Things are coming along on our Construction Project at Monte Package Company’s 6,500 Sq. Ft. office building in Hagar Township. The wood framed office building includes pre-engineered wood trusses, and slab on grade. Here’s a quick update on the expansion project.
Learn more about our Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional services and projects by clicking on Services in our Menu.
We had the pleasure of redesigning and constructing our 4th showroom/warehouse project for the Behler-Young Company. Widely known as the Premier HVAC/R Distributor for Licensed Contractors, the family-owned Behler-Young was looking to expand into the Holland, Michigan market for the company’s 20th location, and they turned to our Pearson Interiors general contracting team at to get the job done.
Interested in seeing what we can do for a building you are interested in renovating for your business? Learn more about Pearson Interiors and Contact Our Team today!
Interested in seeing what we can do for a building you are interested in renovating for your business? Learn more about Pearson Interiors and Contact Our Team today!
Arunas Rumsa of Pearson Construction’s In-House Architectural Design Team, TERA Architects, shares insights into what elements are essential for Smart Design.
“What I enjoy about a design build scenario is doing what I do best, and being part of a team that does what they do best. It’s not so much that I am the overall designer or master planner, a lot of the decisions we made are done collectively,” says Rumsa. “We go through an iterative process of accessing information, and it may not have anything to do with architecture. It may have something to do with finances, building location, timing, sequence. All that goes into solving a problem for the owner.”
When choosing the design/build process – the contractor is always known. In this case, Pearson Construction. So Arunas and his team don’t have to detail every single thing. He is able to rely on the experience of the general contracting team, and their expectations, so they are able to cut out a lot of the drawing time in a more traditional, design-bid-build process.
“There is a big convenience of me being able to walk across the room and discuss technical questions. We could have a question about the cost of one foundation system versus another foundation system based on poor soil qualities, and make a decision fairly quickly on how we want to proceed with that part of the building,” says Rumsa. “Pearson Construction crews can come to me and ask questions about code reviews, code questions, and a lot of times those conversations lead to changing design plans that save the business owner money.”
When talking about Smart Design – the more each side is able to talk to each other, and discuss plans, the better the project becomes. At the beginning of a project, TERA Architects team members have a pretty good understanding of what a building might look like and what it’s going to cost. Our design team works to stay on top of the business owner’s needs and budget through the whole design build process. The majority of meetings are productive where we work directly with the owners, and contractors in order to get immediate feedback on the project.
Rumsa says the best thing about a building is setting parameters, or definition, guidelines – the budget being one of them.
“When I look at a project, initially, and I look at the owner’s budget, we can all analyze with the help of the construction site whether it’s a realistic budget or not,” says Rumsa. “The real creativity comes in when you are actually designing within that budget, and can create something spectacular for the owner for the price they want to spend.”
The resulting product is something that we hope our client is excited about, because we know we have taken all of their wants and needs into consideration, and designed a vision everyone can be proud of.
“You go into the archives from 60 years ago and you look at the tremendous amount of work this company has done for the community, and you want to be part of a team that is passionate about what they do,” says Rumsa. “Others being passionate makes you want to be passionate.”
The creation of Pearson Engineering, Inc. in 1956, dba TERA Architects, Inc., has allowed Pearson to remain on the forefront of innovation and construction deliverables. Staffed with highly trained and experienced architects, engineers, and designers, TERA provides efficient, economical project design through both traditional and design build methods of project delivery.
Learn the 5 pitfalls every real estate investor or business owner should know about before purchasing a historical building.
Our team of project managers, contractors, engineers and architects can help you navigate the best way to approach your historical building construction project. We have decades of experience working on historical buildings in southwest Michigan. Pearson Vice-President Sean Ebbert says there are a few main things to keep in mind before singing on the dotted line. The first pitfall is many business owners and real estate investors believe the building they are looking to purchase is in better shape than it is.
Pitfall #1 – They underestimate the amount of work it takes to bring it up to code.
“It’s imperative that those interested in purchasing these types of properties rely on experts like our team at Pearson Construction to tell them what could be hidden beneath the surface,” says Ebbert. “It often takes a lot of work to revitalize these buildings and bring them up to code.”
