PSF Mechanical

Source: Construction Digital

Date :08/05/2008 06:21:24

PSF’s senior management talks about the state of the construction industry, the importance of being a team player, and the green shift

Written by Emmet Cole and Produced by Amber Sweeney

Headquartered in Seattle, WA., PSF Mechanical, Inc. is a full-service mechanical contracting company. Specializing in design, fabrication, and commissioning complete building systems, PSF Mechanical is both a contractor and consultant.

For a company with as many endorsements and satisfied customers as PSF, it’s no wonder they are one of the industry’s most reputed contractors. With certifications and alliances that include the U.S. Green Building Council, Washington Biotech and Biomedical Association, NEBB, and the Washington State Department of Health, PSF has the credentials to back their work.

Doing things differently

Despite being headquartered in the Pacific Northwest, one can find PSF Mechanical’s work throughout the United States. Licensed in over 30 states - which is a rarity in specialty contracting - PSF has expanded its working parameters through contracts with companies such as Nordstrom, with whom they’ve had a 30-year relationship. This also contributes to its considerable expertise in the retail marketplace, illustrated in the 100 plus projects PSF has completed for Nordstrom thus far.

“We tend to be very flexible and knowledgeable about codes, and accommodating a great variety of design conditions in different places because our engineers and project managers must be well versed in the requirements of each municipality we work in,” explains PSF President Jim Reynolds.

PSF’s experience in industrial applications has proven its ability to shoulder the unique challenges of Industrial HVAC and process systems. PSF’s sheet metal workers are from the Local 66 Sheet Metal Workers Union and they are true artisans of custom sheet metal fabrication.

Doubling its volume over the last 24 months, PSF welcomes the ever-changing nature of the construction industry, and goes above and beyond for both its clients as well as the greater team. Leveraging the energy created by the company’s current expansion, PSF is set on “building diversity” into its current operations, explains Reynolds.

Although “building green” is a phrase on the tip of many tongues in the mechanical contracting industry, the depth of understanding and dedication to it varies from company to company. This is where PSF distinguishes itself from the competition.

With four LEED Accredited Professionals and a division dedicated to sustainable designs, PSF has experience that encompasses over 3,000,000 square feet of LEED certified projects. From green roofs and water conservation to innovative energy savings systems, PSF leads the way.

Being based in the Pacific Northwest where there are particularly stringent energy codes PSF relies on a regional, earth-friendly bedrock, says Robert Willis, PSF Director of Sustainable Engineering.

A Hands-On, Client-oriented Approach

Much of the work PSF does requires the expertise and experience of designers and engineers who can adeptly conceive and build the particular systems clients envision, the details of which are gleaned from in-depth interviews and conversations prior to and during the design stage.

In order to deliver the highest-quality service and the highest level of performance to clients, PSF works hard, utilizing each division’s specialty to contribute the most efficient and salient answers for client project needs. PSF doesn’t have an assembly line-like function.

“The salesman never disappears and washes his hands of the project, and the project manager is involved while it’s going through the engineering/design phase and remains involved all the way to project close-out,” says Reynolds.

Although the bulk of PSF’s business is repeat, the company treats both repeat clients and new clients with the same dedication and attention, says Reynolds. Unlike some of its competitors, PSF understands the importance of being both contractors and consultants and wears both hats well, according to CEO Warren Beardsley. “We’re looking out for the team’s best interest because good coordination benefits both,” he says.

A typical endorsement, from Ferguson Construction, congratulated PSF for “a remarkable demonstration of successful communication, coordination, cooperation, and extraordinary dedication.”

PSF is not a company that’s all about financial profit. Just ask the FareStart Restaurant in Seattle, which received a ventilation system without charge as part of PSF’s commitment to sustainable design.

The PSF Culture

“The culture is a little different here,” says Reynolds, who has been at the company for twelve years. Like many competitors, the company has used recruiters but has reached a commendable, prestigious position within the industry, and is at a place where it doesn’t have to rely on them . Since many of the employees have crossed paths with one another at previous professional junctures, explains Reynolds, there is a healthy, comfortable intra-company bond that revolves around taking pride in what the team achieves for its clients, the company, the industry as a whole, and themselves.

PSF believes in continued training and education for its employees and provides training for particular skills, but also shares much information broadly throughout the company, encouraging everyone to be familiar with the functions of different departments. By exposing its employees to knowledge that may not be directly pertinent to one specific project, but increases their cache of knowledge for future projects, PSF ensures that its customers receive the highest quality of service from managing code specifications to cutting-edge 3-D CAD design.

For Reynolds, PSF represents attributes that his previous company - and an industry competitor - had, but that disappeared once growth became noticeable. Keeping the small company feel to PSF has been one of his “driving desires,” maintaining the balance between being “big enough to do the big jobs, but not so large that it’s detached from customers,” he says.

PSF continues to excel in maintaining the feel of a small business in a larger company that resides at the top of the industry.

Click here to view the corporate brochure on PSF Mechanical