From Texas to California, DPR is Working to Build a Lasting Relationship with Washington Mutual By Delivering Quality Service and Construction - One Project at a Time

Building long-term relationships and providing consistent, quality service have been core values at DPR since it opened for business a dozen years ago - whether a customer’s project is valued at $2,000, or more than $100 million. By sticking to those principles and offering the same professional level of service and attention to detail on the smallest tenant improvement job that it delivers or on the largest corporate campus project, DPR has nurtured many successful relationships over the years. Sun Microsystems, Guidant, IDEC and Rockwell are just some of the customers with whom DPR has literally “grown up,” starting off with smaller jobs and forging long-term relationships based on trust and a demonstrated commitment to meet customer expectations - whatever the project size.

In both Texas and California, DPR is currently hard at work, providing that same quality service to Washington Mutual. With nearly a dozen projects on the books and more in the pipeline, DPR’s work for the financial services company spans both retail and office construction from Austin and Dallas, TX, to Stockton, CA.

Master Agreement

DPR’s first project for Washington Mutual took place in Stockton in the late 1990s. That led to numerous subsequent jobs and, ultimately, the signing of a master contract between Washington Mutual and DPR covering future work in Texas. DPR completed three branch projects in the Dallas region simultaneously last summer, including ground-up shell and interior construction of a 3,800-sq.-ft. location in Frisco, 3,250-sq.-ft. interior buildout in Coppell, and 3,000-sq.-ft. buildout in Richardson. The successful completion of those projects led to six additional Washington Mutual shell and interior projects in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. In addition, the Austin office has completed three new branches for the company and currently has four projects underway or ready to start construction - three branch remodels and a training center. The Sacramento office is also prepared to begin construction on a $250,000 lobby buildout of Washington Mutual’s eight-story Stockton office building this summer, following a series of remodel projects that DPR completed in the same building beginning in 1999.

Though relatively small in size, the tenant improvement projects present complex technical challenges that require DPR’s most skilled teams and problem-solving abilities. “These are very detailed projects with intricate finishes that all tie into one another,” commented Austin Project Manager Tanya Thornton. “Through communication and preplanning, we’ve been able to overcome the challenges and give the owner the finished product they’re looking for.”

Relationship Building

Communication between DPR and the various millwork, security, telecommunications and flooring subcontractors and vendors with whom Washington Mutual maintains national contracts has been essential to successful completion of the branch projects in Texas. DPR has worked hard to develop a close, direct relationship with them and incorporate their timetables into the master schedule on the fast-tracked jobs.

“We made sure they (Washington Mutual’s subcontractors) knew which projects were coming up and that they had all the proper work authorizations from the owner,” said DPR’s Greg Edwards. “This enabled the projects to stay on schedule despite many changes, and saved time for Washington Mutual’s project managers.”

Incorporating Lessons Learned

Carrying over the knowledge gained from completed projects, DPR has sought to incorporate those lessons on future construction for Washington Mutual. That includes greater sharing of information among offices, using the same project team and subcontractors from one job to the next to minimize the “learning curve,” and taking post-construction measurements of the millwork compared to original measurements to improve accuracy up front.

“We are taking the lessons learned and using that information to get these projects completed on an even tighter schedule,” Edwards comments. “We can foresee potential issues and address them before they impact our timeline or budget.”