--(Orlando, FL)-- Though the nation is seeing a slowdown in all forms of building - especially in the residential housing market - in Florida and Central Florida, Aagaard-Juergensen (AJ) executives are seeing consistent growth. They are also seeing a noticeable trend toward strong interest in higher priced air quality additions to commercial buildings, now being seen as one of the most important assets of a “Green,” eco-friendly structure.
“The construction industry is growing warmer toward ‘going Green’ and especially in the areas of reducing or eliminating mold and fungus growth, while adding ‘safe air’ environmental, mechanical air conditioning systems.” said AJ President Randy L. Brooks. “We are seeing that certain HEPA and Electro Static air handler filters, plus external air systems which inject fresh air into the building to keep the air clean, balanced and unsealed for better air quality, are being recommended by us - and also requested by the client, on a more consistent basis,” he explained.
“Though private businesses sometimes tend to be more reluctant when there’s a lack of incentives for higher up front costs in building operating systems and assemblies, we’re seeing quality companies and clients who are more willing to pay for a perceived value, especially where projects are generating revenue,” said AJ Director Greg Roebuck.
“In the past, building green has had its hurdles, due to the added up front costs and design time required. Performing a cost benefit analysis, including the life cycle of the assembling and how long the building will last - allows clients to make better decisions on up front spending. Then they can chart the return on the investment over a realistic period of time. Now that the political environment is pushing the green building concept, in conjunction with the economic realities of rising energy costs, the solutions are abounding, like they always do," Roebuck explained.
“The voice for going green is coming from both the public sector and government sector demand,” said Vice President Mike Moore. “The Leadership Energy Environmental Design Accreditation program, through The United States Green Building Council, is a very important accreditation to possess today, if you’re a quality–focused general contractor like AJ,” he said.
“This accreditation program is extensive and difficult, but very valuable to both general contactors like AJ and for the clients purchasing the project to be built. This is something that will most likely be written into building codes, said Brooks. To be proactive, AJ has always been ready to serve within all codes, in order to suffice all building requirements,” he said.
“It allows us to build LEED certified buildings. These are energy efficient, non polluting, ecologically sound and ecologically thrifty structures,” said Moore. “These structures always save money over the long term, and in the process, by building more energy efficient buildings, everyone wins with these structures,” he explained.
Aagaard-Juergensen, LLC Executives See Consistent Location Based Growth
--(Orlando, FL)—Though economic reporting is usually 6-9 months behind the curve, Aagaard-Juergensen LLC (AJ) executives are seeing that Florida, and particularly Central Florida, is fairing better than nearly any other part of the nation in commercial building.
AJ Director Greg Roebuck has never quit being a student of economic conditions around the nation and the globe. “Once again the sky is falling! Not quite. Latest word is that 97+/- percent of American home owners are paying their mortgages on time. That’s an amazing statistic, when you consider that it was reported that 3% of the nation’s home owners almost brought the world economy down in the first quarter of 2008, with just one investment bank failure,” he said.
“The economy is doing well because we have high employment and high demand for goods and services over seas, Roebuck continued. It is interesting to ask why, if unemployment had gone up during the first quarter of 2008 stemming from the housing shut down in 2006 and 2007, then why haven’t all those construction workers been filing for unemployment? The headlines aren’t connecting the dots,” he challenged.
“We’ve seen that residential real estate has had a hard time, but we here at AJ, and what we hear from our peers, is that the commercial building market is holding and even growing,” explained AJ Vice President Mike Moore.
“People still take vacations, especially to Central Florida, and we can see that they are still spending money, even if they are not spending quite as much as in the past. Long term, this is good news for the commercial real estate market. We’re the ones building those hotels, expanding the airports, growing office buildings, complexes, and adding and expanding churches, so this consistent growth adds to the trickle down effect that blesses our local economy,” Moore defined.
“The competitive nature of the commercial real estate economy had the effect of helping buyers get better pricing, because it has been a buyers market lately,” said AJ President Randy L. Brooks. “Those able to get funding can now purchase property and buy and contract building projects for less money, and they are doing it,” he said.
“Look around Central Florida, there is still much growth,” said Moore. We have always been able to be insulated in Florida, especially during the past 10-15 years, from what other areas in the nation experience – those areas without our relatively lower land costs and building expenses. So, that also means we also can bounce back quicker from any downturn in the economy,” he explained.
“Commercial projects are moving forward differently from residential building projects, because balance sheets of many corporations are fine with net worth and profits. While there are still a lot of good businesses out there, there are also a lot of good banks. Those two parties will continue to work together to grow their businesses and AJ will continue as we always have, to build for them both. All of our peers also report that their back log of work orders and client projects is good right now, if not even above average,” said Roebuck.
