Category: Project/Program Management

7 Questions Airports Should Ask When Hiring a Program Manager

How do airports benefit from hiring an owner’s representative? Site selection, project team procurement, construction auditing – your needs during a capital expenditure program can be as varied as the projects are complex. When you have major investments, a need for speed-to-market, and a reputation at stake, minimizing risk and maximizing return are table stakes. That’s where an owner’s representative or a program manager thrives. A program manager offers many benefits to airports, including clear timelines, streamlined communication, and, perhaps best of all, peace of mind. With the right program manager in place, you can focus on and achieve overall project success and maintain a strategic approach for your investment without having to dig into the details. 

But how do you choose the right owner’s rep/program manager for your project? To help you navigate through the noise, we’ve compiled our list of the top seven questions to ask when hiring a firm to represent you during the planning, design, and construction process in the U.S. so you can find that right fit. 

1. Do you understand U.S. and local building codes and regulations for permitting? Why it’s important: national and local codes and regulations are complex. While they are designed to specify minimum requirements related to health, safety, and the welfare of building occupants, they can be challenging to comprehend fully. An experienced program manager will help you navigate these requirements through careful planning, ultimately allowing you to avoid common pitfalls.

2. Do you have a thorough understanding of the factors that will drive the budget, such as labor and materials? Why it’s important: As the market booms, U.S. labor forces remain stretched, forcing the cost of labor to increase. The same is true with materials pricing, as across the board we are seeing a rise in the cost of materials (e.g., steel). An established program manager should know the market trends and local workforce, thereby helping you mitigate the impacts on your budget and realize success. 

3. Do you keep up with U.S. construction industry trends and understand innovations and newly available solutions? Why it’s important: As we see material and labor costs rising, innovative solutions like AI/machine learning or virtual reality/augmentation are being used to offset the strain on the workforce and budget. The best program managers will know that keeping up with emerging trends and tools is important to maximizing your ROI. 

4. Do you have an advocate that can be your boots-on-the-ground resource? Why it’s important: There is great value in engaging an experienced partner with trained eyes and ears who understands the local design and construction community as well as the industry. A program manager who already has established relationships can more easily act as a facilitator throughout the project, providing you with the confidence you need to ensure you are safeguarding your investment. By hiring the right program manager, you can maximize your attention to other endeavors and responsibilities and remove any barriers that may come between you and success. 

5. Do you understand the various delivery models? Why it’s important: An effective program manager will help you consider your options (Progressive Design-Build, CM-at-Risk, Design-Build, Integrated Project Delivery, etc.). Choosing the option that is best suited for how you do business is paramount to managing risk and creating a cohesive team approach. Plus, understanding the terms and conditions of your contracts helps ensure the project is delivered without an interruption in expectations. In particular, the Progressive Design-Build delivery model has become increasingly attractive to airports as it allows the owner to have more input into the overall design of the facility, manage costs in a proactive manner, and achieve substantial schedule benefits. An airport can significantly benefit by hiring a program manager that has experience not only in managing a Progressive Design-Build project but managing the construction of airport terminals utilizing the Progressive Design-Build delivery model.  

6. Do you have the capacity for this project? Why it’s important: You need to know if the PM team has time to take on a capital project and manage the day-to-day details. This direct question gives firms an opportunity to recognize their potential distractions and request help in adopting a speed-to-market mentality. Through clear communication from the beginning, you can find a program manager who will study the way you work, help you manage decision-making through the chain of command, and put pressure at given points so you can meet your goals and mitigate your risk in the process. 

7. Do you understand what construction activities are eligible for your funding/grants, and do you know when you will need to have the funding available/on hand? Why it’s important: To ensure that your project is maximizing the funding opportunities available, it is imperative to know what types of activities are eligible for specific funding sources/grants in order to prevent ineligible expenditures from being paid directly from the airport funds. Further, it is critical to understand the anticipated cash flow for the project in order to proactively ensure that money is on hand as invoices are received.

As a leading program management firm with a history stretching back to the 1940s, we know how to act as true advocates for our clients, helping airport owners complete their projects faster and for a better price. From coast to coast, HPM has managed more than $12 billion and audited over $30 billion in construction value during our 25-year history of program management work.

If you’re interested in learning more about how HPM provides airport owners with peace of mind throughout the entire construction process, please reach out. We would love the opportunity to connect!

HPM Celebrates Completion of Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center at Auburn University

Team HPM oversees preconstruction and construction services for 142,000-square-foot facility housing learning hotel, restaurant, training labs and more.

