A Minneapolis-based general contractor is making a move for its development and construction efforts in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas.
Ryan Cos. recently hired Nathan Golik as president of its South Central region, where the construction firm has more than 2 million square feet of projects in the pipeline, according to a news release sent to Construction Dive. Since 2012, Golik has worked on a number of projects in the region, such as industrial, office, multifamily, senior living and retail.
The 25-year construction veteran is moving from NexCore Group, a Denver-based national healthcare real estate investment and development company. As vice president with NexCore, Golik led over $2 billion in developments nationwide. His expertise centers around transaction structuring, client development, financial underwriting, entitlement procurement and project management.
Some major wins for Golik during his stint at NexCore include the successful pursuit of five medical office building developments for a major health system in South Carolina. He also secured preferred developer status with a nationally recognized cancer care operator, resulting in the development of three cancer centers, according to the release.
Here, Golik talks with Construction Dive about risk, what gives Ryan Cos. an edge in project deliveries and growth trends in the region.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
CONSTRUCTION DIVE: How do you approach stepping into a region where Ryan Cos. already has work underway? How will your background help with choosing which projects to pursue?
NATHAN GOLIK: The culture at Ryan Companies is strong and I intend to maintain that and enhance the work we are doing with a focus on growing our development business and enhancing our operational excellence.
I have had the benefit of working transactions from start to finish. This knowledge of each component of the development lifecycle will allow me to lend my expertise to improve timing and delivery of assets for our capital partners.
In today's uncertain market, capital seeks certainty.
Across the South Central region, where do you see the greatest execution risk on projects right now?
While construction pricing has tempered, labor shortages in key trades continue to pose a risk.
We mitigate this through our relationships with essential trade partners. I am a firm believer that the first 85% of the design and planning of a transaction is where most of the risk can be eliminated. Our integrated design-build methodology is specifically structured to identify and resolve these risks early on.
Where does Ryan’s integrated design-build model create the biggest advantage?
The process on the execution side is the same for delivering an office building or a data center.
The key to success is specialized knowledge for each specific product type. Ryan's breadth of experience across various sectors ensures we bring precisely the right expertise to each project at the right time.
Our model thrives when we are dealing with complex projects that require time sensitive delivery. In these examples, we shine, which is reflected in the amount of repeat business from our core clients.
Discipline in pursuits is always required as we can all be busy chasing opportunities, but we need to be productive. By investing heavily in upfront discovery, we ensure a deep understanding of client needs and create a foundation for mutual success.
What other trends have gotten your attention?
The ongoing influx of companies finding a permanent home in the South Central region continues to ramp up.
Y'all Street [the rapidly developing financial corridor] in Dallas will be a big driver of growth for financial institutions. As well, there has been a significant rise in advanced manufacturing companies trying to relocate to the region.
