A geographically central location, easy access to major airport hubs, and land supply paired with the state’s economic incentives are helping create a robust manufacturing ecosystem.
So how should the construction industry shift to support this need?
Kyle Masters, Senior Vice President at JE Dunn Construction, recently shared his insights on best practices for manufacturing clients and developers preparing for their next project.
For complex, technical projects, national experts are indispensable.
“We have national teammates who are absolute experts in the nuance, complexity, and technical operational requirements of these facilities,” said Masters. “They must be engaged in these projects. There’s really no way around it.”
These teams bring a deep understanding of specialized systems, regulatory environments across different states, and innovative solutions tailored to advanced industries.
While national expertise helps manage a large project’s intricate technical details, a strong local team provides critical on-the-ground advantages. Local knowledge ensures smooth navigation of permits, zoning, and compliance with specific regional building codes, which can vary significantly.
“At a local level, we hold strong, longstanding relationships with community leaders and the local trade partner market,” he added. “We understand all the authorities having jurisdiction in regulatory requirements.
For clients worried about speed to market, engage a contractor as early as possible in the project lifecycle.
As global companies expand into the United States, they bring their own set of designs and expectations, which typically need revision to meet the United States’ safety, ADA, and environmental regulations and permitting requirements.
“With foreign direct investment, many of these manufacturing plants have already been thoroughly designed overseas. But you can’t necessarily adapt that to the local U.S. market because our building codes are completely different,” Masters said
An early-engaged contractor can provide immediate guidance on critical items – site selection, constructability issues, material procurement, and scheduling – to prevent costly redesigns and delays long before work starts on the site.
Beyond early engagement, a contractor’s in-house capabilities can also set projects up for success.
“Self-perform allows us to use our own labor force to do concrete, steel, building automation, low voltage integration. We’re doing that on many of our manufacturing projects,” said Masters.
Contractors with self-perform capabilities provide the added benefit of being able to directly control quality, safety expectations, and procedures. Self-perform also helps provide a more stable workforce environment despite national labor shortages in the construction industry.
A company like JE Dunn can better manage and deliver on schedule when directly managing more of the work, particularly on projects that have incredibly fast schedules and complex designs.
For clients concerned about budget certainty amidst a sometimes-volatile economic climate, make sure to partner with a trusted contractor with a track record of proactive, transparent communication.
” So many of the economic conditions we’re facing are relative to tariffs and ongoing escalation,” he said. “While we can’t change market conditions, we can be proactive and find ways to mitigate those external factors as much as possible.”
At JE Dunn, procurement team members that specialize in understanding supply chain and long lead items work to find clients the best solutions for mitigating impacts to costs and availability of material and equipment. Open communication of this information allows clients to make informed decisions while keeping the project in line with their budget.
“Your contractor should create an environment where everyone is supporting each other in creating solutions that are right for all team members while meeting the client’s goals,” Masters added.
To learn more about JE Dunn’s manufacturing work in Dallas and nationwide, visit https://jedunn.com/markets/industrial-manufacturing/
