Performance Contracting, Inc.

Redefining the approach to project optimization and innovation, Performance Contracting Inc. (PCI) is a formidable player in the dynamic modular construction landscape. Leveraging the expertise of their 60+ nationwide offices, PCI provides a wide range of services across various industries and markets.

As a leading specialty contractor in the U.S., PCI offers a comprehensive suite of modular construction services including data center and mission-critical development, life science and microelectronic cleanroom construction, EV battery manufacturing, exterior panelization, and wall and ceiling construction. PCI’s focus on workforce and technology, coupled with a strong dedication to clients, has shaped an impactful approach that effectively addresses diverse needs. Whether in the high-demand technology and life science sector, the critical healthcare landscape, or the thriving hospitality and commercial market, the driving force behind PCI’s success is its people.

Building Best Outcomes from the Ground Up

In the current construction landscape, the dwindling availability of skilled trade craft poses a significant challenge. Recognizing this, PCI prioritizes safety and performance to ensure a well-structured staffing plan and organizational framework are engrained in every project delivery plan, helping support an ideal work environment.

Safety is prioritized, regardless of a project’s scope. This attitude extends from top executives to frontline employees, translating into fewer accidents and striving to ensure every person goes home safely. PCI operates with a stop work authority policy, which empowers employees to halt any task identified as a potential risk, and promptly communicate their concerns.

Further demonstrating its people-centricity is the adoption of an S-corporation employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), creating an employee-owned organizational structure for its staff. This ownership ethos underlines individual, professional and personal growth, driving a distinctive culture that fuels not just jobs but entire careers. In the words of General Manager Eric Taylor, “It’s a culture that fosters innovation, productivity, and, most importantly, a genuine passion for delivering the best client outcomes.”

Many of PCI’s innovative ideas spring directly from its employees’ wealth of experience across the construction, engineering, and design arenas. Their deep understanding of industry trends, materials and construction processes enables them to provide valuable insights to clients, ensuring tailored solutions. This collaborative, innovative and forward-thinking approach is central to PCI’s ability to excel in meeting diverse client needs.

A Winning Formula

In an era where timelines are shrinking, clients often pay elevated construction costs and fluctuating interest rates. They may be confronted with daunting hurdles when managing budgets and securing funds. Addressing this, PCI becomes a trusted trade partner from the start of an engagement, and establishes a deeper level of involvement that includes delving into intricate construction details.

During the early phases of a project, PCI collaborates with owners and contractors—a step dubbed ‘project optimization,’ which ensures effective coordination from the outset. A thorough examination of the requirements, drawings and specifications is conducted, and valuable recommendations are conveyed. This sets the foundation for a seamless construction journey. “Our involvement in the design-assist or pre-construction model phase is far more than just the basics; it’s about aligning every facet of the construction functions harmoniously,” says Taylor.

Taking advantage of 50 different product lines, each capable of optimizing client-specific supply needs, the company offers pre-construction services in the design and implementation phase. Before introducing any prefabricated component, rigorous testing and engineering assessments ensure the highest quality and performance standards are met. “With every project that we bid, we look at what opportunities there are for prefabrication. We invest heavily in R&D to try and make sure that before we go to market with any prefabrication item, we do extensive mockups and tests to ensure the finished product is water-tight and meets thermal requirements.” says Heath Hansen, Vice President, Northwest.

A recent customer-focused innovation is the prefabrication of insulated metal panel wall systems that enable easy transportation and rapid on-site assembly. Bathroom PODs are another way PCI is innovating and accelerating construction timelines. “Bathrooms are something that are on every project, whether it’s a hospital or a hotel, and can become one of the most labor-intensive areas of a building to construct. We are now prefabricating those in our own facilities where we can efficiently complete the work in a fraction of the time. Each POD is then shipped to the site, rigged into place, and connected to the building’s mechanical ecosystem,” says Hansen.

Prefabrication Technology with Proven Efficiency

Combined with its early involvement mindset, PCI fosters a collaborative approach to leveraging building information modeling (BIM) to proactively strategize project execution, identify potential challenges, and devise tailored solutions. “We incorporate the latest technologies throughout our business processes to eliminate on-site installation problems, embracing robotic and laser-assisted survey point layouts for precise construction. Our commitment to digital innovation extends to clash detection and proactive issue resolution during coordination calls,” says Brian Kavanagh, Vice President, Operations.

Leveraging a suite of cutting-edge tools within the BIM 365 framework, such as Revit and Navisworks, PCI maximizes efficiency and precision. 3D scanning technology from Trimble is employed for detailed building surveys, ensuring all projects, whether a cleanroom or sports stadium, adhere to the highest standards of accuracy.

Truly distinguishing PCI is its focus on effortlessly blending technology with the impeccable capabilities of its skilled workforce. An excellent example is the use of Autodesk tools to equip on-site teams with information essential for accelerating the overall construction process.

Navigating Hurdles and Adapting to Challenges

A noteworthy project involved a major hospital network on a journey to building a state-of-the-art facility with an ambitious goal of reaching a 40 percent prefabrication target. Using its all-encompassing solutions and services suite, PCI stepped in and turned this vision into a resounding success story.

Initially, the client embraced traditional construction methods, relying on workforce-intensive, stick-built techniques, which involved multiple passes and numerous challenges like weather disruptions and labor constraints. PCI opted for a more innovative methodology, facilitating a collaborative endeavor involving the owner, the contractor, and multiple subcontractors. Together, they meticulously reviewed the project’s drawings and devised a strategy to expedite closing the building against the elements in a fraction of the time. This saved months on the construction schedule and allowed the client to open their doors to the public much earlier than expected.

Meanwhile, PCI’s Prefab team, armed with extensive prefabrication capabilities, undertook an in-depth analysis of the hospital’s exterior components. Their integrated assessment led to the creation of modular exterior panels encompassing framing, sheathing, vapor/air barrier, as well as metal panel girt systems. Once the panels were ready, PCI transported them to the construction site.

Instead of weeks of intensive work, this project required merely hoisting the prefabricated components into position. An astonishing three months was shaved off the construction schedule, a feat that seemed unimaginable at the project’s outset. The impact was realized in terms of time and labor efficiency, amounting to a jaw-dropping 90 percent reduction in craft labor, which drastically lowered the project’s overall cost.

An intuitive prefabrication mindset enabled PCI to maintain strict control over the quality, safety, and precise delivery of vital building elements, ultimately developing a superior facility without compromising quality.

More recently, PCI supported the construction of The Sphere at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, providing 90,000 linear foot walls, 240,000 square feet ceilings, and 3,300,000 square feet drywalls to help bring this cutting-edge entertainment arena to life. Moving forward, PCI is focused on unifying exterior systems to create a seamless journey from interior framing to cladding, offering a one-stop solution that streamlines construction processes and assures desired outcomes.

Each market sector in the U.S. presents unique opportunities. PCI is dedicated to sharing its expertise and deploying experts to support modular construction across all of them.