Salas O'Brien News

With annual sales of over $100 billion and a current Fortune ranking of 19, Walgreens is the largest drugstore in the United States and a dominant force in the American retail landscape.

In late 2016, a major but little-noticed shift in commercial building code happened in Texas: the state adopted the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).

King’s Hawaiian began on the “big island” of Hawaii in 1950 and has since expanded to become a Hawaii and California powerhouse. While perhaps best known for their signature Hawaiian Sweet rolls, the company has expanded into a wide variety of related products.

With a headquarters in Cincinnati and stores in 34 U.S. states, Kroger is the largest supermarket chain in the United States and the third-largest retailer in the world.

The Houston Food Bank provides a variety of services to Houston and its surrounding cities. With help from volunteers, the professional staff work to end hunger by packaging one meal at a time.

Aaron’s is a popular lease-to-own retailing company with over 2,000 stores nationwide. With an Atlanta headquarters and a goal of increasing the company’s footprint even further, Aaron’s needed a partner to create a training center for the growing number of management staff.

In a previous article we gave a quick overview of how Salas O'Brien uses virtual reality to serve its clients better. But how do you get a virtual reality model?

Sunset Development is a leading suburban developer in the San Francisco Bay Area, providing cutting edge commercial tenant spaces. Bishop Ranch is one of the company’s premier properties, and with planned expansion to the development, Sunset needed a partner to bring its 2600 Bishop Ranch building up to the company’s high standards for sustainability and efficiency.

One of Salas O’Brien’s designers was recently meeting with a major Fortune 100 company in the telecommunications field. As they discussed options for a project we’re working on, an executive leaned back in his chair and said, “It would be really great if we could see this in virtual reality, before we start construction.” As if that were possible.

It's a maxim of project management that you have any two of quality, speed, and cost. If you need a project done as soon as possible (preferably yesterday), then it's either going to cost you a fortune or will have sub-par quality.

When it comes to building projects, commissioning can prove the maxim wrong. With commissioning, you can save money, build better, and do good in the process.

Is that a bold claim? Sure. But there's a reason that more and more states and local jurisdictions are requiring commissioning on every building project.

In a prior article we defined commissioning and went over the basics of what it accomplishes. We also overviewed where it's required by law, and why you might consider it even it's when not required by law.