SEI Performs Double Duty for Costco in July.

Let’s just say that Brian Donnellan, one of our project managers, is due a well-deserved vacation. Why? Because he and his teams finished not one but two Costco locations in July.

On July 20, Costco opened its brand-new warehouse in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The culmination of 7 months’ intense work, the project meant facing down all kinds of challenges. We stayed on schedule despite 400% more bedrock than anticipated on the 16.84-acre site, as well as coping with historic amounts of rain and ice.

The result? A fantastic new 154,419 SF warehouse complete with a 5,934 SF fuel station, 3,454 SF car wash, and offsite detention pond.

“The weather certainly didn’t help,” offers Brian. “During our 192-day schedule, we had 83 weather days. So, we had to fight the elements to help Costco open on time.” Not only did it open, but the new Costco warehouse broke southeast region records for opening-day sales.

Donnellan credits the SEI approach to project management as key to the timely delivery of a finished project.

“We don’t just build. We organize. We have all the materials and people in place, and we plan for just about every contingency. In truth, every construction project has its surprises. We just worked through them. Tim Lowery, Site Manager, and Josh Krnavek, Assistant Site Manager, were fantastic at getting things done the SEI way.”

And if Murfreesboro’s Grand Opening wasn’t enough, Brian had one more thing on his To-Do list: Opening the Moore, Oklahoma, Costco warehouse. And doing it two days after the ribbon-cutting in Murfreesboro.

A 159,913 SF warehouse, along with a 7,740 SF fuel station on 16.24 acres, Moore wasn’t exactly a walk in the park, either.

“This project took eight months with winter conditions thrown into the mix. But this was another job where our problem-solving approach made the difference. Zach Lilly and Bruce Maness did incredible work as Site Mangers, making sure we hit our deadline.”

Along with the weather, the entire site needed to be lime stabilized. At the same time, infrastructure efforts complicated matters, with the City of Moore installing a storm sewer across nearby Telephone Road. Add unmarked sewer lines and landscaping challenges, and there were lots of problems to solve.

And solve them we did.

SEI is more than a construction firm. We are a way of getting things done without excuses or compromises. And thanks to Brian Donnellan and his incredible teams in Murfreesboro and Moore for helping us build a reputation for exceeding expectations.