The right team for the job

Editor’s note: We featured the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center’s journey from having a greenhouse destroyed by a tornado in 2010 to finishing construction on their new greenhouse research facility in the fall of 2014, in the December 2014 issue of Greenhouse Management. This month, we delve into the process behind finding the right design-build company for the job. Michelle Jones, Professor and D.C. Kiplinger Floriculture Endowed Chair in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, and Eugene Howell, Project Coordinator in the Renovations Planning Office, weigh in.

Greenhouse Management: What were the most important qualities/characteristics you were looking for in a design-build team?

Michelle Jones: [We were looking for] someone with a local reputation for building quality greenhouse structures, a team that had the expertise in building greenhouses but also knowledge of all the systems and how they are integrated into the facility. We also wanted a design-build team that was willing to listen to what the users of the facility wanted and then work with us to determine what we really needed and how to build it.

One of the things that we were thinking about when picking the team and doing all the planning was not just what we’re going to be doing today, but 10, 20, 30 years down the road. We have to have flexibility, and we also have to have a system that’s going to work for us then. And I’m sure a grower’s business plans go out many years, too, so they have to really think about not just what they need today but how the technologies are going to change and how their structure is going to be able to adapt to that.

GM: What factors led you to choose the final design-build team? How was the experience?

Eugene Howell: The reputation for quality of the greenhouse installer as well as the flexibility and knowledge of the mechanical systems team member(s).

MJ: One of the values that I saw in the team is [their willingness to work with us]. They listened to what we thought we wanted and then we worked with them to determine what we really actually needed and how we could build that. And there was still a lot of flexibility in the process that they were willing to adapt and change things – early enough in the process so that it didn’t affect the final bids. The flexibility and communication with that team was really critical.

GM: What advice do you have for other organizations or businesses as they look for a design-build team for their greenhouse?

MJ: Find out who has built greenhouses in your area and how satisfied those operations are with the final quality of the construction. Did they get what they thought they were getting? Was there good communication with the design-build team and between the members of that team so that all of the greenhouse systems work smoothly together?

GM: Is there anything else you would share with a grower who is going through this process?

MJ: Do your research on the structure and equipment, but hire a contractor or design-build team that knows the new technologies and equipment. Sometimes these are right for your greenhouse operation and sometimes the tried-and-true equipment and technologies are the best fit.