This audio is automatically generated. Please let us know if you have any comments.
Wright-Ryan Construction is busy this summer settling into their new digs at a recently completed site 20,000 square meter facility in his hometown of Portland, Maine.
The manufacturing facility, which the contractor calls its operations center, houses several of the company’s diversified lines of business and specialized services, and provides a controlled environment for millwork, precast materials and training of employees.
“Our operations center is a testament to Wright-Ryan’s unwavering commitment to innovation,” said Marc Bourgeois, Wright-Ryan’s vice president of select commercial projects. “Our team carefully built the space to allow for the evolution of technologies and the expansion of services.”
Here, Bourgeois talks to Construction Dive about the factory’s benefits in prefabrication, sustainability and workforce development.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
CONSTRUCTION Dive: What have been the impacts of the new prefab capabilities in the operations center?
MARC BOURGEOIS: This was a major driving factor and inspired the development of this facility. Our advanced framing techniques allow us to seamlessly integrate prefabricated wall, floor and roof systems.
Marc Bourgeois
Permit granted by Wright-Ryan Construction
In one of our most recently completed projects, a new staff housing community for Witham Family Hotels in Bar Harbor, Maine, our team used prefab strategies to reduce the initial construction time of the building 38 working days to 19, a 50% reduction. As a result, Wright-Ryan completed the project eight weeks ahead of schedule and under budget.
How does the new operations center support Wright-Ryan’s sustainability goals?
Sustainability is a core value at Wright-Ryan. Prefabrication minimizes material waste through precise cutting and efficient use of resources.
The operations center itself is designed with energy-efficient systems and materials, including advanced insulation, energy-efficient lighting and HVAC systems that reduce energy consumption.
The operations center provides space for employee training. What types of training does Wright-Ryan offer?
Our training programs cover a wide range of topics, from technical skills in construction and prefabrication to safety protocols and project management. We view each program as an active investment in our employee-owners because each program emphasizes new tools and sustainable building practices while emphasizing the reality that we all have a responsibility to share the knowledge gained.
As an employee-owned company, we have an open culture where anyone can learn from anyone, regardless of title. This philosophy is at the core of our company’s robust mentoring program, which aims to actively engage, educate and nurture the next generation of leaders in the construction industry. We find this approach very motivating and makes people want to participate in training and professional development, knowing that their growth directly affects the success of the company.
How does the new facility improve service to your customers?
We installed a five-ton gantry crane inside the building. This means we can drive any vehicle into the building and use the crane to load or unload the necessary materials. It’s an incredible asset in a facility that also includes bays for each of our lines of business: a full-blown custom millwork shop, operational support and production space for our various commercial and residential lines of business.
