Solid Foundation

Building contractors have any number of ways to distinguish themselves in the construction industry. As in any other type of business, they ultimately must respond to what current and potential customers are requesting.

Among the things that Pete Vogel and the other

At Vogel Bros., that has translated into becoming a pioneer in building Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified structures and making other green building practices—including recycling—standard operating procedure at the job site.

Vogel Bros. Building Co. was founded in 1928, when the grandfather and great uncle of current CEO Pete Vogel incorporated a cabinetmaking and building business that was already in its second generation.

The company grew even during the Great Depression years of the 1930s

Pete’s father David Vogel was a commissioned officer in the Army Corps of Engineers and gained valuable experience serving in Europe as part of Marshall Plan reconstruction projects. "In the early 1950s, he came back to Madison and worked with my grandfather until my grandfather’s death in 1968," says Vogel, who notes that the early 1960s was an important growth era for the company as the University of Wisconsin and other institutions in Madison grew at that same time.

The third generation of Vogels—Pete and his brother Dan—started becoming active in the company in the early 1980s and gained ownership of the company in the mid-1990s. Vogel Bros. opened a Lakeland, Fla., office in the 1980s that continues to grow, now having more than 50 employees. The Florida operations were managed by Dan until his death in an auto accident earlier this decade. Pete Vogel now oversees all operations.

"We’ve always constructed a wide variety of different building types," says Vogel, describing the client base as ranging "from governmental to schools and universities, R&D facilities, health care buildings, and senior housing and senior care buildings as well."

The Florida office has concentrated on a narrower niche, primarily building K-12 schools and municipal water and wastewater treatment plants.

Today, Vogel Bros. Building Co. has more than 150 employees, with roughly 100 of those based in Madison. In addition to construction managers and administrative staff, Vogel says the employee base also includes "a combination of very experienced site superintendents, foremen and tradesmen." Vogel Bros. will self-perform concrete work, rough and finish carpentry and in Florida the Vogel crews will install the mechanical and heavy piping systems for the water treatment plants. "We self-perform carpentry and concrete—pretty much everything except electrical, plumbing, masonry and mass excavation, so we have a pretty good stable of craft workers in both states."

The company’s portfolio (a mix of academic, institutional and corporate clients) led to early exposure to the green building movement and the LEED system.

Rather than either avoiding the new considerations because of the additional research, changes in operations and extra effort involved, Vogel Bros. has instead become thoroughly familiar with the LEED system and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and positioned itself—and indeed marketed itself—as a willing and capable contractor for those customers wishing to attain LEED certification on a project.

Among the LEED system scoring categories are several in the solid waste diversion and recycling category. As a job site contractor, Vogel Bros. can have a direct impact on how a project fares on this part of the LEED scorecard.

One of the company’s first LEED projects was the construction of an office building for Affiliated Engineers Inc. (AEI) in Madison. That project, undertaken in 2000 and 2001, attained LEED Silver level certification. On the recycling front, Vogel Bros. received guidance from WasteCap Wisconsin, a not-for-profit recycling advocacy group. "They helped the team develop the recycling program," says Szotkowski.

That initial project helped Vogel Bros. identify markets or even lead them to help create markets for recycled materials. "Early on, that was a big part of the process: to find out who was going to take certain materials and how they were going to use them," says Szotkowski.

Subsequently, the company has come to understand not only how to set up containers for maximum diversion, but also which markets are well established and which ones require extra attention.

As an example, he says recycling drywall "has been a challenge over the years," but that the company has made connections for several options. "Large farming operations can be customers; they need lime at different times of the year as a soil additive or a supplement," notes Szotkowski.

Its work on green building and LEED-certified projects has allowed Vogel Bros. to become familiar with a number of markets. Szotkowski lists metals, concrete, masonry materials, wood, corrugated boxes, plastic packing materials, drywall and clean fill dirt as things that are now routinely recycled.

"We’re expanding recycling to all our projects companywide, no matter if there is LEED certification being sought or not," says Vogel.

