Colvos Construction Welcomes Mike Davis as Preconstruction Manager

Experienced Construction Professional Joins Colvos Construction Team to Elevate Company

Colvos Construction is proud to announce the appointment of Mike Davis as the newest member of their team, serving as Preconstruction Manager. With a robust background in the construction industry, Davis brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his role.

Davis joins the Colvos team with a depth of relative experience including his most recent nine-year tenure at Swinerton Management and Consulting. His role included focusing on equity capital for diverse projects, including multi-family housing, independent living, assisted living, memory care, and workforce housing. His responsibilities encompassed comprehensive tasks such as due diligence, feasibility studies, site analysis, and construction schedule analysis. Davis's role also involved significant contributions to business development, building client relationships, and establishing strategic partnerships.

Prior to his role in Management and Consulting, Davis completed a decade-long tenure at Swinerton Builders. Over the years, he played a pivotal role in a wide array of projects, including commercial tenant improvements, high-tech design-builds, high-rise offices, multi-family high-rises, and tribal construction. His dedication and expertise led him to the position of Account Executive, where he spearheaded initiatives in Affordable Housing and Aviation while supporting endeavors in healthcare, life sciences, and mass timber construction.

In 2014, Davis achieved accreditation as a Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) Professional, showcasing his commitment to and success in design-build projects. His passion lies in collaboration and teamwork, with a focus on developing high-functioning and high-performing teams across all stakeholders.

"I am thrilled to join the Colvos Team, where I can continue to contribute to the success of design-build projects," says Davis. "Collaborating with all stakeholders to develop high-functioning and performing teams is where my passion lies, and I am eager to bring my expertise to Colvos Construction."

Colvos Construction is confident that Davis will be a valuable asset to the team, contributing to the continued success and growth of the company. His wealth of experience and commitment to excellence align seamlessly with Colvos Construction's values and goals.

Colvos Construction President, Devin Page, notes Mike’s substantial regional expertise in both preconstruction and business development as a major value to the team. “Mike offers invaluable leadership to our teams, particularly on design/build and negotiated projects, which form the cornerstone of our operations,” Page comments. Company culture is paramount at Colvos, “we are committed to attracting individuals who not only possess exceptional skills but also seamlessly align with our organizational culture, and Mike epitomizes this commitment,” Page added.

Colvos Construction has grown steadily since its opening nearly seven-years ago and the addition of Mike aligns seamlessly with its core values of continuous improvement. “This strategic enhancement positions us for scalable growth in the forthcoming decade, aligning with our ambitious vision for the future.” Page said. Colvos Construction was recently recognized for its growth and ranked 15th in the 100 Fastest Growing Companies by Puget Sound Business Journal.

About Colvos Construction

Founded in 2016 by Devin Page and Anders Bjorn, Colvos Construction is focused on its mission to deliver excellence in construction. This commercial construction company specializes in hospitality, multifamily, office, healthcare, and tenant improvement projects throughout Puget Sound.  Colvos’ office is located in downtown Tacoma’s historic Opera Alley. For more information about Colvos Construction, visit www.colvosconstruction.com

Colvos Construction was awarded the Fastest Growing Private Company award by the Puget Sound Business Journal in 2020.  

Colvos Construction Earns Three Local Awards

Tacoma-based Colvos Construction was recently awarded three local awards, recognizing their growth, workplace culture and success as a Puget Sound business.

Colvos received two accolades from the Puget Sound Business Journal. They were named a list-maker in the Washington State Middle Market Fast 50 Companies list. The Journal uses a weighted score to rank the companies, taking account of the percentage change in revenue and actual value difference in revenue between 2020 and 2022. Colvos ranked 33 out of a total 119 list-makers. Notably, Colvos ranked the highest of companies with under 50 employees.

