< Previous to everything. What used to be manageable $10,000 problems now become $100,000 issues. $100,000 problems from the past now become ‘firm killers,’ so it is scary,” says Leo. Reaching twenty million dollars in annual sales was a bench-mark that Leo and Sara discussed when they took over the firm in 2009. The original plan was to reach that goal in five years, and when that did not happen as planned, Pro-Can took a step back to re-evaluate its direction and growth. It is now project-ed to hit twenty million dollars in sales this year, and it aims to execute and manage that growth consistently for several years before considering any more growth. Similar to all other construction companies today, the labour shortage has been a problem for Pro-Can. The high cost of living in Vancouver only exacerbates the issue, since it is difficult for young people to live here while making twenty to twenty-five dollars an hour. Vancouver has a busy construction market with a lot of residential and commercial development, which takes up much of the available workforce. To compensate, Pro-Can has found it necessary to hire workers for projects, based on location. The time and cost required for one employee to travel all over Vancouver for different projects is not worth the travel stress, hence Pro-Can has found that keeping workers on projects that are close to home very beneficial.Katzie Elementary SchoolKatzie Elementary SchoolKatzie Elementary SchoolOCTOBER 201840 “We really have to hire people per job, around the job. If we have a job in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver, then we have to hire people in Surrey to do that job because the people in Vancouver aren’t going to want to commute to Surrey and vice versa,” says Leo. The smaller size of Pro-Can allows it to be more flexible when compared to larger firms, and its lower expenses also give it an edge. “Even though we are a smaller firm, we go after larger projects, which puts us into competition with larger firms who have big overheads. With our reduced overhead, it gives us a competitive advantage,” says Leo.Another distinguishing detail is that it does not shy away from complicated, messy projects that other firms tend to avoid, but rather enjoys the challenge of larger, more intricate construc-tion. Pro-Can has also developed meaningful subcontractor relationships over the years that give the contractor access to cost savings to which its competitors are not privy. “The smaller size of Pro-Can allows it to be more flexible when compared to larger firms, and its lower expenses also give it an edge.”41CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS Pro-Can follows the adage which it calls the ‘Three Pillars of Construction’ that states a project can be built well, low-cost or fast, but clients can only have two out of those three. “If some-thing is built fast and well, it is not going to be cheap; however, if you want something built well and cheap, it is not going to be fast,” explains Leo. The firm always determines which two of the three pillars are more important to the client and estab-lishes the budget and schedule accordingly. School construction is a market in which Pro-Can is particularly interested. Vancouver’s Seismic zone requires schools to be reg-ularly upgraded, and that provides a consistent, stable workload for the firm. “We have done numerous school projects, and it is something I am constantly attracted to. Schools, although similar, tend to have different designs from one project to the next as they represent the communities they serve. As such, the work itself is interesting,” says Leo. Schools tend to be gath-ering places for the community, and Pro-Can takes extra care to ensure that the buildings are designed in a way that suits not only the students and the faculty, but the community as well.Sustainability is important to Pro-Can, and most of its projects have green certifications such as LEED or Passive House. The firm even attempts to be environmentally conscious in smaller areas; it uses a four-cylinder pickup truck to reduce fuel con-sumption, and it has a ‘think first before printing’ policy to help reduce waste and energy. “Construction occurs in the physical OCTOBER 201842 world, and being a contractor, you are outside a lot, so there is a connection to the natural world that is felt on a daily basis. Weather affects productivity, so we are very mindful of the changing climate and the importance of doing something about it,” says Leo. The short-term goal at Pro-Can is to find a new office since it has outgrown its current space. The long-term goal is to continue growing at a measured and sustainable pace that benefits the entire team.Pro-Can Construction Group considers the challenges it has experienced in the last two years of rapid growth to be humbling and great learning experiences overall. “We have def-initely made some big mistakes in the last two years that have put us in uncomfortable situations. However, we have perse-vered and hopefully won’t make the same mistakes again,” says Leo. Many companies prefer to only discuss the positive side of business, but Pro-Can is proud of its entire journey.