Category: K12

HPM Johnson Brings Holistic Program Management Services to Georgia

Posted on November 29, 2022

HPM and Atlanta-based Johnson Construction Services have announced a structured joint venture as HPM Johnson. The strategic partnership delivers holistic and integrated program management, flexible and scalable owner’s representation, and a range of services across the construction lifecycle for new and ongoing projects throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area, throughout Georgia and the Southeast.

Dedicated to all aspects of program management, HPM Johnson provides assessment, planning, contracting and procurement, design and construction management, project controls and move and transition coordination — through to audit, occupancy and closeout. Its approach to program management incorporates a cyclical pattern of assessment and planning to bring about a more effective and efficient program management plan, and ultimately save time and money for its clients.

“Both individually and collectively, the team behind HPM Johnson already possesses a proven track record of program management triumphs within the Atlanta market,” said Johnson Construction Services President and CEO Artis Johnson, an Atlanta native. “Our advantage now lies in our partnership’s ability to execute projects of any size or complexity, while offering access to management and leadership only a firm our size can offer.”

Johnson continued, “Relationships are the driving force behind our business, and our purpose is to represent the interests of owners and bring home success for our clients.”

HPM Johnson brings a combined 55 years of program management experience to Metro Atlanta, having worked with several high-profile clients in the market. Johnson Construction Services was founded in Atlanta in 1993, with a portfolio of projects ranging from education facilities to historic preservation projects. HPM originated out of an 80-year-old Hoar Construction and began our owner’s representation services more than 25 years ago, serving K-12, higher education, local and municipal entities, industrial and manufacturing, and additional sectors throughout the Southeast. After connecting and discovering similarities in each company’s core values and business approaches, HPM President Ryan Austin and Johnson decided to merge services in the Atlanta area and began pursuing partnership opportunities in early 2022.

Marking a Milestone at Manor ISD

Posted on March 18, 2022

Manor Independent School District celebrated an exciting milestone last week with a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Early College High School facility. Set to open in the fall of 2023, the 85,000 thousand square foot facility will provide students with a college campus-inspired atmosphere.

“This is a great day in Manor ISD,” said Dr. Andre D. Spencer, Manor ISD Superintendent. “We are breaking ground on a new building for a group of scholars who we expect to break ground academically in their respective fields of interest. We expect great things to come out of this facility and the scholars who will call this home.”

Manor Early College High School Rendering

Manor Early College High School (MECHS) provides students who have been historically underrepresented in higher education the opportunity to earn a high school diploma and associate degree through rigorous academic coursework. The program seeks to create a seamless transition to college and reduce the time needed to complete a bachelor’s degree after high school. The new site’s open concept will support this mission by providing the educational experience found on college campuses, featuring a commons area, coffee shop, and buffet-style café.

“This new campus means more academic opportunities for our students, teachers and ACC professors,” said Dr. Alime Sadikova, MECHS Principal. “It gives students a collegiate atmosphere that provides them with academic freedom and still holds them accountable for their own learning.”

The total budgeted amount for MECHS is $35.5 million. Funding for the school comes as part of a $280-million bond package, one of the largest bond programs in the district’s history, which voters approved in November 2019. The bond will focus on projects to accommodate student growth, make facility upgrades and repairs, and improve transportation, security and technology within the Manor district, as well as this new high school. These projects will help accommodate growth in the 9,500-student district, which is expected to grow by 2.5% to 5% each year for the next 10 years, according to district student enrollment projections.

HPM is serving as program manager for Manor ISD’s capital and facility-based projects, providing project management, quality control and preconstruction services, as well as maintaining schedule and budget compliance. Our team will work alongside Manor ISD to ensure schedule and budget compliance as construction advances over the next three years. This includes the build-out and delivery of a new performing arts center, a new middle and elementary school, classroom additions for three campuses, a transportation facility and four new athletic facilities in addition to the early college.

Andrew Betts, HPM Senior Program Manager

“Manor ISD’s student body is expected to exceed 12,000 students within the next few years, which underscores the need for improved and state-of-the-art educational infrastructure,” said Andrew Betts, HPM Senior Program Manager. “HPM is proud to partner with Manor ISD and to see firsthand the positive impact this investment will have on the community.”

HPM K-12 Services

Saving Time and Money, Despite a Pandemic

Posted on January 27, 2022

It is no secret or surprise that construction projects around the world have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For many, it has caused delays and budget increases, setbacks that public-school districts typically cannot afford. At Round Rock ISD, however, we delivered over $75 million of work in a period of eight months.

