Category: Facilities Maintenance Capital

How Planning Services Can Benefit Municipalities of Any Size

Posted on November 21, 2024

By David Phillips, Senior Planner

Municipalities, regardless of their size, face unique challenges when it comes to managing capital projects and infrastructure development. Planning services offer a comprehensive solution to these challenges, ensuring that cities can effectively manage growth, budget constraints, and facility needs. Because planning services will vary according to a city or town’s specific needs, understanding the possibilities is essential before engaging a firm. Here are some key benefits you can look for:

Expertise Beyond In-House Capabilities

Many municipalities have an in-house director of facilities, but the influx of money from population growth or federal funding can overwhelm their capacity. Planning services can offer specialized expertise to handle these situations, allowing cities to improve and build infrastructure without the need to hire additional short-term staff. This ensures that best practices are implemented from day one, and once a project is completed, the planning services firm can seamlessly transition to the next project or assist another municipality.

Real-Time Cost Estimates and Budget Confidence

When a city outgrows a facility, such as a library, planning services provide real-time cost estimates during the design phase. This is a critical skill that many cities lack in-house. By offering accurate budget and cost projections, the planning services firm instills confidence in financial planning and helps municipalities avoid costly surprises.

Strategic Planning and Site Selection

Using demographic studies and GIS mapping planning services can help municipalities anticipate future needs and assist with site selection for new facilities, such as ballfields for growing populations. This strategic planning ensures that municipalities are prepared for growth and can make informed decisions about where to invest in new infrastructure.

Comprehensive Facility Assessments

By conducting thorough assessments of all current facilities, planning services firms can evaluate their lifecycles and plan for upgrades, maintenance, and growth. This holistic approach covers the entire lifecycle of a facility, from new construction to maintenance and eventual replacement. By continuously evaluating facility conditions and projecting future needs, firms can help municipalities make informed decisions about capital spending.

Phased Planning and Cash Flow Management

With the influx of funds, municipalities often face the challenge of deciding what to build or replace first. Planning services assist in phasing projects, budgeting based on current and future construction costs, and managing cash flow over time. This phased approach ensures that municipalities can prioritize projects effectively and maintain financial stability.

Accountability and Community Engagement

Planning services help municipalities remain accountable to taxpayers by presenting plans and progress to boards and community leaders. This transparency builds trust and ensures that projects are aligned with community needs and expectations. Good firms act as a partner, working closely with city leaders to manage projects and deliver results.

Leveraging Relationships and Expertise

With an extensive network of consultants and architects throughout a region, planning services firms can bring in the right experts for each project. This reach and relationship-building benefit municipalities by providing access to top-tier professionals and resources.

Supporting Cities Through Change

Whether a city is experiencing rapid growth or undergoing significant changes, planning services offer move management and other support services to help municipalities navigate transitions smoothly. By partnering with a firm, cities can focus on running their operations while the firm handles the complexities of capital projects.

No matter what size your municipality, HPM planning services can provide municipalities with the expertise, strategic planning, and comprehensive support needed to manage capital projects effectively. From real-time cost estimates to phased planning and community engagement, HPM ensures that cities can grow and thrive while maintaining financial stability and accountability.

HPM’s Will Cather Included in BBJ’s 2024 NextGen BHM List

Posted on May 24, 2024

Will Cather, Project Manager at HPM, has been included in the 2024 NextGen BHM: Construction & Real Estate list published by Birmingham Business Journal. This list is comprised of up-and-coming industry leaders who demonstrate great potential and leadership qualities. Recipients were chosen based on their contributions to their companies, their role in the industry, the likelihood of them becoming prominent leaders in their field, and their role in the Birmingham community. All honorees are under the age of 30.

About the NextGen BHM Recipient

With a robust background in contracting, design, and project management work, Will is a master of all trades in the construction/real estate industry. He currently provides leadership on HPM’s Regions account. His scope of work includes numerous facilities maintenance capital projects, which often present demands around the clock. Capital replacements/upgrades of elevators, fire alarm systems, HVAC units, HVAC control systems and both exterior and interior LED lighting retrofits are all common FMC projects. Will remains available to the client, going above and beyond to demonstrate commitment to getting the job done with excellence. This consistent work ethic has earned him a remarkable amount of credibility within the industry.

