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Dustin Beattie, Vice President of Simonson Construction received the William Booth Award, given out by the Salvation Army Ashland Kroc Center earlier this month.

The William Booth award is one of the highest awards that may be conferred upon an individual by The Salvation Army, and Simonson Construction is beyond proud of Beattie for this accomplishment.

This prestigious award is not taken lightly by The Salvation Army or the community. In fact, in addition to the requirements to be nominated for this award, Jim Cutright (Cutty), CEO of the Ashland County Community Foundation, feels this award should go to someone with unmatchable qualities and characteristics which Beattie showcases each and every day.

“[Dustin] is one of the brightest people you’ll ever meet, with the credentials to back that up, paired with a heart for this community, and matched only by his ability to find workable solutions around nearly any obstacle,” he said.

Beattie served as a long-time advisory board member, including providing notable leadership as a past board chair, shared Major Annalise Francis, Administrator/Corp Officer of the Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center. During the vision, planning and nascent stages of the Ashland Kroc indoor waterpark and fitness expansion project, he provided hours of expertise and energy that proved crucial to the awarding of project concept approval and funding.  This even included a trip to present the project concept to Territorial Headquarters in New York, she said.

According to Major Francis, Beattie goes above and beyond every day both in the office and within the community. His efforts for the Kroc Center were a huge part of what made the dream of their projects a reality for the Ashland community.

“The decision to bestow the William Booth award on Dustin was unanimous, as his outstanding service to the community and sacrificial offering of time, talent, expertise, and financial resources towards the mission of The Salvation Army was well-known to the advisory board and stakeholders of the Kroc Center, as well as to divisional and territorial leadership of The Salvation Army,” she said.

Nominees for the award are chosen on the basis of one or more of the following guidelines: 

1. Dedication to The Salvation Army’s goals of service to man.
2. Outstanding service to the community through the donation of time, expertise and energy.
3. Outstanding humanitarian effort within the community.
4. Substantial contributions to the work of The Salvation Army in offering of time, talent and/or financial resources.

Beattie shared that, while he is extremely grateful for the award, he is also excited for the impact Simonson’s work on the Kroc Center will have on Ashland for years to come.

“It was neat to be a part of something that will be a benefit to the community for a really long time,” Beattie said. “…I think the legacy of what’s left there is more important than the award.”

Simonson Construction is grateful to be part of such an amazing community. With employees like Beattie, the bar is set high to continue to help make Ashland flourish.

“We feel so grateful and blessed for all that Dustin has done for The Salvation Army and Ashland community. May his example inspire us all to offer sacrificial service in ‘doing the most good,’ Major Francis said.

It’s easy for construction companies to say they will finish projects on time and on budget, but the proof is in the pudding. There’s a lot that needs to be done in order to make sure projects actually run on time and according to budget. Simonson has established routine practices to keep this value front and center. Here’s how you can trust that we’ll hold to this promise:

The “Why” Leads the Way

A project is always more than bricks and mortar. Even though our primary task is to build our customers a building, we are keenly aware of our customers’ greater objective, which is ultimately not about the building itself but the work that is going to be accomplished in that space. There’s a reason and a mission behind every organization, which fuels the purpose of our projects.

Company Culture & Worksite Rapport

Unlike other large construction companies, Simonson strives to do a lot of our work without relying on subcontractors. This in-house emphasis gives our team a lot more control over timelines, quality of craftsmanship, and budgets. When we do partner with area subcontractors, their crews are always cued in on project status and expectations.

No matter who is on the jobsite, the crew rapport is strengthened through constant communication between the project manager, subcontractors, and the job site superintendent. When the leaders of the job are all on the same page, the rest of the crew feels it and knows exactly what is expected of them.

State-of-the-Art Equipment

Technology makes all of our lives easier and more efficient, and that extends to the jobsite. Simonson employs the latest technology for project management and electronic takeoff software, providing accurate cost estimates and imagery to outline total cost and execute the job efficiently.