Puget Sound Business Journal also named Colvos Construction in the Top 100 of Washington’s Best Workplaces. This award is based on an anonymous employee survey, which asks a range of questions on culture, benefits, work environment and management. The survey uses research-validated workplace factors that impact employee engagement and computes the answers into a score out of 100. Along with multiple choice questions, employees are invited to leave optional responses to open-ended questions. One anonymous employee noted “I rated my organization as I did due to its continued commitment to value its employees as a part of their vision for success. Never once have I felt like ‘just a number,’ I am known in my workplace and my leadership effectively motivates me to be a part of the company's mission and vision. I work hard at what I do every day because I care about my company and want it to succeed.” The ranked list will be announced after their event in August.

Colvos President, Devin Page, speaks on earning an award based on employee feedback, stating “one of our core values at Colvos is Employee Development, and we continually focus on providing a safe and inclusive workspace for our employees to grow and develop in their profession. As a leader in the company, I take responsibility for promoting our values and adhering to our focus on employee satisfaction. We take great pride in the feedback that our employees consistently feel Colvos provides a great work environment.

The Tacoma Rainiers named Colvos Construction as their Small Business of the Month. Companies are nominated for their impressive customer service and support of the Tacoma community. Colvos was selected by Commencement Bank for the April winner, and was announced across the Rainiers social media and website last month.

Colvos Construction has completed hundreds of projects since they opened their doors over six years ago and attributes the relationships they’ve built to the success of the business. “Colvos operates under a model of customer satisfaction. We strive to achieve repeat client relationships through fair business practices, integrity, and teamwork with our customers. Current projects with Multicare, Seattle Union Gospel Mission, Ivars Restaurants, and Stor House Self Storage are reflective of our focus on repeat business which has lead to our growth as a business,” Page says.

About Colvos Construction

Founded in 2016 by Devin Page and Anders Bjorn, Colvos Construction is focused on its mission to deliver excellence in construction. This commercial construction company specializes in hospitality, multifamily, office, healthcare, and tenant improvement projects throughout Puget Sound.  Colvos’ office is located in downtown Tacoma’s historic Opera Alley. For more information about Colvos Construction, visit www.colvosconstruction.com

Colvos Construction was awarded the Fastest Growing Private Company award by the Puget Sound Business Journal in 2020.  

Colvos Construction Promotes Four Team Members

Tacoma-based Colvos Construction recently promoted four experienced team members to elevated roles. Accounting Manager Sara Smith was promoted to Controller. Senior Project Engineer Casey Angeline was promoted to Project Manager. Project Engineer Brian Page was promoted to Senior Project Engineer. Assistant Superintendent Michael Stuthers was promoted to Superintendent.

The role of Controller is newly created for Colvos Construction. Sara Smith has been with the company since November 2017, with her original role as the Accounting and Administrative Specialist. Smith overseas all billing, administrative, human resources, and operations activities. Vice President and Co-Founder Anders Bjorn notes Smith’s “knowledge and experience, as well as her involvement at not only a project-level but a company level, aided her in advancing to the next level of being the Controller.”

Project Managers at Colvos are project leaders and mentors to the Project Engineers, able to communicate effectively with stakeholders, and are comfortable with business development for the growth of the company. Casey Angeline started as a Project Engineer with Colvos Construction in February 2020. “Casey’s characteristics align closely with our company values. He is a consistent, hardworking individual and has been since day one. He can jump in right away on complicated projects and help the superintendent build it,” says Bjorn.

To grow from the Assistant Superintendent role into a Superintendent position requires the employee to be competent in scheduling a project, staying firm on deadlines and tracking milestones. Superintendents communicate effectively with clients, keep safety top of mind, and know the ins and outs of a construction project. “Michael Stuthers is a good communicator with our subcontractors and is a team player, who is willing to jump in and do whatever it takes to get the job done,” says Bjorn. Stuthers joined the company in January 2021 and has 24 years of construction experience.

The Senior Project Engineer position is a recently formed role at Colvos to develop qualified and proven Project Engineers in project management functions and earn necessary experience needed for career advancement. To make the transition from Senior Project Engineer to Project Manager, an employee must show dedication and cumulate hours to gain the experience needed for the role. Brian Page began at Colvos as an intern while attending Central Washington University and started as a full-time employee in April 2019. “Brian has demonstrated consistency and used his strengths in building relationships and being a team player to become successful Project Engineer,” says Bjorn.

