Project Approach

NEC Advantage

Big Company Capabilities, Small Company Feel
Highest quality subcontractor base to draw from resulting in most competitive pricing and exceptional quality
40 years of experience in large complex construction including multi-unit.
Experienced, friendly project team with strong communication skills from top to bottom - You will like our people!
Exceptional attention to detail while maintaining the project schedule
Advanced leadership experience in driving pre-construction design and build activities to set this project up for success
Passionate commitment to safety and quality
Skilled logistics planning in active shopping centers with oversight from our in house Director of Safety
Embracing a collaborate partnership
Bonding Capacity in excess of $80MM

Preconstruction Services

New England Construction approaches preconstruction as a collaborative, information-driven phase of the project. Guided by a full-time Senior Preconstruction Manager, we focus on developing accurate budgets, reviewing design for constructability, coordinating early input from key trade partners, and establishing a realistic schedule. These steps help create a clear picture of the project upfront so decisions are made with reliable data and the transition into construction is straightforward.

Under the Senior Preconstruction Manager Daniel Louriero's leadership, our preconstruction services include:

Master Project Schedule Development

In collaboration with ownership, develop and manage the preconstruction and pre-development master project schedule ensuring all deliverables and deadlines are met while leading the project team to keep projects on track.

Collaborative Focus

Collaboration with Senior Operations Leadership to incorporate operations into preconstruction and project planning efforts for construction schedule development, phasing and site logistics.

Work in tandem with project owner and design and engineering consultants to manage the preconstruction deliverables to adhere to the master schedule.

Value Engineering Efforts

With assistance from the Estimating department, develop and maintain a robust Value Engineering Log to identify potential cost savings for the project.

Mockups

Prior to full scale installation, NEC will coordinate the construction of a representative window system mockup to validate the proposed assembly, installation methods, and overall quality of workmanship. The mockup will provide Simon Konover and design team with the opportunity to review critical details including aesthetics, interface conditions, weatherproofing, and constructibility before production work begins. This collaborative review process allows refinements to be made early, establishes a clear quality benchmark for the project, and provides confidence that the approved installation approach will be consistently executed throughout the duration of the window replacement program.

Occupied Renovations

The Velvet Mill renovation demands more than technical expertise. It requires a construction partner that understands how to execute significant building improvements while preserving the daily experience of those who continue to live and work within the facility. With exterior envelope restoration, fire suppression upgrades, and interior unit renovations occurring in an occupied environment, our approach is grounded in deliberate planning, disciplined execution, and a commitment to minimizing disruption without compromising safety, quality, or schedule. Every phase of the work will be thoughtfully sequenced to maintain building operations while advancing construction efficiently and responsibly.

Success on an occupied renovation begins long before construction starts. During preconstruction, our team will develop a comprehensive logistics and phasing strategy that coordinates procurement, access, material movement, and construction sequencing around the needs of the building and its occupants. Work hours will be established collaboratively with the Simon Konover to balance project efficiency with occupant comfort, while higher impact activities will be carefully scheduled to reduce interruptions. Dust containment, noise mitigation, continuous housekeeping, and clearly defined separation between occupied and active work areas will be incorporated throughout the project. Through proactive planning, transparent communication, and disciplined field management, we will deliver a renovation process that is as carefully managed as the finished result.

Procurement Process

The procurement process is vital to the project success and we feel that there is ample time to ensure that the right subcontractors are awarded and the right materials are sources.

We will confirm all manpower commitments to ensure schedule milestones are met. NEC will collaboratively work with all subcontractors to make sure coordination is flawless. The current construction market is very fluid (but competitive) especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, and we at NEC know how to navigate and award the most qualified subcontractor with the most competitive pricing. We are skilled at managing quality and cost. We will hire the correct subs for the important trades on this project. Our approach ensures that we engage subcontractors that will deliver quality construction, adhere to the schedule AND provide a fair price! We can source and deliver the VALUE in the marketplace.

Risk Management

Mitigating and eliminating risk is what we do. NEC has and will continue to expose risk throughout the construction process. Risk is constantly changing and we are laser-focused on staying a step ahead of it.

We don’t view risk as negative. It is an opportunity to add value for our client, show what sets NEC apart from the competition, and challenge ourselves to be innovative and leaders in the industry.

Speed to market is paramount when working in retail. We have the right team available to achieve your tenant turnover goals.

Safety

NEC ensures that safety always remains a #1 priority. Our dedicated safety manager, Matt Cote will assist the team in developing an appropriate safety plan including regular inspections.

