Author: Shelby Cox

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04 Mar

Posted at 10:30h in News

On March 2nd, Dermody Properties and Locus Development Group as the project Developer team and United Construction as the Design-Builder were honored with awards for NAIOP Northern Nevada Industrial Park of the Year (Park at McCarran) and Industrial Build-to-Suit of the Year (Building 1 Ames). Since the NAIOP CRE Awards event was not held in 2023, the 2024 event was held to recognize projects completed in 2022 and 2023.

With the sheer size and scale of this development, United Construction people drove this project to successful completion over the 2-1/2-year project development timeline. This project was designed and built during the pandemic and broke ground just as supply chain issues started causing long lead times for various equipment and materials and the subsequent unpredictable material cost escalations.

Our deepest thanks and appreciation go to Locus Development Group (Joel Grace) and Dermody Properties (John Ramous) for selecting United Construction as their Design-Build partner on this remarkable project. We also thank the Ames, InnoPak, Candle Science and Fidelitone companies that occupied all the buildings as initial tenants.

Numerous United Construction team members who were responsible for successfully delivering these facilities deserve our utmost recognition include Audrey Mackey, Carrie Dyer, Casey Gunther, Jeremy Kearns, Chuck Brown, Dylan McAninch, Pete Brunner, Paul Laird, Sandy Penny, Catherine Bernauer, Chris Bennett, Keith Deutscher, Glady Robinette, Ken Rice, Leman Jones and Mark Byars.

United Construction has over 45 years’ experience designing and building industrial and manufacturing facilities, and for the Park at McCarran development was able to assemble the best project management/control team, consultants, vendors and subcontractors to successfully navigate and mitigate the project regulatory, permitting, schedule and financial challenges that were encountered on the project. This is what United Construction always does best, day in and day out for and with our customers.

Congratulations everyone!

29 Jan

Posted at 08:43h in News, United Team

It is with great admiration and warm wishes that we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Greg Park, Preconstruction Project Manager, on his well-deserved retirement!

With an impressive career spanning over four decades, Greg has been an invaluable cornerstone of the construction industry, dedicating an incredible 28 years of his journey to United Construction. With a focus on preconstruction excellence, Greg has been the driving force behind the successful estimating of numerous high-profile public and private projects. His approach, deep industry knowledge, and commitment to quality have been invaluable to our company. In a testament to his outstanding contributions, Greg Park was honored as the Associated Builders and Contractors’ 2021 Distinguished Member of the Year at the first-ever ABC Reno Recognition Awards. He has been involved on the ABC Board of Directors for over 15 years and continually goes above and beyond for the organization. In 2017, Greg was also honored with the prestigious AGC Silent Samaritan Award, a testament to his significant contributions to the community.

Greg’s commitment to our community is further exemplified by his longstanding role as the Director of the Sky Tavern Adaptive Program for an impressive 26 years. This program, under his leadership, has played a crucial role in teaching children with physical, cognitive, or neurological disabilities how to ski and snowboard, fostering inclusivity and empowerment. Greg’s commitment extends to aiding our nation’s heroes, as he has been an active instructor for the Disabled Veterans Ski Camp for three years in a row. Additionally, Greg has contributed as an instructor for the Spinal Cord Injury Ski Camp Program facilitated by Renown. His involvement in these programs underscores his commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those in our community.

As Greg embarks on this new chapter, we express our deepest gratitude for his unwavering dedication, leadership, and the countless contributions that have shaped United Construction over the years. Here’s to the next chapter, Greg – may it be as rewarding and fulfilling as your remarkable career!

01 Dec

Posted at 10:09h in News, Project Milestone

Stellar Aviation’s campus vision is becoming a reality at Reno-Tahoe International Airport. We’re thrilled to share the latest video footage from our Stellar Aviation project at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport! The first phase includes a 5,000-square-foot stand-alone FBO terminal building and 30,000-square-foot Hangar with a 5,000-square-foot attached office is reaching its final stages, with an anticipated completion date set for February 2024. Paving at the site was completed the first week of November, and interior finishes and final site and landscaping work are underway. United Construction is fortunate to have partnered with Stellar Aviation since 2019 to help Stellar Aviation deliver the initial phase of their campus commitment at Reno-Tahoe International Airport on a design-build basis. Our thanks go out to Stellar Aviation, Reno Tahoe Airport Authority, the United project team, and the subcontractors helping deliver this important and highly visible build.