Colvos Construction prioritizes promotion from within. “We have a level of trust within our teams, and it proves that we believe in our people and want to help them advance in their careers,” says Bjorn. The promotions speak to the overall growth of the company and gives established employees an opportunity to benefit alongside the company as it matures.

About Colvos Construction

Founded in 2016 by Devin Page and Anders Bjorn, Colvos Construction is focused on its mission to deliver excellence in construction. This commercial construction company specializes in hospitality, multifamily, office, healthcare, and tenant improvement projects throughout Puget Sound.  Colvos’ office is located in downtown Tacoma’s historic Opera Alley. For more information about Colvos Construction, visit www.colvosconstruction.com

Colvos Construction was awarded the Fastest Growing Private Company award by the Puget Sound Business Journal in 2020.  

Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce Reports on Breaking Ground in Capital Hill

Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce reported on Colvos Construction’s newest multifamily project, a 79-unit apartment building Capital Hill. Click the link below to read the reporting.

https://www.djc.com/news/re/12148836.html

Rendering by Revolve Development

King5 Update on Owen Beach Construction

King5 News has been following our construction progress at Owen Beach in Tacoma’s historic Point Defiance Park. Click on the link below to view this reporting.

https://www.king5.com/article/news/regional/scorched-earth/tacoma-owen-beach-construction-rising-sea-levels/281-c882a732-d55d-4f07-8008-d6387033c90a

Colvos Construction Promotes Three to Senior Project Engineer

Tacoma-based Colvos Construction has recently promoted three staff to Senior Project Engineer. The Senior Project Engineer position is a newly formed role created for qualified and proven Project Engineers to participate in project management functions and earn necessary experience needed for career advancement at Colvos Construction.

As Senior Project Engineers, Gabrielle Schwartz, Tanya Russell, and Casey Angeline will be responsible for facilitating all aspects of one or more construction projects from pre-construction and project set-up to closeout. They are required to ensure that the Superintendent has the materials, equipment, subcontract compliance and all other information needed to get the job correctly done on time, one time.

“Gabby, Tanya and Casey have proven to the Colvos Team that they have earned a promotion. They are willing to put in the time that it takes to get things done,” says Colvos Vice President and co-founder Anders Bjorn.

“Each of these teammates has a strong understanding of the construction industry and have built solid relationships with subcontractors, clients, and design teams.”

What differentiates the Senior Project Engineer from a Project Engineer is his/her career experience, timeliness, and project responsibilities, and performance expectations from leadership.  To qualify for this position, a candidate must have a minimum five years of commercial construction experience, a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Construction Management, and demonstrated dedication to the company and their project teams.

In response to recent contract awards and expansion in the Puget Sound region, Colvos is actively hiring for multiple positions, including Healthcare Market Lead/Senior Project Manager, Project Manager, and Superintendent. Some current projects under construction include Owen Beach restoration at Pt. Defiance Park in Tacoma, Mary Bridge Children’s Outpatient Clinic in Olympia, and Viking Sprinkler headquarters renovations in Seattle’s Sodo neighborhood.  

Open Career Positions at Colvos Construction

About Colvos Construction

Founded in 2016 by Devin Page and Anders Bjorn, Colvos Construction is focused on its mission to deliver excellence in construction. This commercial construction company specializes in hospitality, multifamily, office, healthcare, and tenant improvement projects throughout Puget Sound.  Colvos’ office is located in downtown Tacoma’s historic Opera Alley. For more information about Colvos Construction, visit www.colvosconstruction.com

Colvos Construction was awarded the Fastest Growing Private Company award by the Puget Sound Business Journal in 2020.  