Simonson uses equipment that is equipped with GPS, which allows our crews to operate quickly and efficiently. When the dozer or excavator “knows” the plan, it knows exactly where to cut, fill, dig, and so on, reducing human error and increasing project precision.

Employee Training and Certification

An organization is only as good as its people. Without highly skilled and qualified employees who care deeply about their work, Simonson wouldn’t exist. Craft training is provided for a wide range of
disciplines. In addition to industry specific training, all of our crews have OSHA ten-hour training, and supervisors have taken the 30-hour training. All of our employees are CPR certified. Members of our management team hold LEED certification and Design-Build Certified Professional (DBIA) status.

Established Relationships with Subcontractors, Inspectors, and Community

Simonson’s long history in Ashland County and the surrounding North Central Ohio areas, like Wooster and Medina, means that we’ve been working with the same subcontractors, inspectors, and community leaders for decades. These established relationships mean mutual understanding, collaboration, and shared expectations. We are up to speed on and have established relationships with code and enforcement entities and permit authorities, so that there aren’t any surprises when inspections and final walk-throughs take place.

Project Tailoring to Customer Needs

Sometimes a project has unique needs and expectations that don’t fit the mold of a standard job. Simonson is equipped to track and tailor our operations to meet accounting and contract delivery methods when they deviate from the norm, so that you have everything you need to meet the requirements of your organization.

These are the building blocks that make up our “on time, on budget” promise. Keeping these principles front and center, our teams are able to complete projects with professionalism and excellence, according to our client’s parameters and expectations.

Contact Us to begin dreaming up what your new construction project could entail.

For over sixty years, West View Healthy Living has served the ever-evolving needs of seniors in the Wooster community, expanding their services and broadening their reach over the course of their history. Most recently, West View added a skilled unit, independent living units, a wellness center, and an events center. Simonson Construction is proud to have partnered with West View to complete this project.

West View Healthy Living is a continuing care retirement community that offers independent living, assisted living, memory care, long-term care, and short-term skilled rehab services. The community began by offering residential care for assisted living. Over the years, West View added on new wings to their building to accommodate various needs. In the 1980s, West View added independent living units and nursing wings, and then in 2005 they completed Town Square, which is their biggest assisted living area.

Since it is centrally located in Wayne County, West View Healthy Living is able to serve the needs of many different people, and since they’ve been around for over 60 years, they have also had the privilege of serving multiple generations of people. There’s something special about being part of an extended family’s life for decades.

West View provides a community where people can age-in-place as their physical or financial needs change, without leaving the community they love. “We work really hard to work with residents and their continuing care,” Bonnie Hall, President of West View Healthy Living, said.

The campus’ array of services allows someone who begins in independent living the ability to move to assisted living and skilled nursing with relatively little disruption to their lives. Sometimes, individuals who begin in short-term skilled stays discover that being at home is harder than they thought. Since the community is equipped with both short-term skilled nursing and assisted living, those individuals can make an easy transition into assisted living.

As services, licensures, and needs in the community have changed over the years, West View has adapted and grown accordingly. The Town Square project in 2004 began to fill the gap in assisted living facilities in the area. The latest addition of a wellness center is an answer to the area’s need for gym and fitness facilities for individuals 55 and older. The wellness center is open to anyone in the community as well as those who live at West View, and a partnership has been established between the wellness center and the local YMCA. The event center is also open to the public in addition to meeting the needs of West View residents.

“Our chapel was becoming the everything space instead of serving just as the chapel,” Hall shared. “The event center gives us the opportunity to have a different space for meeting and a new space open to the community as well.”

The event center is used regularly by residents for birthdays, baby showers, and memorial services, and locals from around Wayne County also take advantage of the events center. This community connection extends beyond facilities, too. West View strives to be an educator in the community, hosting educational opportunities in the event center. They also partner with area businesses to hold corporate meetings, hiring events, and parties.

Simonson had the pleasure of dreaming with and designing the spaces that are being utilized by the Wooster community and West View residents daily.

