Building Solutions Inc.

In 2000, Vickie and Jeff Francovich established Building Solutions Inc. (BSI) with the goal of breaking into the residential construction market in Nevada. “Both my husband and I found ourselves in the position to start our own company,” she explains. “It all began in our basement and while we had wanted to get into residential, we started out with public works projects. Now, our forte is commercial construction with an emphasis on federal and local government projects.”

With a headquarters in Reno, Nevada, the business operates throughout the state and also has ongoing with in California. Licensed in both western states, BSI has the resources of a large company with the flexibility that comes with being family-owned. Commercial and public sector clients have come to rely on the team for dedication to safety, quality and innovation.

Building lasting relationships

After 15 years in business, BSI has felt the ups and downs of the construction market. “Our commercial emphasis was going strong until the market kinked,” says Vickie. “We were very happy to have a strong foothold in the federal market when commercial and residential dried up.”

The company has established a strong reputation for public sector work. BSI’s portfolio includes ground-up construction of parks and recreation centers, renovation projects on military bases, historical restoration work and ground-up and renovation projects in the retail-commercial market.

BSI not only stands out for quality of work and safety, but also for the team’s ability to foster relationships with both clients and communities. This knack for effective communication came into play in particular on an unusual demolition project for the Nevada Bureau of Land Management.

In 2015, BSI was responsible for the demolition of an abandoned mining structure in Virginia City, Nevada. Known as American Flats, the structure had been left in decay for decades, yet had become a local landmark.

“American Flats had become a community art piece – covered in graffiti,” says Vickie. “People were upset. This was a place with a lot of memories for the locals, but it was incredibly unsafe. The structure was unstable and there were all these pits in the ground and someone could be hurt or worse yet killed. It was scary, but it was also very meaningful for us to be part of that project. Our work there was very high-visibility and it was on our team to be sensitive to the concerns of the community while still making the area safer. We were able to salvage some large pieces that the community could display to preserve history.”

Vickie and her colleagues landed this project due primarily to the company’s comprehensive approach. With a proposal that outlined in-depth the business’ record for safety, environmental responsibility and ability to work with communities, the Bureau of Land Management found BSI to be the most qualified contractor for the job. In return, BSI completed the project in three months as opposed to the originally estimated six-month turnaround.

Other distinct projects

In the vein of working with communities on unique construction projects, Vickie particularly enjoys historical renovation projects. One of the company’s earliest undertakings in the restoration market was work on the Nevada Governor’s Mansion in Carson City, Nevada. Years later, the company continues a tradition of efficient, safe construction with other historically significant properties.

BSI performed a historical renovation project for Bethel AME Church, the oldest African-American church in Nevada, where the first NAACP meetings were held in the state of Nevada. “We were awarded the contract around the church’s 100-year anniversary in 2007,” says Vickie. “Our team worked to convert the church to a historical museum, retaining the important character from the past while bringing it up to code with current requirements.”

At a completely different end of the company’s expertise, BSI completed an unusual challenge for the Defense Logistics Agency, responsible for combat support logistics and supply for the military. The agency had a site in Hawthorne, Nevada, and needed to safely transfer mercury from small, older containers of unknown construction to larger containers that were made in the U.S. and suitable for long-term storage. “There was a significant amount of mercury,” explains Vickie. “And they needed to find a way to transport it.”

“This was brand new for us and initially we wondered if our expertise was at a level where we could fulfill this requirement,” she continues. “We have a lot of capabilities and we always pursue new ways to better serve our clients. We took the concept to the drawing board to work through our strategy and determine which strategic partners could help us fulfill the requirements of the contract. We tackled it one step at a time. Keeping in touch with the agency, we communicated with them for six months and when they saw we could handle it, they awarded us the contract. Working with engineers all over the country, we built an all-new prototype. The project won an award for innovation.”

Still growing

Over the coming years, Vickie and her colleagues have a number of complex projects coming down the pipeline. As the business grows, she says, “There is no complacency in this business. We are working to grow all the time and a major part of that is having strong trust in place with our clients and partners. We work by maintaining protocol and parameters that protect us and our clients. I like to say that our motto is ‘Building Solutions: we solve problems – no B.S.'”

By focusing on the systems the business has in place and working to constantly improve them, Building Solutions Inc. continues to move forward, tackling new challenges in the construction industry while maintaining strong relationships with clients in Nevada and California.