Business Ethics Today in our Challenging Covid-era Economy

Written by Tanya Russell, Colvos Construction Project Engineer
https://www.colvosconstruction.com/tanya-russell

Owning and/or operating a business in today’s word can be a tricky feat.  It seems that around every corner, there is someone that doesn’t like that way you do business.  It seems though, that if you truly uphold your moral values and try to do what’s right, it may work out in the long run.  We have seen many examples of businesses not doing the right thing.  One thing that really gets me frustrated is when these big CEOs are making millions, or more, and their employees are starving, or they cut positions just to keep their pockets lined.  If there is anything that I have learned over the years of working for different employers across multiple industries, big and small, is that if you take care of your employees, they will work harder for you.  That isn’t to say that a lazy person will magically become a hard worker, but those with work ethic will push even further and maybe work a little later for a deadline because they know their employer has their back.  These are the kind of ethics the company I currently work for stands by and I hope to be a business owner of a company like that someday.

We have learned about quite a few ethical frameworks that could help us a managers or owners in decision making.  Some of them include Utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, Jospehson’s core value model, and many others.  However, when I was researching what I thought I would like to employ as my company’s ethical framework, I came across The Blanchard-Peale Framework.  I had not heard of this one before, and that may be because it is a relatively newer idea.  Ken Blanchard and Norman Vincent Peale wrote a book called The Power of Ethical Management in 1988.  It asks three simple questions:

1. Is it legal?

2. Is it fair?

3. How does it make me feel?

In some of my research for previous assignments, it was noted that the first place a business should start for ethics is the law.  The law provides a very basic guide as to what should be done in order to stay out of legal trouble.  However, there are many actions, like cutting jobs, that are perfectly legal but may not be fair.  Is it fair to the employee that is barely getting by to have their job cut so an executive can keep their six-figure income?  And lastly, how does it make me feel?  Here’s to hoping that the majority of business owners have a conscience and think about how their actions make them feel at the end of the day.  That doesn’t mean, I feel good that I kept more money in my pocket, but more like how do I feel about cutting that person’s job?  Do I care that their children may go hungry now?  I sure hope that the majority of owners and managers feel good about their decisions t the end of the day.

Sometimes keeping these things in mind can make it more difficult to stay profitable.  However, my company is the perfect example of how to stay profitable and keep your people happy.  As we all know, 2020 was a rough year for everyone.  I work for a commercial general contractor and we saw a lot of our jobs pulled off the table because owners weren’t sure how this whole thing was going to shake out.  We had projected $50 million in earnings, but only hit $30 million, which was barely more than the year before.  At the end of the year, when it came to bonus time, our president and VP opted not to take bonuses so that they could give their employees more.  Our bonuses were less than the year before because we just didn’t have the same margins, but they sacrificed for us.  They’re not millionaires, and they’re not living in mansions, but they still made the ethical decision that their employees were worth enough to give us bonuses.  Pretty cool if you ask me.  That is the kind of business I want to run someday, and I think that is exactly how every business should be ran.  People first help make the tough decisions easier, and you tend to be more profitable because your people will go above and beyond for you.

COVID-19 Jobsite Practices

In consideration of the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers letter issued by Governor Jay Inslee on March 22, 2020, Colvos Construction qualifies as OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS* listed on the official website of the State of Washington.

https://coronavirus.wa.gov/sites/default/files/202003/EssentialCriticalInfrastructureWorkers.pdf

To the extent that we can responsibly continue construction on active jobsites, we commit to doing so. We are following the advice of experts to address the pandemic and will remain in communication as events change. All Colvos Construction employees have been informed, trained, and are practicing all CDC recommendations to mitigate and control the spread of COVID-19.  

Click on the link below for specific COVID-19 health and safety mandates.

As Safety is one of our core values, we have implemented heightened measures to address the risk associated with COVID-19 at our office and jobsites. Currently the Colvos Construction office in Tacoma is closed to non-essential staff and all visitors. Please contact Colvos Construction personnel by email, phone, text or Zoom.