“One of the great successes is that we have been able to accomplish an incredible amount of work in an amount of time that really would not have been possible if we didn’t have the assistance of HPM,” said Melanie Camarena, Round Rock ISD (RRISD) director of construction.

Despite any delays caused by the pandemic, all summer 2020 projects were completed successfully on time. The projects included miscellaneous HVAC, roofing, bleachers, kitchen, and flooring renovations. In addition, there were renovations completed on the PA system, fire alarm system, cafeteria stage, main distribution frame room, a track replacement, and a field turf replacement. Electrical renovations were also completed, including the replacement of panels and main switchgears.

In order to provide a successful completion on these projects, the team helped to redefine and implement schedules, document management, and control protocols. In addition to keeping projects on track, HPM saved the district approximately $1 million in the first year through Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) reviews and pre-audit work.

“From a K-12 district point of view, it’s very difficult to hire a project manager who has the experience to be working in 30 to $50 million dollar or larger projects,” said Terry Worcester, Round Rock ISD chief operating officer. “You really need someone with experience and the knowledge base to be able to work with designers and builders who are in that league, so we procured and were very delighted to have HPM join our team here as a partner, not necessarily just as a consultant, but as a partner to augment our staff and work with us directly.”

HPM is currently serving as the program manager for Round Rock Independent School District’s $500+ million capital bond program, which spans 199 individually approved bond projects. Our role includes the three-year management of the planning, design, and construction of several large projects, including a new elementary school, a new aquatics practice center, expansion of existing schools, modernization of two high schools, and more. This also includes technology, security, and ongoing maintenance. We provide program controls with a dedicated interface with the accounting and financial systems of the district and the development of the master schedule, including all procurement, design, construction, occupancy, and startup milestones.

HPM K-12 Services

HPM’s Anna Sullivan Promoted to Director of Planning & Program Development

Posted on December 7, 2021

One of the most valuable traits our team members can have is the ability to wear different hats and fully immerse themselves in any role and assignment they are given. This versatility is crucial to our business, and we are lucky to have people like Anna Sullivan who boast strong expertise and experience in multiple sectors and markets. Anna’s deep knowledge of not only our business, but of the Texas K-12, higher education and municipal markets, and her natural ability to form meaningful connections with everyone she meets is what has driven her recent promotion to Director of Planning & Program Development.

In her new position, Anna will focus on growing our Planning Services team, primarily in the Texas K-12 market, leveraging her impressive network in the education and municipal sectors across the state as we continue to grow our footprint in the region. She will also oversee the day-to-day internal operations of the Planning Services group, offering her leadership and guidance to everyone on the team.

“Anna has played an instrumental part in growing HPM’s Planning Services division within its first year, and has expanded our network immensely across Texas,” said Tracy Richter, HPM’s vice president of planning services. “She seemingly knows everyone in Texas architecture, engineering and construction, and is one of the most knowledgeable people within the market. She is a vital part of the success we had in our inaugural year, and I look forward to the incredible heights we can reach working alongside Anna for years to come!”

Anna has been at HPM’s Dallas office for five years, having previously served as senior program development manager. Over the past few years, she has worked on a number of projects including Belton Independent School District, Hyatt Place TCU, Round Rock ISD and the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Falcon Stadium. Her work at HPM spans markets across the country, including California, Colorado and Illinois.

We’ve been named one of the Best Medium-Sized Companies to Work For in America by Great Places to Work multiple years running. Interested in joining our team? Learn more by clicking the button below.

Careers at HPM

Should You Consider a Specialist for Your Construction Audit?

Posted on October 27, 2021

By Vinson Chapman, Vice President, Audit & Contract Services

Auditing construction contracts can be complex. The expertise involved is significantly different than typical audits performed by CPAs and involves evaluating subjective estimates, identifying ambiguous terms of the contract, and noting contractual incentives where the owner’s and the general contractor’s interests may not be aligned. A construction audit also requires obtaining and evaluating all the appropriate evidence to support the audit findings. This is not legal work or work performed by an architect.

A detailed analytical review of completed contracts and contracts in progress will provide meaningful information and focus on potential problem areas. Our Construction Audit and Contract Services combine the skills of owner’s advocate, owner’s representative, program manager, and construction auditor.

Case Study Example

In the case of one independent K-12 school district in northeast Texas, the review of an extension of time by the general contractor/CM and a general financial audit required the expertise of HPM’s hybrid Contract Services, which included both project management and audit expertise.

When the GC/CM fell behind on schedule, their default was to request additional time through weather delays in order to avoid liquidated damages and redirect attention to the reality of the problem areas.