We are pleased to announce the grand opening of Auburn University’s Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, an innovative, dual-purpose building that houses a learning environment blended with a luxury boutique hotel, restaurant, food hall and more. HPM served as program manager on the project, providing project management support for Auburn University Facilities Management during the preconstruction and construction phases of the world-class educational and hospitality facility.

HPM Celebrates Completion of Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center at Auburn University

The Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center is a 142,000-square-foot complex with the capacity to facilitate hands-on, immersive learning experiences for students pursuing careers in hospitality and culinary sciences. Students will train alongside world-renowned chefs and hospitality professionals in Class-A training kitchens and restaurants, labs, a brewery, retail food hall and boutique hotel. Also located on the first floor of the building is 1856, a tasting-menu-only teaching restaurant. Situated at the corner of East Thach Avenue and South College Street in downtown Auburn, construction on the building began in 2019.

“We have had a wonderful experience working with Auburn University Facilities Management to bring this one-of-a-kind hospitality learning environment to life. The strong relationships we have formed with our partners have driven home success for this project and kept us focused throughout every step, even as we faced a global pandemic. This is another successful project that we are pleased to add to our portfolio of high-profile hospitality and higher-education initiatives across the Southeast.”

– Ryan Austin, President HPM
Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center

The project team provided preconstruction and construction services on the project including contract oversight and quality control and assurance, working closely with design teams during the planning stages to ensure the initial drawings aligned with the budget and timeline, while also managing communication with all partners and subcontractors to guarantee that progress remained on schedule. We scoped out and managed the bidding of a separate utility and enabling works package for the building contractor, helping bypass time-intensive utility relocations and keeping the overall project schedule on track. The team also oversaw the construction of a six-story, $10 million parking deck nearby before beginning work on the culinary facility.

“I am proud of our team’s dedication to collaboration and preplanning, which ultimately led to a smooth transition between each phase of the project lifecycle. This facility is a trailblazer in both the hospitality and higher education industries, providing a range of training opportunities that are not offered at other institutions in the country. HPM’s expertise in owner’s representation and construction management maintained cost efficiency and ensured this project was completed to Auburn University’s high standard of excellence.”

-Caleb Camp, Operations Manager HPM
Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center

Auburn alumnus and Board of Trustees member Jimmy Rane helped kickstart the project with a $12 million gift dedicated to the building’s construction. The board later approved naming the facility in honor of his parents, Tony and Libba Rane.

Our team helped administer the State of Alabama bid process during the preconstruction phase to select qualified, experienced contractors and partners. Additional project partners include architecture and design firm Cooper Carry, facility operator Ithaca Hospitality Partners, the Auburn Facilities Management department and general contractor Bailey Harris Construction Company. We are thrilled with the finished product of this best-in-class facility.

HPM Promotes David Jones to Program Manager

The culture of HPM is built upon leaders with proven ability to deliver outstanding work products, while also embodying the core values of the company and building meaningful relationships. All who have had the pleasure of interacting with David Jones, know that he fits these criteria and more. Whether it be a client or a colleague, David is sure to ascribe value to all he meets, providing them a sense of belonging and assurance. Along with his personability and leadership skills, David brings astute intelligence and a “can-do” attitude. For these reasons and more, we are pleased to announce the promotion of David Jones to Senior Program Manager.  

As Senior Program Manager, David provides leadership to multiple accounts, some of which include Aerojet, Drake State and ALDCNR as he interacts directly with clients and supports teams in their execution of projects. This will be an excellent role for David as a client recently said of him “his leadership style of selflessness and service is both infectious and empowering.” Under David’s leadership, his clients and his teams will be given every resource needed to ensure the completion of successful projects.   

When David began his career with HPM in 2018 working as a Project Manager on the University of Alabama account, his willingness to accept new projects of varying complexity and scope quickly distinguished him as a rising star within the company. After proving his ability to navigate challenges with ease, David was promoted to Senior Project Manager in 2021. Before coming to HPM, David worked as a construction manager for Gray Construction and a project coordinator and estimator for KBR. He has over 17 years of total construction experience and a degree in construction engineering technology from the University of Southern Mississippi.  

David is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys staying busy partaking in adventurous activities such as hiking and biking when not in the office. He is married to his wife, Laura and is the proud father of eleven-year-old twin daughters, Haley and Ella.  

