Vietnamese Buddhist Association of MN .

I was  was called into this project at a point in time when things had pretty much stalled with their other contractor.  We had a meeting, and agreed to take over the project. Meritus Construction  was now the contractor. Lead by Petar Poucki ( pouch-key);-)

While general architectural plans  and associated engineering plans were mostly complete, the project lacked civil drawings, Swppp plan, Alta survey, MEP plans and nothing  on Fire protection and some other documentation.

The previous group had pricing models which went from very low (unrealistic ) to very high (suspicious.)  those 2 explanations were the Buddhists words.

Meritus immediately engaged the required competencies to begin the completion of the required plans, engage MEP trades to define the requirements, and begin design so huge ducts would not be in the Temple Great Hall, and this was orchestrated with the Incumbent architect and Engineer, both of whom worked diligently at the pace aggressive we had set. I can’t say enough good things about ERA and Roehr Schmitt Architecture response time to our demands. The team  of Meritus, Roehr Schmitt Architecture, and Ericksen Roed  made this project work as well as it did.

Upon competitively bidding the project and assembling a REAL price , we realized that the Temple had not completed their financing. Meritus (Petar) helped line up a corporate attorney to perfect the Church’s corporate structure in a way that would allow their acquiring a loan under regular commercial lending standards. We engaged a title company to be part of the assembly process and guide us through the standards which would be required by underwriting. Meritus also sourced an underwriter to write the loan for the this  part of the project. This matter became tricky due to the early start condition the Buddhists were in when we found them. I was able to get this unravelled and lined up in a way it would all work. The BOD at the temple were under tremendous pressure to show progress due to the up and down nature of the previous engagement were being scrutinized by the members on all levels. We needed action fast, but it had to be the right action.

The construction loan closed and money deposited into the escrow account held by title, our completely developed plans were approved by the city of Roseville ,,,,,,,,,,. We started construction. Important to note, the final appraisal came in more favorably than they ever imagined which has allowed them to refinance into a better long term instrument.

Petar ( Meritus Construction ) was brought into a project that I had been working on which was in serious need of leadership from a construction aspect.  The project was very complex,  consisting of a new addition that was to be constructed in between three existing structures.  To add to the complexity, the new construction had a lower level built to the edge of the existing structures which undermined the existing foundations.  Also, only partial construction documents for the three existing buildings were available.  A number of critical items that should have started prior to that point in the design process were immediately initiated by Petar as he quickly took to a leadership position as the General Contractor.  The project had been slogging along slowly, but after Petar got involved it moved forward much faster and more smoothly.  As expected in this type of project (new/existing), there were many construction challenges.  Given these challenges, a short schedule, and a very tight construction budget, a successful project was ultimately delivered to the owner thanks to the hard work of Petar and the design team.  Petar was instrumental in the completion of this project and I hope to find myself teamed up with him again in the future.

James A. Krzoska, P.E.

Professional Engineer

Ericksen Roed and Associates

St. Paul, MN

I have known Petar Poucki for over four years and have worked with Petar on a number of real estate transactions.  Petar’s company provides construction consulting and general contractor services for commercial construction projects, build-outs, remodeling and expansion of existing retail and commercial buildings.

Petar has extensive knowledge, experience and a good reputation as a construction manager and general contractor.  He has worked in the construction field for  27 years.  Petar manages and runs his own company and he ‘gets-it’ and understands the business necessity for owners to know upfront the costs and deadlines involved.  Petal is diligent, trustworthy and organized. He works hard and it shows.

Ethical Self-reliant Individual: Petar is different from some others in his industry because he approaches his construction projects from the perspective of wanting to be a trusted advisor and consigliere for his clients.  Petar is really driven to bring value to his clients through his foresight, strategic planning and tenacious hard work.  It is not enough to simply build the project…Petar wants to build it better, more efficient and for less costs…He wants to do the job better, smarter and on-time.

Driven to Satisfy: Continued ongoing relationships and total client satisfaction are critical motivating factors for Petar.  I have personally observed Petar give 110% to resolve problems and build consensus on projects.  This ‘trait’ is hard-wired into Petar’s DNA, and can be extremely important because in the world of construction, unanticipated obstacles and difficulties are part of the process, notwithstanding all of the good planning and organization that goes into a project at the beginning.