Regions Project Manager David Caulkins heralded Will’s contributions, stating, “Will has been such an asset to the team, it’s hard to surmise into a simple statement. He is transparent, available, and impactful, all in a timely manner.”

Will was promoted after only eight months with HPM, an honor indicating his high level of performance and robust work ethic. “Will excels in managing client expectations as he communicates in a clear and effective manner”, said his supervisor, Charles Phillips. “He is a team player and fosters a collaborative work environment where his coworkers feel valued and motivated. Will understands that if one person on our team succeeds, we all succeed.”

Community Involvement

A rising star in his profession and his community, Will is dedicated to giving back to the Birmingham area. He is actively involved with The WellHouse, a local organization providing residential, therapeutic programs to female victims of human trafficking. After attending a gala benefitting the organization, Will immediately began pursuing opportunities to serve on their board.

A graduate of The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and life-long resident of Birmingham, Will is sure to impact the construction industry and the Magic City for decades to come.

Project Management Professional, Will Cather Promoted at HPM

Posted on November 20, 2023

As HPM continues to grow, it is more important than ever to employ individuals demonstrating the highest level of dedication to the projects and clients they are assigned. Since onboarding with HPM, Will Cather has proven his robust work ethic as a project management professional. Because of his outstanding performance and contributions to our team, I am confident in promoting him to the next level as Project Manager.

Will’s Career

Despite being early in his career, Will has developed a well-rounded skillset by the nature of his previous positions at a general contractor and a design firm. He applies this knowledge and experience daily on our Regions Bank account managing facilities maintenance capital projects. These projects include capital replacements/upgrades of elevators, fire alarm systems, HVAC units, HVAC control systems and both exterior and interior LED lighting retrofits.

The FMC team simply would not be successful without Will’s commitment and effort. The nature of the FMC work is for installations to occur on nights and weekends, and Will is always on call and available to support his projects. Will has developed a great relationship with key members of the client’s team, and quickly gaining their trust and confidence. He excels in managing client expectations as he communicates in a clear and effective manner. Will is a team player and fosters a collaborative work environment where his coworkers feel valued and motivated. He understands that if one person on our team succeeds, we all succeed.

Client Praise

Regions Project Manager, David Caulkins heralded Will’s contributions, saying “Will has been such an asset to the team, it’s hard to surmise into a simple statement. He is transparent, available and impactful, all in a timely manner.”

About Will

Will and his wife, Haleigh have a love for travel and most recently visited Switzerland! Among his many hobbies, Will is a coffee connoisseur and loves to cook—he even bakes his own bread! He is a huge sports fan and his favorite teams include Alabama, the Dallas Cowboys, the Atlanta Braves and most importantly, his beloved Tottenham Hotspurs.

Will truly is a “rising star” at HPM, and I’m so proud of what he’s accomplished in only 8 months. I am excited to witness his continued success!

Celebrating 20 Years of Partnership with Regions Bank

Posted on October 31, 2023

HPM recently celebrated 20 years of supporting Regions Bank in capital improvement projects of all shapes and sizes as they have experienced exponential growth. Our relationship began in August 2003 and has experienced consistent growth as Regions and its affiliates have expanded from a footprint of nine Southeastern states to a nationwide entity occupying 22 states spanning from California, Utah, Colorado, New York, Illinois and Virginia. Over the course of the last two decades, years, HPM has managed more than $800 million in project volume, 3,000 projects and 10,000 associate moves.

Both headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., HPM’s relationship with the Fortune 500 company (ranked #25 among banks in the United States) made sense from the start. In the earlier years, the firm’s efforts were focused primarily on project and program management, overseeing the many details that encompass the ground-up construction of a new facility. As the client’s needs have fluctuated, HPM has managed processes as large as multi-million-dollar operations centers and as small as installing or replacing cubicle signage.

Regions has relied upon HPM to handle the move management portion of numerous projects. HPM’s multi-disciplined Move Management team provides a variety of services to fit each project’s specific needs such as furniture and equipment inventories, space planning, furniture and equipment planning and procurement, furniture specifying, mover selection and coordination, move scheduling and logistics management including receiving, tagging and installing furniture and equipment and decommissioning of a space. These services have allowed Regions to realize seamless transitions of people, furniture and equipment from existing facilities into new facilities.

