— By Chris Scheppmann — A smart, simple solution to a holiday nightmare. Retail executives across the United States recently had to face their annual holiday parking nightmare. Holiday sales represent about 20% of annual sales each year (with some stores reaching as much as 30%), and this increased business results in a corresponding increase in auto traffic to and from shopping centers. For retail executives, particularly those managing busier complexes, this increased traffic can cause a nightmare scenario of dozens of cars circling parking areas looking for a …
parking lots
Oak Brook, Ill. — Let’s Pave, LLC, a leading national provider of specialized paving services and solutions, has hired three new employees to help lead its growing sales team and accounting department. Jim Breech, director of business development, has more than 20 years of experience in sales and sales management leadership. He joined Let’s Pave from a closely related industry where he built long term relationships with many similar accounts which resulted in extraordinary sales growth. Breech’s executive experience in corporate strategy and business development is valuable to his new …
— By Ted Stouch — Parking area liability: are you vulnerable? In a retail or restaurant setting, a dark and foreboding parking lot or garage is a business owners’ worst nightmare. While a perfect setting for a horror movie, in real life, an unlit or poorly lit parking area is a recipe for disaster. Assault, robbery, rape and even murder are a few of the rampant occurrences plaguing parking areas across the U.S. They have low lighting, shadowy expanses and distractions, which make for a tempting invitation for criminals. According …
— By Mike Rosen — How your parking lot can drive down operating costs. Of all the areas you’re responsible to maintain, the parking lot is one of the largest. And, in the fast-paced retail and restaurant industry, it isn’t always convenient to make repairs to it. This is a significant challenge for c-stores in particular where downtime is especially costly. How do I know? Recently, I had the privilege of attending the National Leadership Conference for a leading retailer of gasoline and convenience merchandise. My participation gave me …
— By Ted Stouch — The financial benefits of converting parking lot lighting to LED. Anyone who has been in any part of the facility business, for even a short amount of time, has read, talked about or spoken to someone on the benefits of converting their facilities’ lighting to LED. For those of us on the service and project side of LED retrofits, we talk about the same concepts over and over. Retrofitting to LEDs will save on energy consumption, save on maintenance, and your lighting performance will …
Oak Brook, Ill. — Let’s Pave, LLC, a leading national provider of specialized paving services and solutions, has hired veteran industry executive Jeff Lax to join the company as president and partner. Lax was most recently president and CEO of GemSeal Pavement Products, a leader in the production and distribution of high-quality pavement products. At Let’s Pave, Lax will work alongside C.B. Kuzlik, founder and CEO, to develop and execute the strategic plan for continued, aggressive growth of the company. Lax will also help lead the day-to-day activities of Let’s …
— By Adam Kulpa — How the lowest asphalt bid might cost you more in the long run. Replacing a parking lot is a huge investment for most property owners. It is also a huge liability when it comes to trip hazards and increasingly stringent ADA regulations. Because of the cost, the inconvenience to the tenants and the liability, it is imperative to invest the time and resources into planning the project properly. Equally important is selecting the contractor that is experienced in dealing with your specific issues. Not all …
— By Lee Lowis — Durable parking lot repairs with less downtime. Henry Ford did not invent the automobile, nor did he invent the assembly line. His efforts did bring the horseless carriage within reach of the middle class. Similarly, neither Microsoft nor Apple invented the computer. They saw an opportunity to take computer technology and make it available and useful to everyone. These are just two examples of ingenuity making a difference. Innovative Technology for Your Parking Lots How could your retail store or restaurant benefit from a …
Pacific Construction Services Transforms Parking Garage Space into Bar Louie Restaurant
by Katie Lee
Chicago — PCS, a Chicago-based fully-integrated construction management firm, has provided construction management and advisory services to Poag Shopping Centers, LLC that resulted in the transformation of a portion of a parking garage into a high-profile restaurant for its LaCenterra retail center in suburban Houston. Throughout the entire development process from lease negotiations to the opening of the restaurant, PCS advised the lifestyle center’s owners and the tenant on the various challenges for transforming a portion of the parking facility into a Bar Louie restaurant. With PCS’ support, the local …