Proactive Problem-Solver: On one occasion Petar was beginning consultations with a non-profit organization which had previously started construction before Petar’s involvement.  After work had begun, the non-profit decided to expand the scope of the improvements and to obtain construction financing from a third-party lender.  In Minnesota, mechanic’s liens relate back in time to the “first item of visible improvement” on a project.  Petar asked me to come to the non-profit’s board meeting to help him to explain the necessity of providing ‘early-start’ title insurance coverage for the new lender, and what construction documentation, plans and book-keeping records would be needed to get the lender covered as if they in fact had statutory priority of title…even though the actual priority of title had already been inadvertently trumped by the potential under Minnesota law for all of the past and future contractors and material suppliers to record a superior mechanic’s liens against the property.  Because of Petar’s background and experience, he was able to identify this unforeseen potential problem, realized its complexity and he knew the solution before it ever developed.  Based upon Petar’s recommendation the non-profit was able to navigate the early-start process and was able to successfully obtain desirable financing to complete its construction project. They overcame a problem that they did not even know that they had because of Petar’s proactive initiative.

I am pleased to give my recommendation and support to Petar Poucki.

Please feel free to call me if you have any questions or concerns.

// Jeffrey R. Peterson, Esq.

Commercial Partners Exchange Company, LLC and Commercial Partners Title, LLC

A fine winter photo.

The Whiting Clinic LASIK + Eye Care project was a fun and challenging project.

Dr David Whiting had decided to re-fab an older irrelevant building into a modern eye care center. This project was on the fast track from the beginning. In only a few short months the project went from an idea to a building permit.

State of the Art

This project encompassed a complete gutting of the existing building, including the complete demolition of the eastern most 25%. The project has added significant value to the property and created a beautiful new building along the 394 corridor just west of Louisiana Ave in St Louis Park.

Demolition  Started in July with Build Back Construction not commencing until well into August with the center seeing patients in November. The task was daunting, the schedule condensed. The results are astounding. The interior of the building feels so much larger.

The building enjoys a new interior with a full length and height curtain wall. This area sheds natural light into the atrium and

waiting room areas. The second floor benefits from the open feeling of the new design. 

Demolition  Started in July with Build Back Construction not commencing until well into August with the center seeing patients in November. The task was daunting, the schedule condensed. The results are astounding. The interior of the building feels so much larger.

The building enjoys a new interior with a full length and height curtain wall. This area sheds natural light into the atrium and

waiting room areas. The second floor benefits from the open feeling of the new design.

More photo’s and information about this project will be posted shortly.

My project was a ground up renovation of a completely run down
home in a great residential neighborhood of Dallas called Highland Park.

The Project:

After receiving bids from several GC’s and actually thinking we
had one in mind, Petar asked if he could look at the project. We thought ok why
not, but warned him we were feeling comfortable with another contractor. I
immediately recognized a difference in his questions regarding our expectations,
budget, architectural relationship, and time line. His questions went far
beyond the other bidders. He asked questions about our vision and plan, did we
have a contingency, what was our risk tolerance, expectations of quality of
life during the construction process. Frankly when he asked how my wife and I
make decisions, and if that process was stressful on us. We were stunned. We
had not considered either question. Then he asked what our exit strategy looked
like. We had to admit we didn’t have one. I knew by the quality of questions
that this was our man. After review of the property and after meeting on 2 more
occasions, Petar wrote a scope of work, schedule and contract that we
understood and our banking partner signed in a matter of days.

Petar spoke in plain terms, understood that I was not in the
business but also understood that I wanted and needed to fully understand what
would be done. Not just to hear about the work, but to know what was taking
place at my property and why. Petar also gave me realistic expectations of
timelines, budgets, pending challenges, code issues and challenges. Because we
did not have landscape plans, we had no plan for site drainage and many other
things that never would have occurred to me and were not even mentioned by the
other contractors. He factored these elements into the project.

As a side note:

The feeling I got from other contractors was that the less I knew
the better. Nobody actually said that but I did hear comments like “most
of this stuff you don’t need to know anyway” or ” we’ll let you know
if we run into any problems”, etc./ Petar’s approach was completely
different, transparent and very refreshing. He explained everything in the
detail I asked for, and when my wife needed reassurance he took the time to
speak eye to eye with her. He made sure that I knew exactly what I would be
paying for and why. This type of customer service is rare!

The project took approximately (4) months to transform a
dilapidated 70′s home into an amazing contemporary showcase.

Some Really Important Operational Points To Mention:

• Petar laid out the decisions we needed to make in order and by
  date as per the schedule with both soft and hard deadlines.
• The Schedule and pace of the project was exactly what this
  industry could provide, just enough time for decisions, and just enough speed
  to keep our banking commitments in check.
• Each trade was asked to provide their selections, options and
  finishes at a time when we could still make adjustments to perfect our vision.
• The building inspectors were handled with a basis of fact and
  finesse which allowed for all our between the lines conditions to be accepted
  the 1^st time. ( the potential cost over runs due to code
  interpretations were in the tens of thousands- Meritus took the issues to the
  mat, made our case with the inspectors with facts, ordinances, code language
  and common sense standards to fit our design intent and not add costs)
• The bidding process sampled the market. We hit the target with all
  budget assumptions made by Meritus, and actually added some items with money
  saved.
• In hindsight, the path created by Meritus and Petar was very
  predictable, and not as manic a process as construction projects can be. A fun
  and smooth running project.
• I felt in charge as the owner. At once heard, respected, and in
  charge.

