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30 Sep

Posted at 11:38h in Community, News, United Team

United Construction had a lovely time supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Nevada (BBBSNN) at one of their annual Big Chefs Little Galas last weekend. We were a proud sponsor of the event, which raised funds for BBBSNN’s mission: “To create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.” During the pandemic, caring for our community’s children at-risk is even more important, and every dollar raised at the gala is going to help BBBSNN “match at-risk youth with caring adult mentors to help ignite, inspire, and empower their potential.”

Cheers to children!

22 Sep

Posted at 08:26h in Community, News, United Team

In recognition of their vast talents and commitment to our team, United Construction is honored to announce that two of our project administrators are being promoted, effective next Monday, September 27.

Carrie Dyer will be our newest Project Engineer, while Audrey Mackey will be our next Operations Administrator.

Carrie began her career with us in September 2019, exactly two years ago. First serving as a Project Administrator, she was integral to several of our key Northern Nevada and Northern California projects, including Swope Middle School Phases 1-3, Berkley International, LogistiCenter at Vacaville and more. With a wide variety of both project and operations experience under her belt, she is well-suited to be our next Project Engineer.

Audrey came to United in February 2020, right before the pandemic first hit, but that certainly didn’t stop her from hitting the ground running. Since joining us, she has been a driving force on many of our Northern and Southern Nevada projects, including Symmetrix, Distribution Circle, Reno Ice and LogistiCenter at Sunset Road. She will be a fantastic asset to the Operations team as the new Operations Administrator.

“Following our company tradition of employee succession, it was an easy task when it came to Carrie and Audrey,” said Casey Gunther, Operations Manager. “These two have displayed immense leadership in their positions here at United, and we are proud to welcome them into their new roles. We look forward to seeing them accomplish more goals and reach new heights.”

Congratulations, Carrie and Audrey!

13 Sep

Posted at 14:48h in Community, News, United Team

Today, September 13, marks the beginning of Construction Appreciation Week in the U.S. This commemorative week “recognizes the dedicated, hard-working men and women instrumental in the development of our infrastructure.” As a leading design-build construction firm in Nevada, we are proud United team members who have given our tireless efforts to many projects that have helped our communities, from public schools and community health clinics to distribution centers and aircraft services buildings. We will be featuring many of these projects, along with the teams that aided us along the way, throughout this week on our Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter pages.

From September 13-17, we encourage our supporters and followers to give some special thought about how you give thanks to your fellow industry professionals for all the hard work they do day in and day out. How do you give thanks for building?

23 Aug

Posted at 10:05h in Community, News, United Team

Several of our Reno team members had a wonderful time celebrating The Children’s Cabinet at the Art of Childhood fundraising gala, which took place at The Club at Rancharrah on Friday, August 20. The Children’s Cabinet is heavily intertwined in our culture at United Construction, with Michael Dermody founding the nonprofit in the 1980s and Michael Russell sitting on the Board of Trustees for over a decade. We love to support such a vital organization for children and families in our community, and we were honored to be a Bronze Sponsor. The Children’s Cabinet was able to raise $517,000 at the event alone!

Please enjoy these photos of the event, including a photo of our handcrafted rocket ship playhouse sitting on display for the live auction.

 

05 Aug

Posted at 09:03h in News, Project Milestone, United Team

United Construction recently commenced the installation of culvert along Reactor Way at the Hamilton campus. As United and their subcontractor Sierra Nevada Construction were hired to make roadway and infrastructure improvements at Hamilton, they also began realigning the surrounding roadway along Reactor Way this week. The realignment process, which is slated to continue through the end of September, includes demolition, road grading and the use of heavy equipment.

Upon project completion of the Hamilton Reactor Way site, Waldorf School and High Sierra Industries will enjoy additional parking spaces. Hamilton will have new sidewalks, parallel parking, crosswalks and landscaping along Reactor Way.

Culvert installation photos courtesy of Jeff Dow.

28 Jul

Posted at 12:03h in Community, News, United Team

Thanks to the leadership of Tenant Improvement Manager Mike Clements, Assistant Superintendent Justin Brunner, Estimator Jami Evenson, our subcontractors and our architect partners, renovations to the Community Health Alliance health center at 2244 Oddie Blvd. in Sparks have officially been completed, expanding the medical facility to serve more patients.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent need for increasingly accessible health care, a more comprehensive, one-stop-shop facility in the Oddie Blvd. neighborhood was a necessity. As KOLO (Channel 8 news in Reno) reports, “This facility opened about 5 years ago, but Mazzucotelli says within about 2 years they were already at capacity trying to serve patients.” In order to meet the needs of their growing clientele, Community Health Alliance hired United Construction last year as their construction partner for the remodel of their Sparks Health Center.

The facility tenant improvements, which includes an expansion into the adjoining tenant space, has brought improved patient exam rooms, a brand-new nurse’s station, an expanded waiting room, revamped blood laboratory space, a new pharmacy and a food pantry to service patients who are food insecure. United and their subcontractors installed several new-and-improved building aspects – including demolition; framing; mechanical, plumbing and electrical work; wall insulation; pharmacy windows; water line tie-ins; pantry cabinets; finishes and more – making for a fresh and comfortable space for all.

Throughout the remodel, we collaborated closely with Berger Hannafin Architecture, our engineering partner JP Engineering and Community Health Alliance leadership. The teamwork is evident in the revitalized finished health center. Justin Brunner was onsite daily through the success of the remodel with Mike Clements providing project management, overseeing the team members and subcontractors.

