“Given the highly competitive market conditions, this is a great time for companies that are considering new construction projects to aggressively reanalyze their pro formas and determine the viability of starting a new project, especially considering the competitive pricing they are likely to receive,” Heter says. “We understand that our ability to help our clients save on construction costs will help them to be more competitive in their marketplace and continue to grow.”

He stresses the need to use more virtual design and building tools to save clients time and money and the importance of training all staff to be more customer-service friendly.

Some firms are beginning to see some improvement in market conditions, at least in the availability of projects to chase.

“The market is still very tight and fees are very competitive,” says Brett Okland, vice president with Okland Construction, Salt Lake City. “With that being said, things seem better than a year ago. We are seeing more opportunities, particularly with companies in Utah looking to expand and grow their businesses.”