While relaxing over the Labor Day weekend, I perused some earlier editions of our newsletter. It’s a fun thing to do from time to time. It’s part curiosity and part pride. We have come a long way since this newsletter started back in 2013. South Coast Improvement has grown to be a $40 million company with more than 40 employees. While scanning, I came across this “classic” Why many construction...

Why would anybody travel to Orlando in August? Other than families looking to visit Disney or Universal at a less crowded time, why would you? For South Coast Improvement, we had a very good reason: the Florida Health Care Association (FHCA) conference and the Florida Assisted Living Association (FALA).  South Coast Improvement exhibited at the FHCA conference, August 4-8. The FALA actually WAS...

The term value engineering (VE) gets thrown around a lot in the construction world, especially during the bid process. Clients forever ask for VE ideas to reduce prices. In some circles, VE has become code for “drop your price”. In my experience, to ask a GC/CM for VE ideas without input from the project team (architects, engineers, designers, ownership) minimizes the true power of a...

It used to be fairly straightforward to know how we came upon the name “South Coast Improvement Company”. Being based on the South Coast of Massachusetts in Marion made that fairly obvious. In recent years with larger projects up and down the Atlantic, it’s quite clear South Coast goes far beyond the quaint town we call home here in Marion. How far? Presently, South Coast Improvement has new...

For many, no month of March is complete without a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Here at South Coast Improvement, the day takes on a little different tone as we have four “lads” who hale from the Emerald Isle—Gareth O’Neill, Alex Browne, Brian Donnelly and Phillip McCusker. You probably have heard me mention Gareth here before. He’s been with us for about four years and has risen from site super...

Like many New Englanders, I enjoyed watching the championship game as our beloved New England Patriots earned another trip to the Super Bowl. As someone who remembers the earlier days of the franchise’s history and even though they've enjoyed success for quite some time, it had me wondering: How did the Patriots get here? It's still something older Pats fans can't quite fathom. Yet when I think...