BUILDING THE TEAM

A Crucial Step in Project Planning

IF YOU WANT TO BE GREAT - MAKE EVERYONE AROUND YOU BETTER.

If you’re familiar with builders, you may know that it’s about more than blueprints and what happens in the office, but if you’ve worked with Grainda, you definitely know that only the best-of-the-best make it onto the team. So, we wanted to share more about how Vice President Jason Tanenbaum makes the magic happen when incorporating sub-contractors.

SKILL & TRUST BUILT OVER DECADES

When building a team, you need to be intentional. In the construction world, hammers strike with precision and measurements must be correct, but how Grainda communicates with trade partners also never misses the mark.

In most cases, Grainda Builders has longstanding relationships with trade partners. The partners who have proven themselves time and again to be masters of their craft. They are creative, innovative, and obsessed with the details. Jason knows that they will bring high quality and value to clients’ projects as part of the Grainda team.

“We have some partners who have been with us for more than 15 years” said Jason. It may not have been easy building one of the most successful construction companies in the Charlotte area, but Grainda’s trade partners were a big part of it.

“A lot of it goes back to their industry expertise, how they problem-solve, offer solutions, and think outside the box. The best vendors also understand and appreciate that they are part of a larger process; one change has a trickle-down effect that can impact the entire project” said Jason.

Grainda has a deep pool of craftsmen for every construction category, which provides the opportunity to match the vendor with the style or materials the client needs.

“Every vendor isn’t a good fit for every project; having a relationship with different sub-contractors gives us the ability to exceed our clients’ needs. It also allows for more scheduling flexibility and to do some really cool things, which is always a win for everyone” said Jason.

CREATIVITY & COLLABORATION ARE KEY SKILLS

Grainda Builders looks for trade partners who are accountable both behind-the-scenes and on the job site. Vendors are involved in the planning process; they are the experts at what they do so it makes sense to incorporate them from the beginning.

Jason said “There are so many options and selections that have to be made when building or renovating a house, so we dedicate a lot of time to work through the specifications and information to make sure that the architect, our team, trade partners, and the client are all on the same page.”

Jason gives an example about how the collaboration process works: We know about heating and cooling, but we don’t know everything. So, if the client is looking for something really specific or the latest tech, we will involve a trade partner early on to make sure we include all the requirements during the planning process.

We also find it extremely valuable to give the trade partner this time to interact with the clients and be a resource to answer all of their questions and make suggestions.

CUSTOMIZED APPROACH CREATES UNBELIEVABLE RESULTS

Jason loves saying, “Yes, Grainda can do that!” Grainda is always up for a challenge that allows the team to try new things that benefit from their triedand-true experience.

A big part of being able to meet clients’ unique requests is due in part to the established trade partner relationships.

“We did a modern renovation a few years ago where the headboard in the bedroom was a huge backlit onyx slab. Marty Blackwelder, a steel fabricator, blew our minds with his talent. He was able to fabricate a steel frame in a way that we could fasten everything together so that the onyx panels could be installed on top of the lighting elements to create a stunning focal piece in the room.

He had to balance the weight of the stone and the weight of the steel, and find a way to incorporate the electrical elements. It was a super cool project to work on and required a lot of outside-of-the-box thinking and problem solving” said Jason.

There are certain things about building that are formulaic. What sets builders apart is not just their specialized skill, but the way they work together as a team. Everyone is valued. Everyone is accountable. Everyone wants to build something that they are proud of.

The finished project may be the client’s home, but its also Grainda’s work and the result of a carefully hand-selected team.

TAKE A LOOK

See what an expert team can accomplish

CONTINUE READING