Reducing Your Renovation Costs by Thinking Green

 

Save money during renovation and constructionReducing Your Renovation Costs by Thinking Green – Economical, Green Solutions for Renovations & Commercial Building Projects in South Metro Minnesota and North Dakota is offered by APPRO Development, Inc. & CERRON Commercial Properties.

Being “thrifty”, “cost conscious” and “green” is something we’ve hopefully all learned to do over the past few years of economic change. The positive impacts of implementing good business practices, is good for both your bottom line and the environment, a double bonus! Instead of hastily throwing something away, find a way to re-purpose the item to save you money and help prevent our landfills from over flowing, something we all benefit from.

 

During renovations or commercial building project, there are potentially ways to donate or sell items that you no longer need. Countertops, office equipment and other items could become a tax write off* or benefit someone else. If you have customized or industrial equipment you no longer use, it could be listed for sale, potentially offering you more cash for your project!

 

If you’ve decided to build or remodel a space that you own, lease, or are new property you are searching for, we are happy to help you find an economical solution by possibly re-using items and finding cost conscious options. For example, let’s say you want to open a restaurant; there may be options for purchasing used kitchen equipment vs. buying everything new. In remodeling, you may be able to reuse countertops. Take a moment to look at what you have as a way of saving $ during your project! Additional financial information for your project is available on our website for cost segregation, 1031 tax deferred exchange and finance resources.

 

Remodeling or building, in an office space, bank, hotel, restaurant, warehouse, industrial, or other commercial buildings, whatever your needs are, we work with our vendors and subcontractors to ensure that we are providing our clients with the best pricing available, while providing green alternatives. Here is an example;

 

Recently, we had a project that we tested lighting in and opted to remove as it didn’t serve the needed purpose. Instead of being frustrated with the failed test and throwing out the lights, we stopped and asked, “Is there someone who could benefit from these materials instead of throwing them away?” A short internet search led us to the MN Association of Community Theatres, where we found four theaters in the south metro, who are now the elated recipients of new lighting. It has brought us joy knowing that we have been able to provide our community theater, Lakeville Area Arts Center, along with the Northfield Arts Guild, Mankato Mosaic Theatre Company and New Ulm Actors Community Theatre with much needed lighting.

 

The next time you are considering a remodel, expansion / addition or new building, know that there are options out there to be as economical & green as possible! We’re here to assist you in using your dollars as best as possible to ensure the success of YOUR business. Please contact us to discuss your options at 952-469-2171 (APPRO Development, Inc.) or 952-469-9444 (CERRON Commercial Properties).

 

 

*As with all financial matters, please consult your tax and/or financial advisor for advice/impacts regarding your specific situation.

Think Green – Benefits of going paperless

I know we’re all somewhat de-sensitized to the words “environmentally friendly” and “go-green” as companies abuse the terms as marketing approaches, such as labeling something “low fat” when it’s so high in sugar the full fat version would probably be healthier! ANYHOW… We, at APPRO Development and CERRON Commercial Properties, feel that we live on a pretty cool planet and would like to do our part where we can to take care of our neighborhood. In doing so, we are also finding ways for us all to save a bit of “green”, dollars that is!

We’ve made the switch over the past few months to create our subcontract agreements, change and purchase orders, and other documents using Adobe software so that we are able to send them via e-mail. The benefits in doing so are:

Quicker turn around time = more efficiency on the job site and increased workflow, this benefits the Owner of our projects tremendously by getting the projects started on time and keeping them on time!

Better communication = less chance for confusion and increased accuracy. Whether the job is here in Minnesota or on the plains of North Dakota or Montana, if there’s wireless coverage the subcontractor can view contracts or change orders in their e-mail inbox vs. needing to “check back at the office”. Any changes to the contract can be easily communicated with the Project Owner for review as well.

More $ in everyone’s pockets!!! By opting for electronic contracts, we are able to reduce the amount of supplies used, including: printer ink, paper, envelopes and stamps, the savings passed on to the Project Owner as well! Once the signature pages are printed and signed, they can be faxed or e-mailed back to us, therefore saving the subcontractor the cost of stamps and envelopes, along with providing a peace of mind that their documents will arrive quickly and safely to us.

Easy filing – We are saving our documents in PDF files so that they can be stored electronically to access for years to come. Once we scan all supporting documents and signature pages with the contract, change or purchase order, we e-mail a copy to the appropriate person(s) for their records, helping everyone to “be green”.

Call APPRO Development to discuss sustainable construction services for designing, constructing or remodeling energy efficient buildings.

Growing Optimism in the Manufacturing Field Means It’s Time To Think About LEED/Green Building Updates

Make sure your manufacturing or industrial building is as efficient as possible by having Lakeville, MN APPRO Development make it LEED/Green Certified.

A recent article published in the July issue of the fedgazette (a publication of the Federal Reserve Bank – Ninth District), relayed that despite uncertainty, moderate economic growth is expected for the manufacturing industry.

“While manufacturing employment was down from a year ago, output turned positive during 2010 in Minnesota and the Dakotas, as shown in survey results released by Creighton University. The improvement in manufacturing is also made evident by the increase in the number of hours worked by manufacturing employees. Since April 2009, hours worked increased in all district states except Montana.

The data suggest that manufacturers are boosting output through longer hours instead of hiring new workers. A similar trend is beginning to appear among nonfarm workers nationally.

Not only is staff working more hours per week, but they are producing more per hour worked. During the first quarter of 2010, national productivity levels for nonfarm employees increased more than 6 percent compared with a year earlier, the largest gain since 2002.” (Grundewald, Madden, 22)²

With the positive outlook for those in the manufacturing industry, now is the perfect time to ensure that manufacturing buildings are updated and efficient for both work output and employee health. Oftentimes, remodeling existing facilities to include efficient Green or LEED features has enhanced employee satisfaction and productivity.

Learn more about the benefits of LEED/GREEN building development and remodeling here.