“Sustainability is important to Pro-Can, and most of its projects have green certifications such as LEED or Passive House.”Sexsmith Elementary SchoolWestview Elementary School43CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS Power Distribution PolesPole SettingOCTOBER 201844We all remember that ‘early-bird-catches-the-worm’ story. And we also know that there are exceptions to the rule – if, for instance, you’re the kind of bird who prefers doughnuts for breakfast or work better by the flame of the midnight oil. Having said that, people often forget that the essence of the original sentiment holds true across many areas of business – especially in choosing a construction partner. Written by Pauline MüllerFor experienced project owners, getting the right professionals in from the start makes all the dif-ference as it saves both time and costs later in the process. This is exactly why industry leading Quantum Construction, LLC prefers to get in early during the planning process, to optimize projects and save owners money by tailor-making custom solutions to suit each individual project. Quantum Construction gives fresh meaning to being customer driven. This company takes caring for customers to the next level by leveraging its vast experience in construction, precast and design into a premier turnkey operator in central Florida. The team shares its expertise and product knowledge gener-ously and is known for its reliability and integrity. Customers also benefit from the company’s multi-talented private equity construction portfolio which offers the best of modern masonry construction and precast concrete. It pairs traditional materials and quality with custom-developed techniques to produce innovative products and construction methods that are unique to the industry.With its headquarters in Sanford, Florida, Quantum Construction, LLC was formed out of two major acquisitions and offers full-service precast concrete construction, masonry and hardscape contracting.With the acquisitions of Precast Specialties and Seminole Masonry, Quantum Construction is super-charging decades of experience in concrete and masonry, incidental precast, hard-scape, and commercial masonry construction. This agile structure has put Quantum Construction at the forefront of entrepreneurial and growth diversification in the industry. “Our focus is unique in that we work on commercial buildings, residential developments, the road and highway market, as well as on public and private utility projects. Nobody covers those market segments with the package we have,” says Jim Park, Vice President of Sales and Business Development.Within this wide range of services, clients also benefit from Quantum’s commercial masonry division. It provides Division 4 subcontracting for the commercial and industrial markets. In addition, its specialty division includes the erection of archi-tectural precast and masonry privacy walls, security walls, and retaining wall systems. The company also proudly installs struc-tural elements of, buildings, such as innovative, proprietary precast elevator and stairwell shafts for which the team has become particularly famous across the East Coast. The company’s clientele includes general contractors, land developers and builders, who especially favor Quantum’s hard-scape services for turn-key entry features and amenity-build-ing skills. These capabilities include an enormous list of related structures and complementary materials, such as pavilions, pavers, decks, decorative stone, walls, entry features, fountains, sidewalks, park areas, playgrounds, and more. Through Precast Specialties, Florida’s largest producer of concrete, storm-strength electrical distribution poles, Quantum Construction also serves public and private utility companies. The company is the go-to producer of concrete electrical and utility poles and foundation bases, with over 300 elec-trical supply wholesaler and contractor customers – includ-ing Florida’s largest electric utility company. Under Quantum Construction, both Seminole Masonry and Precast Specialties plants are Florida Department of Transportation approved precast concrete providers. With that certification, Quantum likewise provides the broadest concrete package for Florida’s transportation builders, including poles, piles and sign post foundations, noise barriers, retaining walls and panels, tempo-rary barriers, and more. In order to ensure smooth day-to-day operations, the company is divided into four divisions, namely structural precast and erection services, commercial masonry and construc-tion, concrete utilities, and specialty hardscape and turnkey common area construction work. For the latter, the team obtains all necessary permits pertaining to land development and self-performs most of the work, only employing subcon-tractors on occasion. Quantum is also becoming famous for next-generation inno-vation on its installation of proprietary precast wall systems developed for Homeland Security, where entire sites are flanked by secure perimeters. “Our walls are designed to with-stand in excess of 194 mph wind loads, 50 caliber ammuni-tion fire and are rated to level 7 ballistics as well, so they’re pretty unique. We’re the only company in the country that casts these walls vertically with architectural form liners on Residential Stack Stone Precast WallOCTOBER 201846 both sides,” says Mark Shumate, General Manager. This means that although the company is not alone in meeting the per-formance specifications, its installation system is the fastest, rendering a solid and uniform product. A big area of growth has been Quantum’s precast elevator shafts. As mentioned earlier, these have become so well-known and trusted that word has spread and contracts for these are coming in thick and fast – and the reason for this is plain to see. Traditionally, in four- to five-story structures, standard shafts installation can typically take up to three weeks, as opposed to three days with Seminole Masonry’s incredible precast methods. This method is also much stronger, as the elements are cast at a minimum compressive strength of 6000 PSI (pounds per square inch) in contrast to traditional rein-forced masonry that utilizes 1800 PSI concrete block reinforced with 3000 psi grout. “Our method offers more than double the compressive strength than that of the performance specifica-tion standards of