“We were very pleased with our partnership with Simonson,” Hall said. “They brought the ability to build a great product and came in with design ideas and suggestions for how we could do things differently.”

“I can’t say enough about the crew from Simonson. They did what they said they were going to do.”

Even when there were bumps in the road, “We got together and figured it out. If a design idea didn’t seem like we envisioned it, they were great at partnering with us and recrafting the project to make it have the best outcome.”

Hall shared that the design and build of this nature was a really big undertaking for the West View team. “Had we not partnered with an organization like Simonson, I’m not sure we would have been as comfortable moving forward with this size of a project. Our board had a vision, but Simonson helped us bring that vision to life,” said Hall.

“We’re not builders and architects, we run healthcare facilities,” Hall said. Since the healthcare industry is very regulated, West View needed a builder that understood all of the required regulations and could anticipate their needs. “Simonson had really great knowledge of all of that.”

Even beyond the completion of the project, the West View board has been pleased with Simonson’s work. “They’ve helped with things that have happened after the project and have been very responsive after the fact,” said Hall.

West View Healthy Living is making a dramatic difference in the lives of seniors in Wayne County. All of us at Simonson are proud to have partnered with their team to serve this population. Do you have a dream for a building project? Start planning with us today.

When Jim Cutright (Cutty) first took a job in Ashland back in 1980, Simonson Construction was just getting its start. As a longstanding friend of Bob Simonson’s, Cutty has had a front-row seat to all of the ways Simonson has contributed to the life and foundation of Ashland.

Cutty served for thirty years as the COO of Guenther Mechanical, frequently working with Simonson as a subcontractor before retiring from that role and joining the Ashland County Community Foundation (ACCF) as its President and CEO in 2012. There have been many projects that Simonson Construction has managed during the time Cutty has been at ACCF, but several projects in particular stand out to him as especially noteworthy.

ACCF

In 2018, Simonson worked with Cutty on the Ashland County Community Foundation building addition that enhanced their current office facility with a beautiful, yet functional space.

“It is important that people recognize us as being an anchor institution [in the community],” Cutty said. “That presence gives a sense of permanence and inspires confidence in what we do here.”

The Foundation holds endowments for permanent sustainability for our community’s nonprofit organizations. The ACCF office expansion created additional office space for staff members and improved accessibility. The teams worked together to design a space that would accommodate their current needs while anticipating future growth.

“Simonson made the process easy and affordable and the way they designed it, inside and out, most people today don’t realize it was added nearly 50 years after the original building was constructed.”

The Salvation Army Kroc Center

Simonson has served as the general contractor for both the original Kroc Center building as well as the new expansion that includes a waterpark, fitness center, and community rooms. But even before they had the opportunity to bid on the project, “Simonson was on the ground, working with the Salvation Army team to secure the funding and dream big dreams for what the Kroc Center expansion could do for our community,” Cutty said.

Team members, especially Dustin Beattie, who chaired the committee, worked hard to prepare a proposal for the Salvation Army headquarters in order to secure over $7 million in funds remaining from Joan Kroc’s original gift.

“It’s truly a jewel in our community,” Cutty said. “Without Simonson’s experience and resources, the Salvation Army’s funding would have gone elsewhere.”

Construction of the new expansion is about far more than recreation and fun, which of course is important too. The waterpark and fitness center memberships make it possible for the Kroc Center to expand their impact in the community, providing support for social services, food services, and the other vital needs that are met by the Salvation Army in our community.

“What a resource this was to our community throughout the pandemic,” said Cutty. “So many basic human necessities were met by the Kroc Center during that time.”

Childcare Center

The ACCF Women’s Fund was created in 2004 to create a permanent legacy that enhances the lives of women in Ashland County. As the steering committee for this fund began to evaluate their goals, they looked at what barriers were holding women back in our community. Chief among them was a lack of affordable and accessible childcare.

Together, the Women’s Fund Steering Committee and Kristin Aspin, Chief Program Officer at ACCF, began dreaming and raising additional funds to supplement what currently existed. Then they got bolder and began dreaming of a new childcare center.