HPM Secures Cost Savings, Avoids Setbacks in Completion of New Julia Tutwiler Hall

It is our distinct privilege to share details of the completed construction of the reimagined Julia Tutwiler Hall at the University of Alabama (UA) in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. HPM served as program manager for the project, working to oversee budget control, scheduling and project management through every phase of construction from planning to closeout.

The new Tutwiler Hall spans 383,000 square feet and holds 625 traditional bedrooms, 35 Resident Advisor rooms and four apartments for full-time housing staff. The residence hall accommodates more than 1,200 female students with two-person rooms, private bathrooms in each room, lounges and a market selling merchandise and food on the first floor. The building replaced the existing 54-year-old Tutwiler Hall dormitory on campus that was demolished this summer.

Our team worked diligently to find innovative solutions that led teams through unique challenges during the project, resulting in cost savings and avoiding delays in the timeline. During the bidding process in the fall of 2019, we presented a foundation and site package with alternative foundation systems offered, allowing for these systems to be submitted and reviewed during the bidding process. Introducing these new options made it possible to recognize significant price cuts by the final bid day.

“We are pleased with our team’s hard work in tackling any challenges that arose during the construction of this monumental addition to the University of Alabama’s campus, which sets a new standard for on-campus housing,” said HPM President Ryan Austin. “Our relationship with the university over the years has been incredibly valued within our company, and I am proud that we have continued to serve this partnership with program management excellence on numerous projects. Our expertise in every step of the construction lifecycle has driven home success for this client time and time again, and we look forward to continuing our work with the university in the future.”

During construction, our team and our partners faced material shortages and price hikes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. While able to navigate through the entire project without any coronavirus outbreaks on the worksite, the team had to work with extra diligence to ensure there were no delays due to these setbacks. One specific challenge occurred when it was realized that the insulation would not arrive in time for the confirmed completion date; however, the team quickly secured another product that would perform as well as the original. Ultimately, our adaptability allowed the project to remain on schedule and within budget.

In addition to the construction of the new Tutwiler Hall, HPM oversaw the planning and execution of the old dormitory’s demolition in a separate project package. The team first removed remaining hazardous materials from the site, clearing out the floors that were going to be blasted. All structural members where the dynamite was to be placed had to be drilled as protective measures were implemented to ensure the safety of the surrounding area. The official demolition took place in early July of this year, with all remaining building materials hauled off the site by the end of the month.

HPM Johnson Brings Holistic Program Management Services to Georgia

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.

HPM Promotes Brad Cook to Program Executive

One of our core values is to have a “Relentless Pursuit of Improvement” in our work, and no one embodies this more than HPM’s Brad Cook. Always willing to rise to any challenge that comes his way, Brad puts our clients first and promotes honesty and transparency across his team. He adapts to our constantly changing industry with ease, and prioritizes building strong relationships with clients, partners and suppliers. Because of his relentless pursuit of improvement and his ability to guide others through difficult projects with fairness and hands-on support, HPM is pleased to announce the promotion of Brad to Program Executive.

As Program Executive for the $1.3 billion Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) program, Brad is leading the charge to build two new replacement facilities in Elmore and Escambia, Alabama. Once fully staffed, Brad will provide oversight to over 40 team members. His fellow team members have remarked on his hard work, humility and reliability which he brings to every project.

Brad, who began his career at HPM in 2004, began working on the University of Alabama account in 2007. Over the past nearly 18 years, he has managed some of the most complicated and challenging projects — including Lakeside Dining, the Ferguson Center addition/renovation, Fresh Food foodservice, Bryce Main stabilization/renovation as well as the performing arts center projects. After leading the UA account, Brad transitioned to leading the ADOC program as a senior program manager, where he has leveraged his extensive program management skills and expertise to provide excellent results for our client.

Brad exerts great effort to care for his staff and works in the best interest of his clients. It is evident that he strives to do the right thing instead of what is easy, while always looking on the bright side of complicated situations. I look forward to seeing how he will continue to grow in his new role and lead his team and HPM to success on the ADOC account.

Building for Airbus: HPM Hosts Town Hall Sessions to Encourage Local Vendor Partnerships in Mobile, AL

In May, Airbus confirmed its plans to raise a third aircraft assembly line in Mobile, Alabama – a tremendous investment that will eventually create more than 1,000 new jobs. The project is expected to break ground in early 2023, but the procurement process is already well underway.

As the program manager for Airbus, HPM was pleased to partner with the client, as well as the Mobile Chamber, the Mobile Area Black Chamber of Commerce, the city of Mobile, Mobile County, the Mobile Section of the Associated General Contractors of America and the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance, to host three recent town hall meetings to increase awareness of vendor opportunities among local contractors and other interested parties.

