Top 6 Considerations for Winter Construction in New England

The days are growing shorter and there is already a chill in the air. As New Englanders, we know what this means, we are sliding down that slippery hill towards winter. While it would be nice to think we could stock our larders and close the doors to ride out the season, we know this is not realistic or fiscally responsible. The question for those of us in Commercial Real Estate becomes, start a project now or wait until the spring thaw has arrived?

Here are the six thoughts I consider when navigating winter construction decisions here in New England: 

Topping Off Ceremony - Providence Community Health Center

PROVIDENCE - This past Monday, April 12th, New England Construction hosted a Topping Off Ceremony to celebrate the placing of the last steel beam on the new upcoming Providence Community Health Center.  NEC was joined by Vision 3 Architects and Providence Community Health Center for the signing. For those who don't know, a Topping Off Ceremony is when many members of the project go to the project site and sign the last steel beam of the building frame. The beam is then lifted and secured to the structure, a huge milestone for any project.  

Construction is under way on Providence Community Health Center

PROVIDENCE – New England Construction, a family-owned construction company based in Rumford, is currently building Providence Community Health Center's 9th location. With this project, NEC is proud to support Providence's Olneyville community, a neighborhood that hosts some of the worst health outcomes and data in Providence. The new location will also include an Express Care department.

New England Construction COVID-19 Health Plan

Some state and local governments are requiring that every construction project have a COVID-19 section in their safety programs. In order to satisfy this requirement, CRM has developed this document.

Our Plan to Create a More Diverse and Inclusive Workspace

2020 exposed a country divided. The racial inequality highlighted during the pandemic, the protests, and the election season forced all of us to look within, question what we know, how we operate, and how we can be better. While reflection is helpful to kickstart change, real initiatives need to be instilled in order to make our workplaces more diverse and inclusive. At NEC, we don’t just want to question – we want to take the steps to actively become a better organization.

Defining Purpose

“Success demands singleness of purpose.” - Vince Lombardi

Coach Lombardi uses just a few words in this quote, but truly hits the nail on the head. When we consider building the success of businesses in our chosen industries we must have a clearly defined purpose behind every choice and action we make. Throughout 2017 this is something that the leadership team here at New England Construction has given a lot of thought. We devoted a sizeable amount of our time and resources towards bringing our vision for the company into focus; and purpose played a major role in that process.

Subs With Subs: Visiting Rens Welding & Fabricating

Ongoing training and development is a key goal for our team at NEC and when we began to plan a new round of opportunities for learning for our Operations Team we delighted to get invited to Rens Welding & Fabricating for a tour of their facility and the chance to dialogue with this steel fabrication subcontractor. During last year’s Subcontractor Open House here at our Rumford Office, Rens brought the idea forward and we thought it sounded like a great opportunity!

Order in the Court(s): Building with Moses Brown and SquashBusters

“Moses Brown exists to inspire the inner promise of each student and instill the utmost care for learning, people, and place.”

We hear YOU! Leadership in the CM & DB Processes

The number one key to success in managing a construction project, of any kind is not the materials used, not the budget in place, or even the act of actually putting up the structure but listening. This becomes even more important when you venture into a project that is based on a Construction Management or Design/Build approach. These projects place a greater emphasis on the leadership and direction provided by the General Contractor than a simple traditional project. Clients place their dreams in the hands of their GC and expect success. We have a solid track record on these methods in our 34 years of existence but we also have learned some lessons we think could be useful if you are considering them for your next build! Specifically, four skills are paramount when entering a CM/DB Leadership Role: