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| Flip Altman, C2HM |
As a demolition contractor, understanding what a property owner’s expectations are is critical not only on the job, but often in winning the contract in the first place.
During Demolition 2016, the annual convention of the National Demolition Association (NDA), Washington, Flip Altman, project manager and consultant, CH2M, Englewood, Colorado; and Peter Kurtius, president and owner, PEK Solutions, Kansas City, Missiouri, offered insights into the wants and needs of owners.
Altman said, “Owners are very eager to tell you what they want. They’re more eager to tell you what they don’t want.
He said the number one thing owners look for in a demolition contractor is safety. They want to know what the contractor is doing to keep workers safe. They often will ask for the company’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 300 Log, letters from insurance carriers and the safety program the contractors have in place. Altman says more and more contractors are leaning on third-party providers to qualify their safety programs.
The number two thing owners look for, according to Altman, is execution. He advised demolition contractors provide demolitions plan to show the owner they fully understands the work. He says the plan shows, “not only what you are going to do, but how you are going to do it.”
Altman recommended developing a schedule that details a clear vision for the project. He also advised communicating the status of the project throughout the process. “That is nirvana to an owner on execution,” he said.
The number three thing an owner looks for is trust, according to Altman. “People will gravitate to the people they trust the most,” he said.
He next went into the topic of what scares owners the most. He said their fears are closely tied to the things that are most important to them. Bad press, he said, “is the mother of all fears.”
An accident, a dust plume, a hydraulic fluid leak onto the ground are all occurrences that could lead to bad press. “Owners want their demolition projects to be invisible,” he said.
Kurtius talked about how to eliminate fears to owners. Quality is one way to eliminate fears. Having quality equipment, is one way to put owners minds at ease. Also, continuity in staffing can help build trust and minimize the learning curve of employees.
Another way to eliminate fears, said Kurtius, is having “a comprehensive plan from the beginning and following that plan.”
Kurtius and Atlman noted that it is important to be a good steward of an owner’s money, but that safety, execution and trust, are more important. “Only then does money become the differentiator,” said Altman.
Demolition 2016 was March 14-17 at the Orlando World Center Marriott, Orlando, Florida.