Editorial
Front Page - Friday, November 26, 2010
EMJ Construction helping to build the new Chattanooga
David Laprad
EMJ Construction has completed many of the ambitious projects that have helped to build Chattanooga’s reputation as one of the premiere cities of the South. Pictured above is the company’s addition to the Hunter Museum, a challenging project due to the non-traditional nature of the architecture.
- David Laprad
Throughout the revitaliza-
tion of Chattanooga, EMJ Con-
struction has built many of the city’s iconic structures.
From BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, to AT&T Field, to the addition to the Hunter Museum of American Art, EMJ has tackled and completed several ambitious projects that have helped to give form to the new Scenic City.
Today, the general contractor is leaving its mark with a number of new developments, including the Hampton Inn Downtown, which is coming together at the corner of Broad and 4th Streets.
To pull off diverse retail, industrial and office space construction jobs, EMJ relies on expertise, communication and the guidance of senior vice president of the Chattanooga branch, Doug Martin. An 18-year veteran of the company, Martin says each project at EMJ begins with a team of skilled construction specialists, most of whom have either an engineering or a construction degree, laying out a detailed plan.
“One of the differentiators at EMJ is our preconstruction department, which is involved in a project from the minute an owner has an idea and a piece of property. We have three architects on staff that work closely with other architects and engineers to make sure the plans for a project are in order and that we’re following the owner’s criteria,” says Martin.
Taking a building from idea to completion is a complex process. When it’s finished, the public sees an edifice made of wood, steel, concrete and glass, held together by nuts and bolts and packed with an array of wiring, plumbing and HVAC schemes, all of which EMJ has bound together to serve the purpose for which the building was designed. Martin sees the fruits of good communication.
“The real secret to doing well in this business is communication – the owner communicating his vision to the architect, the architect communicating the owner’s vision to the contractor and the contractor passing on the vision to the subcontractors.
“Construction is more about effective communication than anything else. You have to make sure you have the materials on the site when you need them, the manpower on the site when you need it and so on. Companies that communicate well tend to be more successful than those that don’t,” Martin says.
At times, the logistics involved in a construction project can be dizzying. For example, during the Hampton Inn Downtown job, EMJ has had to shut down a portion of the surrounding streets, which meant bringing the city government into the mix.
Luckily, Martin says, the company has become an old hand at managing the knotty logistics of a large project.
Operating efficiently allows EMJ to deliver projects on time and on budget, something Martin says is not a guarantee in the construction business.
He’s particularly proud of the work the company did on East Ridge Elementary School, a 16-month job EMJ completed in less than 12 months.
“It was a competitive bid job. A company could bid on a 16-month schedule or a 12-month schedule. We were the lowest bidder on the 12-month schedule. Not only did we build a new school, but we also tore down the old school and put in a new parking lot and a ball field,” he says.
Delivering a project on time is one thing, but doing it faster than anticipated is rare. With 42 years of construction history behind it, EMJ has had plenty of time to smooth out any wrinkles in its processes.
Edgar M. Jolley founded the company in 1969 for the purpose of constructing shopping centers for a firm now known as CBL and Associates. From 1969 until 1994, EMJ Corporation constructed over 200 shopping centers around the country, including Northgate Mall and Hamilton Place Mall.
Jolley retired in 1994, and the company began taking on different kinds of projects, including the headquarters of Covenant Transport and US Express, and the Natatorium at Baylor School.
EMJ also opened offices around the country, including Boston, Mass., Dallas, Memphis, Tenn. and Sacramento, Calif. Each office is regionally based but also works with national clients. The Dallas office has built Lowes stores in Tennessee, for example.
“We’re focused on our clients. We go where they need us,” Martin says.
Things have not always gone smoothly for EMJ. The company was unable to escape the devastating effects of the economic crisis on the construction industry, and today, its revenues are about half of what they were two years ago.
The harsh realities of the situation forced EMJ to tighten its belt, and now the company is trying to compete in an industry that’s panicking, Martin says.
“It’s a good time to be an owner because prices have come down. The other side of that coin is that companies are working for less than they should be, and the margin of error in their pricing of projects is down to nothing. If they make a big mistake, they’re in trouble financially,” Martin says.
While Martin doesn’t be-lieve the economy will change for the better soon, he says EMJ will weather the storm, as it’s a conservative company with a solid understanding of the market.
“There are pockets of oppor-
tunity, one of which is Chatta-nooga. People see this as a vibrant city.
The economic development people at the Chamber are probably getting more phone calls than their [counterparts] around country.
So, while I think the economy is going to remain stagnant for a while, there are places where things are moving in a positive direction, so we’ll be okay,” Martin says.
Another key factor in EMJ’s survival during the crunch is its positive relationships with its clients. Martin says the company’s clients consistently use the word “professional” when providing feedback on its services.
“People see us as being a professional company. There are a lot of construction companies out there that can’t say that. This is a business people can get into easily, so we believe our professionalism distinguishes us from a lot of other companies, and it’s something in which we take pride.”
As the landscape of Chatta-nooga evolves, EMJ will also continue to take pride in its hometown, and help to mold
it into a city worthy of its shining reputation.
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