Being a small company hasn’t kept GCG Construction from achieving big things in Southwest Florida’s commercial industry. Since opening in 2000, the Lee County-based general contractor has amassed a hefty portfolio of designbuild and renovation projects that span the commercial spectrum, including retail centers, offices, medical offices, surgical facilities, restaurants, banks, industrial/ warehouse space and marinas.
“We embrace the opportunity to help different types of businesses be successful,” says Teely Byrd, a general contractor who owns and operates the firm with his wife, Lerin, who is also a licensed real estate broker. “Regardless of what clients are looking for, we can assemble a team of experts to accommodate all of their design/build needs.”
In addition to ground-up, designbuild projects, GCG’s expertise extends to smaller renovations and build-outs, as well. It also does ongoing repair, maintenance and renovation work for a select group of commercial clients, such as Bell Tower Shops in south Fort Myers. For the last several years, GCG has done extensive renovation work as a preferred contractor at the 400,000sf retail center,
Besides the 2012-13 renovation of the exterior and common areas, GCG gave the central courtyard a major makeover last year, removing and replacing the existing tile with all new brick pavers. The firm also installed sunshades and a center stage with surrounding seating areas to enhance the ambience and utility of the existing space.
Small But Mighty
With its diversified portfolio, GCG debunks the myth that a jack-of-alltrades masters none. It has been recognized repeatedly at the annual Lee Building Industry Association’s Summit Awards in various categories, including Best Commercial Retail Facility for Goodwill’s retail and donation center in Estero. It is also a past recipient of the LBIA’s prestigious Contractor of the Year, proving that size has little to do with quality work.
“Thanks to the systems we have in place, we do a lot of work with a relatively small staff,” says Lerin. A typical GCG team includes an outside architect and a civil engineer to design the project, which GCG builds with assistance from numerous specialty subcontractors. Lerin also provides site selection and other real estate-related services as needed.
“We’re a very versatile, user-friendly contractor,” she adds. “We’ll work with a client’s team or assemble one on their behalf. Either way, our job as a contractor is to coordinate the team and make sure that everyone is accountable for their part of the project.”
Lerin admits that some project types are “considerably harder than others. But our clients are such a joy to be around, we really want to be involved in their projects.”
Such enthusiasm has garnered a steady stream of referrals and numerous repeat clients such as Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida. To date, GCG has completed 11 different projects for the organization, including the construction of a retail and donation center in Estero and the 2013 renovation of a 130,000sf headquarters facility in Fort Myers. The complex renovation allowed Goodwill to centralize, consolidate and expand various departments, divisions and services. The improved center now contains everything from a salvage operation to a transportation hub, as well as a donation/retail outlet, department offices and more.
Making a Splash
GCG has never shied away from pursuing projects involving difficult conditions or stringent requirements, such as working around business operations without disturbing or endangering employees or customers. Further, its ability to successfully navigate complicated commercial challenges has made it a formidable competitor for projects that demand high-level expertise and competitive pricing. What’s more, GCG not only delivers on its promises, but typically exceeds its contractual obligations.
MarineMax Fort Myers
“Reputation is extremely important and they have a very good one,” says Ryan West, general manager of Marine- Max in Fort Myers, one of 56 locations nationwide. The company, which sells and services boats, first hired GCG in 2013 to renovate its waterfront showroom in Naples. The work focused on remodeling the showroom and renovating the administrative offices and the parts and service center.
Teely says the two-phased project was unique in that it began as season was gearing up and required the existing showroom to stay open while the work was being done. “That’s their busiest time of year, so they could not afford to have construction interfere with their business,” says Teely. The project was “a huge success” and led to additional projects at other MarineMax locations in Southwest Florida.
GCG is now under contract to work its design-build magic at MarineMax’s full-service facilities in Fort Myers and Sarasota. Both are significant undertakings.
Work has already begun at the Fort Myers facility, located on the former Deep Lagoon Marina site on McGregor Boulevard. Prior to purchasing the property’s 24 acres and 100 wet slips in December 2014, MarineMax was a long-time tenant on three acres there. Now it is transforming the largelyundeveloped waterfront parcel into a full-service marina.
Development plans include a sales office and reception center, administrative offices, a fuel dock building, a ship’s store, a members’ lounge and a dry storage building for more than 300 vessels of up to 40 feet. The property is also permitted for two restaurants, one nearer McGregor Boulevard and the other on the western point, overlooking the water.
GCG has already completed construction of the sales office and the remodel of the administrative offices, and made numerous site and utility improvements. In May, the firm expects to start construction of the fuel dock building and members’ lounge, designed by GMA Architects and Planners.
