Food Court Construction by Leon Williams in Tennessee

Does Your Restaurant Need Renovations to Support Delivery and Pickup?

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Let’s face it, the disruptions to the hospitality industry created by the COVID-19 pandemic have proven challenging to everyone. The virus, and the premium it places on sanitation and social distancing, could be with us a long time. A new era in food service is already here.

Restaurants of the Future

Food Court Construction by Leon Williams in TennesseeThe biggest problem faced by restaurant owners in 2020 has been two-fold: How do I protect my business while also serving my loyal customers? The answer has been around for a long time — pickup and delivery — but many sit-down restaurants didn’t have the right footprint and set-up to do this, putting them at a disadvantage.

The restaurants of the future, those that can survive in both stable and volatile markets, will likely include enhanced curbside service, double food production lines, kitchens that prepare food for delivery only, robust online ordering and prepay platforms, ample outdoor seating, separate takeout doors, and reduced dine-in areas with increased sanitation systems. There’s a lot of work to do.

Everything you Need

Leon Williams Contractors, a Maryville construction company, has the expertise to help you transition to the new business model. We ensure that you, the stakeholder, have plenty of input at the outset. We have experience in building retail, food service and outdoor spaces, for customers including Which Wich and Chick-fil-A. We can do everything you need to create a winning location for your employees and your guests.

If you’re a restaurant owner looking to modify an existing location or if you want to try something new from the ground up, we might be the right contractor for you. Give us a call at (865) 982-1734, or contact Leon Williams Contractors online to learn more.

 

Renovation can Give Your Commercial Facility a New Lease on Life

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After a commercial facility has seen decades of service and is showing its age, it’s natural for the owners to consider whether the best path forward might be to construct a new building.

This is a decision that shouldn’t be made lightly. It can be more cost-effective to update and renovate the existing space rather than going through the expense of locating and purchasing new property and then constructing a new building. The experts at Leon Williams Contractors, a Maryville construction firm, have decades of experience working with business owners to find the most efficient and affordable solutions for their facility needs.

Take Stock

The choice to renovate or build a new facility starts by evaluating the current property and the needs of the business. Do you need expanded space or to just refresh the facility or tweak the layout for more efficiency?

Whatever the condition of the facility and the property it currently occupies, Leon Williams Contractors can perform a comprehensive site assessment to provide the information needed to prevent unexpected expenses during a building project.

For example, if the space doesn’t meet current building codes, necessary improvements will have to be factored into the plans. It’s more economical to address those concerns up front than in the middle of a construction project.

Another question is what is the state of the building’s mechanical systems? They might be in good enough shape to continue serving the space for years longer, but an investment in new systems can pay for itself in reduced long-term operating costs. The Leon Williams team will talk facility owners through all of their options, identifying possible cost savings and providing the insight to avoid surprises during the building process.

We Can Help

Since 1964, Leon Williams Contractors has been designing and building commercial facilities throughout East Tennessee. Ready to learn how we can help? Visit www.lwcontractorstn.com or call (865) 982-1734.

Foothills Church

Giving Your Old Sanctuary a New Lease on Life

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In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, East Tennessee’s churches have continued to share the light with their communities, even if it’s been online or by video conferencing. But as social distancing requirements fade away, churches will become places of fellowship once again.Foothills Church

All that said, the economic effects of the pandemic might hang around for some time, so when church facilities start showing their age, new construction might not be financially feasible for cash-strapped congregations. That’s where Leon Williams Contractors, a Maryville construction company, can help.

We have decades of experience renovating church facilities. Through preconstruction planning, our experts can help congregations understand their facility needs and what sort of renovations are within their budgets.

Helping Out

Our goal is assisting our faith-based clients in finding the sweet spot between expense and value. We offer pre-construction consultations, site assessments, value engineering and other services to help congregations mitigate costs. Working closely with a design team, our hands-on experts will find and implement the most cost-effective solutions to meet the needs of growing congregations through internal renovations or expanding existing facilities. The Leon Williams team will work closely with the project designer and all stakeholders to ensure smooth communication and no surprises.

