SPS Brings Expert Big Project Management to Arborwood
Your board is getting ready to take on the largest, most expensive capital replacement project in your association’s history. Whom do you hire? For the board of Arborwood, a luxury townhouse community in Burlington, Mass., the answer was Schernecker Property Services.
Project specs called for a complete envelope overhaul: Replace the original low-grade cedar clapboard with low-maintenance vinyl siding. Replace original pine trim with PVC trim. Replace the original sheathing — an inferior foil-backed cardboard material — with half-inch plywood, and wrap it with VaproShield, a premium breathable envelope membrane. Replace most of the association’s original windows, many of which lacked proper flashing.
SPS was hired after a competitive bidding process conducted by Cubellis. “They came highly recommended by previous customers,” says Arborwood Chairman Don Freeman, Ph.D. “but SPS was also the low bidder.”
SPS’s ability to compete on price is a by-product of efficient project management, says SPS Chief Operating Officer Brian Brown. “Our crews are specialized by trade, highly trained, and highly motivated,” says Brown. “The more productive we are in the field, the more competitive we can be on price.”
SPS’s project management experience became apparent soon after work began. “I was impressed with SPS’s top management,” says Freeman, “their desire to discuss what they can do and what they should not do, their willingness to compromise, and their ability to get things done.”
Weekly meetings with Arborwood project team members kept production and projected change order expenses on track. “The last thing we wanted to do was hit homeowners with unexpected bills,” says Freeman.
SPS Vice President Graydon Latam made sure Arborwood trustees had the numbers they needed to move forward with confidence. “No one likes surprises,” says Latam. “We do all we can to help our customers monitor and control costs.”
Latam is also quick to credit the real stars behind SPS’s success at Arborwood. “The team from Arborwood were pros from day one,” he says. “They did their homework, asked great questions, and made well-informed decisions. It was a true working partnership.”