Merit Construction became a Women Owned Business in January 2020 when Tammy Birklid took over the company after more than a decade of mentorship under long-time owner, Len Zarelli. In honor of National Women Owned Business Day, we asked Tammy to share a few thoughts on what it means to be a Woman Owned Business and what motivates her each day.
Read MoreDoes the old saying, “you get what you pay for” ring a bell? It is true of most things in life, and definitely applies to construction projects and hiring a general contractor. In our last blog, we laid out a Checklist for Hiring a Reputable General Contractor and listed a few red flags, one of which being an extremely low bid. But what could a low bid secretly signal?
Read MoreHiring a General Contractor for a construction project can be a daunting task. There are many options, but not all of them will be right for your job. If you have never gone through the construction process before, you may be asking “where do I even start” or “how do I make the right decision?” Luckily for you, we have broken down the 7 things to check for.
Read MoreThe Frederickson industrial area is one of the largest single industrial development sites in the Puget Sound area. It is zoned for heavy manufacturing and has industrial capacity, utilities and infrastructure in place to serve incoming businesses. Merit Construction has assisted many clients through the building process in this major industrial center within Pierce County.
Read MoreAdaptive reuse, sometimes referred to as building reuse, is the renovation of an old or unused building that was built for a specific purpose into something new and functional. This approach offers a way to revitalize and protect historic buildings and breathe new life into empty or abandoned structures. Often, these projects, once completed can provide a social gathering place and can revitalize sections of a city or town by attracting new jobs and retail opportunities.
Read MoreOne in five American adults suffer from a mental health condition, and only about 56% receive the healthcare they need. Those with a diagnosis requiring medical assistance to managing behavior often end up in state institutions, hospitals, or on the street without a home, healthcare, or medications they need.
Read MoreA couple weeks ago we got a special request from a Cub Scout, Jack Marden, to assist him with getting his Building Pin. Read more to find out what he did to achieve his goal.
Read MoreConstruction is a rewarding industry for many reasons. Discover why.
Read MoreToday’s blog post barely scratches the surface of some of the ways we at Merit ensure quality. We chose a few of the procedures we follow to give an idea as to what ways your general contractor can, and should be serving you.
Read MoreWhether it’s a quick glance at our social media, or a short conversation with one of our employees, you’re likely to hear us raving about Team-Build. One of the key components that makes Team-Build and our process different is value engineering. But what is value engineering, and what advantages does it bring?
Read MoreWe have some exciting things planned for the 2021 Christmas season! To support our mission of building the future of our communities, we are planning to do a 12 Days of Christmas, giving back to the community in fun and unique ways. We'd love for you to join us in our efforts to make this season brighter for those around us!
Read MoreThe medical construction industry is continually changing and highly regulated, requiring your project team to stay proficient in current standards as well as be innovative and solution driven. A strong, modern approach to healthcare construction includes several key elements and Merit delivers these through the Team-Build method.
Read MoreIt is an honor to be recognized as one of Tacoma’s top 8 Commercial General Contractors. Read more about Merit, and the other recognized companies in General Contractor Magazine’s full article.
Read MoreAt Merit, we build everything on character and are always pursing excellence. We are dedicated to building a workplace that rewards and recognizes our employees for their loyal contribution and are always looking for ways to support the growth of individuals and our company as a whole, in order to serve our clients with the best care possible. We recently ran an internal campaign titled "Chasing Excellence."
Read MoreAs you may have seen on our social media, July was busy with our most recent campaign, "Challenge Accepted." We were so lucky to be joined by organizations within our community for this including The Boys and Girls Club, Olive Crest, and TCF Architecture. The purpose of this campaign was to flip the switch on challenges. To see obstacles as opportunities for growth, and face them with a #ChallengeAccepted mindset.
Read MoreLast fall, The DYOJO held a local sock competition, SOCKTember, to raise sock donations for the homeless. Merit Construction participated in the competition taking 2nd place, under the team name “Tacoma Sockhawks,” collecting a total of 1,450 socks. This year we are back and are ready to beat last year’s numbers. The competition is a fun way to get connected, boost morale, and make a difference in the lives of those in our communities.
Read MoreCovid marked a huge challenge for me and my family in many ways, but it also opened the door for me to carry out my dream full time. I am looking forward to the future of this business and getting to feed so many wonderful people.
Read MoreAs the leader of an organization, it’s our job to keep morale high, maintain employee focus and keep the company goals and productivity in the forefront. How do we, as leaders rise above the stress of a challenge and positively lead through it?
Read More“I want to lead with Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! Being a father is a blessing and maybe the most important thing a man can do. It can be incredibly tough sometimes and also incredibly rewarding. To all the dads out there that tough it out through the good times and the bad and support your kids through it all, I salute you!”
Read MoreProgressive Design Build, is the Team Build of the Public Works sector. (RCW 39.10) The projects start with a General Contractor/Architect Team being chosen based on qualifications or best value selection for a certain project. This is followed by a process whereby the owner then “progresses” towards a design and contract price with the team. A huge benefit of Team Build, or Progressive Design Build, is it simplifies and streamlines the procurement process and puts a schedule to the project. This is a big change from the public sector’s “lowest bidder” model, and we are excited for this market to reap the benefits Progressive Design Build offers. Merit has been utilizing Team Build since pioneering it during the construction of the Tacoma Dome and it is encouraging to see other people recognizing the value in it.
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