The purpose of value engineering is to approach every project with a fresh eye to evaluate the use of materials, reduce waste and avoid excessive expenditures. This could involve swapping out fixtures or features that might result in added costs with little to no benefit.

Communities of faith matter to us here at Leon Williams Contractors. We take pride in helping give congregations the facilities they need to thrive and grow. To learn how we can assist in your next church renovation or construction project, visit www.lwcontractorstn.com or call (865) 982-1734.

 

Leon Williams Helped Create a New Landmark

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East Tennessee is proud of its history, and Leon Williams Contractors, a Maryville construction company, is proud to partner with local governments to create structures that honor that history.

We recently a completed a new 3,200-square-foot city hall in Etowah, Tennessee.  It’s on Tennessee Avenue, adjacent to the historic L&N Depot, a 114-year-old state landmark. We built the new one-story building to complement the depot, which currently houses the Etowah Chamber of Commerce and a railroad museum. The depot has been a centerpiece for the city, serving as a facility for public and private events, and is now paired with the city hall.

For the past few years, Etowah’s city government had been renting offices in a building north of downtown. That was after moving out of a space in the city’s Carnegie Library.

Now, the city boasts a great new building that replaces a vacant lot, complements the L&N Depot and supplements the historic character of the downtown area. We’re glad to give the city employees an excellent new workspace and to provide city residents with an attractive municipal building to be proud of.

We Can Help

At Leon Williams, we have a long history of working with governmental bodies and educational systems to create high-quality spaces. We’ll work with your organization to refine the scope of work and develop a reasonable and accurate budget ahead of time. Our experts will help identify potential cost savings in the design, materials and infrastructure.

We pride ourselves on our communication with stakeholders. We’ll make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to goals, timelines and expectations before a project begins. We also provide site assessment services to help avoid nasty surprises that require additional work after the fact, preventing expensive work delays.

For more information about Leon Williams Contractors, visit www.lwcontractorstn.com or call (865) 982-1734.

How an Experienced Construction Firm Can Prevent Common Problems

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Picture this: You’re a month from opening day for your new building, when your construction firm tells you that, due to mistakes in the process, you’ll need to open three weeks behind schedule. And you’ll need to spend thousands of dollars to do it.Modern skyscrapers in business district.

While this might sound like a nightmare, it can be a reality for developers and business owners across the country. Building projects have so many independent moving parts that, without a skilled and experienced construction firm at the helm, things can quickly go off course and remain unnoticed until it’s too late. But you can trust the Maryville commercial construction experts at Leon Williams Contractors to get things right the first time.

What Construction Problems Can I Encounter on my New Build?

By far one of the most common construction issues that can occur on a project are budget overruns. These aren’t limited to small, unlicensed contractors or inexperienced teams — well-planned projects like government buildings, infrastructure, airports and even the International Space Station have run over budget.

Part of the reason is that, when you’re building a project, small mistakes can add up into big problems down the road. Fixing these problems means more time on the jobsite, more money spent on materials and labor, and hours of lost time.

Even worse, these mistakes can pop up at the most inconvenient times. Right when you think you’re ready to open, a mistake in the process can mean a lengthy delay. For a small business, that means big trouble before you’ve even opened your doors.

What Can I Do to Prevent Construction Issues?

When you’re building a new home for your franchise or want a new office for your organization, you shouldn’t have to face that kind of pressure. You want your project to go smoothly from the start, and that’s where we come in. Leon Williams has more than three decades building for clients in East Tennessee, and we’ve gotten pretty good at preventing problems before they start. Contact Leon Williams Contractors online or give us a call at (865) 982-1734 to learn more.

Protecting the Community During the Coronavirus Pandemic

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Leon Williams Contractors is dedicated to protecting its employees and the public from the spread of COVID-19. We enforce workplace standards and procedures as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to prevent infection.

To protect our workers and clients, we are limiting the number of individuals present onsite and requiring they practice social distancing. We’ve also distributed supplies of disinfectant and hand sanitizer to each jobsite.

In addition, all workers are required to clean their hands frequently and anyone with a temperature or symptoms of sickness is not allowed to work. We continue to monitor the situation and follow guidelines provided by city, state and federal governments.

