The Critical Need for Facilities Management

If you’re a homeowner in Michigan, you probably know how important it is to winterize your house by cleaning out gutters and disconnecting garden hoses.

Similarly, taking proper care of commercial facilities throughout the year is essential to providing a comfortable and healthy environment for tenants and visitors. This is the role of facilities management — my personal and professional passion and something that is critical for all businesses.

For more than 30 years, I have taken pride in maintaining spaces that support health and well-being. I’ve worked as a master electrician, director of support services, director of plant operations and vice president of customer success at a variety of health care institutions, including Metro Health, Munson Medical Center and Facility Health Inc. The tremendous knowledge I’ve gained through the years in these positions perfectly serves my new role as lead for the facilities management team at Rockford Construction.

Much like my team at Rockford, I know it’s one thing to build a beautiful building and another to ensure its equipment and assets are functional and efficient. Take the iconic Grand Rapids Art Museum, for example. Our partnership with the GRAM provides their team and contractors support in maintaining the safety and quality of equipment, such as electrical systems, HVAC systems and plumbing. Together, our goal is to ensure the physical space in the museum supports access to the art displayed within and a high-quality experience for everyone.
So, what exactly is facilities management? From day-to-day repairs and emergency services to conducting routine upkeep in preventive maintenance programming, facilities management helps keep buildings like the GRAM running smoothly. Facilities management teams such as ours at Rockford focus on strategic care, like maximizing your building’s efficiency and avoiding future costs. Capital planning — assessing building equipment and monitoring that equipment’s quality and life expectancy — helps forecast for future costs and avoid unnecessary equipment repairs and failures.

Performing this level of in-house maintenance and oversight is often not feasible for all business owners. In fact, the vacancy of buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic made a mark on facilities management, as the need for services became a lesser priority. Now, as we revitalize our buildings and in-person workspaces, developing a partnership with a team like ours at Rockford is critical, as it provides a level of knowledge and staffing solutions that might not otherwise be possible.

While it might not be the first thing you think of when you see a commercial building or hospital, I’m proud to lead the essential services facilities management provides. It’s why I choose to stay in this industry, because every one of us benefits greatly from healthy, high-functioning workspaces.

This also is why I chose to work with Rockford. We are focused on being much more than simply a construction company. We strive to provide care for buildings and all who benefit from them throughout their entire life cycle. This far-reaching, holistic mentality allows us to render a continuum of services, from design and real estate development to construction, property management, renovation and beyond.