In spite of a shaky national economy that has wreaked havoc on the housing and commercial construction industries and slowed construction in the healthcare sector, South Florida’s Arellano Construction Company remains productive and busy.
Agustin Arellano, founder and president of Arellano Construction, attributes this endurance to the fact that the company concentrates almost exclusively on healthcare construction, developing hospital campuses, medical centers, life science facilities and other medical buildings throughout South Florida. “Healthcare construction is our niche and has represented the largest capacity of our annual volume for over twenty years,” Arellano says. “We chose this as our specialty and have never regretted it. When the housing boom happened in Florida, we didn’t pursue it but stayed with our niche. Our team is highly qualified and well-trained; they are experts in healthcare construction and have extensive knowledge of AHCA regulations. We have passed several hundred AHCA final inspections with a first time passing rate of 97%. We are very proud that in 37 years in the business, we have never had any litigation.”
Arellano Construction is one of the premier healthcare construction firms in the southeast, with a longstanding reputation for excellence and an emphasis on safety. The company has a track record of bringing projects in on time and under budget. Over 90% of the company’s contracts come from repeat business with satisfied clients. Arellano, an engineer who founded the company in 1973 at the age of 26, says that one of his company’s strengths is the ability to develop exceptional relationships with clients.
“Some of these projects involve several phases and may take a few years to complete, so you develop a genuine relationship with the client,” says Arellano. “A key part of that is assembling the right team for each project. It sounds simple, but there has to be chemistry – the project manager has to be a good match for the client. Some project managers excel at one particular type of work or deal well with a particular type of client. When you put the right players in place, the project will be a success, no matter how complex.”
“We work hand in hand with our clients in order to assist them in making their projects economically feasible. One of the ways we do this is through our pre-construction services, where we work with the architects, engineers and key subcontractors from early in the design process to determine the most efficient and economical ways to get the desired results. Our goal is to reduce costs without sacrificing quality or safety and still meeting all AHCA requirements.”
Even after nearly four decades in the healthcare construction field, Arellano continues to find the work exciting. “The most satisfying aspect of my work is when I get an unsolicited call from a client to tell me how happy they are with the work we are performing at their facility.” One such client is Miami Children’s Hospital (MCH), where, in recent years, Arellano Construction has built, among many projects, an ambulatory care center; a parking structure; a high-tech hybrid catheterization lab, unique to MCH, in which both diagnostic procedures and surgery can be performed in one space; and renovation of an existing space to create a 14-bed, private room Neonatal ICU. In addition, Arellano completed a Central Energy Center which will allow MCH to fulfill its future growth plans. Robert Nowlan, Vice-president for Clinical and Support Services at MCH, says that the hospital values its partnership with Arellano Construction. “We competitively bid our building projects and Arellano gave us the lowest bid and the best plan,” he states. “We like the fact that they are a local, family-owned company that specializes in healthcare; it sets them apart and they are passionate about what they do. Arellano Construction has given MCH something to be proud of.”
The construction or renovation of a healthcare facility differs substantially from other construction, says Arellano. Building a hospital, he believes, is special; it has a purpose that will positively impact the lives of others. He describes a hospital as a “live” environment – not an empty space, but an operating facility occupied with people and highly sophisticated equipment. It encompasses so many complex factors, including infection control, safety regulations, noise levels and a strictly enforced construction code that it represents a greater challenge for project teams.
“Working on a hospital,” says Arellano, “is never boring. Each project is unique. It’s the greatest feeling when the project is complete. I could not have lasted this long in the construction industry if I wasn’t doing this type of work.”
In 2008, Arellano Construction entered into an association with OHL S.A., one of the world’s largest healthcare construction and development groups. Based in Madrid, OHL has nearly a century of experience building complex, high-tech facilities. OHL brings to the South Florida market a blend of international experience and financing to complement Arellano’s strong history of customer service, efficiency and safety.
Although the economy has led some healthcare facilities to postpone or downsize construction projects, those that are planning a project can rely on Arellano Construction to help them achieve their goals economically and efficiently through comprehensive, state-of-the-art services provided by a team of expert professionals.
Agustin Arellano, founder and president of Arellano Construction, attributes this endurance to the fact that the company concentrates almost exclusively on healthcare construction, developing hospital campuses, medical centers, life science facilities and other medical buildings throughout South Florida. “Healthcare construction is our niche and has represented the largest capacity of our annual volume for over twenty years,” Arellano says. “We chose this as our specialty and have never regretted it. When the housing boom happened in Florida, we didn’t pursue it but stayed with our niche. Our team is highly qualified and well-trained; they are experts in healthcare construction and have extensive knowledge of AHCA regulations. We have passed several hundred AHCA final inspections with a first time passing rate of 97%. We are very proud that in 37 years in the business, we have never had any litigation.”
Even after nearly four decades in the healthcare construction field, Arellano continues to find the work exciting. “The most satisfying aspect of my work is when I get an unsolicited call from a client to tell me how happy they are with the work we are performing at their facility.” One such client is Miami Children’s Hospital (MCH), where, in recent years, Arellano Construction has built, among many projects, an ambulatory care center; a parking structure; a high-tech hybrid catheterization lab, unique to MCH, in which both diagnostic procedures and surgery can be performed in one space; and renovation of an existing space to create a 14-bed, private room Neonatal ICU. In addition, Arellano completed a Central Energy Center which will allow MCH to fulfill its future growth plans. Robert Nowlan, Vice-president for Clinical and Support Services at MCH, says that the hospital values its partnership with Arellano Construction. “We competitively bid our building projects and Arellano gave us the lowest bid and the best plan,” he states. “We like the fact that they are a local, family-owned company that specializes in healthcare; it sets them apart and they are passionate about what they do. Arellano Construction has given MCH something to be proud of.”
