Creative in a Crunch
Master Builder
This week 144 of the best female golfers arrive to play 72 holes over 4 days at the prestigious Blythefield Country Club. Just weeks prior, the Wolverine Building Group construction team was putting in the finishing touches of the tremendous renovation and expansion of the clubhouse and aquatic center, designed to welcome the world to West Michigan.
During the earliest days of planning, Wolverine knew that there was a big goal attached to this project: June 15-18, 2023. And, as Wolverine had completed renovations in 2015 to the historic clubhouse, our construction leaders knew challenges could arise in building a substantial addition to a building erected in 1913.
Drew Sorenson, Senior Project Manager, and Mike Bilski, Project Superintendent, understood the stakes were high. Sorenson has a record of award-winning historic renovations and Bilski has a record of hitting the pin, with every shot. Soon following the groundbreaking in June 2022, the significant up-hill climb began to rise on the horizon. The team would need to reach deep to pull it off.
When opening up a building constructed nearly a century ago, many issues will surface. Bilski shared that for each portion of the work, the team came up with a pivot plan to keep construction on schedule. “As we entered the demo phase, we were able to get a grasp on what we were dealing with. Having a backup plan ready to execute, ‘if this, then that’ kept everyone focused.”
SEE THE PROJECT
Getting creative in a crunch, the team split the project into several segmented projects, managed by additional talented team members, working simultaneously toward the final goal. Each downscale project took on its own scheduling, subcontractors, and was able to run with smaller crews. The team set expectations for all subcontractors, letting them know that simultaneous segmented work would be concurrent. Their partnership and trust in Wolverine’s experience proved essential to the goal.
As visitors from across the world converge on what recently was a jobsite, Wolverine Building Group is thrilled to open the freshly hung door and welcome you all to a beautiful ‘new’ Blythefield Country Club.