Get to Know Rob Baldwin, CGC
Senior Vice President, Director of Operations and Preconstruction
You’ve recently taken on a new role in overseeing and expanding BRPH’s preconstruction efforts. Tell us about your responsibilities.
As Director of Operations and Preconstruction, my involvement extends throughout the lifecycle of a project. The preconstruction team is engaged during the pursuit phase and continues to support the project into the early phases of construction. During preconstruction, I provide strategy and guidance to our internal teams on the best methods to price and deliver complex design-build projects for the benefit of the client. Throughout construction, I provide guidance to the construction services project executives and project managers on execution, production, quality, safety and subcontractor performance to ensure BRPH is providing consistency and proactively managing any issues.
What is involved in preconstruction services?
Preconstruction can include any service that needs to be done to prepare for a build, whether it’s site selection, planning, budgeting, estimating, scheduling, contracting, value engineering, procurement, or RFQ/RFP preparation. It means getting involved very early in the design effort, which makes the whole project go more smoothly. Preconstruction is a critical element of our integrated services approach that has proven to be extremely effective and beneficial to our partners.
You’re including architects and engineers on your construction teams. How is that beneficial?
Architects and engineers are an integral part of what we’re doing in the field. They help streamline the project through design, procurement and construction because they fully understand the design and engineering aspects of what we’re building. We are fortunate to have a wealth of these talented individuals at BRPH who started their careers in design and have the desire to improve their knowledge and skills by better understanding how their projects are built. BRPH provides a unique opportunity for them to be directly involved with the construction of their designs. So, instead of having to reach out for clarification when an issue arises, we’ve got the architects and engineers right there in the field. It’s beneficial for the construction team and enhances the skills of the architects and engineers as well. After working on the construction side, they can return to architecture and engineering with more comprehensive skills.
Speaking of procurement, are supply chain issues still a concern?
Supply chain issues are still very real. Whether it’s equipment like generators and air handlers or materials like steel, conduit and wire, delays in the supply chain are still impacting construction projects globally. However, through our integrated approach, we’ve been able to mitigate issues that many others are facing because we’re buying directly for our clients very early on in the design process. We know what’s needed far earlier when we’re also doing the design in-house. This provides significant benefits to our clients.
For example, on a recent project, we had already procured about half of the materials by the time we hit the 50% design review. The design wasn’t anywhere near complete, but we had enough expertise to purchase all the mechanical and electrical equipment.
You’ve said that BRPH construction is a “best kept secret.” What do you mean by that?
BRPH has always been better known locally as a design/engineering firm who teams with other contractors on design/build projects. We’ve built hundreds of millions worth of construction throughout the world but not much here in Florida. Over the last 10 years, we’ve capitalized on our technical design and engineering experience to develop an integrated services approach that allows us to cater to clients with unique program needs and construct our designs more cost effectively and more quickly than traditional construction companies. We integrate design, procurement and construction services in a manner that improves speed-to-market and cost transparency for our clients.
Amazon recently recognized the benefits of BRPH’s integrated services and selected our team to design and build their new state-of-the-art Kuiper payload processing facility at Kennedy Space Center. So, it seems our secret is getting out.
What types of projects is BRPH building?
Our construction services team is focused on more complex projects that require speed-to-market execution. We began offering integrated services to select clients years ago for challenging projects that were either highly technical, client-confidential in nature and/or located in remote areas around the globe where few companies were willing to work. In today’s aerospace, defense and manufacturing markets, clients are racing to meet mission critical schedules. Our integrated services approach means we can deliver operational facilities and infrastructure faster and with better quality than the competition, so that’s where we’re focused.
You’ve traveled all over the world for BRPH. Where are some of the most interesting places you’ve been?
I’ve been able to see just about every corner of the globe—Guam, Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Mexico, Alaska and throughout the continental U.S. There’s something interesting about all of them. At the height of the pandemic, navigating these travels was even more challenging. We needed DoD access to many countries and numerous two-week quarantines were involved!
What’s your philosophy on client service?
I work for BRPH, but I always try to think about what will deliver the best value to meet the requirements for the owner. I also look for gaps in their needs and do whatever it takes to fill that need, even if it’s a service we don’t offer in-house. It’s not only valuable to the client but also helps build a great relationship. That is why I am looking forward to growing our preconstruction team with a client focus.
What gets you excited to get out of bed in the morning?
It’s great to see hard work pay off. We’ve built a reputation as a trusted advisor, for being able to get a job done and for being successful in our work. Now, clients seek us out for these skills and that’s a great feeling.
Rob Baldwin has more than 40 years of experience, including 16 years at BRPH.