The project management audit review of the contract language and the potential weather impact on the critical path of the schedule resulted in the following:

The contractor did not provide the required documentation during construction for their intent to make a claim for more time per the contract.
The contractor did not provide evidence that there were abnormal (greater than average rain days) periods of weather. This data is measurable and a typical required deliverable in a change order request by the GC/CM.
The contractor’s critical path schedule was not affected by any claimed abnormal weather after review of the installation of work.

Project management issues were the reason behind a significant portion of the Contract Services Audit resulting in a credit back to the school district from the General Contractor/CM. Additional monies were recovered from the financial audit resulting in a total of over 5% of the construction contract value being returned to the district.

This example is somewhat typical of our standard audit findings of between 1% and 5% of the contract value. Obviously, savings of this type are well in excess of the fee to perform these hybrid services. The expertise for these services was not available from the district’s attorney or architect, and without the added HPM support, the district couldn’t defend the GC/CM’s requests. Our specialized knowledge and experience made it possible.

HPM provides peace of mind and confidence you paid the right price for your construction spend.

HPM’s audit service professionals offer expertise to secure fair negotiation and billing for client contracts. We perform comprehensive reviews of job costs that often lead to a substantial net savings of project costs. As always, if we can be of service, please do not hesitate to reach out. Click the button below to be directed to our page.

Audit and Contract Services

HPM Selected as Program Manager for Manor Independent School District’s Capital Projects

Posted on October 20, 2021

We are proud to announce that Manor Independent School District (Manor ISD) has selected HPM to serve as program manager for its capital and facility-based projects. Representing $174 million in new development, these enhancements are the result of a $280 million school bond program approved by voters in Manor, Texas, in November 2019.

HPM will work alongside Manor ISD to provide project management and preconstruction services while ensuring schedule and budget compliance over the next three years. This includes several new classrooms, transportation, and multipurpose facilities.

“Manor has seen tremendous growth over the past decade, underscoring the need for improved educational infrastructure that can support a student body expected to exceed 12,000 students within the next few years,” said Greg Ellis, HPM’s Vice President of Program Development. “We look forward to seeing firsthand the positive impact that this investment will have on the community.”

The partnership is a continuation of HPM’s growth strategy in Central Texas, where it has already built an extensive program management portfolio for K-12 districts including Round Rock Independent School District, Belton Independent School District and Austin Independent School District. HPM’s success is largely attributed to the firm’s full range of services uniquely tailored to meet the demographic and socioeconomic needs of every community it serves.

“Our work is not a one-size-fits-all approach, and HPM is well known for the ability to cater our services to the specific needs of each school district we partner with,” said Derek McSween, Senior Program Development Manager at HPM. “HPM has the expertise to understand the nuances and challenges that come with working in K-12 facility planning and bond implementation, especially as the coronavirus continues to impact regulations. Our team is pleased to play a part in Manor ISD’s growth story by ensuring that its scholars are provided the highest quality academic and recreational facilities possible.”

Greater Austin is one of the fastest-growing major metropolitan areas in the U.S., having increased 34% in population size since 2010 and an impressive 3% in the last year alone. The population of Manor, located just 12 miles northeast of Austin, has grown by more than 160% since 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

“We are grateful to the Manor ISD community for voting to pass the 2019 bond. As we continue to put scholars first, these new state-of-the-art educational facilities will address equity gaps, overcrowding and prepare for the continued population growth,” said Dr. Andre D. Spencer, Manor ISD Superintendent of Schools. “Most importantly, Manor ISD scholars are more than deserving of quality facilities that will enhance their learning environment. We are excited to work alongside HPM for this effort. HPM is truly a remarkable project management partner. It would be almost impossible to complete $280M worth of bond projects without their expertise and dedication to excellence in Manor ISD.”

HPM K-12 Services

HPM’s Andrew Betts Promoted to Senior Program Manager

Posted on October 5, 2021

As HPM continues to grow and develop our teams on various accounts and throughout the US, ascribing to the company’s vision and effectively carrying it out become preeminent characteristics of those in leadership. For his willingness to see and develop the potential in our people, our business, our markets and our clients, Andrew Betts has relocated from Fairhope, Alabama, to Austin, Texas, and has been promoted from Senior Project Manager to Senior Program Manager. He will be the account leader for our most recent K-12 program at Manor ISD in Manor near Austin.

When Andrew was hired at HPM eight years ago in Mobile, AL, the company looked very different. We had just successfully landed the Airbus A320 program and were experiencing significant growth potential along the Gulf Coast of Alabama and in the aviation world. Andrew came to us from an electrical subcontractor that was working on the Gulf Quest Maritime Museum project. Andrew’s leadership skills stood out on that project and he was quickly recognized by Jared Scheeter and Mike McKenny, who were leading the HPM effort for that project. Mike and Jared recruited Andrew for several months until the appropriate time for him to make the move to HPM.

