Maintaining Industry Relationships Through Effective Communication and Quality Work

One of the services that Unistrut Midwest provides that sets us apart from our competitors is our specialty product offerings. Most of these products fall into Division 10 specialty construction: lockers, wire partitions, modular offices, access floors, and other pre-finished products that are installed at the end of a build.   

The unique logistical applications and tedious nature of installations make specialty products a rare offering from our competitors, and as one of the few partners who enjoy providing these services, we often find ourselves working with repeat clients. Whether we are contacted by a general contractor directly for a project or recommended to a client by the Unistrut Midwest teams as an additional resource, we understand the importance of being a reliable partner. In such a niche industry, maintaining relationships with general contractors is incredibly important to securing future work. The specialty products team works hard to nurture those relationships through effective communication and providing quality solutions.  

Prioritizing Effective Communication 

Much of a specialty products project is managing logistics. Manufacturing timelines, subcontractor schedules, delivery availability, and installation plans all need to align in order to complete a project. Keeping details straight requires open and effective communication with the general contractor.  

This starts with the project design. We receive the spec sheet and architectural drawings of a job site and then work with the general contractor to understand what is needed in the design. For lockers, for instance, we'll need to know how many, what function they're serving, any size requirements, and other requests from the customer. However, the provided documents may only offer a loose idea of the space, so we work closely with the general contractor to understand the restrictions of the job site.  

Once the plans have been approved, we place a purchase order with the manufacturer and schedule our installation subcontractors. However, because specialty products are often the last aspects of a build to be installed, we can wait anywhere from 18 months to three years between receiving approval of our designs and beginning work on site. A lot can change in that time, so we make sure to touch base with the general contractor while waiting to ensure that we still have an accurate timeline estimate. As it gets closer to our team's time to install, I attend the general contractor's status meetings to get a better understanding of the project schedule.  

Of course, we often find that the original project plans we were provided when designing our solution have changed when it comes time to actually install the specialty products. That's where relying on our team to provide quality work comes in. 

Relying on an Experienced Team for Quality Work  

By the time specialty products are being installed, the construction project is nearing completion. Any deviations from the original plans typically can't be reversed at this point; instead, it's up to our team to alter our solution to fit the reality of the job site.  

Prior to installation, our team will visit the job to field measure and inspect the site and see if it still matches the originally proposed drawings. Did plumbing need to be rerouted? Was the electrical moved, and now an outlet is located where a locker is supposed to be installed? Was drywall installed according to instructions? Any of these small details can change the design of a specialty product solution, so we work to get that information as far in advance as possible.  

While we can sometimes make changes to the material order to accommodate any changes, we often have to rely on our installation team to make on-site adjustments. Whether that means rearranging the design or making on-the-fly field cuts, our experienced team can typically find a solution. As the final team on a job site, we don't want to be just one more headache for the general contractor. By providing quality work, navigating adjustments, and installing the desired solution, our team proves that we can be a reliable partner for that general contractor in the future.  

The secondary construction industry is a small one, and many of the general contractors that we work with for specialty products are the same ones working with other Unistrut Midwest teams. It benefits everyone to maintain good relationships with those general contractors, so we do our best to be open and engaged partners who are easy to work with. While there will always be challenges, prioritizing our relationships with partners helps to ensure that we can continue to work with our clients well into the future. 

Do you have a specialty products project in need of guidance? Contact our team. 

About the Author:

Matt Boissy is the Division 10 Project Manager at Unistrut Midwest, bringing specialty construction solutions to our customers.