Klewin Construction Inc.

Klewin Construction Inc. (KCI) is a family-owned and -operated construction management and general contracting company. Charlie Klewin founded the company in 1979 and gradually established KCI as one of the largest construction management firms in the United States. KCI has built projects across a wide variety of market sectors, geographical markets and project delivery methods, including general construction, design-build, construction management-at-risk, and owner’s representative services. The KCI team believes strongly in the principles of trust, partnership, service, quality and integrity to deliver every project on time and on budget.

Backed by decades of industry experience, the team at KCI proudly serves as the client’s right arm in construction, leveraging years of in-field experience, a talented design team, open communication channels and strong safety training to ensure that every project meets the KCI standard. From its headquarters in West Palm Beach, Fla., as well as its new office in Connecticut, the company has built billions of dollars in commercial projects nationally, primarily in the northeastern U.S. and Florida.

Klewin’s sons, Tyler and Kyle, assumed ownership in 2005. Despite the subsequent economic downturn, the KCI team under Tyler and Kyle’s leadership has managed to maintain a strong foothold in markets including education, healthcare, residential and gaming and hospitality projects. In fact, KCI has constructed over $1 billion in educational projects in Florida alone. In addition, the company has put in place over 8 million square feet of gaming and hospitality projects nationally, constructed over 10,000 residential units and built over $400 million in healthcare projects across the U.S.

“Obviously the economy isn’t what it once was, but we have been able to stay competitive by expanding our focus to new market sectors and seeking geographic diversity by again expanding our presence into the Northeastern United States,” says Kyle, co-owner of KCI. “Additionally, we have been successful by leveraging our strong financial standing and bonding capacity.”

Kyle and all of KCI’s project managers are LEED Accredited Professionals, and the entire KCI staff has been LEED trained. In turn, the green building market has provided KCI with a wealth of growth opportunities in recent years. The company also constructed the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, which was the first LEED Gold-certified building for Florida Atlantic University. In addition, the company has a number of completed and in-progress LEED projects within its portfolio, including LEED Silver IRSC STEM Classroom Building, LEED Gold FAU Link Building, LEED Silver FIU Ambulatory Care Facility and the LEED Silver Kane Center for the Council on Aging of Martin County.

Portfolio of Perfection

In late 2011 the KCI team was wrapping up work on the modernization of Florida Atlantic University’s Link Building. The Link Building is a home to the University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute; this research and education program focuses on deep-sea exploration, understanding the human impact on marine ecosystems, developing undersea tools and technologies, and developing marine therapeutics.

Not only did KCI achieve LEED Gold certification on the building, but the company also had to tackle updates across the building to meet current ADA compliance and accessibility standards and life-safety systems. KCI ultimately demolished the building’s entire first and second floors, rebuilding the laboratory space with an eye for energy efficiency across research laboratories, the building’s library and the requisite administrative space for support personnel.

Simultaneously, KCI began preconstruction on a new Ambulatory Care Center for Florida International University’s Miami campus. When completed, the facility will provide a state-of-the-art space for the University’s family medicine and endoscopy departments. The facility also comes complete with treatment rooms, administrative space, imaging and diagnostic center. The facility will be designed to achieve LEED Silver certification.

Enhancing Minds

Further north, the KCI team is busy completing work on the new science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) building at Indian River State College’s St. Lucie West Campus. The building will target LEED Silver certification and KCI is also in charge of overseeing construction of the campus’ central plant support facility. The company has been responsible for building virtually every building at the Indian River State College’s St. Lucie West Campus.

In addition, KCI’s Village Square project reflects the recent shift in the company’s focus. The company is acting as both the construction manager and codeveloper on the project. KCI’s team was chosen by the Delray Beach Housing Authority to develop and construct Village Square, a $36 million mix of single-family and multifamily residential units currently in Phase I of construction. In total, Village Square will provide 259 units of affordable housing for Delray Beach’s neediest families, and the first 84 units have been designated for elderly residents.

In the next two years the owners expect to see an expansion of KCI’s portfolio of development projects and an overall increase in market and geographic diversification. The company’s geographic diversification has already begun to yield significant results; for example, KCI was recently selected to construct a $20 million, 125-bed assisted living facility in southeastern Connecticut. This project is in Phase I of a $40 million project and is slated to begin construction in May 2012.

Meanwhile, the KCI team will continue to focus on delivering the level of service that differentiates construction management companies from true construction partners.

KCI already has a loyal client base in education and hospitality, but the company’s longevity and ability to adapt swiftly to new market trends will carry the company through any economic climate. Regardless of the direction the company pursues, its reputation for quality, honesty and integrity will help Klewin Construction Inc. establish new alliances that are built to last.