National General Contractor, Retail Construction Services, Inc., Expands it’s LEED Building Operations

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Retail Construction Services (RCS), a leading and award winning national general contractor, has been expanding its LEED building capacity this year. Founded in 1984, RCS has built over 8,200 major projects, and over 23,000 store refreshes, retrofits other Facilities Management work in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada representing over $1.1 Billion in company revenue.

“Store refreshes and retrofitting existing buildings to become Zero Carbon is a big challenge, but a challenge we are well prepared to execute”

Retail Construction Services shares the concern with its customers with regard to the impact of their work on the communities and the environment. As members of the USGBC, the company completed their first LEED certified project in 2006. Two of the more recent projects this year are; The University Center for the Black Hills State University, which is designed for silver certification and hoping to qualify as gold, as well as a Toyota dealership in South Dakota’s Black Hills that is designed for gold certification. “Today, as sustainable construction awareness increases, we continue to pursue those partnerships where we can help clients reach their certification goals, whether LEED Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum,” says Joni Fletty, Vice President of Operations for RCS. “While the targeted certification is the goal, we help our clients also qualify for tax allowances, zoning accommodations and other incentives to lower costs of operation and increased asset value of their properties.”

The company has LEED AP Certified project management staff on board and has one staff member working towards his BD+C Certification. This value added service allows Retail Construction Services to stay at the forefront of green building techniques and offer that expertise to their clients.

“The most powerful and effective tool is an informed consumer. Inquire about whether the construction company uses energy efficient fixtures, or has any water conservation measures in place. The more aware the public is about the importance of green buildings, the more developers will deliver construction projects that comply with the criteria for green buildings. It benefits LEED, big business and the tenants, the shareholders, investors and the community in general. In other words, everyone wins,” says company Principal Founder and President, Steve Bachman.

RCS’s Facilities Management division was launched in 1997 and is now an established Facilities Management provider that has achieved strong growth, through strong client relationships, built on trust and openness averaging over 750 projects annually.

“Store refreshes and retrofitting existing buildings to become Zero Carbon is a big challenge, but a challenge we are well prepared to execute,” says Director of Facilities Management Mary Gilbertson. “Whether it’s an energy efficient lighting retrofit program, adding more natural light, or replacing water faucets with low-flow or sensor activated water fixtures; RCS’s Facilities Management can help your locations become much more efficient.”

“When we first started in 1984 there were just two of us and we said let’s just do the right thing and we should be fine,” said Bachman. Twenty-six years later, RCS now has offices in Minnesota, Texas and South Dakota; a staff which includes 12 Project Managers and Field Superintendents located strategically throughout the country. “One of our many strengths is the ability to complete a project anywhere in North America for our clients,” says Bachman. “We maintain the appropriate licenses in all 50 states and since we work in all major markets around the country every year, many times over, we are not considered an out of town contractor. We think that’s important for our clients and there aren’t many other companies out there that can say that.”

“Technology has also changed our business,” added Fletty. In 2004, RCS's technology based initiatives were further enhanced by developing its own customized proprietary Project Management and Accounting software system, called Databahn ©, to manage estimating, subcontractors, licensing, permitting, tax requirements, and accounting. “We decided to try and reinvent the way the construction industry integrates technology into its core processes, thereby raising the standard for meeting projects on time and within budget to an unprecedented level,” said Fletty.

“Over the years, we have had numerous clients’ call us up in somewhat of a panic because they were going through a sales and use tax audit and didn’t understand,” Retail Construction Services CFO, Gerry Kuntz recalls. “We recently received a call from the CFO of a major national client saying that after they received our detailed sales and use tax reports, they had a clean audit as a result of our accounting practices and wished all their contractors were as well prepared and as organized at Retail Construction Services.”

The technology that has been implemented at RCS has made the management of projects more streamlined and life easier for the company’s employees, but it is ultimately a benefit to RCS’ clients, who have also grown over the years as a result of RCS entering different niches.

Retail Construction Services began focusing on retail build-outs for national retailers but has since evolved into a full service construction company. In addition to being a perennial leader in retail store construction; RCS also focuses on the ground-up construction of restaurants, banks/financial facilities and clubhouses. “Every new market or new business direction we have taken, whether it was entering the golf clubhouse construction market or the financial services arena, we simply followed our core values and business practices and forged ahead,” added Gim Middleton, Principal and Co-Owner of RCS.

RCS entered the golf clubhouse construction niche in 1993 and partnered with the PGA Tour in 1997 on the construction of the TPC Twin Cities in 1997. This successful venture lead to other high profile projects with the PGA throughout the country and other clubhouses projects with Sienna Corp, Toll Brothers, Pulte/Del Webb and Tradition Golf. “We’ve had a very positive relationship with RCS over the last several years,” says Michael Johnson, PGA Tour Vice-President of Construction. “A key to the longevity of our relationship is that RCS has performed at a level consistent with the high expectations of The PGA Tour.”

In addition to being an award winning National General Contractor, RCS has diversified its services to include Construction Management and Facility Management Services. “Many of our employees have been with us over twenty plus years and as a result, we have built up solid relationships with thousands of suppliers and vendors around the country, we have the experience and expertise to offer a one stop shop for our clients for all their construction and facility needs,” says Bachman.

“At RCS, when we say “Do the Right Thing”, it goes to the core mission of our business and it’s pursuit of inspiring social responsibility,” added Fletty. We believe that we have a valuable role in promoting the health of our nation by forming innovative partnerships with charities and making our expertise and support widely available - not just through our construction services, but wherever we can help build healthier, happier communities. Reducing our impact on the environment, treating our customers and vendors fairly, and acting with integrity in everything we do; that is how we measure success.” In 2009 RCS turned 6,000 sq. ft. of corporate turf into a Giving Garden. Last year, over 1,800 pounds of produce was donated to the local food shelves. This year they are on target to surpass that number. To read more about the RCS Giving Garden, visit: www.rcsgivinggarden.blogspot.com

What lies ahead for RCS? “Several years back we created a corporate mission statement - ‘We serve our own best interests by serving our client’s best interest first’,” says Bachman. “That pretty much sums up our philosophy and business practice. “As long as we keep putting our clients first and continue to “do the right thing”, we expect the growth and success that has happened to RCS over the last twenty five years to continue.”

About this General Contractor:
Retail Construction Services (RCS) has built over 8,200 major projects, and over 23,000 store refreshes, retrofits other Facilities Management work in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada representing $1.1 Billion in company revenue. Retail Construction Services maintains and is actively licensed in all 50 States, Canada, USVI and Puerto Rico and averages 30-90 projects under construction at any one time. RCS has its corporate headquarters in Lake Elmo, MN with regional offices in Dallas, TX, Rapid City, and SD. For more information on Retail Construction Services’ capabilities, please visit www.retailconstruction.com