“The mission tonight is simple,” said Jay Daily, VP of business development for HPM, at one of the recent sessions. “We want to ensure awareness of upcoming work. We also want to engage all community partners. We are trying to maximize local participation, as we have in the past.”

Town hall sessions, held in June, were designed for business leaders hoping to earn a piece of the expansive work. The goal is to pair up contractors large and small to work in teams on the projects, and ultimately drive economic impact deeper into the community by ensuring more dollars are spent locally to serve the Mobile economy.

Tapping as many local businesses as possible is a central goal for Airbus, and HPM was at the helm of this initiative, ensuring participants understood the “design-build” approach and were prepared to bring local relationships to the table. Procurement activity for each Airbus package, which ranges from work on a utility corridor to the delivery of new aircraft hangars, will take place in late summer and throughout the fall. Contractors at all levels were encouraged to complete a registration process, which provided an opportunity for firms to detail their capabilities and the kind of work they are interested in.

HPM’s long-standing partnership with Airbus makes it the ideal program management partner for the forthcoming Brookley Aeroplex expansion project. The relationship began nearly fifteen years ago with HPM’s successful involvement in the construction of Airbus Engineering Center, which led to the firm managing the A320 Final Assembly Line (FAL) project and the A220 FAL facility construction. This recent town hall initiative mirrors HPM’s own commitment to local relationship building and investment in the Mobile market.

As Mobile continues to grow and Alabama’s aerospace sector strengthens, HPM looks forward to serving as a trusted partner to Airbus as it works to maximize local business involvement, bolster Mobile’s economy and deliver new and exciting employment opportunities to the local community.

HPM Champions the 2022 World Games as Official Program Management Partner

Last year, the World Games, a non-profit organization led by the International World Games Association, selected HPM to serve as the Official Program Management Partner of The Games for 2022. Through our work on high-profile projects for global clients throughout the U.S., our project management team brought to the partnership our extensive knowledge and experience in leading construction projects to completion on time and within budget while maintaining safety, achieving quality, and maximizing our clients’ resources. HPM provided construction management services with a focus on temporary fields of play for The Games at sites around Birmingham, such as beach handball courts, canopy piloting field of play and boules courts.

Barber Motorsports

Barber Motorsports Park is an 880-acre, multi-purpose racing facility located on the eastern fringes of Birmingham. For the canopy piloting competition, we worked with a contractor to build a man-made swoop pond at the venue, which will be two to three feet deep and offer a long runway for the parachuting competitors to decelerate and perform tricks. Our team put a lot of effort into finding a contractor who was capable of undertaking this unique project. Designed on a massive grass parking lot, HPM worked with geotechnical engineers to determine the location of the rock underneath the soil and adjust the specifications to accommodate the uneven topography to create a level pond.

The swoop pond will hold approximately 390,000 gallons of water that will be supplied from an onsite lake and consideration had to be given as to how to replenish the water daily to accommodate the evaporation from the hot, summer sun. Irrigation lines were removed, and new water lines were put in place to fill and drain the pond. Each venue that HPM provided project management for will have to be returned to its original state after the completion of the World Games. Upon completion of the event, we will coordinate the pond getting filled in and sodded.

Avondale Park

At Avondale Park, a 40-acre wooded park on the slopes of Red Mountain, we helped the World Games develop a temporary field of play at the existing baseball fields. We ensured that it met the World Archery specifications and standards while keeping safety our number one priority. In addition to erecting the 60-meter target lanes, our team worked closely with World Games officials to build a safety wall and problem solved to determine the most cost-effective and safe solution. After brainstorming several potential options for the wall, our team moved forward with constructing a wall made of scaffolding and supply wood. To ensure that the project was as economical as possible, HPM partnered with the Associated Builders and Contractor’s Academy of Craft Training. The Academy is a trade school for students in high school and college to learn carpentry, electrical and other trades. The carpentry classes were able to build the 40 wooden, A-frame target stands for the archery competition and enjoyed the opportunity to be a part of the monumental sporting event.

Sloss Furnace

Sloss FurnaceHPM worked with World Games officials to coordinate contractors to build four large beach handball courts at Sloss Furnace, a former pig iron-producing blast furnace and a National Historic Landmark. Due to the large amounts of rain that the Birmingham area can experience during the summer, our team recommended that the courts be built above ground to allow for additional drainage, rather than the planned in-ground courts. We collaborated with the contractor, who had never worked on a similar project, to work through potential challenges and help ensure that the project was executed properly. The beach handball courts at Sloss Furnace included approximately 50,000 cubic feet of sand and gravel delivered by 74 tri-axle trucks and HPM installed roughly one-third of a mile of raised edging around the four courts.