View the project video here – https://vimeo.com/885802781?share=copy

02 Oct

Posted at 14:39h in News, United Team

Our Las Vegas office and executive team had a blast at our recent team-building event at Topgolf! With clubs in hand and competitive spirits, we aimed for those targets, unleashed our inner golf pros, and maybe even hit a few hole-in-ones (or at least tried to)! But it wasn’t just about golf – it was about forging stronger connections, fostering teamwork, and sharing some hearty laughs. The camaraderie among our executive team and colleagues was truly par-fection! Here’s to more unforgettable moments and successful drives, both on the golf course and in the office. Together, we’re teeing up for success!

18 Sep

Posted at 14:47h in Community, News

United Construction is thrilled to share the incredible evening we had at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Nevada’s annual Big Chefs Little Galas fundraising event, hosted at the Montreux Golf & Country Club! We are proud sponsors of this amazing event, where every dollar raised through this event directly supports Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Nevada and their simple yet profound mission – to match at-risk youth with caring adult mentors who ignite, inspire, and empower their potential. Our hearts were filled with hope as we came together to help set all young people in northern Nevada on a path to graduate high school with a plan for their future and a mentor whose impact will undoubtedly last a lifetime.

12 Sep

Posted at 08:29h in Project Milestone

Big day at Stellar Aviation as we set the main truss across the front of the hangar today. This truss measures 250’ long by 9’ tall weighing in at 95,000 lbs with rigging. Due to the length of the truss this had to be set using two cranes qualifying this as a critical pick. Everything went smoothly during the erection and fit-up, we spent a great deal of time planning every step of the process which led to the success of this critical pick.  The next few days we will have a crane onsite setting the balance of the smaller roof trusses that make up the balance of the roof structure.

 

Thank you to The Metal Company, Elite Safety, Freedom Crane, Harlee, Dylan and the rest of the United Team who took part in the planning of today’s lift.

21 Aug

Posted at 08:45h in Community, News

Join us in celebrating The Children’s Cabinet’s 25th Annual Art of Childhood Fundraising Gala held at the stunning Rancharrah! All funds raised during the event support the organization’s mission to keep children safe and families together, and a special Fund-A-Need appeal directly supports The Children’s Cabinet’s free family counseling program. Throughout the night, guests indulged in delectable food and beverages while getting swept away by the excitement of incredible live and silent auction packages. A charming Barn-style playhouse, designed and built by United Construction, fetched $2,400 during the auction, with all proceeds benefiting The Children’s Cabinet. Did you know that annually, The Children’s Cabinet touches the lives of over 10,000 families in Nevada? From providing basic necessities and childcare resources to educational opportunities, work experience programs, crisis intervention, and family counseling – they are here to help children and families in our community every step of the way.

02 Aug

Posted at 09:35h in News

On Wednesday, July 19th, we had the honor of welcoming some special guests to some of our projects in southern Nevada. Our valued customer, Dermody Properties, stopped by for an exclusive tour of our LogistiCenter at I-15, LogistiCenter at I-215 North, and LogistiCenter at Miner’s Mesa projects. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Dermody Properties for taking the time to visit our project sites and witness the progress firsthand! Their partnership and support have been instrumental in making these developments a reality. A massive shout-out to our exceptional site project teams who went above and beyond to provide an informative and memorable tour of the buildings. Their dedication and expertise in bringing these projects to life truly impressed our visitors. Stay tuned for more updates on these exciting projects as we continue to build and shape the landscape of southern Nevada together!

28 Jul

Posted at 10:24h in United Team

We would like to highlight one of our remarkable Project Engineers – Harlee Annis! His positive attitude and willingness to go the extra mile make him a joy to work with, inspiring his colleagues to strive for excellence. Please check out the information below to get to know more about Harlee and his background.

Can you give us a quick background on your career progression?
I served nine years in the U.S. Navy Seabees – the navy’s construction force – as a Safety Manager and Project Manager, where I lead a crew and assisted the build of a small arms training building. I was also appointed to the White House Communications Agency as the Carpentry Shop Manager, where I redesigned the Vice Presidential Podium, lead the design and installation of the new Pentagon briefing room, created Standard Operating Procedures for all fabrication shop assets, and implemented a plan for shop members to enroll in the Navy’s medical surveillance program.

After my military service, I joined UCC as an intern through the DOD Skillbridge program in September 2021. I was an intern for 3 months and then moved into a full-time position as a project engineer in November of 2021.

Tell us a bit about what you like to do outside of work.
Outside of work I like to golf in the summer and snowboard in the winter, and last year I started coaching Pop Warner football as well. We bought a house last year that needs a lot of updating so I have been doing a lot of work on the house. We also are looking to raise animals on our 1 acre.

Tell us about a pivotal moment in your career.
The passing of my father was an extremely important part of my life and career, it was a moment that made me stop and really consider what I value in life. After this is when I committed to getting out of the Navy to ensure I could be the best father and husband for my family.

