| In 2021, our President started the Customer Spotlight in our Quarterly Newsletter to highlight some of our customers. If you would like to be featured, please let us know. | |||
| Customer Spotlight Erickson-Hall Construction Company Interviewed by Tom Rowden |
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| Our relationship with Erickson-Hall Construction Company began in 2010 when Lakeland Village Middle School Conversion in Lake Elsinore was awarded to Champion. One year later, Erickson-Hall gave us the opportunity to partner on Lincoln Elementary School – a ground up elementary school in Anaheim. From that point on, our relationship with Erickson-Hall blossomed from a contractor relationship to a collaborative partnership and has been a blessing to Champion ever since. Erickson-Hall’s integrity and desire to treat all owners and subcontractors alike, fairly, while providing opportunities for all parties to be successful is rare in this industry. |  |
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| Erickson-Hall – The Beginning Mike Hall and Dave Erickson founded Erickson-Hall 23 years ago with a desire to provide solutions for owners in the planning stages of projects in a way that reduced cost to the owner, while providing the desired product that met the intended schedule. Coming with heavy experience from the Navy and school industry, Mike and Dave pooled their knowledge and resources to create a collaborative, talented, and innovative culture that nurtured teamwork from the owner to the subcontractors. As the markets shifted throughout the years, Erickson-Hall found their skills best fit for the K-12 market. Today, 80% of Erickson-Hall’s work is in K-12 construction while still performing in the higher education and public safety markets. |
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The Story of Mat Gates – President of Erickson-Hall I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Mat Gates, President of Erickson-Hall, to learn more about their culture and why Erickson-Hall does what they do. Mat told me a story of a project at Hermosa Beach that illustrates the collaboration and innovation Erickson-Hall brings through relationships, pre planning and coordination. The site preparation to build a building at one of the school sites was going to cost over three million dollars and take an exorbitant amount of time. Mat Gates brought in construction engineering company, Hayward Baker Inc., as an expert in the matter to consult with Erickson-Hall and the district. I was really impressed to learn that through this forward-thinking partnership, Erickson-Hall saved the district over one million dollars and was able to build the project under budget and meet the schedule. |
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| Mat began his path to Erickson-Hall in 1988 as a laborer for Douglas Barnhart with Dave Erickson as his Construction Quality Control Manager. When the project ended, there was a slowdown in work and Mat was laid off. Mat went back to school and kept in touch with his coworkers from the field. After he graduated, Mat got in touch with Dave Erickson and he hired Mat as a Project Engineer for Douglas E. Barnhart, Inc. Over the years there were many changes, and everyone went their separate ways. In 1998, Dave Erickson and Mike Hall started up Erickson-Hall and were looking to hire. There was no question about it when Mat applied. He was hired as a Project Manager to run construction management projects, general contractor projects, design-build projects and eventually lease-leaseback projects. Mat progressed through the ranks and early in 2021 was named President of Erickson-Hall. | |||
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An Extension of the Team Mat Gates’ story is a testament to the opportunities Erickson-Hall provides to its people. The heart and character of Erickson-Hall is their desire to train their people and provide career paths for those with the right attitude and skillset. As President and an owner of Champion Electric Inc., the family culture Erickson-Hall created through their mission and character of the company is very similar to our story. When there is symmetry between company values and purpose, the company relationship grows to more than a partnership but an extension of the team. It has been a pleasure and a blessing working with Erickson-Hall for the past 11 plus years and I look forward to being a part of what Mat Gates and Erickson-Hall does in this industry. Article Featured in 4th Quarter 2021 - The Bolt Newsletter |
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| If you are a client and would like to be featured in our next newsletter, please contact us. | |||