“The concept has been embraced by the community at-large,” said Cutty. “Employers benefit from it to attract and retain employees,” in addition to the obvious support such a center will provide young families in Ashland.

Foundations Community Childcare Inc., a new nonprofit created out of this dream, will own and operate this new childcare center. The 14,000-square-foot facility in the industrial park on Ford Drive will be able to accommodate 150 children.

“Simonson was instrumental in helping to design the building and visualize how those needs could best be met,” Cutty said. “They have facilitated all of the conversations. It is great to observe how good they have been at drawing out information from those who will be owning and operating it, researching codes and regulations for childcare facilities, and making certain that it will be a huge success.”

“Like the Kroc Center, you can have a vision for something, but you have to have someone who can understand how to execute that vision,” Cutty said. “Simonson makes it seem amazingly easy, and it is not.”

The capital campaign for the building is already complete, and Simonson will likely break ground in March or April. The building should be finished by year end.

Beyond these specific projects, it’s almost impossible to count the number of Simonson buildings around town that have made an impact on the way we live and work in Ashland. From Ashland University’s campus to Brethren Care Village and beyond, Simonson is proud of its work, but we’re even more proud to see the work that organizations are doing within those walls to improve our community. We’re grateful for the longstanding partnerships with organizations like ACCF to be able to play a part in the larger work these organizations accomplish everyday.

“Simonson is in the business of housing some of our most important agencies in the community,” Cutty said.

And we plan to stay in that business for many years to come.

If you’re ready to build, renovate, or envision the future of your organization’s facilities, we’re ready to dream with you. Start planning with us today.

Simonson Construction has been partnering with owners, developers, architects/engineers, and construction managers to change the landscape of Ashland, Wayne, Richland, and surrounding counties since 1974. As one of the most trusted commercial construction companies in the region, Simonson is proud to offer a variety of services to meet the needs of any building project. We can be as involved as you need us to be, from concept to completion.

Design-Build

Our design-build services provide you with a single contract throughout your project. Our expert team of design professionals, project managers, and construction craftsmen will handle every detail of your build, from concept to completion. With a design-build contractor, you can save time, money, and the hassle of coordinating multiple contractors. We handle the timeline, budget, design, and execution, from start to finish, so you can fast-track your project.

Learn more about our design-build services »

Construction Management

Owners and developers bring Simonson Construction on board as a Construction Manager (CM) for all project delivery methods. The role of a CM is to represent the owner’s interest and provide direct oversight for the entire project on the owner’s behalf. Simonson’s performance as a CM ensures every project is completed on time, under budget, and meets all owner expectations for quality, scope, and function. Contact us today to discuss this proven project delivery method.

Learn more about our construction management services »

Site Development

Partner with our trusted Site Development team for what is the first and most crucial step in the construction process. Site Development includes the following criteria:

• Site surveying
• Soils testing
• Site clearing/grubbing
• Site design
• Earthwork including cuts/fills
• Storm sewer system including detention ponds
• Sanitary sewer
• Potable drinking water systems
• Lift stations
• Parking lots and roadways

A well established and reputable team can make this very overwhelming process a
success.

Learn more about our site development services »

Crane and Rigging

Simonson Construction provides crane and rigging services throughout the region to facilitate with the transportation, lifting, or setting of large equipment. Our experienced operators, riggers, and project managers know how to safely plan, prepare, and execute complex lift and rigging projects for a successful experience.

Learn more about our crane and rigging services »

General Contracting

Simonson Construction can serve as your general contractor if an architect or engineer is already chosen for your project. While providing this service, SCS
is responsible for the overall coordination and control of the project. We would provide all of the material, labor, equipment, subcontractors and special
services required for project completion. Project contract options are: Lump Sum, Cost Plus or Guaranteed Maximum Price.

Learn more about our construction services »

If you have a vision for what you want to build, start planning with Simonson Construction and help your vision become reality. View our portfolio of past projects to see how we’ve worked together with other partners in Ashland and beyond to help build our communities from the ground up.