The utilities, the water system, electrical infrastructure – in essence a lot of the things you don’t see – it’s hard to put that into terms of how much work needs to be done and that can be a real driver of cost.
Pitfall #2 – Sometimes you underestimate what the building is.
Our team of in-house design professionals, including engineers and architects can determine what parts of the building can be salvaged. We have the advantage of being able to establish a realistic budget on the front-end of your project.
“We try to minimize the surprise and sticker shock at the end of the project,” says Ebbert. “You can save costs if you utilize more of the building. So just taking down a crumbling wall all the way isn’t necessarily a cost-effective approach. Salvaging some of that wall keeps some of that historical character and at the same time saves money.”
Pitfall #3 Is there a Historical Designation attached to the building?
A lot of older buildings that have been around a while don’t necessarily have a historic designation by the state or other organization, but some owners do like to maintain that historic integrity and flavor. However, it’s important to keep in mind some areas do require special building materials.
Pitfall #4 Scheduling Issues
Unforeseen conditions can shift the construction timeline. Ebbert says when considering historical renovation it’s an “if” not “when” you will come across unforeseen situations that cause your timeline to shift.
Pitfall #5 Public Reaction
“Be prepared for neighbors and area businesses to weigh-in on your project,” says Ebbert.
This last one is something many business owners don’t think about before their project has started. Ebbert says people in the community tend to be pretty passionate about change, and whether you are saving things or changing things there can be feedback from the community that could be a deterrent to some business owners when considering a historic project.
So why choose Pearson Construction for your Historical Construction project? The main reasons are simple – Our Experience, Our Knowledge of the Local Market, and our Team Approach of sharing information and using the strengths of our best team members for each individual project.
“It’s not a one size fits all situation,” says Ebbert. “It’s not ‘I can handle this particular type of project all the time.’ There may be a project manager who is better suited based on previous experience and timing to take on that project. We connect the right people for the right project.”
Pearson – WE BUILD. Historical Projects.
Our team of project managers, contractors, engineers and architects can help you navigate the best way to approach your historical building construction project. We have decades of experience working on historical buildings in southwest Michigan. Contact our team to get started on your project.
Fast Construction that saves time and money. As one of the oldest Star pre-engineered metal building dealer in the country, we know a lot about which businesses should consider going that route. Learn more about 4 of the main benefits of choosing a pre-engineered metal building in this video.
At Pearson, we work with our clients to determine the parameters of their construction project first. Then, our industry experts investigate how a pre-engineered metal building would fit into the business owner’s existing production before giving our recommendation. To speak with our business development team and learn more about the process, visit our contact page.
Chances are you’ve heard the saying “When the Bones are Good.” At Pearson Construction, we have the experience necessary to determine whether it’s possible to take a run down building, with a solid structure, and transform it into something special again. We recently had the chance to do just that for Great Lakes Eye Care, who purchased a dilapidated former fast food restaurant, in order to turn it into a new clinic for their patients in South Haven. Take a look at how it all turned out.
We’ve had a hand in designing, building and renovating numerous places of worship across Southwest Michigan – from Buchanan to Benton Harbor, Stevensville to St. Joseph, and beyond. Here’s a look at some of our most recent Church construction projects.
Learn more about how we can support your church placement and expansion efforts by contacting our business development team.
An important part of every project is design and planning. Pearson’s pre-construction services offer the necessary pre-project planning, cost and schedule development, constructability reviews, and value engineering prior to the start of a construction project. These services can be provided individually or bundled in a group. Proper pre-construction services can mean fewer changes during the construction phase – which keeps your project on schedule and budget.
Whirlpool Corporation
Location, 1900-2020
Whirlpool Global Admin Center
Benton Harbor, 1955
Berrien County Courthouse
St. Joseph, MI, 1965
Tabor Hill Restaurant & Winery
Buchanan, 2001, 2006, 2011
Countryside Academy
Benton Harbor, 2002
Lutheran Heritage Village
St. Joseph, 2005
New Buffalo Savings Bank
Sawyer, MI, 2005
Pero Packaging
Benton Harbor, MI, 2006
Silver Beach Carousel
St. Joseph, MI, 2010
Shadowland Ballroom
St. Joseph, 2010
Tyler Honda
Stevensville, 2012
Boys & Girls Club
Benton Harbor, 2013