Boutwell Auditorium

Boutwell Auditorium, which seats 5,000 people concert style, will be the home of the sumo competition during the World Games. When our team set out to manage the construction of the first official Dohyō, a circular sumo wrestling ring, they did extensive research on the traditions and tools used in Japan for it to be classified as official and not violate the sacred traditions surrounding the sport. The Dohyō, which will consist of approximately 14 tons of compacted pitcher’s mound clay, is 16 inches tall and 20 feet by 20 feet in size. HPM kept in constant communication with the head of the International Sumo Federation in Japan to gain approvals for the various steps in the planning and construction process.

Bessie Estell Park

Similar to our work at Sloss Furnace, our team assisted the World Games in lining up contractors to build the temporary field of play courts for the boules competition, which is similar to bocce. The competition will be held at Bessie Estell Park, a 5.2-acre park near the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s campus. We coordinated the construction of an above-ground, wooden frame filled with a concrete and pea gravel mixture. We were strategic in choosing a contractor and ensured we understood the specifications and requirements of the project so our team could effectively communicate the needs of the World Games for this venue.

HPM was honored to be chosen to serve as the Official Program Management Partner of The Games. Our team displayed excellent communication, problem-solving skills, quality assurance and adherence to deadlines and budgets. With the World Games kicking off right here in the Magic City in just a few days, we look forward to cheering on the athletes competing and wish everyone a safe competition!

HPM ATTENDS THE 2022 INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW

Beginning Monday, July 18, HPM will be represented at the 2022 Farnborough International Airshow by President Ryan Austin, Vice President of Business Development Jay Daily, and Vice President of Marketing Andi Sims.

The biennial Farnborough International Airshow — the second largest of such shows in the world — brings together aerospace industry professionals, economic and business development recruiters, and city, state, and national delegations from around the globe. More than 1,500 exhibitors from 48 countries will be represented in this year’s trade show exhibition, showcasing their products and capabilities to 80,000 attendees from nearly 100 countries.

HPM, which oversaw the successful design and construction of the first Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility, as well as many other manufacturing and MRO facilities for national and international clients, stands perfectly poised to assist aerospace companies looking to establish or expand a presence in the U.S. Plus, with a portfolio of experience rooted in the public sector, HPM serves as an ideal partner for state and local government recruiting business and industry to their areas.

If you’d like to meet with an HPM team representative at the Farnborough Airshow, please reach out to Ryan, Jay, or Andi.

Ryan Austin
President
raustin@hpmleadership.com

Jay Daily
VP of Business Development
jdaily@hpmleadership.com

Andi Sims
Vice President of Marketing
asims@hpmleadership.com

Airshow

HPM’s Pierre Archaud Promoted to Senior Project Manager

At HPM, we often reference the phrase “extreme ownership” to describe team members who go above and beyond to own their assignments. Pierre Archaud is an up-and-coming leader of the company, who is valued both internally and by our clients because of his relentless pursuit to understand the details and run to the challenges that come with managing a program. He has incredible attention to detail and pushes himself, his peers, and his client to make timely and informed decisions. His positive attitude and work ethic have cultivated a culture in the teams around him that motivates others to perform at higher levels. We’re thankful for Pierre’s influence at HPM and are happy to promote him from Project Manager to Senior Project Manager.

Pierre has a unique story, as he started with HPM during the first Airbus program as a co-op student from Toulouse, France. After several semesters with us, and upon finishing engineering school in France, he elected to make HPM in the United States his permanent career path. Since moving to the US, Pierre has supported and played a key role in numerous programs for HPM including preconstruction efforts in Birmingham and Auburn, followed by a PM role for the Atlanta Braves, the Airbus A220 program, Fort Smith Public Schools, and recently Manor ISD and Round Rock ISD in Austin, TX.  Pierre never backs down from a challenge and is a core member of the HPM family.

“He knows inside and out, how to take a project from concept, guide it through design and procurement, and finish through construction,” said James Adams, HPM Vice President of the West Region. “He knows our business and our way of doing things extremely well, and makes gaining trust from his client and his peers look easy.”

Congratulations on this well-deserved promotion, Pierre! Félicitations!


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