Bulldog Atlantic Construction & Design is licensed and ready to handle everything from small renovations to large-scale projects with multiple components
When Todd and Natalie Firmstone came to Southwest Florida on vacation five years ago, they weren’t expecting to relocate. But the general contractors from Illinois with more than 25 years of experience started to see the business opportunities here, especially after a nearby resident asked them about painting his house.
“We started driving around talking to people,” recalls Todd. “And they said, ‘We need good people down here.’”
So the couple made the move and opened Cape Coral–based Bulldog Atlantic Construction & Design. They started out working for investment companies that were flipping houses, but they soon began realizing they could fill a need in the local market.
The certified woman-owned company offers water damage restoration and mold remediation services and is licensed in luxury remodeling and construction, roofing and pool construction. It’s also a GAF-certified residential roofing contractor (GAF is one of the biggest asphalt shingle manufacturers in the industry). Since Bulldog Atlantic Construction & Design has all of these different capabilities and holds the necessary licenses, it can serve as a one-stop shop for homeowners, associations, property management companies and other clients with multifaceted jobs.
Say a hurricane damaged the roofs and interiors of multiple units at a condo complex, as well as the community’s pool area. Bulldog Atlantic could handle everything needed to repair all of the damage to the property.
“Now when something happens, they don’t need to try to get ahold of seven different contractors and hope they’re going to coordinate with each other properly,” says Natalie. “We’ve done the hard work already.
“A lot of people think of a general contractor and just think ‘builder,’” she continues. “For us, that’s not necessarily what a general contractor means to us. It’s more of managing your project. We bring more of an all-inclusive package where we’re managing your project for you, so you don’t have to. We really do everything.”
The couple also have experience with insurance claims that go along with things like water and storm damage, a major plus in this area when property owners often need to deal with the aftermath of hurricanes and tropical storms. “We have handled insurance claims for 15 years, so we’re able to help them through the process,” says Natalie. “We’re really able to help with what they need and make sure they’re taken care of.”
SMALL COMPANY, BIG CAPABILITIES
Shawna Matheson appreciated the convenience of working with the Firmstones’ company when Hurricane Ian damaged her vacation home in Cape Coral. She and her husband were at their primary residence in Minnesota when the storm hit and weren’t sure where to turn for help in assessing the damage to their property. Then she saw a Facebook post from Bulldog Atlantic and reached out to the company.
“Natalie got back to me right away, and they were in there within a couple of days,” says Matheson. “We had about three feet of water in our home, and they were able to remove everything before any mold came in. I’m so thankful I saw that post.”
The Company handled water damage restoration services for her and then helped with her remodeling needs. That included redoing elements of the kitchen that weren’t necessarily storm damaged but made sense to renovate while everything else was going on.
“They were able to redesign the kitchen space and make it a little more open,” says Matheson. “I like it better now. The whole house is wonderful. I’ve given their name out (to people), and I definitely would recommend them because they were great.”
Bulldog Atlantic has the flexibility to work on big projects with lots of components and smaller jobs like roof leaks or one-room renovations. “We have the capabilities to be large if we need to be, but we’re also a small mom-and-pop company,” says Natalie. “So for a simple bathroom remodel, you’re still getting the same quality service.
“We just have a really good work ethic; we’re old school,” she continues. “Todd likes to see people and shake their hand. You’re not just a number to us. We want to know you as a person. We’ll sit with clients talking about their grandchildren; not many contractors are going to do something like that.”
Juanita Eckert definitely felt like more than just a number when Bulldog Atlantic helped her and her husband, Tom, with a difficult situation. They had run into trouble with the original builder of their home in Cape Coral and needed to find someone to finish the job.
“It was scary biting another bullet to trust somebody else, but we had a really good feeling with Todd and Natalie,” says Eckert. “They both answered questions on our level as homeowners, and they just treated us right from the very beginning.”
She appreciated the company’s timeliness and quality of work. “Todd was willing to be there every day overseeing his crew and making sure things were done right and on the timeline he told us,” says Eckert. “He told us he could get us in there in less than 12 weeks and boy, he was right on schedule. He was just everything that he said; his word was good.”
She was so happy with the company’s work that she referred them to other homeowners who’d also had trouble with their original builder. “I blasted it all over Facebook how good they were and how they took care of us,” she says.
The Firmstones take that same approach with all of their clients. “Our goals are their goals,” says Todd. “Their vision is our vision.”
FIRST-CHOICE FIRM
Bulldog Atlantic Construction & Design works throughout Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties with residential and commercial customers. And it also does work nationally for Blue Cloud Pediatric Surgery Centers after first handling a water remediation and renovation project at its Fort Myers surgery center.
Jamie Heater, vice president of facility development for Blue Cloud, had such a positive experience working with Bulldog Atlantic in Fort Myers that it’s become her go-to company whenever any Blue Cloud facilities need some TLC. “Todd and Natalie have done projects as small as repaints for us, and they’ve also done full renovations to medical health care facilities,” says Heater. “Their crew is efficient and friendly, and they understand health care construction, which is a whole different beast. They’re flexible with timing, and they understand that in our world things can change.”
Working on health care projects requires following and understanding a whole host of rules and regulations. The Firmstones have experience in the realm that they bring to their relationship with Blue Cloud. “Every inspection we’ve had since we started working with them, we’ve passed with flying colors with no building issues or concerns,” says Heater.
Blue Cloud’s focus on pediatric patients also means materials and finishes need to be kid-friendly and durable. “Todd just goes above and beyond,” says Heater. “He researches different things. The way Todd thinks of things has been really refreshing.”
Bulldog Atlantic Construction & Design recently completed a full renovation of Blue Cloud’s Milwaukee surgery center and will be doing two projects for Blue Cloud in South Carolina this fall. “If I can have a crew that I know and trust, I’m going to use that crew every time,” says Heater. “So for all of my smaller projects or renovation projects, I’m calling Todd and Natalie first.”
The Firmstones hope that other commercial and residential clients will make Bulldog Atlantic Construction & Design their go-to company for renovation and restoration work. “We want people to know that we’re just like your next-door neighbor,” says Natalie. “We’re going to treat your home or building like it’s our own.”
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