New Technology Innovators of Southwest Construction
In the southwest region where growth is undeniable and construction is a leading trade, Michael Pair and his small but mighty team at MLP Consulting are consistently winning the bid game with contractors in the state of Arizona. Michael’s overall mission with his company is to ensure that high quality standards are met with every single job.
Posted by: SMACNA AZ | 30 JUN 2017
MLP Consulting is celebrating just its second birthday, but Michael and his team have been masters of this market for decades. While Michael worked for University Mechanical & Engineering Contractors (UMEC), he noticed that many contractors seemed to have a growing need for BIM (Building Info Modeling) technologies.
BIM is defined by Autodesk as, “an intelligent 3D model-based process that gives architecture, engineering, and construction professionals the insight and tools to more efficiently plan, design, construct, and manage buildings and infrastructure.” Essentially, BIM is much more efficient than other planning and design tools and allows for minimization of wasted materials. By using this method everyone involved on these projects can be on the same page.
The need for a reliable BIM contractor in the southwest was ever present and growing rapidly. Carrying multiple Autodesk certifications and over twenty years of experience, Michael was inspired and ready to seize the opportunity and work on his own. By late 2015 he was gaining momentum. He quit his job and hired Scott Christiansen, an ITT Technical Institute graduate with fourteen years of experience in construction. MLP Consulting continued to grow, allowing them to bring on Cody, another graduate from ITT Technical Institute with an architectural background.
In such a niche market, MLP Consulting’s work is spreading entirely by word of mouth. Michael describes, “It’s such a specialized industry that it’s really kind of hard to target where you want to market because not everybody utilizes BIM.” Relying on word of mouth for marketing seems to be working for MLP Consulting. They have placed a strong emphasis on the quality of work delivered and have earned a solid reputation in the field. The company is working on several notable projects such as the Banner University Medical Center Tucson, Optima Kierland Luxury Condominiums, Phoenix International Raceway, the Cleveland Indians Training Facility and two aircraft maintenance buildings at Luke Air Force Base.
This work does not come without challenges, and perhaps the most difficult among them is communication with the contractor. Cody explains, “The companies all have different ways of doing things and different ways of fabricating their products, that’s where the mistakes come from. You adjust by getting ahead of the things prior to the job starting by putting together material matrices according to the job specs.” Constant communication with the contractor is crucial so that when something on a project goes wrong it can be rectified as quickly as possible.
The Team at MLP Consulting Pictured from left: Michael Pair, Cody Ahern, Scott Christiansen and Alec Martinez
In June of 2016, Michael joined the Arizona Chapter of Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA AZ) demonstrating his dedication to this region and his employees. Michael remembers, “My first summer here I was working on the roof and I thought I had moved to hell. I love Arizona now.” He and his dedicated team will continue their efforts to build and grow the state of Arizona.
This video illustrates the innovative and cost effective work that Michael and his team are doing to develop the southwest region.