Some financial Considerations:

• The post construction appraisal came back at over $200k above our
  expectations. Simply put the fee paid to Meritus turned into a 3 fold net gain
  for my wife and I.
• Time, Quality, Value. It is
  said you can only have 2 of the 3. I have to say we feel we received all 3 to
  the best that could be realized.
• Petar kept an exit strategy in mind for us all along the way. This
  is an extremely important point since he guided us to make decisions which
  would leave us in what he called a “right side up situation” after
  construction, rather than tied to an albatross which we could not sell.
• The fee Meritus charged never changed from the beginning. A
  contractual promise kept.

In Closing:

• Petar and his wife spent the 1st evening in our home with my wife
  and I. Petar broke in our kitchen with an amazing meal. We’ve become close
  friends and if and when we ever sell this place, Petar will be there to guide
  us through the next one.
• I can now say I fully understand and appreciate the OPEN BOOK
  process Meritus offers and highly recommend it to anyone entering a
  construction project.
• Honest and good natured people do exist in the construction
  industry.
• We will use Meritus Again!

Please fell free to get my contact info from Petar if you would
like to speak with me directly about my project.

John Cunningham

Dallas TX

“In 2009, I represented Z Systems, Inc. in the purchase of a new building. It was clear that significant improvements would be required to have the property fit their needs. It was important to provide my client a contractor with whom I had great results and who could work with the situation to help make the deal work. My referral to Petar’s company was a great choice. The building sold, the client is happy and everything ended on a high note.” February 10, 2011

1^st Rich Yablonsky, CCIM SIOR, President, YABLO Commercial Real Estate, LLC
was with another company when working with Petar at Strategic-Companies

Thinking

Who to hire, that is litterally the $1,000,000 question.  This choice can make the next (6-12) months of your life either fascinating or infuriating. While there are many facets to a good decision. Here are a few key things to consider when hiring a contractor in your area.

1. Do they have verifiable references?
This is by far the easiest information to obtain from a reputable contractor.  Absense of references should be sounding alarms!!!! Talk to your network and find like sized and type projects for your contractor search.

2. Speak with your local building inspectors.
While most people are scared of building inspectors, the fact of the matter is they are there to ensure that the work is completed in adherence to Building Codes.  Don’t forget Building Codes are merely an enforceable minimum.  More importantly, the inspectors experience with a particular contractor  has to do with compliance, safety standards, and working within the construct of regulations. This is a good way to find out a little more about the Contractor and their culture. Find out if your contractors have done work under permits like yours and check with the inspectors so see of there were any red flags.

3. Ask for Architectural References.
Any competent contractor can build from plans and specs as long as there are no problems. The sweet spot is finding a contractor which,  At Once- can build efficiently, value engineer, problem solve, work expeditiously and at the end of this,,,,,,,Maintain Design Intent within your budget. The Architects know who is good, great or mediocre.

4. Are they financially sound?
This might seem like a prickly question, or odd request. No matter,  please consider the relationship you are about to create, and the importance of this contractor in building your dream. As owner, and president of Meritus C M,  I have been asked for my Company information many times, and on one occasion my personal Credit Score. Initially I thought Why? How ever after listening to my Dallas clients concerns I provided the information.   As it turned out this information sealed our deal. 3 other contractors were in the running. 2 refused, 1 had poor capital management skills. To that point Our client made their choice based on actual practices of their contractor options.

5. Open invitation to contact us with any questions.

Please feel free to contact us directly. Our experience and expertise can be at your disposal simply by becoming a client.

admin@meritus.me

The status of the project could only be described as hellish. How was the owner ….THE CUSTOMER….. supposed to reel this in. The Meritus Team conducted several project meetings to determine exactly where we stood. This real information allowed our customer, to make financial preparations, intelligently choose what degree they would finish the project, and establish a timeline so their family could manage their move.  Meritus also helped our owner with meeting his banking requirements, while maintaining design intent. After all Good Design is the point of improvements. The sub-contractor team was in poor spirits, with most simply trying to minimize their losses. Leadership and a sound plan were required. Most Subcontractors rallied to complete the project once a clear direction and goal  was established. We worked the balance of the project in a full disclosure mode, while carefully saving details for the legal teams ultimate recovery of funds.

Constact us : admin@meritus.me