Throughout HPM’s tenure, Regions has demonstrated a spirit of innovation, consistently seeking to set new standards for employee spaces. In realizing their goals, we have assisted them in creating collaborative workspaces that foster teamwork and productivity. Always prioritizing the health and safety of employees, HPM has completed various projects on behalf of Regions to maximize security and prevent ramifications of natural disasters such as hurricanes, fires, floods and tornados. HPM project teams have procured and installed progressive audio visual and technological equipment while incorporating interior design elements such as fixtures, signage and furniture to modernize office and branch environments.

“HPM has a special relationship with Region’s Bank,” said Brooks Ballentine, Vice President, Eastern Region, HPM. “We are thankful for their continued partnership and are proud to be a part of bringing their vision to life.”

HPM’s Beginnings: A History Built on Standing in the Gap (Part Two)

Posted on May 15, 2019

By Mike Lanier, President

Welcome back as we turn back time with our founding president reminding us in this two-part series about how HPM was founded and how it continues to grow. You can read Part One of this series posted earlier on our blog.https://hpmleadership.com/hpms-beginnings-a-history-built-on-standing-in-the-gap-part-two/

See Part One Here

In 2013, HPM took to the skies and provided the much-needed boots on the ground in the US for the global aerospace company, Airbus. Our expert staff members embedded themselves within Airbus and became the client’s eyes and ears during the design and construction of their first US manufacturing facility, which has led us to other clients in the aerospace and aviation industry.

Along the time that HPM began making its impression in several industries signaled the time for the company to be organized into its own entity, and HPM was officially structured into an LLC, branded itself apart from the construction company, and offered services separate from industry norms.

A few years ago, HPM represented the City of Birmingham by managing the design and construction of a new minor league baseball stadium right in the middle of downtown which sparked a revitalization of the area. Now, we have lead the building of several new major and minor league baseball stadiums across the Southeast as well as numerous collegiate sports venues across the US.

As a part of our growth strategy, HPM acquired a construction audit and contracting firm which serves an impressive list of clients including Google, Caesar’s Entertainment, Southwest Airlines, Facebook and Landry’s. The team criss-crosses the country involving themselves in clients’ contract negotiations; conducting interim and final audits to determine reimbursable costs, fees, savings and savings allocations; reviewing pay applications; calculating scheduled damages; and managing claims analysis and defense. We like to say that our audit and contract services provide clients with confidence knowing you paid the right price on your construction spend.

Today, HPMers serve global clients across the US from offices and project sites dotted throughout the country. Our clients continue to work with us on new projects because we have created deep, long-lasting relationships, and we continue to attract innovative and passionate talent because our work and our teams are meaningful, interesting and fun!

HPM was founded by leaders for leaders who lead at every level. We strive to be the perfect partner in every way so that our clients’ organizations achieve success.

My talented colleagues come from all walks of life and expertise – engineers, builders, estimators and designers work alongside accountants, business managers, communications professionals and administrative experts. Every role is important in HPM’s success and our clients’ success.

I believe HPM employees are relationship-driven, problem solvers, and good stewards. We strive to have purpose in our lives and do the right things for our clients and our community. My colleagues take the time to truly get to know our clients and their businesses to provide that ultimate form of servant leadership – the trusted advisor.

HPM’s Beginnings: A History Built on Standing in the Gap (Part One)

Posted on May 14, 2019

By Mike Lanier, President

Join us on this look back in time as our founding president reminds us in this two-part series about how HPM was founded and how it continues to grow.

HPM is in the business of leading. Sometimes, that looks like shepherding more than it does signaling a full-scale charge from the front.

While others in our industry focus on getting plans on paper or aim at the best ways to compile bricks, concrete, and steel, we focus on what’s most important to our clients at any given moment. HPM serves as a trusted advisor who stands in as the owner’s advocate in a capital building program.

And that can look like a lot of different ways to lead and serve.

A Little History

Our unique story of this servant-leadership style began in 1940 when Friend Reed (F.R.) Hoar founded the F.R. Hoar Construction Company in Birmingham, Alabama. Over the decades, the company has grown across the US with new projects, new clients, and new colleagues.

I began my career with Hoar Construction in the mid-1990s doing pre-construction work in the retail industry, and very quickly, I noticed many of our clients needed help beyond that of traditional contractors. I happily provided them the guidance they needed simply because it was the right thing to do.

