinn has approximately one hundred employees working in the field and twenty-five administrative employees working at its headquarters. Mike earned his stripes in the piping trades, and as a result of that background, his leadership style is rather unique. “I’m trade-oriented, and a lot of my people are tradespeople also, so we kind of think differently than most people,” he explains. “We learn by hard knocks, so hopefully, we don’t make the same mistake twice.” 25CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS Shinn has grown upwards of two percent each year since its inception, even throughout the 2008 recession, and in the last two years, it has experienced a growth rate closer to twenty percent. Growth may have been constant, but according to Mike Shinn, it is not the only goal. The most important thing is providing the best service.“Our goal isn’t to be the biggest. Our goal is to be the best, and if the best is the biggest, then that’s okay. That’s my motto. A lot of my competitors want to be the biggest, but they don’t want the structure, so I want to have the structure in place, and that’s my goal. You have to be organized,” says Mike. The Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) recognized Shinn Mechanical in 2008 with the E. Robert Kent Award for management innovation. This award recognized its efficient solutions to the challenges that arise in fabricating mechanical systems. Shinn has also been awarded safety excel-lence awards for its commitment to keeping employees and customers safe. The founder of Shinn Mechanical gives back to the community by investing in the local sporting teams and hosting fundrais-ing events to raise money for charities. However, he has also gone above and beyond for particular causes. DEC 2019 - JAN 202026 Mike is now a retired member of the board of directors for the MCAA, after six years. The MCAA sets the standard for all mechanical contractors in the country, and it presents various conventions and courses to help develop the industry. Part of Mike’s mission on the board was to support other contractors with the knowledge and experience he had gained over the years. During his time on the board, he had a part in develop-ing the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry’s (UA) Veterans in Piping (VIP) program. This apprenticeship program is geared toward military veterans looking for employment after completion of their service. Companies throughout the United States that depend on skilled workers are struggling with a shrinking labor pool. However, Shinn Mechanical has found a way to work around this issue. As a union organization, the company can draw on a consistent supply of certified, well-trained workers. Also, the company always aims to grow from within and invests in its people by training them properly through apprenticeships, nurturing their education, and supporting their career paths. In return, those workers care about what they do, and that trans-lates to better value for the customer. Doing the best it can for customers is central to Shinn Mechanical’s approach.Shinn Mechanical focuses on employee satisfaction because Mike believes that a positive attitude leads to increased pro-ductivity. “You don’t want work to run you. You want to enjoy it and have fun with what you’re doing, and you want that atmo-sphere to roll off to your workers. Because everybody has to work, so you might as well have fun doing what you’re doing. I just think that makes you more successful,” says Mike. Integrity guides Shinn Mechanical in its business operations. “We do quality work, and no matter what the cost for us is, we always do the job. Even if we might have made an error on a bid, we’ve never pulled a bid on a job ever. We’ve always done the job at the price we bid to, and that’s important to me,” says Mike. Shinn Mechanical has developed strong relationships with a network of suppliers throughout the region. The ongoing support of these subcontractors and vendors has been key to the company’s continued success and growth. Whether it be pipe suppliers, steel suppliers, hardware suppliers, insulation subcontractors, or equipment representatives, Shinn knows that it can rely on its vendors to deliver, no matter what.“As a union organization, the company can draw on a consistent supply of certified, well-trained workers.”27CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS The experience of the people at Shinn Mechanical is a sig-nificant factor that has enabled it to stand apart and provide customers with substantial cost-saving insights that other com-panies cannot offer. Contractors without the hands-on experi-ence of trades are not as capable of envisioning the potential issues that might arise during a project. “Being that I’m a pipefitter and I have a lot of my other key people are pipefitters that work for the company, we think about things like an installer would, so it makes us more com-petitive,” says Mike. “We’re working the jobs as efficiently as possible, and by doing that, we prefab more than anybody.” The team fabricates between sixty and seventy percent of the mechanical systems for customer projects in their shop in Kent before installation. Building all the components on-site is not a practical use of time, so to increase productivity, Shinn Mechanical prefabricates as much as possible. The company uses innovative technology and tools to improve the efficiency of its services, as well. It uses a water jet cutting machine, an industrial device that employs a high-pressure jet of water to cut through many types of materials. DEC 2019 - JAN 202028Content Developed by Wendy Hood-Morris | Designed by Yoana IlchevaContracting services are provided throughout western Washington along the I-5 corridor, though Shinn fabricates products that can be distributed anywhere in the United States. The company targets the complex projects and avoids the cookie-cutter type of work that requires less talent and skill as it is made up of people who enjoy learning. They appreciate the chance to improve their craft by exploring solutions to new problems with each complicated project that comes along. The Seattle region is thriving with more tower cranes than any other place in the United States, and this activity has created a demand for construction services in the area. In all of North America, the only city with more tower cranes than Seattle is Toronto, Ontario. “You’ve got the airplane companies here. You’ve got the rocket ship companies here. You’ve got Amazon. There are a lot of companies that base their operations from Seattle or have a big presence here,” says Mike.Shinn Mechanical’s journey has been filled with accomplish-ments, and it is in the process of developing a succession plan to ensure it continues that trend. “We made it twenty-five years; now let’s go for another twenty-five,” says Mike. “I might not see the next twenty-five years, but at least I can say we’ve had a successful first twenty-five.”29CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS Next >