Engineering Inc. - January/February 2007 - 29

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emphasis on designbuild makes it critical for a firm to team effectively
with a contractor and deliver a project on an aggressive schedule. mike
Biscotte hayes, seay, mattern & mattern is well-suited to small firms:
serving comm u n i t i e s and land owners adjacent to military facilities
that will be adding new personnel. “ C o m m u n i t i e s will have to
plan for new schools, public safety facilities and infrastructure to
support the influx of military personnel and their families,” says Jim
Kovalcik, vice president of BRAC programs for CH2M Hill’s San Francisco
office. “Facilities that are closing under BRAC also offer opportunities
to small firms that can apply their expertise and knowledge of local
conditions to assist localities, redevelopment authorities and
developers.” Setting a Strategy In addition, many project budgets may be
inadequate, according to Al Pond, president of Pond & Company in Norcross,
Ga., which is participating on several design-build teams for BRAC-related
work. “ Te a m s may invest a lot in a project, only to find that
there’s not enough money to build it,” Pond says. “They will need to
evaluate the project up front and make an informed decision about pursuing
it.” Be r t i n i , himself an engineer, understands these concerns, but
insists that the Corps has no intention of diminishing the role of the A/E
community. “We depend on them for a lot,” he says. “Anything that
hurts their ability to thrive would hurt us as well.” Small firms may
see the BRAC program’s sheer scale as being the domain of large design
organizations. But along with designated set-aside contracts for small and
disadvantaged companies, the need for specialized services and numerous
subcontracting opportunities, “the program will include many small-scale
projects, such as reserve centers, where a small firm can get in as the
prime contractor,” Yentzer says. BRAC ’05 has another dimension that
One of the best ways for engineering firms to position themselves for
potential BRAC ’05 contracts is by utilizing the same succ e s s f u l
business development practices they currently use. And that begins with
gathering solid information about potential projects from the Corps and
NAVFAC, as well as local governments and economic development authorities.
“This is particularly important for firms pursuing environmental work at
a facility that is closing,” Kovalcik says. “It requires study and
dialogue to identify the real buyer and understand their procurement
practices.” The expected competition for BRAC 2005 projects also will
require A/E firms to carefully evaluate which projects to pursue.
“It’s important to focus on those opportunities that match your
company’s skill set,” Pond says. “And if you’re new to
design-build, you absolutely need to develop relationships with
contractors that understand how to manage them.” Wright adds that BRAC
’05’s intense schedule and constrained budget leaves the Corps and its
consultants with little room for error. “The Corps will depend on A/E
firms to come up with innovative solutions to accomplish this mission,”
he says. “Technical people will have to be up to date on leading-edge
materials and design technology, such as Building Information Model- ing,
and how both can be applied to these types of facilities to help the Corps
meet its goals.” Engineering firms also should be mindful of BRAC
’05’s relatively short horizo n . “These projects will require a lot
of resources, but you don’t want to staff up without planning how to
retain the increased staff after BRAC is completed in five years or so,”
Biscotte says. “You need to give BRAC projects all the attention they
need and deserve, but also think about what comes next.” B e r t i n i
has little doubt about the A/E industry’s ability to step up to the
formidable challenges involved with accomplishing BRAC ’05. “This is a
great opportunity for them to provide the critical skills necessary to
accomplish this program,” he says. “Even with design standardization,
there are still many unique facilities that will require sound technical
skills, creativity and innovation. It’s essential that they be involved
and engaged, and keep doing the good work that they’ve always done for
us.” n I t’s important to focus on those opportunities that match your
company’s skill set. al Pond pond & company JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2007
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Engineering Inc. - January/February 2007

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