Novel Builders

After working together for a number of years in the construction industry, Neal Vogel and Lloyd Osborn decided to form their own company. Novel Builders was established in 2013 as an exclusive commercial general contracting company. Located in Richardson, Texas, Novel specializes in the retail, industrial, office space, and health care sectors.

A major factor contributing to Novel’s early success is the fact that the company is 100 percent relationship based. “We started Novel with zero debt and were in the black within the first six months,” says Osborn. “This was mostly due to our relationships with clients who believed in us and wanted to continue a strong working relationship with our team. We live and die by our relationships.”

With customer satisfaction as the top priority for Novel, the company has gained a database of repeat clients, which account for the majority of its work. Approximately 85 percent of Novel’s business is negotiated while the remaining work is a hard-bid award. This presents a challenge to the company as it is forced to convince clients that Novel is able to produce a higher quality product at a lower cost without a hard-bid scenario. “Many of our new clients choose to work with Novel because of either previous projects we have done with them, or a reference someone gave us,” says Osborn.

More than a construction company

Offering design-build, construction management and general contracting services, Novel is qualified to accommodate all aspects of a project. With the full involvement of its owners and principals on every project, Novel provides an unparalleled level of service and quality. The company’s services include — but are not limited to — full construction services, preconstruction services, feasibility studies, integrated project delivery, permit and approval processing and comprehensive safety program implementation.

As a general contractor, Novel maintains strong relationships with its quality subcontractors as well. “With the amount of work we provide for our subcontractors, we have been able to receive competitive pricing,” Osborn explains. “It’s very important to have good relationships with them because they are ultimately representing Novel Builders on these various jobs.”

Owners who choose to work with Novel enjoy the turnkey service that the company provides. In addition to construction services, Novel assists in the coordination of financing for its clients. Through relationships with numerous finance entities, real estate attorneys, and real estate brokers, Novel is able to connect clients to the proper channels of property acquisition, finance, design and construction. “We create as smooth of a process as possible for them,” says Osborn. “We help coordinate the design, build and even help them get moved in.”

Champions Park

Novel is proud to have been selected as the general contractor for a project currently underway in Arlington, Texas. In December, Novel broke ground on Champions Park, which is across the street from AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. The 14 acre mixed-use development will feature shops, bars, restaurants and an outdoor festival area where concerts, weekend farmers markets and holiday events will be held.

The initial project will include four buildings offering 60,000 square feet of retail space with pad sites for additional buildings. This project is for a repeat client that Novel has worked for on numerous other projects. The company also worked extensively with the architect on the project, with whom Novel has worked in the past as well. Groundbreaking took place in December and Champions Park is projected to be completed in late summer 2016. “We’ve got two superintendents working full time on this job,” says Osborn. “We’ll be constructing some of these buildings consecutively to try to expedite the project. We understand that the sooner we get in and out, the sooner the developer can make money.”

With 13 employees, Novel implements the philosophy that every individual within the company is responsible for the success and image of Novel. “Everyone that works here is very sensitive to maintaining the company brand,” says Osborn. “We are very fortunate to have the quality people that we have here.”

With no hard lines between responsibilities, Novel operates as a team. “No one lets a task go undone simply because it’s not in their job description,” Osborn elaborates. “It’s rather humbling to witness how well our employees work together to accomplish a goal. All egos and attitudes are checked at the door. We succeed as a team.”

As an integrated contractor, Novel strives to be the best in class. By constantly looking for ways to improve, Novel chooses to be second to none. “I want us to always be the first choice for any client,” says Osborn. “That’s what motivates me: to provide a quality product that we can be proud of and the customer is happy with, all while having fun doing it.” With much success in such a short amount of time, Novel Builders is positioned to remain a driving force in the Dallas-Fort Worth area construction industry.