Jance & Co.
Jance & Co., Inc.
Building confidence
This construction firm has made a name for itself by earning client
respect and trust
Jance & Co. Inc. was founded in 1970 under owner Paul Jance's philosophy
that any contractor who does quality work at a reasonable price, safely,
will always find work. And he was right. Jance has parlayed these strengths,
along with a consistent marketing effort, into a successful construction
company with a record for quality work and on time, on budget delivery.
Jance's philosophy was honed in jobs at a small general contractor, a
large architect and a very large construction contracting firm, so he knew
the ropes from all angles when he started. Helping out from the very beginning
was Evelyn Kuzilla, who handled everything from accounting to estimating
and who now specializes in management and business development. She is only
one of several dedicated workers who have contributed to Jance Construction's
growth.
Today, Jance & Co. does a significant amount, and a wide variety,
of work. It ranges from institutional work, healthcare, schools, libraries
and retail all the way to heavy industrial, such as three nuclear power
plants, and it encompasses new construction and renovation, energy conservation
and environmental work, and even historic preservation jobs such as the
Cleveland Museum of Art, Miles Standish School, and the Fifth Third Bank
in Elyria. Jance also self-performs a portion of the work and subcontracts
specialty trades work, and it also sells pre-engineered metal buildings
and the lift mechanisms inside. Project delivery systems include general
contracting, construction management and design/build work, which was used
to build the 85,000-sf Voinovich Government Center in Youngstownwithin
a year's deadline. Its territory includes the state of Ohio and the surrounding
states.
Working around
Jance & Co. headquarters is in Mentor in a building it constructed.
That will remain the Jance company headquarters, says the owner, but he
is pursuing work in the surrounding areasIndianapolis, Chicago, Detroitwherever
buildings are going up. With jobs outside the region, he says, "the
problem is not so much getting the work but rather getting the manpower
to get it done." When it comes to the northeast Ohio region, he adds,
"We do have the people here."
Jance recruits its own apprentices and ensures that they are trained
thoroughly in the latest techniques, assuring a loyal and long-term workforce
as well as a highly qualified one.
Over the years, Jance Construction has won many Craftsmanship Awards
and other recognition in areas such as masonry, finish and rough carpentry.
When asked if there's anything he likes more than construction, he will
answer "golf," and that could be true, but his office also holds
a collection of wild animal photographs taken on safari in Africa. BXM
A whole structural spectrum
The diversity of Jance & Company's work
includes all delivery systems as well
Industrial, parking & warehouse
Cleveland Hopkins Airport
Consolidated Maintenance Facility
The building had a unique shape, included a stepped, skewed roof and
round office area, designed to look like an airplane, which made steelwork
a challenge. Precast was installed horizontally at building perimeter, with
a portion cantilevered at the round office. The cast finish work in this
project is exceptional, and the curved panels required a unique forming
system by the contractor.
Lake Erie Design
This high-tech ceramic mold production company needed high lighting for
its precision work, achieved by adding a clerestory window and interior
lighting. A 120-ft moving furnace, the largest at the time for this type
of application, allows ceramic production to move continuously on railcars.
- Steel mills
- Perry Nuclear, Davis-Besse and Beaver Valley Power Plants
- Veale Center garage
- Things Remembered Distribution Center
- PCC Airfoils
Education and cultural
Cleveland Museum of Art renovation
The disassembling and rebuilding of the old balustrade walls required
exceptional craftsmanship, due to the extremely fine tolerances to which
the stones had to be set. The rigging used to reset the old and new stones,
as well as a very confined work site, with minimal access, added a logistical
factor into this award-winning project. The new walkways, built within the
rebuilt balustrade walls, also required a very intricate layout, with no
margin for error, and were assembled, using marble from the only company
in the world that carries the exact match to the existing, from a building
constructed 90 years ago.
Veale Convocation Center
Jance participated in this project from concept to completion, involved
in design, budget and construction throughout its three-year timeline. The
building includes many unique and challenging details, such as partial end
wall hips, 4:12 roof slope, skewed walls, special angled tie-in provisions
at an adjoining structure, and a unique wind load bracing design to accommodate
an exterior aluminum front and masonry. A perforated liner panel is used
under the roof deck to control sound.
Solon Library
This 21,000-sf masonry building has a windowed clerestory, reading courtyard,
and all-electric geothermal HVAC system, as well as a fireplace.
- Chapel of the Divine Word
- St. Noel's Catholic Church
- Sea World
Healthcare
Meridia Suburban Hospital
As construction manager, Jance Construction completed a 65,000-sf surgery
with four surgery suites, a new main lobby, gift shop, pharmacy and offices.
All mechanical, electrical, communication and medical services had to be
relocated, without services interruption, before work began.
Cleveland Clinic MRI
Special care had to be taken when creating a room in which to install
the region's first magnetic resonance imaging machine. All materials had
to conform to rigid standards, and great care had to be taken to create
a clean environment.
- St. Joseph Hospital, Elyria
- Wooster Hospital
- Robinson Memorial Hospital
Historic restoration
Fifth Third Bank, Elyria
Created from an old 1915 post office on the National Register of Historic
Places, this bank branch and regional office had the exterior stone veneer
restored, asbestos removed or encapsulated, interior lobby restored, and
the remainder converted to serve the needs of the bank.