“Hired initially as a Project Engineer for the Airbus account, Andrew’s attention to detail, positive attitude, and collaborative leadership style allowed him to grow quickly, through two successful Airbus projects and a successful HAECO project, from Project Engineer to Senior Project Manager,” says James Adams, HPM Vice President of the Western Region. “While in Mobile, Andrew helped develop and implement tools and processes that now serve as the deliverables HPM provides to almost every client.”

Careers at HPM

The Art and Science of K-12 Facilities Master Planning

Posted on September 23, 2021

It is often expected that the process will be “data-driven” when a Board of Trustees begins facilities master planning. This request immediately raises two questions. First, what data should be used to make informed facilities decisions? And secondly, how should the data be combined to ensure that all facilities’ needs are met?

Earlier this year, HPM’s VP of Planning Services Tracy Richter sat down (virtually) with Terry Worcester, Round Rock ISD’s Chief Operating Officer, as part of our HPM Talks webinar series. HPM currently serves as the program manager for Round Rock Independent School District’s $500+ million capital bond program, providing tangible cost savings and advice built upon a strong foundation of trust. HPM’s role with the school district includes the three-year management of the planning, design and construction of several large projects, including a new elementary school, a new aquatics practice center, expansion of existing schools, modernization of two high schools and more.

Their discussion aimed to answer the two questions above, and detailed how enrollment/demographics, educational framework, facility conditions and financial data form the four-legged stool of facilities planning for K-12 school districts. Richter and Worcester stressed that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to this process, and every district faces unique challenges and opportunities. Proper prioritization of those challenges and opportunities is key.

This is why facilities planning is both an art and a science, says Worcester – data can uncover trends, but only through knowing the community “like the back of your hand” will you be able to create a quality road map for facilities and infrastructure maintenance and improvement.

In the end, student achievement is at the center of it all.

“Any facility planning team’s goal should be to remain visionary and inspired to understand the students it is serving, prioritize needs and ultimately achieve that final goal of student excellence,” says Richter.

HPM has provided program management and facilities planning services to numerous K-12 school districts across the country. In Texas, this includes Round Rock ISD, Belton ISD, Kaufman ISD and Austin ISD, among others. HPM has honed its K-12 strategy in the region, and this success is largely attributed to the firm’s full range of services uniquely tailored to meet the demographic and socioeconomic needs of every community it serves.

To hear more about how the approach of using the science of data and the art of data integration will allow your decision-makers to move forward in a well-informed and transparent process, watch the full interview HERE. If you’re interested in more information on how HPM can partner with your school district to incorporate best practice facilities and operational planning into your program, generating the best possible outcome for students and the community, we’d love to hear from you! And if you plan to attend txEDCON on September 24-26, don’t forget to stop by Booth #847 to meet our team.

Our K-12 Portfolio

How Does HPM Help School Districts Like Yours?

Posted on September 20, 2021

By Anna Sullivan, Senior Program Development Manager

When a capital bond program becomes inevitable due to growth or change, school districts seek out an advocate who will work with them, teach them, and support them through the entire process. HPM is ready to assist and, as K-12 advisors and managers, we’re here to help.

Experienced in the various facets of bond measures and planning for such, we understand the complexities and tasks required. We are here to ensure a successful outcome and allow you and your staff to focus on your day job- educating students.

Program Management is the process of managing several related services and projects. The intent and deliverables are to provide transparency with reporting, consistency with processes and performance, and streamline the outcomes.

HPM works as an extension of your internal staff and can be engaged at any time during the process. Some may believe we should be embedded at the time of a bond measure to execute construction and fiduciary oversight, but this is not necessarily the best solution. HPM can provide more valuable input when we are involved earlier in the process for planning and then throughout the program.

Here is a brief summary of how we can help you and your district:

Facility Assessments

Our team will review and document the physical state of all site work, buildings, and systems, and provide cost estimates for repair or replacement. We will make recommendations of life cycle cost and ADA accessible evaluations, as well as provide capacity and utilization analysis of existing spaces. We will assess the educational adequacy of your facilities and whether or not they align with the district’s visions and goals. In the end, we will provide prioritization of facility needs with cost projections of each.

Long-Range Facility Planning

Strategic planning for facilities and operations is an essential component of short and long-term efficiency models. When engaged in the long-range planning stage, we provide demographic analysis of past and current projections, review and recommend potential boundary changes, and offer recommendations of facility use and improvements.