Colvos Adds Seven to Meet 2020 Demand

Tacoma-based Colvos Construction recently hired seven new full-time employees to fulfill an estimated $40,000,000 of new construction, renovations and tenant improvements in 2020.

Colvos Construction was launched in January 2017 and has experience steady growth ever since. Currently, the company has 29 full-time employees and is active in most private commercial real estate sectors including hospitality, multifamily, healthcare, office, retail and industrial.

Notably, Colvos Construction recently completed a 144-room renovation at the Four Seasons Hotel Seattle and will be turning over 839 units of vertical self-storage in November.

 New additions to the team include one Superintendent, one Project Engineer, two carpenters, one laborer, one administrative assistant, and a newly established Director of Business Engagement.

“As a result of our team’s hard work and achievements, we continue to receive numerous inquiries from existing and new customers about upcoming projects,” said President Devin Page.

“As of today, I’m very comfortable with where we sit relative to existing workload and upcoming projects. The outlook for steady growth remains consistent.”

As the Director of Business Engagement, Deanna Dargan oversees marketing, business development, recruiting, and client and team stewardship. Deanna is the former owner and Marketing Strategist at Tairis Group and was the Director of Marketing at BCRA in Tacoma and The Rush Companies in Gig Harbor.

Superintendent Randy Peterson joins Colvos with nearly 40 years of construction experience. Randy specializes in complex tenant improvements in healthcare, office and education facilities. Currently, Randy is overseeing construction at the 205 Lake Street renovation in downtown Kirkland.

 Former 2018 Colvos intern Roman Daves has rejoined the team as a Project Engineer having recently graduated from BYU Idaho with a Construction Management degree. Roman is currently working on three tenant improvement projects in Tacoma for healthcare and office clients.

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Located in downtown Tacoma, Colvos Construction was founded in 2017 by Devin Page and Anders Bjorn with a vision of becoming a recognized regional commercial builder specializing in multifamily, office, healthcare and tenant improvement projects.

Randy Peterson

Superintendent

Roman Daves

Project Engineer

Deanna Dargan

Director of Business Engagement

Colvos Lands Seattle Four Seasons Hotel Renovation

Colvos Construction was recently awarded the renovation of 144 guest rooms at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Seattle. This project, designed by Wimberly Interiors, will take just 12 weeks and is set to be complete in May.

 The updated rooms will feature new lighting, wall coverings, case work, solid surface counter tops, mirrors, and carpet. Corridors will also receive new carpet.

 In order to complete this project in such a short time frame, crews will work on the project in multiple shifts, up to seven days a week, and scheduling for the project has been coordinated by the hour. The team will focus on two floors at a time, maximizing trade efficiencies as they work their way from floor ten to floor three. This type of integrated construction phasing also allows the hotel to minimize the number of vacant rooms prior to Seattle’s busy summer travel season.

 To maintain the project schedule, the team is using sophisticated project management tools including Bluebeam and Procore. These tools allow the team to quickly markup drawings and identify specific tasks that need attention. This information is then easily organized and distributed to the entire project team using Procore’s mobile app. Project Superintendent Alex Olson is impressed with the technology stating, “It’s great, we don’t have to log on to our computers, we just use our phones or tablets to submit RFIs and to communicate with the team. We are able to take care of questions quickly and can focus on the schedule.”

Investing in our Greatest Asset – Our Team

The greatest gift of leadership is a boss who wants you to be successful. - Jon Taffer 

From day one, it has been our priority to invest in our employees first, and our approach has been holistic – from training and continuing education opportunities, to holiday parties and open and transparent dialogue, we are committed to cultivating the best team.  

Continuing Education 

When it comes to helping our team grow professionally, we provide training opportunities through the AGC Education Foundation, as well as OSHA. Our employees have taken advantage of a variety of classes on everything from scheduling to leadership, and we also encourage employees to seek out classes that interest them. One of our project engineers recently asked to take a class on quality control, and he took what he learned from the class and made meaningful improvements to our QC manual.  This is one of many examples of how Colvos supports and listens to the needs of their teams. 

