The Pro-Craft’s office staff assembled a kickball team to participate in the annual American Heart Association charity kickball tournament this past October. While we were not fortunate enough to bring home the trophy this year, we did win best dressed. Plus, departments that don’t usually interact were able to enjoy some team bonding while supporting a great charity and cause. Spectators even showed up to encourage our team! We were grateful to be a part of this successful event and can’t wait to do it all again next year!
For this year’s annual overnight trip, every department manager enjoyed sailing on the Tribute out of Seaforth Landing in San Diego through the night into Mexican waters. We kicked off the trip with tailgating, gifting swag to attendees, spending the beautiful day fishing! COO Chris McFayden caught the first fish of the trip while the rest were able to catch their fair share in small schools of fish that swam by. It also didn’t hurt that we got to eat complimentary breakfast, lunch, and dinner either.
At one point in our travels, we were intercepted by a pod of dolphins, riding the waves off the boat’s bow and showing off their acrobatic skills–and we may or may not have good-naturedly shoving each other out of the way for the best photo positions and catching a glimpse of a large Mako shark too. Our adventure peaked at our final stop: a kelp patty that produced 25-36lb Yellowtail! As the day came to a close, the 24 attendees caught 60 fish! Afterward, we were surprised with a luxurious steak dinner and cheesecake for dessert. On the sail ride home, we revisited our memories, photos, and appreciated the ocean views and California sunset. It was a perfect end to a perfect day!
In June of 2021, the Pro-Craft Team had the pleasure of attending the annual CASH Conference, formally known as the Coalition for Adequate School Housing. We consider each year’s conference to be a huge opportunity to support our community and network with others in our industry.
During this year’s conference we had the honor of sponsoring a golf tournament, which ended up being a huge hit among everyone in attendance (and our team of course). We networked and made meaningful connections with industry professionals, as well as numerous potential clients who aim to grow and improve the schools of their community. Our entire team had an incredible overall experience, and we are already looking forward to the next conference.
Perhaps the most memorable moment of the conference this year was Nick’s well deserved award. The entire Pro-Craft family extends a major congratulations to Nick McFayden, who received a diploma for CASH School Facilities Leadership Academy. As always, it was a pleasure to be involved with this year’s CASH conference, network with amazing individuals, and play some golf!
REDLANDS October 21, 2020 — Pro-Craft Construction, Inc. has been selected for the 2020 Best of Redlands Award in the Construction Company category by the Redlands Award Program.
Each year, the Redlands Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Redlands area a great place to live, work and play.
Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2020 Redlands Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Redlands Award Program and data provided by third parties.
About Redlands Award Program
The Redlands Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Redlands area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.
The Redlands Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community’s contributions to the U.S. economy.
In order to stay true to our values and ensure that we maintain our Pro-Active culture on each and every job, it is important that we stay ahead of the curve when it comes to technology! One of the most important technologies we utilize at Pro-Craft is BIM (Building Information Modeling), which is a system that allows us to collaborate on the planning, design, and construction of a project to significantly reduce any risk of error, and ultimately cut time and money spent.
Our Process
The BIM process is incredibly useful to us, and we wouldn’t be able to complete our process with as much accuracy and efficiency without it. Here is the overview of our 13-step BIM process.
Start with the model generated by Plumbing Engineers Revit or AutoCAD, using generic piping materials.
Use Sysque to convert the generic materials into approved plumbing products.
Generate pencil draft drawings of necessary changes from the first model to make it accurate and constructible. Most of our RFI’s are written during this part of the process.
Send pencil draft drawings to the detailer to update the plumbing systems within the model.
Coordinate the Architectural and Structural elements and relocate plumbing piping.
Coordinate with the other project trades to resolve potential issues and reserve the spacing required for our piping systems and equipment.
Create plumbing shop drawings and submit them to the contractor for approval.
After the shop drawings have been approved and returned, we create the spool drawings and Bill Of Materials (BOM’s) by system.
Input all the approved information into PlanGrid for the rest of the team to reference.