"Diverting more than 75 percent of the debris is our goal," says Szotkowski, "and we’ve been able to obtain that goal." On the two prominent green building projects it has taken part in, the AEI project obtained a 75 percent recycling rate and a more recent project for the Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corp. reached a 95 percent rate.

MORE THAN A FAD

The officers of Vogel Bros. are treating recycling and LEED certification as more than temporary fads, but rather as trends that are likely to solidify.

Vogel says design that takes the environment into consideration "has become a focus across the country and in the market in general."

Regarding Vogel Bros. taking on LEED-certified projects, "Some of it was a response to the marketplace, but the other piece was that it was a natural extension of our core business philosophy," says Vogel. "We want to operate with a very long-term view of the world and a long-term investment horizon. As such, we view natural resources in the same way," he states.

A large section of the Vogel Bros. customer base shares that vision, says Vogel. "I think the private sector has done an awful lot to move LEED forward, but we’re seeing a lot of movement in the public sector now," he remarks.

And while the "green" in green building initially referred to the environmental aspects of such thinking, as energy costs have risen and the value of some recyclable commodities has soared, the monetary meaning of the word "green" has not escaped the notice of companies and institutions.

"LEED in general has some people enamored with being green," says Szotkowski. Regarding clients on the design side, Szotkowski says, "I think they are aware there could be additional costs, but also how quickly it can pay back."

The even better news can come with such aspects as recycling. "We like to inform our customers early that with sustainable projects some things don’t impact the cost, especially over a number of years—the life cycle of the building," he comments. "And things like recycling and energy-efficient lighting and HVAC systems can easily pay for themselves."

Szotkowski says that has changed quickly over the course of this decade. "From 2000 on the AEI project to today, there is actually now a positive cash flow toward the project when you incorporate recycling," he comments.

Word has spread, according to Vogel. "It is very rare anymore that we talk with the customer who doesn’t bring up the sustainability or green practices questions," he states. "I think well over half want to incorporate it into the construction and design of their building, whether they strive for LEED certification or not."

The Vogel Bros. approach to project management ensures that all customers have the chance to consider their recycling and green building options, according to Vogel. "One of the keys when bringing innovation to the process is the assembly of a very interactive team of owner, design consultant and contractors and subcontractors," he remarks. "Bringing that team together as early in the process as possible has led to success."

As examples, Vogel says, "We look at the building envelope in detail, and that in turn allows those on the engineering side to properly size the HVAC equipment and not oversize it; that leads to efficiency in the actual operations of the building."

And just as importantly, says Vogel, "When you have everyone at the table, there can be a little more buy-in."

The construction market remains a cyclical one, although since Vogel Bros. has minimal involvement in the residential sector, it has not been affected too much by the slowdown in that sector.

Wider conditions notwithstanding, Vogel says the company strives for stability in what can be a volatile economic sector. "One of the cornerstones of our vision is consistent, controlled growth," he remarks.

Within that wider goal, greater participation in the green building segment is also a priority. "One of our foremost key initiatives is sustainable design and construction projects as part of that overall plan," says Vogel, pointing to "energy conservation and recycling."

If the company sticks to certain core principles, with none being more important than the Golden Rule, Vogel says the future for the company should be as satisfying as its accomplishments of the past.

"As I talked to fellow staff members regarding our philosophy in day-to-day operations, they consistently point to operating by the Golden Rule as the key, whether you’re talking to a fellow staff member, customers or vendors," says Vogel. "Treat other people the way you’d like to be treated, whether it’s an internal or external customer. Operating from that premise, things fall into place very quickly," he declares.

Szotkowski says customers notice that aspect of working with Vogel Bros. "Having known Pete and his organization for more than 10 years, that has definitely been part of his success," he comments. "The customers appreciate that attitude; that’s why they come back again and again. And they notice it’s gone when they work with someone else. Staying with that philosophy is a real cornerstone for this company," he concludes.