Career Advancement 

As a new company we knew we would have to work hard to recruit a solid team, and we have been able to promote several individuals over the last year. For example, Scott Fletcher and Brian Neal who have been promoted from project engineer to project manager. Both exemplify the kind of management we want within our company. These two are driven, and willing to step up and do what needs to be done to make a project successful.  

Our team knows Colvos is the place to grow a career, and that’s why many are looking to find a place with us. Devin and I are both able to support and mentor our employees because we are still involved with the day-to-day operations of the company. We are there for them when they need us, not when our schedule allows. 

Work Hard Play Hard  

As a young and growing company, we are working hard to build and maintain a culture that values our employees each and every day. The construction industry isn’t for the faint of heart, and we know when employees feel valued and appreciated their work improves. We enjoy coming together for traditional company gatherings like our holiday party, and summer picnic, and we love incorporating a bit of rivalry with our various charity toy and clothing drives. We also find time to celebrate and compete in March Madness and Fantasy Football and we put on a summer golf tournament at Allenmore. These events bring our office and field staff together outside the work place and are a great way for all of us enjoy each other’s company.  

We want to invest in you! 

Gone are the days when employees punch the time clock, do their work, and then leave. At Colvos, we want our employees to know they are valued and respected, and that we are committed to investing in our team. Devin and I truly enjoy seeing our team grow and succeed because we know this is the future of our company. As our team grows and learns so does Colvos, and our future is bright thanks to our dedicated team.  

We want to invest in you! Check out our open positions here.  

South Sound Business Construction Update - Insights from Devin Page

Colvos employees at The Stor-House in Renton, Wash.

In recent years, the South Sound has seen a resurgence of sorts in the quantity of new development projects, specifically as many Seattle- and Eastside-based businesses begin migrating away from congested areas in hopes of finding a more favorable real estate market and burgeoning employment pool.

What does this mean for Tacoma and the South Sound? Our fearless leader, Devin Page, offers his insights in the full article here.

Welcome to our newest team members!

Colvos Construction augmented their project teams with the addition of four project engineers, one superintendent, three assistant superintendents, a carpenter and one in operations support.

“These new hires are a direct result of a successful 2018 and strong backlog,” stated Colvos Vice President, Anders Bjorn. “We have met significant milestones in terms of both growth and development, and our newest team members have the expertise necessary to execute projects.”

New team members include Brian Neal, Scott Fletcher, Mark Tellez, and Gabrielle Marshall as project engineers. Bill Lepola joins the Colvos as a superintendent and teams with new hires Leonard Maack, Michael Drawdy and Andrew Manteufel as assistant superintendents. Eric Miller has been hired as a carpenter foreman, and to support office operations, Lynnae Wilson has been hired as operations support.

Learn more about what each will be up to in this Tacoma News Tribune Feature here.

2018 Holiday Giving

Colvos Construction is excited to support two very deserving local charities this winter and we invite YOU to join in.

New Phoebe House and the Tacoma Rescue Mission have been working tirelessly caring for youth and their families in an effort to the stop the cycle of homelessness in Tacoma. 

Boxes are waiting to be filled in our lobby. If you would like to donate, simply stop buy with a gift or monetary donation (we'll purchase toys and warmies for you).

Deliver your donations to our office at 
711 Court C, Tacoma, WA 98402 by

Friday, December 14, 2018 

2018 Holiday Giving Wish List

New Hats, Gloves, Scarves & Socks

Baby Dolls & Stuffed Animals

Learning Toys    

Cars, Dinosaurs & Action Figures     

Legos

Arts & Crafts

Disney Princesses

Construction Trends in the South Sound

President of Colvos Construction Devin Page examines trends in the construction industry and considers what factors are affecting the change.

