COBALT 8/7/08 1:32 PM Page 88

profile c o b a lt c o n s t r u c t i o n

>> on the Villages at Northridge, a 275-

unit, independent and assisted-living
senior apartment that began in Sept.
2007 and should be finished by summer
2009. The company value-engineered
$10 million in construction cost savings
of the $55 million project through
advanced planning, Persons says. Cobalt Construction offers
pre-construction, general
“Our preconstruction services in- contracting and heavy engi-
clude preliminary and schematic budg- neering services.
eting and value-engineering,” the com-
pany says. “We assist the owner and
architect in defining the scope of the
project within the budget available for
construction.
“We review the drawings at each stage
of development to assure that the proj-
ect remains on track. Our review also
includes issues of constructability and
completeness.”

Growing Presence
Cobalt’s construction volume has near-
ly doubled in the past three years,
Persons says, and the company current-
ly balances six to eight projects at one
time. Despite the residential slump,
“We haven’t experienced the downturn
the single family market has,” he says.
“Although it has made it more difficult
for clients to get financing for projects
longer term, the rental market has been
pretty good for us.” Finding enough
qualified labor to keep up with that
growth hasn’t been as easy, however.
Although Persons says there is a good
supply of labor available due to workers
leaving the single-family housing mar-
ket, those workers aren’t always skilled
enough for the complex assignments
Cobalt takes on.
“Our work is a bit more specialized
and different than single-family
homes,” Persons says.
And when the company does find
capable employees, “We spend a bit of
time training them with our methods, as
well. “We spend the time talking to
potential employees,” Persons says. “If
we get a referral – even better. We do
testing with candidates and once we
find people who match our corporate
culture, we give them a chance.”
Special Method
Cobalt has created a patented method
of building subterranean parking struc-
tures that the company anticipates will
save a significant amount of time and
building costs.
The method is in testing phase,
Persons says, but should reduce build-
ing costs by up to 15 percent and slice
months off of construction schedules.
Cobalt developed the method over the
past two years, and it doesn’t require
lagging and shoring, he notes.
‘Best in Class’
Cobalt says its mission is to supply
“best-in-class value, quality and serv-
ice” to its customers to maintain its
steady stream of repeat clients.
It does this, it says, by having the best
machines, best service and best people.
“Our goal is to distinguish our compa-
ny by providing superior, multi-disci-
plined, highly integrated construction
services [and] incorporating technolo-
gies to increase efficiencies and lower
costs,” it says. The company says its
track record “demonstrates our ability
to manage and complete projects within
a variety of disciplines,” including:
» Multifamily and single-family residen-
tial construction;
» Site grading and demolition;
» Commercial building construction;
» Underground water, sewer and electri-
cal utilities;
» Planning and facilities construction
and repair;
» Reinforced concrete pipe and con-
crete box flood control;
» Hillside caisson;
» Underground shoring and structural
PCC retaining walls; and
» Specialty construction for the film
industry. x

88 b&c southwest fall 2008