Send BOM with previously created PO numbers to the purchasing department for processing.
Receive spool materials from vendors and stage for processing.
Prefabricate from spool information within the PlanGrid program.
Ship material and prefabrication to the jobsite for installation.
Why We Love BIM
BIM has changed the game for us when it comes to living up to our Signature of Quality. We are so grateful for the changes it has brought to our process and to the overall improvement in our work. It allows us to work smarter and meet and exceed our Pro-Craft Guarantee, every single time, without fail.
Matt Claussen referred to Pro-Craft as a strong, family-oriented business environment.
“Employees are at the top of their field, in both experience and expertise,” Claussen said.
He feels that Pro-Craft is one of the few companies that gives their employees ample room to grow and progress within the company. Pro-Craft does this by putting a strong emphasis on the education of their staff, and by listening and receiving feedback from their current team members.
When it comes to employee growth, and whether or not a team member has the opportunity to gain a top position, Claussen thinks Pro-Craft is always looking to promote hard working employees when appropriate.
As a member of Pro-Craft’s San Fernando team, Claussen hopes to see positive growth within the next 5 years.
“I would like to see the San Fernando office with a strong staff who can replicate our core values and be able to manage the increased current projects volumes that are handled by Pro-Craft; and allow the company to increase its market share throughout LA and into new regions.”
When it comes to Claussen’s own personal goals within the company he has big plans for himself and the future of Pro-Craft.
“I would like to lead the LA Division into the future and be the senior manager for this new division,” Claussen said.
When asked to describe the best part about working at Pro-Craft, he acknowledged his team members and highlighted the amazing people of Pro-Craft as what really makes it so amazing.
“The employees and senior managers work together as a team and are always willing to assist with anything that is needed.”
When Tyler Eschrich was being promoted to a Sr. PM/PE, he remembers what a rewarding process it was.
“Making the leap to a higher position felt as if the hard work was recognized,” Tyler says. “There is a sense of credibility that comes with promotions, and makes the effort put in each day rewarding.”
For others looking to follow the same path and grow within the company, Tyler advises them to be patient and watch their hard work and persistence pay off. Eventually, the experience you put in with the company will be recognized.
Tyler cited Pro-Craft as the perfect example of a company in which one could start from the bottom and grow within the company to the top.
“I started at Pro-Craft as a journeyman just turning out, and have climbed to the position I’m in today,” Tyler said. “Continued personal growth in my professional field has led to my growth in the company.”
Personal growth is not the only thing that Tyler has experienced within Pro-Craft. He says he expects a lot of growth from his branch of the company within the next 5 years.
“I feel the company has a good comprehension of its staff, and the ability to monitor and correct wasteful expenses,” Tyler said. “The continued research in tech and efficient business processes should put us above our competitors.”
He envisions Pro-Craft eventually becoming a niche company who offer a completely different plumbing and construction experience thanks to their advanced technological processes.
Tyler feels that he has met nearly all of his goals within the company. He has considered venturing into teaching team members in his old position the methods he used to grow to his current position, and even pick up on new methods that worked for others. His new goal is to reach an even higher level of success and profit margin on each new project.
The best part about working at Pro-Craft for Tyler? The environment.
“I feel that there is understanding of each individual’s personal struggles,” Tyler said. “Work is important, but so is life outside of work. Pro Craft has always been good at allowing some time for me to resolve personal issues. I don’t feel like I am going to be penalized for dealing with life’s struggles.”
James Tolman is committed to consistently producing Pro-Craft’s “Signature of Quality”.
“Personally I am looking to grow and increase my knowledge of the construction management process,” James said. “Leading to managing projects from start to completion with the “Signature of Quality” Pro-Craft continues to strive for.”
According to James, Pro-Craft is the perfect company for someone to start at the bottom and work their way to the top, and team members are always given ample room to progress.
“Many current team members have started off at one position and have been promoted to a position with increased responsibility,” James said. “Also, if a team member’s abilities are better suited for a position in a separate department, Pro-Craft puts them in the best position to succeed.”
