Staff Promotions Announced

At Miller-Davis, we know our success is intrinsically tied to our people, emphasizing the significance of fostering both the personal and professional growth of our team. When employees are aptly matched with their roles and given opportunities to lead, it enhances the collective synergy within a team. We work tirelessly to align staff with positions that capitalize on individual strengths, so the collective output is greater than the sum of its parts. This synergy is and has always been our catalyst for innovation and problem-solving, and it’s why we’re so pleased to announce our most recent promotions and a new addition to our team.

ELEVATING THE PRECONSTRUCTION EXPERIENCE
With nearly three decades of industry experience under his belt, Chad Nelson possesses a wealth of knowledge in delivering a robust preconstruction process. He joined the Miller-Davis team in October as the company’s new Director of Preconstruction and hit the ground running, setting out to leverage tools and streamline processes to produce reliable and repeatable outcomes for enhanced project success.

Having overseen more than $1B in project estimation work, Nelson understands the top challenges facing preconstruction today—skilled labor shortages, material delays, and cost consistency. Throughout his industry tenure, Nelson has experienced the importance of concurrently managing relationships, supplier diversification, and data—a practice he has refined to clear industry hurdles. By aggregating data from historical costs and bid results, Nelson leads his team to authenticate estimates to gain insights into past trends and future trajectories. The generated information acts as a crucial reference, offering insights into project origins and potential developments. This empowers Miller-Davis to adjust and react to ever-changing market dynamics, guaranteeing precise estimations.

“Our preconstruction team embodies commitment, providing cost certainty for informed decision-making,” shares Nelson. “We optimize project dollars to deliver the best product every time. And keeping preconstruction under our roof ensures a valuable edge, especially for our self-perform work.”

Stu Williams has been part of Miller-Davis’ estimating team since early 2022. Recently promoted to Project Estimator, he has played a key role in subcontractor relations, paramount for ensuring accurate bids, proactive risk mitigation, and quality assurance.

“Genuine relationship management and courtesy go a long way,” said Williams. “I always approach work with subcontractors from a position of “we” and “us”—we’re project partners, and we are in it together. And I’m always appreciative. Whether a subcontractor decides to bid on a project or not, I always end the conversation talking about the next opportunity to work together.”

Effectively engaging a wide range of bidders significantly benefits a project’s success but attracting that talent pool can only be accomplished if the relationship management work has been done on the front end. This work cannot be done in a vacuum. Collaborative efforts and external perspectives are essential to navigate the complexities of today’s projects. And this is where technology makes its grand entrance. We have found that we can help clients reap financial rewards by harnessing technology to amplify our people-drive initiatives and streamline processes.

STRATEGIC TECH ADOPTION
Miller-Davis’ newly promoted Director of Innovation, Ariel Castillo, has spent the last four years leading the charge on process improvement, enhanced client interaction, and project efficiency. Since 2020, he has guided the company through the strategic implementation of state-of-the-art platforms like Autodesk Build, BuildingConnected, and Pype Closeout to streamline project management and project completion.

“The foundation of our projects lies within the preconstruction department. Enhancing their effectiveness and efficiency is paramount to ensuring a smooth transition to project management,” said Castillo. “So, we started reviewing our tools and processes, and that’s when things really took off.”

In 2023, Miller-Davis strategically adopted ProEst software, consolidating cost estimating, digital takeoffs, and bid-day analysis. This streamlined workflows while upholding the company’s high-quality service. Embracing technology enabled faster response times without compromising excellence, even on the most challenging projects. One example is our recent work for the Grand Rapids International Airport; ProEst helped reduce Miller-Davis’ estimating time, allowing the company to meet tight deadlines while exceeding client expectations.

Castillo is dedicated to advancing Miller-Davis’ innovation journey. He plans to enhance operational efficiency by seamlessly integrating and automating company processes. His vision includes elevating data collection for insightful analysis to improve project outcomes. Additionally, he aims to cultivate a culture of digital adaptation and collaboration with construction partners, creating an innovative ecosystem that directly benefits clients through technology implementations.

FORWARD MOMENTUM
Through the thoughtful integration of our team with advanced tools and methodologies, Miller-Davis aims to set new standards of excellence within the industry. Our commitment to nurturing our talent and cultivating collaborative partnerships will shape our path forward and, in the end, empower us to redefine the boundaries of achievable excellence in construction.