Rob Burton, CEO of Hoar Holdings (which owns HPM and Hoar Construction), served as the Executive Vice President of Hoar Construction at the time I joined the company. He and I recognized the market needed someone that could help clients reach success by managing all the intricacies of their construction projects – from planning, design, and construction through to owner occupancy.

After a serendipitous lunch with his daughter at her school where a construction project was in disarray, putting students at risk, Rob met with the District Superintendent and offered our services. This led us to pre-construction work for school districts and municipalities who struggled to proceed with projects because they constantly seemed to stay overbudget, behind schedule, and/or beyond their capabilities.

In 1997, Hoar Program Management (HPM) was founded as a division of Hoar Construction to serve as advocates for our clients. During this time, we guided Hoover City School District during all phases of their construction projects which put us on the map in Alabama for K12 and which has now expanded to include school districts throughout the country.

HPM team members now shepherd school superintendents and school boards through the planning, funding and site selection phases of capital bond programs through design and into construction and move-in.

In 2003, we graduated into the corporate world with our partnership with Regions Bank. Regions utilized our program management services to help stay on budget and on schedule while they rolled out new bank branches across their multi-state footprint. More than 15 years later, we still partner with Regions Bank and have expanded our services into interiors planning and move management.

In 2004, HPM made the leap into higher education when a large university in our home state hired us to provide program management support for six different simultaneous construction projects on campus. And, we’re still there today due to our deep relationships with the staff and leadership team and a successful 15-year track record. Since 2004, we have completed more than $2 billion in capital building projects to facilitate the university’s rapid growth.

And that was just the beginning…

Part Two

How HPMers Breathe Life Into Core Values

Posted on February 18, 2019

Jay Daily — **Jay** **Daily**,
*HPM Vice President,*
*Business Develoment*

At HPM, we provide a spectrum of professional services for managing the details of our clients’ capital building programs. But perhaps even more importantly, we carefully and proactively address and manage our clients’ concerns throughout one or more of their projects to ensure a pristine client experience.

In fact, at HPM we don’t just want our clients to be satisfied, we want them to be delighted. To accomplish this — and we do it every day — all of our actions and interactions are grounded in our core values.

HPM Core Values

The foundation of our approach to the client experience can be found in our core values. These include always acting with honesty and integrity, treating others with respect, relentlessly pursuing improvement, the meticulous management of resources, and fostering a family atmosphere for our employees, clients, and partners.

They might sound simple, but they work. Because these are the values you teach your children. These are the values of good, honest people, and they guide our actions and shape how we treat each other, our partners, and our clients.

Leadership and Trust

A big part of our kind of leadership isn’t just managing program details, but how they affect the owner. We have a saying around here. What’s keeping our clients’ up at night? Whatever it is, that’s what we want to tackle. We feel the same about all the partners involved. We provide a big umbrella for our owners, because that’s what they want and deserve.

Driven by our core values, we do what we say, and we say what we do. Every single time. As a result, our clients trust us. They trust us with their building program, their resources, and their peace of mind.

What’s more, we realize this commitment to our values and the client experience must permeate our entire organization. Everyone here touches the client at some point in the process, and we do not let that get out of focus.

Lasting Relationships

At HPM, we have a lot of confidence in our corporate principles and how they guide our actions because HPMers live our core values. They inspire us to deliver a client experience that is second to none.

How do we know? Our client retention rate is extremely high. Our relationships are strong and lasting, and our clients work with us again and again. In fact, 80 percent of our business every year comes from repeat clients. Loyalty like that doesn’t just happen. It’s earned by doing the right thing and going the extra mile for our clients every single day which is more than an abstract concept but a way of life.

HPM is in the business of leading. For some clients, this may mean managing an already-established, multi-million dollar capital building program. For others, it could mean overseeing a single project from site selection through owner occupancy. No matter the scope of our involvement or at what point you find yourself in the building process, HPM exists to lead our clients to success and provide value in everything we do.

by Jay Daily, HPM Vice President, Business Development

At HPM, we like to provide you with information and news about our company, our people and what we do as well as other topics we think you will find interesting and valuable. If you ever have any questions about anyone or anything you see here or if you have an idea for what you’d like to see posted, drop us a line at info@hpmleadership.com.