Van Pelt Sheds Light on Construction after COVID-19
As the coronavirus pandemic unfolds worldwide, GMH checked in on Van Pelt Construction Services to discuss how the design and construction community can be called into action. In a time when industry members are navigating new and different types of challenges, it is essential to balance these efforts with the highest level of safety across all project stages. In this Building for Life article, GMH interviews Eric Van Pelt and Kelli Van Pelt Jurgenson to discuss what may be on the horizon for healthcare and education construction.
Van Pelt Construction Services (VPCS) is a family affair. The company was founded in 1996 by brothers Mark and Michael Van Pelt, who was inspired to follow in the professional footsteps of their father, Fred Van Pelt, a respected Bay Area construction leader. In the years since Mark and Michael have continued to build the family’s reputation through their project portfolio's successful delivery and growth. In time, the next generation of Van Pelts felt the gravity pull of the family business with Michael’s son and daughter, Eric Van Pelt and Kelli Van Pelt Jurgenson, joining the company. As a family-owned business that grows with each new generation, the Van Pelts make it work. Kelli says, “We grew up as a very close extended family. Uncle Mark lived across the street when we were growing up. We’ve always done everything together and tend to get through work-related challenges more easily.”
Working his way up through the ranks since he first started working with his dad and uncle 17 years ago, Eric Van Pelt is now regional vice president of Van Pelt Construction Services. He contemplated other career paths in college but ultimately decided to continue in the family business. He says, “On every job, there’s a new challenge, and challenges fuel my focus.” In his RVP role, Eric manages the company’s North Bay operations by problem-solving with teams across a range of programs in addition to running individual projects spanning the healthcare, education, and regulatory environments.
After graduating, Kelli Van Pelt Jurgenson wanted to go to law school. Before she embarked upon her legal education, though, she decided to give real-world job site experiences a try. Energized by the construction industry’s changing project dynamics and teams, she also decided to stick with the family business. As regional vice president, Kelli focuses on marketing and developing CSU and K-12 school district businesses throughout California.
Given Eric and Kelli’s knowledge and expertise in healthcare and education, GMH thought it would be insightful to gain their perspective on the new challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic on design and construction.
Orthopedic Rehabilitation and Imaging Center in Fairfield, California. A GMH Builders, Van Pelt Construction Services Collaboration
HEALTHCARE CLIENTS ARE ALREADY IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOSPITAL RECONFIGURATION.
There is a focus on dual emergency entrances, ventilation retrofits, adapting according to need, converting spaces into treatment spaces, and controlled separation between patients, visitors, and staff based on illness. Eric says, “Healthcare clients are super reactive. In a post-COVID world, we can expect new requirements to come down the pike in negative pressure, entrances, and filtration. There will also be changes in best practices like Title 24. No matter what happens, everyone on the Van Pelt team will leverage relationships from our extended network to create solutions that adapt to the new normal, even as that continues to change.” While healthcare is trying to overcome these challenges in hospitals, many practices already occur in outpatient settings with separate waiting rooms for the immunocompromised.
EDUCATION CLIENTS ARE IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT RETROFITTING FOR COVID-19 AS WELL AS NATURAL DISASTERS.
There is a focus on staggered start times, social distancing, and ultra-violet lighting systems. Kelli says, “The education market has a different set of challenges, caters to a different audience, and adheres to a different type of timeline than healthcare. So these discussions about how to make COVID-specific adjustments are happening in real-time among education leaders. Whatever modifications need to be made, we’re here to help. It’s not about what the contract says; it’s about our relationship with our clients.”
TECHNOLOGY PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN MAKING PROGRESS ON EVOLVING CLIENT NEEDS.
As is true in most businesses, the ability to video conference and collaborate on documents via web-based software solutions is mission-critical in construction. Luckily, these technologies are already factored into VPCS’s regular business practices. On the other hand, each industry they serve tends to have its special requirements for technology. Healthcare projects require certain technologies to ensure HIPAA compliance and supply chain system integration. Education projects require cost-effective Google G-Suite, allowing users to share documents collaboratively. Eric says, “If you want to have a job in this industry, you’ve got to be tech-savvy.” In sum, VPCS can adapt and deploy a range of solutions that align with what its clients are using to meet intended project objectives.
In the face of everyday challenges and unusual circumstances such as a pandemic, Van Pelt Construction Services is committed to ensuring employee equity and diversity. Kelli says, “Employees are either family or like family.” She says with just over 50 employees, “It is important to make everyone feel like a core member of the team.” With a longstanding reputation for taking good care of its people, the firm has taken extra steps to check in on all team members recently, as most employees have been working from home. VPCS leadership sends weekly email communique to staff to reinforce that they are still in business, clients are still in place, and there is still quality work to be done. Kelli says, “It is important to stay in touch and let our staff know we’re all in this together.”