Renovations were completed as of June 15, 2021. Medical providers have officially moved into their newly constructed station, and patients are enjoying the improved, welcoming waiting areas and bright, sterile exam rooms. The pharmacy is stocked and ready to administer medications to patients, and the blood laboratory is poised to process patient lab results.

“We estimate that we will be able to see an additional 6,000 more patients per year in Sparks due to the Sparks Health Center expansion efforts,” said President of Community Health Alliance’s Board of Directors Melinda Mendoza. “Providing healthcare access for all ages in Sparks supports better health outcomes for our entire community.”

Community Health Alliance is accepting new patients whether individuals are insured, under-insured or uninsured. Please call Community Health Alliance at (775) 329-6300 to make an appointment for you and your family members.

Joe Mazzucotelli, COO of Community Health Alliance, spoke about the new expansion and additions to the CHA Sparks Health Center on Oddie Blvd. Enjoy the news clip and written story here: Sparks Health Center Receives Upgrades, Expands Services

26 Jul

Posted at 09:50h in Community, News, United Team

United Construction Superintendent Pete Brunner has been officially promoted to General Superintendent, following our tradition of promoting from within.

With over three decades of construction experience, Pete is a veteran field leader who focuses on communicating expectations and developing team rapport. He is also an asset in preconstruction, providing constructability insights and working closely with customers to meet needs. Pete steps into this role effective today, July 26.

“We had very qualified applicants to the position, which made the decision extremely difficult for us, and we are very excited about the capabilities that Pete will bring to the General Superintendent role,” said President Mike Whittaker.

Congratulations, Pete!

08 Jul

Posted at 11:14h in Community, News, United Team

Our CEO Michael Russell was a valued member of the expert panel this morning at the Northern Nevada Business Weekly’s Breakfast & Business on construction and development. This was the first NNBW breakfast program since the start of the pandemic, and the topic matters to kick off the programming were ever-relevant to the growth we’ve been seeing in Northern Nevada. Michael and the other panelists discussed how:

– The construction industry is rebounding from the pandemic and what the outlook looks like for summer 2021 and beyond,
– Supply chain issues, labor shortages and increased pricing on lumber and other materials are impacting timelines for commercial and residential projects,
– Northern Nevada’s booming population growth — both pre- and post-pandemic — in part due to the continuing California exodus is putting pressure on developers; and
– The region’s red-hot housing market is influencing both the region’s economic profile and builders’ ability to pump out affordable homes.

Michael spoke to attendees on the challenges our industry has seen in terms of worker shortages, rise of housing and labor costs, and consequent lengthened project turnaround times. Despite these challenges, Michael reiterated his optimism for our region, including beyond Reno-Sparks: the demand is there, as more companies stake their claim for industrial space, and therefore companies like United Construction have the opportunity to step up and continue meeting that demand.

Thank you to Michael and the rest of the panel for sharing your expertise with the audience!

06 Jul

Posted at 07:30h in Community, News, United Team

After more than 40 years in the industry as a professional architect, United Construction’s Dave Eckes will be retiring this Friday, July 9, 2021. Dave joined the United team in 2014, and since then, he has been a driving force within our design team. He has been an excellent mentor to the department and has been instrumental in improving our design standards. We are so fortunate to have had Dave’s expertise, bringing projects such as Project Zephyr, Berkley International, LUX Dynamics Assembly Building, LogistiCenter at Las Vegas Blvd, DP Sofidel and many more to success. He has more than earned a fruitful retirement.

“Dave has been an invaluable leader at United and is an outstanding architect,” said Mike Whittaker. “His bright personality, memorable dad jokes, design talent and unquestionable reliability will be truly missed. We wish him the best as he retires and plans his world travels.”

As we send off Dave to his retirement adventures, we are also thrilled to announce that one of our very own employees will be stepping up into his role. Keith Deutscher will officially be welcomed as our next Design Manager, effective next Monday, July 12, 2021. As many of us know, Keith’s story with United started long before his return to Reno in March 2021, and his promotion is well-deserved. He has decades of architectural experience, including hospitality, medical, retail, industrial, office and education. Keith is licensed in five states, is NCARB certified, and is a LEED accredited professional. He is a natural fit for the Design Manager role, especially as we honor our United tradition of employee succession.

“Keith is a phenomenal member of our design team, and promoting him to Design Manager was an easy decision,” said Paul Laird. “I am looking forward to working with him in this new capacity as we move forward in the future.”

Congratulations, Keith!

01 Jul

Posted at 06:00h in News, Project Milestone, United Team

Summer has arrived in full force, and with it will come completion of the brand new gym at Swope Middle School as we bid the existing gym goodbye.

“The new gym taking the place of the old gym as it becomes demolished marks a significant milestone for Swope,” said Casey Gunther, Operations Manager for United Construction. “As our team continues to make strides towards a finished, new-and-improved school, we are thrilled to see all of our hard work come to fruition for the students.”

Finishes to the new gymnasium, including interior framing and drywall, are continuing strongly. The roof top HVAC units have been set, and the on-site construction team is powering on the system for the first time

Demolition of the existing gym will commence this month, which marks a major landmark as the school prepares for students to enjoy the new gym facilities. Additionally, site workers are preparing to demolish the library to construct the new kitchen, and they are gearing up to demolish and remodel the band and choir rooms.

Work on the interior of the existing school and installation of the Solatube daylight and ventilation systems has also begun and will continue through the following weeks.

Residents should be aware of the increased truck traffic over the next four weeks as site workers haul off material from the existing gym. We urge neighbors to exercise caution when traveling around the school. Please note: due to ongoing construction and demolition, two of the basketball courts on the west side of the school will not be available this summer.

Photo Credits: Ryland Sweigard