By Devin Page, President of Colvos Construction

Since the turn of this economic cycle, the promise and security of commercial construction in the South Sound has been apparent in the real estate industry. It will be interesting to see how the Seattle market continues to drive Tacoma’s, but from what we’ve experienced, it’s our local job market and improvements to downtown Tacoma’s core that’s been attracting new development. Companies are locating in Tacoma to meet the demand of the tech giants up north, but prefer the rent, recruiting and community down south.

From our position as a general contractor, we’re experiencing increased demand to build multi-level self-storage, multifamily and, most excitingly for Tacoma, adaptive re-use of underutilized masonry and industrial buildings.

The Rise of Self-Storage

Self-storage directly correlates to job growth and apartment vacancies, which are historically low. The continued strength of our region’s job market has reduced area unemployment to four-percent, the lowest annual rate in 18 years. The metro’s increasing population reinforces gains in retail sales. Also, the delivery of more than 4,000 apartments creates a need for self-storage space. Where there’s people there’s storage - and as we’ve seen with apartments going vertical - it has its advantages when land space is limited. 

A Migration in Housing Types

Where we’re seeing a switch in market popularity is in multi-family residential with a migration from podium multifamily to infill apartments and adaptive reuse multifamily. Larger podium multifamily projects – 150 units and up - aren’t penciling out as easily as they used to, with increased construction and land costs. Within the last 12 to 18-months, these projects have suddenly been challenged to acquire commercial lending. We predict that there will be more entitled properties coming online than in recent years, given that some undercapitalized first-time developers will be unable to find the equity needed to fund construction. This is an attractive prospect for many developers, as a fully entitled property has received all the necessary governmental and regulatory approvals for a particular use and provides a turn-key opportunity for the buyer.

Now, while large projects may be waning in this cycle, there’s still a strong market for garden-style apartments in suburban areas, like Frederickson and Port Orchard. In these areas, the rental market is seeing a demand for floorplans that can accommodate families with children, with amenities such as pools and community space, and within safe neighborhoods and high-performing school districts.

Why Adaptive Reuse?

Adaptive reuse refers to the reuse of a building or a piece of land for purposes other than what it was originally intended. Many of our clients, including local developer Horizon Partners NW and high-tech employer InfoBlox, are attracted to the historical value, architectural character, higher ceilings, and open space provided by these former manufacturing buildings and warehouses. From an owner’s position, adaptive reuse buildings also hold up well to multiple renovations after the initial renovation, with the highest costs for seismic upgrades and hazardous materials abatement most of the costs absorbed upfront. Infoblox is a good example of second or third generation Tenant Improvement.

Adaptive reuse also segues into the restaurant market, mainly from Seattle restaurateurs coming into Tacoma. These clients are attracted to Tacoma’s less expensive rents, but prefer in the core downtown areas, such as the Stadium District, near UWT, and along 6th Ave. We’ve found that they, like our commercial office clients, are drawn to older underutilized buildings, thus increasing the quantity of adaptive reuse projects. For example, recently renovated Pizza Press was converted from an unreinforced masonry building, formerly a liquor store.

In the end, it’s hard to dispute that the spill-over from Seattle’s construction boom hasn’t benefitted Pierce County and beyond from a commercial real estate and construction position, but we’re at a strong advantage with lower land prices and growing rent both for commercial spaces and residential.

By the Way…

We’re often asked, “Are construction costs going to continue to rise?” And our answer is “yes” from a labor stand-point, and “maybe” on materials. We’ve experienced that there’s limited, if not negative, exposure to youth regarding the trades, such as electrical, masonry, and framing. Therefore, we believe that unless schools promote the trades in a positive manner, that there will be less skilled labor for the construction industry and this will continue to affect labor costs. Recently, the cost increase of materials is driven by tariffs and other trade issues that are difficult to predict in an unstable political climate

But there are opportunities for construction cost savings, which start well before we break ground. By far, the top reason for stabilized construction costs during a project is an investment in preconstruction services and complete design. By spending resources on these up-front efforts, client expectations are not delineated, and those details will get budgeted into the project during the preconstruction and estimating phases. A painfully simple but all too common fact is that changes to the design during construction will increase the price of the project, much more so than if they had been flushed out in preconstruction.

