*Article by Michelle Leach reprinted with permission from the publisher of MBJ Inc. from the March 4, 2011 issue of the Midlands Business Journal*

Just in the past few years, Darland Construction Co. has had a hand in some of the area’s biggest projects — from the Midlands Data Center, built to withstand 250 mile-per-hour winds, three CVS Pharmacies, Home Instead’s 77,000-square-foot headquarters and Alegent Health’s Bergan Mercy Surgery Center and Bellevue Health Clinic, according to Duke Matz, a principal at the nearly 60-year-old firm.

In-the-works projects include the 83,000-square-foot Pinnacle Bank headquarters, as well as the more than 60,000-square-foot Harold M. and Beverly Maurer Center for Public Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

“Since 2007, we have again shifted our focus from mostly commercial to a balanced portfolio of both commercial and institutional projects,” Matz said. “Considering the limited availability of financing for commercial projects, this shift has been instrumental in Darland maintaining a consistent volume of work throughout the recession.

“We have also increased our experience in health care, college and university buildings, data centers, power generation and affordable housing.”

As Matz indicated, Darland is no stranger to adapting as changing environments dictate; in 2001, the company which specializes in solutions for all aspects of the building process, shifted from an industrial focus to a retail and office one.

In addition to local work, it boasts projects in 16 other states; one of its more unique out-of-state ventures is a project with locally-based fraternal benefits organization Woodmen of the World.

According to Darland information, the $7.6 million, multi-use community center in Kinston, N.C., will provide recreation, fitness and meeting space, and represents a pilot project for Woodmen (which is focusing on more community-based projects).

“It has been very special from our standpoint to be involved in a pilot project for Woodmen that has grown and evolved into a major private-public venture to enhance the community of Kinston,” Matz said.

He noted that the nearly 60,000-square-foot facility’s construction is set to be underway around the April 1. Final drawings have been completed and Darland is in the process of taking bids for construction, Matz added.

Other out-of-state projects include: a Pinnacle Bank branch in Hinton and hospital facilities in Denison and Clarinda (all Iowa). Another CVS will be started within roughly a month in St. Joseph, Mo., according to Matz.

“In other Nebraska markets, we are currently under construction with Liberty Place in South Sioux City, Neb. (an affordable housing project consisting of 48 total units in single-family, duplex and triplex configurations), and we will begin construction in the spring on a hospital expansion in Wayne, Neb.,” he said.

Like its partner, Woodmen, Darland is very community-focused. Its community outreach team is undertaking a mostly-volunteer renovation project on the Uta Halee Girls Village Campus.

“One of our core values is to ‘Promote Balance’ — this means we believe in a commitment to health and wellness at work, at home, and in our community as a key to success at all levels,” Matz said. “From this core value, we formed a committee in summer 2010 made up of Darland employees to determine exactly how we would use our resources, knowledge and talent to improve our community.

“We decided we would focus our energy on helping nonprofit entities with improvements to their facilities. Right about that time, we became aware of Uta Halee’s situation, so this became our first community project to perform as a team.”

The Omaha-based Uta Halee campus provides a structured environment for girls aged 12 to 18 who are struggling with mental and emotional challenges, and behavioral and substance abuse issues. According to its site, it provides a structured environment to treat girls (and their families).

“When we started putting the Uta Halee project together, we quickly realized that we would need to bring industry partners in to help achieve our goal,” Matz said. “When we had the scope of work figured out, we contacted several subcontractors and suppliers that do work for us.

“They responded by creatively figuring out ways to provide services for below-market costs. It was truly a team endeavor.”

Darland Construction Co.’s “core” team consists of four executives, nine project managers, three preconstruction/estimating professions, 13 field supervisors and three administrators/accounting professionals.

In addition, according to Matz, it operates a real estate management division — Darland Properties — which touts four employees.