As a company focused on building indelible partnerships with fellow industry experts, New England Construction has teamed up with Constructors Risk Management (CRM) for all project safety and compliance. CRM assists NEC to ensure every job site is safe and ready to build by providing on-site inspections, audits, and consultations as well as on-site, off-site and online safety training. CRM also supports in the area of OSHA consultation and representation. In addition to CRM, NEC’s Field Leadership provides direct supervision and support to our on-site team in the area of safety management. Daily inspections and weekly meetings conducted by the Superintendent on site support and reinforce our detailed safety program that we would be glad to share upon request.

Schedule

Validating the schedule will be our first priority as we immediately confirm turnover dates that take into consideration design and permitting the project.

We will employ scheduling mechanisms and techniques that will ensure an effective, well–paced preconstruction and construction phases while meeting all expectations for functionality and quality. We will create a work plan that ties to the risk and decision matrix.

We utilize “Pull Plan Scheduling” which at its core is a visual way to schedule that makes it easier for the general contractor to make changes and invite subcontractor buy-ins. This is one of the first activities that takes place as a full project team and it is time well spent. By involving subcontractors in the scheduling process while they are gathered in the same place, it creates an environment where schedule driven conversations occur. This exercise generates conversations about when one contractor should start and the other should stop or even how to phase multiple trades that are working in the same area. All subcontractor feedback and contributions are posted on the “pull plan board” thus generating buy in to the schedule which absolutely results in a higher probability of accuracy.

Critical–path decisions are addressed and commensurate with the schedule by drafting an agenda for each team meeting, outlining milestones and action items. We emphasize focused discussions with the project committee and stakeholders to appraise options and confirm that time is focused on pursuing appropriate solutions. This procedure assures that the client team and design team members are accountable, focused on individual tasks, and aware of timeliness surrounding their decisions.

Once underway our Team is vigilant about actualizing the schedule weekly. Ensuring schedule adherence means having a full understanding of all the required activities and confirmation that they are executed! It is important to know at all times where we stand in relation to where we planned to be. Schedule and budget control are directly tied to each other and our Team has the tools in place control the schedule and subsequent cost management.

Procore

New England Construction will utilize Procore for the project management software on this project. Procore is a user friendly, collaborative project management platform designed to streamline communication between all team members, provide live time updates of project status, and document all information in one organized location. The program is cloud based and accessible wherever there is internet – at the office, at home, or on the fourth floor in one of the units we are building.

Procore allows the team to quickly create RFIs from marked up drawings, share new Addendums with subcontractors, manage contracts and finances, and provide daily reports and project updates. There is an unlimited amount of storage for the project and the data that will be available for Operations & Maintenance manuals. Procore’s mobile app makes it easy to view documents in the field, on a walkthrough or remotely. If there is a question in the field, our site Superintendent can quickly respond and access all of the drawings at his fingertips.

Project Benefits include:

Increased collaboration
Streamlined efficiency
Quick responses
Accurate live project updates
Real time visibility into the projects health
Increased accountability for the team
Reduces risk
Cohesiveness between the field and the office

Budget & Cost Management

NEC will dedicate a Project Manager who will be the common conduit from which information flows throughout the preconstruction phase. In addition to serving as the primary point of contact for the Owner Group and all involved design consultants, he will manage the subcontractor agreements on the project and be responsible for updating the master project schedule. The Project Manager will also keep the Owner Group apprised of all aspects of the budget and any potential cost impacts to the project. By onboarding your builder early, changes are minimal. The preconstruction effort and collaboration by owner, architect, builder and all consultants minimizes the risk for changes. In the case of an owner-directed change to the program, NEC will quickly evaluate and communicate all potential cost and/or scheduling impacts. We are a relationship-focused firm with a reputation of being fair and equitable in all of our relationships. We will leverage our subcontractor relationships to negotiate a fair price. Our primary objective is to treat our client’s money like it is our money. We maintain a change order log and potential change order log that is updated weekly.

We feel that NEC is the perfect size for this project and delivery method. NEC produces $80 million in construction revenue annually. We are large enough that we have the horsepower to successfully manage large scale redevelopments and ground up construction, yet small enough where each project we execute has executive oversight from our firm President and CEO , Vice President of Operations or Director of Project Management. We will give careful consideration to project cost versus construction cost in order to make sure that both meet the overall project budget. As a merit shop, we have the flexibility to address this by using the proper subcontractor in each trade regardless of union or non-union status.