DBIA Southeast Region  |  August 26, 2015

On July 30, 2015, over 100 owners, designers, contractors, and support agencies gathered at the Grandover Resort and Conference Center in Greensboro, North Carolina for the Kickoff Event of the newly formed DBIA Southeast Region – Carolinas Chapter. The kickoff program entitled The Future of Design-Build in the Carolinas – Trends and Impacts on Construction and Procurement was supported by the following event sponsors: Crowder Construction Company, PC Construction, S&ME, Samet Corporation, Schnabel Engineering, and Uretek Mid-Atlantic. The large group of attendees at the kickoff event was a testament to the changing course and interest in Design-Build (D-B).

Newly passed legislation in North Carolina and regulatory agency acceptance of the process in North and South Carolina has created options for public owners to add D-B as a procurement option. Speaker Gene Jackson, PE, Director of Engineering for Spartanburg Water, SC, shared his experiences and lessons learned using the alternative procurement process on the Utility’s first D-B project. Gene discussed how the D-B process produced a quality finished project that met a tight budget and reduced the construction schedule. He emphasized the importance of gaining internal endorsement for a new process, proper project and team selection, education and communication, and fair assignment of risk. The project has won seven industry awards including three national awards. Spartanburg Water is now embarking upon a second D-B project.

Gene’s discussion was followed by speaker Richard Thomas, Director of State and Local Legislative Affairs for Design Build Institute of America (DBIA, the national organization in Washington, DC.) Richard spoke about the trends he is seeing for D-B across the country, why D-B is so compelling to owners, and what developments he anticipates in the near future. He has supported new legislation across the country and continues to influence standards of practice that will provide best value. Richard’s passion for the D-B process was evident as he shared his knowledge and insight and as he applauded the groundbreaking legislation that North Carolina has passed.

During the cocktail social that followed the speaker presentations, a common message emerged: Design-Build delivery will align goals and create motivation to do more than just get the job built. The DBIA Southeast Region – Carolinas Chapter will challenge the industry to implement the best practices for “Design-Build Done Right”, and continue to collaborate to find innovative solutions to deliver best value. DBIA promotes the value of design-build project delivery, and teaches the effective integration of design and construction services to ensure success for owners and design and construction practitioners.

Upcoming Educational Workshops:

This fall, the DBIA Southeast Region will be hosting two educational workshops in Charlotte, North Carolina. An intensive Certification Workshop will be held on September 14-17th for those seeking DBIA Certification, and then an Owners Boot Camp will be offered October 5-7th. For additional information about these educational workshops and other upcoming DBIA events, please visit http://dbia-se.org/UpcomingEvents.html