What’s your favorite part about your job?
My favorite part of my job is the new challenges, every job is different and has its new unique challenges that keep things interesting.

What’s the most exciting project you’ve worked on to date?
Lately I have been involved in the some of the preconstruction work for the Dermody Office Building, this is going to be a very challenging and rewarding project for whoever is a part of it once it gets started.

How did you get into construction as a career path?
I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands, in high school I took any shop class I could woodshop, welding, auto shop. I started going to TMCC for welding once I graduated high school and shortly after that is when I learned about the Navy Seabees and joined as a Builder where I go to do some basic rough carpentry, concrete, masonry and other great opportunities.

17 Jul

Posted at 13:57h in News

United Construction is celebrating our 45th anniversary this year! United Construction has and will continue to focus on its founding legacy and philosophy of successfully delivering design-build and collaborative projects in both southern and northern Nevada.

“United Construction continually focuses on being a company that delivers and stands behind quality, schedule, price and customer service.  United is dedicated to keeping commitments to our customers, people and community partnerships.” said Michael Whittaker, President of United Construction.

Michael Russell, Executive Vice President adds “United has remained focused on its long-standing relationships with Dermody Properties, Washoe County School District, Hamilton Medical Devices, CAE, Dassault Falcon and other select customers to provide design-build, CMAR and general contracting services for their Nevada projects. For 45 years United Construction has continued to serve our valued customer base which includes a variety of both private and public sector end-users and developers.”

United Construction currently has active projects in Reno and Las Vegas, and the company has about 50 employees working its two offices. Notable United Construction projects in Nevada include the LogistiCenter at I-15 South’s four building industrial project totaling 1.1 million square feet in Henderson NV, University Studies Abroad Consortium’s Office building in Reno NV, Miner’s Mesa 660,000 square foot industrial building in North Las Vegas NV, LifeChurch’s Campus Development in Reno NV, CAE Pilot Training Center in Las Vegas NV, Swope Middle School Renovation/Addition in Reno NV, Park at McCarran’s three building industrial project totaling 1.3 million square feet in Reno NV and Hamilton Medical Devices’ clean room facilities in Reno NV.

Adapting in an Evolving Industry

Since the COVID pandemic began in 2020 the construction industry has experienced numerous challenges and changes in the way business is conducted. Supply chain disruptions, material cost fluctuations, and worker shortages that cause project cost escalations and longer schedules have impacted today’s construction business and processes, but through it all Nevada’s demand for development and construction has remained robust. United Construction has adapted through these fluid market conditions to successfully serve our customers through modified early procurement practices for long lead time items/materials, additional pre-construction and construction management oversight, working with our subcontractors to address labor challenges and by straightforward communication with United’s project stakeholders. Fortunately, in recent months some of these challenges have now “normalized”, yet there nevertheless remains select unpredictable cost/material lead time challenges, economic uncertainty and labor shortages in our industry.

Fostering a Culture of Success

United’s team is guided by the following priorities:

  • Keeping customers, employees and project teams safe
  • Emphasizing employee development and engagement
  • Continuously improving communication skills
  • Embracing and implementing innovative and creative solutions

United has hired key people to strengthen its staff and organization. Casey Gunther United Vice President of Operations, Pete Brunner General Superintendent, Sheril Bradley Vice President of Finance, and Jason Kamp Manager of People Operations all fill key management roles for the company that enhances the leadership and culture of the company.

Senior leadership at United Construction is laser-focused on fostering relationships, effective communication, keeping stakeholders active in decision-making, dealing professionally and fairly with all stakeholders, collaboration, best practices, and continuous improvement; reinforcing these behaviors and instilling these philosophies every day is what drives United’s culture.

It’s All About People

We graciously thank United Construction customers and their people for their confidence in United Construction over our 45 years and send them our deepest gratitude for their enduring partnerships. United’s customers and their projects provide the opportunity to grow our people through unique and challenging projects and support United’s service to the communities we live and work in.

It’s important we recognize and thank our talented United Construction teammates for their efforts and diligence every day. Our people’s dedication is what makes our projects come to life and earns United Construction each of its successes. Without our people’s tireless work and commitment, United Construction would not exist. The United Construction team today is the best and most professional it’s ever been.

Being in business for 45 years has afforded United Construction the experience of working with the many consultants, vendors, and subcontractors that help us deliver our projects, and we thank them for their relationships, efforts, and service throughout United’s history.

United Construction is extremely fortunate to celebrate its’ 45th year in business and our team is proud of our company history and the accomplishments United has achieved over these many years. United Construction looks forward to many more years being of service to our customers, people, and communities.