“Our job as a contractor is to vet our subcontractors, work with the design team and make decisions on Marine Max’s behalf to make the project successful,” says Teely. “That includes orchestrating the team and ensuring that everyone is accountable and responsible for their part of the project.” In order for MarineMax to remain operational during construction, the Byrds are a constant presence on the property, overseeing all work and ensuring that boats and other on-site assets aren’t compromised.
West says he has complete confidence in GCG’s ability to do the job.
“It’s not just the subs they know, it’s the civil engineering and environmental consultants they know,” he says. “The complexity of building on water is atypical of most commercial development due to storm water run-off, DEP requirements and other regulations. There’s always a litany of people involved in (coordinating and overseeing) a project like this, so it’s important to find someone who can take that burden off of us.”
MarineMax Sarasota
GCG has also been hired as the design-build contractor for the Marine- Max in Sarasota on Ken Thompson Parkway. According to Teely, it’s a comprehensive project. “There’s a lot of phasing and moving parts and pieces when you’re dealing with anything on the water,” he says, particularly when the work involves the total remodel of a working marina. “It’s quite a significant undertaking for that marina and we’re excited to be a part of it.”
To assist with the project, GCG is working with Kimley-Horn for all landside civil engineering and Hans Wilson & Associates for all waterside civil improvements. The phased enhancements will include all new dry storage racks, forklift drive aisles and member amenities. In addition to a lounge, the amenities will include restrooms, a shade pavilion, new fuel tanks and water recycling systems, upgraded docks and boat launch areas, along with seawall improvements.
TurnKey Service
One of GCG’s construction specialties includes medical office, which it continues to build, remodel and renovate throughout Southwest Florida. Thus far, the company has worked on more than 100 medical office projects, including the 7,200sf Southwest Florida Eye Care building on International Center Boulevard in Fort Myers, for which it provided design-build services.
Another striking testament to the firm’s turnkey, design-build expertise is the 11,300sf Dermatology Solutions building on Metropolis Avenue in Fort Myers. GCG handled every aspect of the project on behalf of owners Dr. Lael Desmond and Dr. Debra Fett Desmond, from selecting and purchasing the site to conducting the final walk-through when construction was completed. The project team included Sheeley Architects and EnSite, Inc.
“We’d never owned a commercial property prior to that and Lerin and Teely helped us every step of the way,” says Lael Desmond. “From start to finish, they answered all our questions and addressed any problem we had.” Also, GCG met an incredibly tight timeline, finishing most of the work in just six months.
Desmond says that despite the compressed construction schedule, GCG never sacrificed the workmanship or quality of the finished product. “The building has been fantastic for us; the construction is solid,” he says. Furthermore, he credits GCG’s assistance with the design and location for the practice’s rapid growth. Within six months of relocating to the building in June 2015, the business has expanded its office space from 2,000sf to 8,000sf and the staff has grown from eight to 18 employees.
Based on his experience with the Byrds and GCG, Desmond says he looks forward to working with them on a future building. “We have a great relationship and they’re trustworthy,” he says. “They’ve been available every time I call them, which is very unusual. I’d definitely recommend them to anyone who needs help with anything related to real estate or construction.”
Currently, GCG is working on a new office building for JDM Development after being selected as the general contractor for the ground-up project earlier this year. Located in the high growth corridor of Metro Parkway at Metropolis Avenue, the 6,170sf building will offer two separate tenant spaces, including a 3,200sf office for the podiatry practice of Anne McNamara, DPM. The remainder will be available for lease.
In addition to GCG, the project team includes GMA Architects & Planners, JDM Engineering, LLC, OCI Engineering and Quattrone & Associates. Construction should be completed this fall.
Ongoing Opportunities For Growth
As the economy rebounds and commercial growth is on the upswing, the Byrds say they’re committed to assisting their existing customers, even as they compete for new clients. To help them, they recently added Matthew Woods and Dean Sanders to their GCG team.
Woods has been named project superintendent/assistant project manager. He has been in the construction industry for almost 20 years and is currently studying for his B.S. degree in construction management and architectural design at Florida SouthWestern State College.
Sanders, GCG’s new project manager, has 18 years of local constructionindustry experience in Lee and Collier counties. In addition to his field experience, he is a former vice president for a commercial HVAC company. Further staff expansion isn’t out of the question. Due to ongoing residential development, Teely says he expects strong demand for additional commercial development for at least the next five years. “We continue to see a lot of opportunities in and around our area that bode well for the future,” he says. “I think we have a lot to look forward to.”
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