Hance Construction prides itself in taking on projects that contain an overall value for the customer.
Hance Construction was started in 2000 with a focus towards providing general construction, construction management and design-build services. In 2002, the Washington, N.J.-based company became a Butler Builder, establishing the construction firm as a provider of pre-engineered metal building systems for the greater New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania areas. The decision to work with Kansas City, Mo.-based Butler Manufacturing came quickly. Art Hance, company president, explains, “In a former life I worked for a Butler Builder. I have known a number of Butler Builders and Butler has always been a quality leader.”
Since 2002, the company has embraced the changes that have come to the industry, especially with pre-engineered metal building systems. “When I first started working, you had a gigantic stack of price book updates,” Hance says. “You had to sit up, draw and price up all of the components, which was a tedious process.” However, as the industry changed and metal building system components became more streamlined, the entire process changed. “Pre-engineered metal building systems are now energy efficient and we can do more architecturally,” he says.
Customer Centric
Hance Construction focuses on the overall value of the project for the customer. “We take a much more holistic view of the project,” explains Hance. “We are often brought on board to assess a land acquisition and to optimize the building’s use.”
One project that stands out is the New York Giants’ indoor practice facility in Secaucus, N.J. Designed by Philadelphia-based Ewing Cole, the two-phase building project was a total of 87,908 square feet. Moreover, the project was completed in 2008, a time when most companies were coming to terms with the realities of the recession.
Hance Construction also worked on the Route 12 Business Park in Kingwood, N.J. Phase I used a 70,000-square-foot pre-engineered metal building in addition to the construction of a water tank and the creation of a Rotating Biological Contactor sewer plant with an added water treatment center. The second phase included a number of pre-engineered flex buildings along with two self storage units.
The work at the Route 12 Business Park stands as a testament to Hance’s desire to work closely with the customer to create a design that will have an overall long-term value.
Motivation and Education
Despite economic conditions that depress and stagger the business of most general contractors, Hance keeps its employees motivated and involved within the metal construction industry. Currently, Hance is president of the mid-Atlantic chapter of the Metal Building Contractors and Erectors Association, where he is proactive in industry education, especially in regards to safety.
Hance Construction promotes sustainable building in hosting “Green-By-Design” seminars that educate attendees while allowing them to earn AIA continuing education credits. In addition, Hance has presented programs such as “Pre-Engineered Metal Building Sustainability and Design” and “The 2012 Energy Code: Know Your Numbers” at Metalcon. “As an organization we try to stay up to date and push knowledge through the organization,” he says. Hance also maintains a strong presence in his relationship with Butler by serving as one of two representatives from the Northern region on Butler’s Advisory Council.
Taking on Challenges
Working with and convincing owners of the overall value of metal building systems can be challenging, notes Hance. However, the company embraces challenges. “We like challenging projects,” he says. “When we did the indoor practice facility for the New York Giants we assembled two 65,000-pound modular units safely and efficiently while completing a project with complex engineering involved.” As a newer firm, Hance recalls projects smaller than the Giants facility, and while paling in comparison to the 87,908-square-foot practice field, the projects provided a challenge for a young general contracting company.
The key to Hance’s success lies in finding the right projects. “We have to keep focused on projects that are a good fit for us,” he says. “We go after them aggressively and leave no stone unturned.” While Hance admits there may always be a lower bid on a project, what [the company] looks for is “someone interested in the overall value of the project.”
Looking to the Future
Embracing challenges for Hance Construction also means embracing change. Looking to the future of metal building systems, Hance predicts that metal building systems will dominate the automobile dealer market. He also predicts that metal building systems will give developers an advantage, as they will fulfill changes in insulation requirements. “Various new wall systems give us the ability to go into more complex projects than we wouldn’t have before,” he explains. The result has included new projects such as the New Station Park Recreation Complex in Sparta, N.J., that was honored as the “Favorite/ Most Unusual General Contracting Project” by the Mid-Atlantic Real Estate Journal in its Best of 2011 Spotlight.
In addition to new technology, projects and education initiatives, Hance Construction remains focused on providing a building that gives overall value to the customer. “We enjoy working hands on with the owner and we enjoy getting involved when an owner doesn’t have a clear vision, [because by the end of the project] we both stand back and say, ‘Wow, that’s a great building.'”