The good news is, with all the development in the Downtown area, the outlook for 2019 is very promising.

10 Questions with Vice President Anders Bjorn

Anders discusses his experience in the industry, how Colvos fits into a changing landscape, and provides some local dining recommendations.

How did you get started in this field?

From a young age I was interested in construction and loved to build things with my hands. My grandpa had a heavy equipment yard that I would visit often, and as a teenager I was able to work some of the equipment. In college, I framed houses while going to school; even though it wasn’t commercial construction, it did give me a foundation of knowledge and experience, and some basic carpentry skills. I looked in to the construction management program and knew that really interested me, and earned a degree in Construction Management from BYU, Idaho.

Can you speak to the current state of building & construction in the Puget Sound region? How does Colvos fit into the changing landscape?

The commercial construction industry in the region continues to move at a rapid pace, mainly in the Seattle/Bellevue area, but in the South Sound as well. Colvos Construction fits in well because there are a lot of large general contractors in the South Sound who are very busy. That leaves a nice opportunity for a small but diverse company like us. We provide exceptional customer service, good pricing, and we can rely on the solid relationships we’ve built throughout the Puget Sound to deliver a good project for our clients. This trend of larger contractors going after big projects will likely continue into the next year or so, leaving a lot of opportunities for a company like Colvos to go after smaller projects.

How do you see the Puget Sound region changing in the next two years, and how do you anticipate Colvos responding to that change?

We don’t anticipate a large decline in private work; however, to remain diversified and build relationships in the public sector, we have focused about 20% of our efforts on hard bid work with public agencies.  We know that things will eventually change, and public work will increase as private work tapers off. 

Name one trend in your field that you are either currently embracing or bucking?

The younger generation (high school kids and those graduating soon) is moving away from the trades/construction/blue collar work, which is a trend that is a big challenge for the construction industry as we have a generation (which has been doing this their whole lives) will soon be retiring. With as much work as exists in the Puget Sound region right now, that is an especially difficult challenge. We are trying to help address this issue locally by visiting schools like Pierce College, which has a two-year construction management program, to teach them about the industry and get them excited about the field. We’re also working with Tacoma Public Schools, which has a program to provide information to students about alternatives to four-year degrees.

What do you consider your specialty?

Working with people is my specialty. I like working with subcontractors, I like sitting down and spending time with architects and owners to problem solve, going through the design and preconstruction phase. I like working with everyone on our team at Colvos, and enjoy spending time with and learning from them, regardless of their role.

What’s the most significant project you’ve worked on in your career and why?

As an intern in college, I worked on the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center campus on Lake Union in Seattle. It was a really cool, unique project for a great cause. I also worked on a big project onsite at SeaTac airport for a few years, where I learned a lot about different parts of construction. More recently in my career, I worked on the McMenamins Anderson School in Bothell. That was an amazing project that was fast-paced, and I really enjoyed working for the McMenamin brothers.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I have four daughters, so a lot of my time away from work is spent with them. They love playing sports, so there is usually a practice or a game to watch or go pick them up from. I also enjoy playing golf and camping with my family in the summertime.

Why did you decide to join Colvos Construction and what do you enjoy about working here?

In 2016, Devin Page and I were talking and he brought up the idea of starting a new company and working together. I’ve always wanted to have the opportunity to build a company. I really believed in Devin’s ability, skills, and experience, having worked with him before, and I’m really glad I did it. It’s been fun and challenging, and it’s been a great learning experience.

What projects are you currently working on?

I am currently responsible for all construction activities on all our projects, as well as overseeing those budgets and contracts, and managing the relationships with our subcontractors and clients. More specifically, I am currently focused on wrapping up the Sea-Tac Lighting project.

Tacos or pizza? Favorite spot in the region to enjoy?

That’s an impossible decision because the tacos from Tacos Chukis are incredible, and I really love pizza from the Pizza Press that we recently completed.  So, I'd say both!