Preconstruction Services

Before construction begins, HPM’s Preconstruction Services team can develop conceptual budgeting and master program budgets for your district. We provide detailed cost estimates for proposed designs or options and program and project schedules. We will also review all design documents for constructability.

Audit and Contract Services

HPM’s Audit and Contract Services provide you with the expertise you need to be confident you haven’t overpaid on your construction projects. We offer contract language preparation and assistance with procurement methods, including pre-bid documentation and vendor RFQ/P. We complete construction audits, delay claims, and change order audits.

Program Management

HPM is dedicated to leading clients to success by managing all the intricacies of capital bond programs. When we manage a district’s construction program, we provide design management and coordination of all proposed projects in the program. We provide project construction management, coordination, and oversight of all project activities in the program. We also provide post-construction management, coordination, and warranty oversight, including coordination of all of the district’s vendors (ie. technology, AV, furniture, and security).

HPM provides an objective and thorough analysis for the district to make efficiently timed and knowledgeable decisions. The details in the data bring the confidence of transparency and reporting for the school board, administration, and community.

We can bring a flexible team of professionals at any time during the life of your program. HPM consistently delivers savings equal to, or in excess of our cost to you, due to our efficiencies and effectiveness. We are your advocate in every step of the process and will work closely with your architects, engineers, and additional vendors in a relationship-driven environment so that we can develop a win-win solution for your district.

To learn more about our services and our K-12 experience, click the button below.

HPM K-12 Services

HPM Talks Webinar: Emerging Leaders

Posted on July 20, 2021

HPM’s Emerging Leaders Program offers undergraduate students a unique perspective of the planning, design, and construction process through hands-on experience at our projects across the country. Medora Gaddes oversees the program and, as a former HPM co-op herself, recognizes the immense value of experiential learning. During this HPM Talks webinar, Gaddes and co-ops Iriana Molusky and Ben Smith discuss their experience in the program and what they’ve learned along the way.

Webinar Details:

July 29, 2021 at 11AM CST

View the Recording

MEET THE HOST

Medora Gaddes, Assistant Project Manager and Talent Development Coordinator at HPM
Medora is not only an Assistant Project Manager at HPM, but also our Talent Development Coordinator and heads up the Emerging Leaders Program. She herself was a co-op with HPM before becoming a full-time employee. After graduating from Auburn University with a degree in civil engineering, she joined HPM as a project engineer and as a full-time HPM team member in the Huntsville office.

Learn More About Our Emerging Leaders Program

Q&A from Webinar

We heard about precon and program management. What is field coordination like as a co-op?

Ben Smith: During the field rotation as a co-op, a day usually consists of walking with the Field Coordinator (FC) as he makes his rounds around the job site to track the progress of construction and look for items that might need to be addressed with the owner/general contractor. For me, this was a time to pick the brain of the FC and ask as many questions as possible about what is happening on the job site and why/how they are doing it. You can be given miscellaneous tasks that help the FC with his job. For instance, one of the tasks I was given was keeping track of the progression of concrete pours and ceiling paint in a large warehouse. The FC used this information to update the weekly report that was sent to the owner. Other things I experienced were on-site meetings with the general contractor and the owner, taking meeting minutes to send to the HPM team on your specific project, site walks with the general contractor and owner about issues that need resolving, and much more. The field rotation is a good way to get a feel for what a construction site looks like and how things are run during construction both from the Construction Management side and the General Contractor side of things.

2. My major is Architectural Engineering. I have learned that very few companies are hiring ArchEs or understand what ArchE is. Does HPM recruit ArchE’s and how are they used?

Medora Gaddes: HPM is less focused on your specific major and more focused on what you are interested in doing upon graduation. Obviously your major plays a role in that, but I’ll give you an example. I have a bachelor’s in civil engineering and if I wanted to do structural design as a career path, HPM would likely not be the best fit for my interests because HPM does not have engineers designing and stamping drawings. HPM has been a good fit for me since I was interested in the management of design and construction upon graduation. My civil engineering degree has supported my ability to manage, understand, and communicate the civil aspects of design and construction. So ask yourself if you want to work for a company that will utilize the technical skills of architectural engineering and likely the skills you’ve learned in school? Or do you see your architectural engineering degree as a foundation or launching pad into a different career path? I think every engineer can ask themselves this question and it will help you be intentional with your job search. Does HPM hire architectural engineers who are going to use their technical engineering skills? Not at this time. Does HPM hire architectural engineers interested in the management of design and construction? Absolutely!

Category: K12

Facility Assessments

Long-Range Facility Planning

Preconstruction Services

Audit and Contract Services

Program Management

Webinar Details:

July 29, 2021 at 11AM CST

MEET THE HOST

Q&A from Webinar

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