His time at Pro-Craft has been nothing but great. He appreciates the fast-paced and always interesting environment, but most importantly he appreciates the team dynamic created and upheld by the McFayden family.
“If a project fails to meet the mark that we have set – there is no finger-pointing, rather, the team comes together to identify shortcomings,” James said. “Then uses the knowledge gained to succeed on future projects.”
In 5 years, James sees the stellar teamwork of the San Fernando Valley location growing into a fully developed, self-sustaining, hub of operation for the western region of Southern California. Although separated by location, James envisions San Fernando carrying on the same culture and mission established by the company at its original location.
With Pro-Craft’s level of seamless teamwork and efficiency, the kind of future James pictures for the company appears to be on its way.
“From the top-down everyone is working together to effectively handle any obstacle thrown our way,” James said.
What’s the best part of working at Pro-Craft for Randy Butler? The people!
“Our team is of the highest quality personnel putting out the best product in Southern California!” Randy said.
When asked if he believed Pro-Craft to be a company in which someone could start at the bottom and work their way to the top, his answer was short and sweet.
“For sure!” Randy said. “The sky’s the limit!”
The sky’s the limit for Pro-Craft as a company too, in 5 years, Randy sees them as the leader in Southern California’s non-union plumbing marketplace.
As far as Pro-Craft’s technological advancements, Randy feels incredibly lucky to be a leader in the company and to help grow the design and fabrication into a business second to none.
“I am amazed at the level of project design development along with the prefabrication process and the product that we have been able to produce in such a short period of time,” Randy said.
One of the biggest advancements Pro-Craft has seen so far has been the incorporation of BIM or Building Scanning into their regular processes.
“It’s awesome!” Randy said. “The BIM process for our projects has helped our office and field staff tremendously in seeing problems well in advance.”
The Pro-Craft team has been able to utilize BIM technology to design and coordinate with the other MEP trades along with the building structural elements like never before.
A specific type of BIM technology used in the field allows the team to fly through a 3D model and understand what their field staff is building. The scanning process has helped them in capturing existing conditions and being able to bring that information back into the office to match up with Revit 3D models. This process assures accuracy prior to designing their state-of-the-art plumbing systems.
“Our scanning process also helps us with confirming accuracy after installation with any issues of clashing should they ever arise,” Randy said.
Dean Ambrozich was shocked when he was promoted to a Senior Project Engineer within a year of starting work at Pro-Craft. Despite the surprise, Dean was excited and more than ready to take charge in a leadership position and strive to improve the workflow.
“I came in with an electrical background and was unfamiliar with any of the company operating procedures,” Dean said. “One year later I am now the Senior Project Engineer. It wasn’t easy but the hard work that I have put in was recognized.”
Dean described Pro-Craft as a company in which one could easily move up the ladder, using his own experience as an example. With time, dedication, and drive, anyone can rise to the top.
Dean also has high hopes for his branch of the Pro-Craft offices in Redlands.
“In 5 years I see the Redlands office expanding and possibly looking for a larger building,” Dean said. “I see all open seats filled and 5 times the amount of projects we currently do a year. There is only one way and that is up!”
Dean credits his rightful optimism to the McFayden family and the incredible team Pro-Craft currently operates with. He envisions any open seats not currently filled by a talented team member to be filled quickly and hopes to be completing 5 times the amount of projects the team currently completes per year.
As for his personal growth within Pro-Craft, Dean hopes to gain as much knowledge as he possibly can within every department.
“I want to learn the business and become the Operations Manager at some point,” Dean said. “I want to be involved. The road will be long and might be bumpy but I am ready for it!”
When asked what the best part about working at Pro-Craft was, Dean decided it was the team mentality. He emphasized the extreme friendliness of the people, and their willingness to help one another out in any way they can at any time. Pro-Craft makes each member of the team feel a part of the machine, where everyone always feels very appreciated.
“The McFayden family is heavily involved with the business and very hands-on,” Dean said. “The team they have assembled makes working for Pro-Craft as enjoyable as possible.”
