"They become BIM-savvy early on," he says.

Ben Dillinger, Rodgers chief financial officer, adds that the contractor's expertise has helped turn many of its clients into BIM enthusiasts. "Now they're asking for it from us, and from their other contractors," he says. "We're further along than some design firms we've worked with, and have helped them get up to speed."

One BIM "convert" is Paul Bouknight, director of facilities planning for Palmetto Health, who says that while the use of BIM on the $99-million Parkridge Hospital project in Irmo, S.C., has been a learning experience, "it's getting this hospital delivered at an accelerated speed."

That almost wasn't the case earlier in the project, when the design team was struggling to keep up with Rodgers' information needs. "We were facing a major delay," Bouknight says, "but Rodgers never identifies a problem without also offering a solution."

On Rodgers' advice, Palmetto dedicated a conference room for the contractor's information technology staff to help bring the design up to speed. "That got us refocused and back on schedule," says Bouknight.

Of the health care company's interactions with Rodgers over the years, Bouknight says, "It's the best contractor relationship I've had in nearly 30 years in this business."

Rodgers also implements the principles of lean construction for project management. The contractor used the approach on its recent $21-million contract for Bissell Cos., Charlotte. Work included construction of twin 10-story office buildings, each with a multistory parking garage.

Though these were Bissell's 49th and 50th buildings in its Ballantyne Corporate Park in Charlotte, a lean-construction approach was a revelation. "They had never seen a project scheduled that way," says Eric Reichard, Rodgers chief operations officer. "They were impressed with the result of having all the facility modeling information in one place."

"I've never seen a job run that tightly," says H.C. "Smoky" Bissell, chairman of the real-estate development firm. Bissell adds that Rodgers' project personnel "had everything [scheduled] down to the minute."

Overall, he adds, "We just couldn't have been more satisfied with the systems they employed and their open communication."

Bissell has been building offices since the 1960s, he says, but this latest project was the first time the developer had hired Rodgers. "They gave us service the likes of which we have not seen before," he says.

Community Focus

Around Charlotte, Rodgers is known for its strong commitment to the community. "It's important for employees to see what we do so that they will do the same in their communities," says Pat Rodgers, herself a member of several regional boards and a past chair of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce. "It's always better to give than to receive, and we've been fortunate to be able to give."

B.D. Rodgers, who became chairman in 1988, will turn 90 next year. He remains actively involved in the company, advising senior management on key decisions relating to projects and markets. B.D. also assists various community, professional and philanthropic groups in his native Charlotte. His work in this area includes serving on the Florence Crittenton Services Board of Advisors, the Alexander Children's Center Board of Visitors and the Brevard College Board of Trustees.