reinforced concrete masonry,” says Shumate.Quantum’s business is not all about walls and elevator shafts, either. Quantum’s two complementary companies are each known for their own sterling contributions to the market. Precast Specialties was founded in 1951 as a precast and Precast Elevator Core47CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS prestressed structural concrete contractor in South Florida. It has been operating its current 75-acre Fort Pierce production facility since April of this year. In addition to concrete poles and bases, it is exceedingly relevant for fabrication and erection of precast parking garages, hollow core floor slabs and other structural elements. Acquired in 2017, Seminole Masonry was established in 1998 as a hardscape specialty contractor, shares its reputation for reliability and superb quality and has run its 23-acre production facility from Sanford, Florida since 2015. The outfit has grown into the largest precast concrete privacy wall provider throughout Central Florida and continues to grow exponentially. “In combining these two companies under Quantum Construction, we’ve certainly built on our quality and customer care philosophy. It has made us overall leaders in wall con-struction, but we couldn’t have done it without our 500 team members,” says Shumate.Shumate started out with Seminole Masonry just over six years ago. “I was brought in to help encourage growth in the precast concrete division as the company was mainly focused on masonry at the time. We’ve achieved this growth through improving our capacity from precast architectural perimeter walls into a whole portfolio of products, which I was directly responsible for developing,” he says. “So, the elevator and stair shafts and precast wall systems were all added during this time. I also founded the commercial masonry division within the company,” he adds. “We are a very dedicated team. We really support and facilitate the company in its development as we are focused on expo-nential growth driven by innovation in order to serve the state of Florida. We’re all very excited about our growth rate,” says Rose Cefalo, Marketing Coordinator. The company’s project teams consist of production, fabrication and manufacturing members, a quality control team, construction management, and crews. It also has its own in-house sales and marketing team as well as business development teams, and engineer-ing and technical support staff who contribute both pre- and post-production. A customer care team as well as finance and accounting complete the company. “We’re building the future with some of the industry’s top-line talent. Understanding the finite detail, while achieving the big picture goals, is what our teams are designed to do. Our pro-active approach is integral to each individual project’s success, and what leads to our market share growth,” says Park. Needless to say, these two industry legends have every possible certification to ensure customer safety and a quality product. Both plants are highly accredited, enjoying membership in organizations such as the National Precast Concrete Association (NPCA), the Precast-Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI), the Mason Contractors Association of America, Masons Association of Florida, Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc. and the Florida Transportation Builders Association membership. With such excellence, reward is never far off and Quantum Construction has its fair share of awards to show for its dedica-tion to quality. One of its proudest moments came when it was recognized by the Construction Association of South Florida with the Craftsmen’s Award for its work on the Paseo del Mar parking garage in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “This structure was erected around existing buildings on three sides, with only inches of clearance. We met all challenges, in design, clearance and completion timeframe. Everything had to be exact to meet that footprint and we did it,” says Cefalo. Paseo del Mar Parking GarageOCTOBER 201848While this was a spectacularly complex project, the NOMA Parking Garage in North Miami Beach was the company’s largest project ever, a precast structure featuring 159,788 square feet of parking deck. Another great achievement was its project at 420 East Church Street where it turned 300,000 masonry blocks into a whopping 9-story building for Balfour Beatty – and the list continues for nearly as long as its walls do. “Everywhere you drive in Central Florida there are miles and miles of our precast walls,” says Shumate proudly. It is for this reason and many others that Seminole Masonry is regularly ranked as one of the NPCA’S top 20 plants in the country and continues to grow. With its shafts having become a phenomenal favorite on the east coast, projects ranging from multi-family complexes to low- and mid-rise commercial build-ings are signing up for this deal. Quantum Construction is driven to continue distinguishing itself as the state’s pre-eminent precast concrete sub-contractor and provider. “With an achievable goal of doubling the business, our growth aim is to enhance customers and the customer experience. We will accomplish this in three strategic ways: market share growth sustaining and growing our current offer-ings; continued addition of complementary products, trades and acquisitions; and driving growth into new markets. This includes strategic growth in the design/build market segment, and expanding our relevance in the highway market,” says Park. By going all these extra miles, Quantum Construction is doing not only the state but also the country proud. “Understanding and achieving the finite detail, as well as the bigger picture, is what our teams are designed to do.”NOMA Parking Garage49Next >