The Howell Building
This 1920 building houses the headquarters of SFMG, which markets sports
facility naming rights and loges. Restoration included cleaning and refinishing
the exterior limestone and bronze hardware, while custom windows preserved
the historic design. MEP was upgraded to the current code, and carpentry
included extensive cabinetry and a field-fabricated stairway, as well as
a penthouse and outdoor deck . One feature is a full-size mockup of a loge.
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Miles Standish School
Office, retail and other
Ohio Turnpike Portage
and Brady's Leap plazas
Demo of the east- and west-bound plazas was followed by redevelopment
of the two 19-acre sites with new 30,500-sf plaza, new fuel dispensing facilities
and new pavement, all within a year. Food courts have 80-ft diameter copper
dome, truckers' lounges have showers and laundry facilities, and public
areas have terrazzo floors.
George V. Voinovich Government Center
This project was completed under an innovative design/build method that
was contractor financed, which enabled its construction. The complete design
and construction of the 85,000-sf building was completed within a year.
- Murray's Auto
- A 18,000-sf private residence bxm
Safety is the mission
At Jance and Co., quality, communications and teamwork initiative leads
back to safety. The firm holds safety tool box meetings weekly, and they
are job specific. "If we are digging, we don't talk about scaffolds,
and vice versa," says owner Paul Jance. Vehicles and equipment are
well maintained and in top condition.
Superintendents take both a 10-hour and 30-hour OSHA training seminar,
and employees renew first aid and CPR training yearly . And both office
and field personnel receive safety bulletins with their paychecks, but they
don't just receive them. They must sign to acknowledge receipt and also
that they have read and understood the message. The safety materials are
drawn from a variety of authoritative sources, says Jance.
Employees, who are recruited largely through referral, know that there
will be random drug tests, and no lunchtime drinking on the job, or they
will be sent home.
In fact, Jance's emphasis on safety almost got it into trouble at when
it was building nuclear power plants. How so? The firm goes so far above
and beyond the normal safety requirements that it has added safety practices
in addition to those in the manualcommendable, unless you are a nuclear
plant operator that needs to document all safety practices in writing. The
solution here was an easy one, and a safety conscious one, as well
the firm's additional practices were documented in writing.
Jance's safety program has won it several safety awards over the years,
and it has frequently earned Elite Contractor status from the Construction
Employers Assn. and OSHA for having a work-day incident rating 25% or more
below the national average. bxm
Performance perfected
On time. On budget.
"All contractors say the same thing," says Paul Jance, owner
of Jance & Co., when asked about what makes Jance unique. But his discussion
of the emphasis on quality, thorough communication and teamwork shows how
his philosophy and management style have spearheaded his firm's success.
Quality
True quality work is found in the details, and this attention to detail
is paramount at Jance and Co.from that first phone call to when the
structure is occupied, and even beyond. Jance's management style is constantly
being refined. Each PM handles projects from beginning to end, from initial
contact to payment, taking ownership of the outcome.
Everything is carefully planned, and assignments are given on the basis
of professional skill and knowledge.
It is the complex projects that appeal to Jance most, and the firm seems
to do a lot of them. Certain market niches make certain demands, he notes,
such as the healthcare industry's need for maximum cleanliness, guaranteed
with negative air pressure and much sealing and taping. Or nuclear power
plants, with standards that forbid a painter to leave a paint bucket unattended
while taking a biobreak. Jance recalls his firm's installation of the areas'
first magnetic resonance imaging machine, when all materials used had to
be non-magnetic. Medical equipment has improved so that some of the requirements
are not as stringent.
Communications
To make sure everyone is on the same page and working to meet the same
end, there is weekly training for each project, instruction about the latest
techniques, use of state-of-the-art equipment and tools for everyone from
project managers in the office to field superintendents. Estimating and
project management software, including Primavera scheduling software, is
used, so projects can be monitored from car or job trailer.
And oversight is not just electronic. Owner Paul Jance personally monitors
each project as well, from quality of work to cleanliness. The latter is
an issue that affects safety as well, he says, and safety is one of his
biggest concerns (see sidebar).
"We always finish on time, unless it is totally beyond our control,"
Jance says. On time indeed. In one project, a 210,000-sf distribution center
for Things Remembered was completely enclosed and weathertight within 10
weeks.
Teamwork
Beyond that, there is Jance's emphasis on working in concert. "We
make every effort to create a team with the owner and the architect that
will let them accomplish their desires and to include the subs in there
as well," says Jance. Subs are carefully selected, with Jance assuring
their competence and ability to perform before contracts are made, and then
making payment for that work promptly. "We work hard to coordinate
all work to maximize everyone's profit potential," says Jance.
This stance not only attracts the best subs, it keeps clients, too, with
many of them repeaters. Projects at Case Western Reserve University began
in 1980, with Jance still onsite on the campus, and maintenance work for
Perry Nuclear Plant has continued for a decade.
Jance prides himself on understanding and meeting the client's needs,
working within their timeframes and budgets and treating client money like
Jance's own, so that a client's interests become those of Jance & Co.
as well.
"All jobs have a significant influence on someone," says Jance,
"and the smallest of changes has a big impact. This calls for frequent
contact and updates, so that at the end of the project, everyone is happy."
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