Denver, CO- The Unified Group’s first ever Design Build Forum was an immense success with over 40 attendees. The group shared best practices ranging from the selling process for design build work, preconstruction and the RFPs, transitioning from design build to plan spec and navigating the back-and-forth, benefits of design build work and more. The energy in the room was collaborative and forward-thinking, paving the way for new ideas.

“What a fantastic group of professionals - all collaborating to help one another achieve success, growth and innovation. It was an incredible experience and I am looking forward to seeing the progressive growth and changes implemented after this forum in the near future,” stated Chris Neffendorf of General Sheet Metal.

The meeting kicked off with a Customer Presentation example from Chad Wiegmann and Craig Ross of Wiegmann Associates offering great insight into their approach and process of what they present to their customers in efforts to win the project. We then had Chris Neffendorf from General Sheet Metal, Mark Montgomery from freije Engineered Solutions, and Justin Gray of Mechanical Service and Systems, share some of their successful Design Build Projects, showcasing their innovative approaches and real-world results from across the industry. An important panel discussion followed, focusing on the benefits of design build work. Members shared insights on what makes design build projects more profitable than traditional approaches and offered valuable advice for those new to the design build process.

“I really like the passion and innovative ideas around delivering value in the design environment that was evident in every presentation, breakout and panel,” stated Pansy Romo of Intech Mechanical.

As part of the forum, we had attendees compare completed RFPs that they chose from; two different office buildings and the other a medical facility.  They chose one per company and worked as a team to submit their completed RFPs as if they were submitting the RFP to one of their own customers.  During the meeting, members reviewed and discussed these, sharing their processes, visuals, and walking the group through each one. Another highlight of day two was the presentations from Chad Wiegmann and Craig Ross of Wiegmann Associates along with Jeff Beekman of Legacy Mechanical focusing on how they budget, track change, and scope creep to update cost and assure full compensation during the job.  

“If I didn’t attend this meeting, I would have missed the understanding of different ways companies do and handle HVAC that is sometimes completely different than what I experience in my day to day,” stated Michael Blanchard of Battaglia Industries. 

Overall, the Design Build Forum was a huge success filled with fresh ideas and great discussions. Closing it out with a lively bocce ball tournament added the perfect mix of fun and friendly competition. Upcoming Forums include Service Management, Annual Meeting & Owners’ Forum and Sales! If you are interested in learning more about attending a meeting or becoming a member of The Unified Group, contact Janet Kelleher at [email protected].