The construction industry as a whole takes coronavirus seriously. Leon Williams remains committed to protecting our communities during this time.

As a provider of essential services, Leon Williams Contractors is ready to help with your commercial construction needs. For more information, see us online or give us a call at (865) 982-1734.

Leon Williams Contractors Makes Franchise Build-Outs Easy

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So, you’ve decided to open a franchise restaurant location. Congratulations! At Leon Williams Contractors, we’re proud to support local business owners and use our Maryville commercial construction experience to  build quality locations for new establishments in East Tennessee. But there are a few things every new franchise location owner should know about the build-out process to avoid surprises and help things go just a little more smoothly.

Avoiding Costly Mistakes Franchise build-outs can be difficult, but they don't have to be with LWC

At Leon Williams, we work hard to provide the highest value we can. By helping assess and optimize the site as well as the location, we can help clients make the most of their investment. Site assessments ensure that the property is appropriately prepared before construction, so you can be sure that your site and your business are in perfect sync.

Keep Things Running Smoothly

We’ll work closely with your design or corporate team to help keep the project running smoothly from start to finish. Our real-world experience helps us provide accurate project timelines and avoid potential problems. And we’ll keep you updated during construction, so you never feel like you’re being left out of the loop.

We know you have a strict timeline, and failing to open on time can jeopardize your business. The Leon Williams team will work hard to help you meet your deadlines and prevent budget overruns or a delayed opening.

You don’t have to take our word for it, though. Leon Williams has an excellent track record working with franchises in the East Tennessee area, from Which Wich to Wings Over Knoxville. You can see a full list of our recent projects on our website.

If you’re a franchise owner looking to start your buildout, put us on your list. You can give us a call at (865) 982-1734, or contact Leon Williams Contractors online to learn more.

Avoid construction headaches with Leon WIlliams Contractors.

The Top 3 Construction Headaches, and How to Avoid Them

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When beginning a new commercial construction project, it’s easy to be unaware of some common challenges. With more than 30 years as a Maryville commercial construction company, we’ve worked tirelessly to provide superior service, protecting our clients across the East Tennessee region from headaches. Here are a few of the most common mistakes to avoid:

A Bad Relationship Between Structure and Site

Where a building sits on its lot is almost as important as its construction. Whether a client is building a house, a church or a fast food franchise, site design is a critical part of how the building looks, acts and behaves. For some projects, the way a building is positioned can even have an effect on its success. The site can be optimized to make a building work better for its occupants, no matter what purpose It serves.

Budgets That Keep Growing and Growing

When a project becomes more complex, those costs get transferred to the client. With value engineering, we can help figure out ways to finish our clients’ projects on budget and without compromising on quality. It’s just one of the things we’re doing to keep our clients happy with every job.

Unlicensed Contractors that Disappear, or Worse

If you use an unlicensed contractor for your project, you’re playing a very expensive game of roulette. Whether they get injured on the job, damage materials or structures, install code-breaking electrical or plumbing infrastructure or just skip town with the check, unlicensed contractors are never the safest choice for your investment. We can’t tell you how to spend your money, but as a leading Maryville commercial construction company, we know what we’d choose: a licensed, bonded and insured contractor who you can trust to get the job done right.

When you need a contractor for your next East Tennessee project, choose the experts at Leon Williams Contractors. We’ve been a trusted name in the region for more than 30 years, and we have the experience to back up our reputation. Contact Leon Williams to learn more.

Value engineering can help your church build a new home.

How Value Engineering Can Help Your Church Build More with Less

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While the economy is strong, it is not uncommon for construction pricing to come in higher than desired.  One solution is a concept referred to as Value Engineering.  The Maryville construction experts at Leon Williams have three decades of experience working for our faith-based clients, and we’re proud to put that to work for you.

Value engineering can help your church build a new home.

Value Engineering Helps Communicate Value and Avoid Conflict

When it’s time for a church to start a new building project, the road to actually realizing that vision can be long and difficult to maneuver. If it’s time to expand, it can be difficult to align your congregation behind a single solution. Should you build a new building? Buy a larger one? Renovate what you’ve got?

Even just getting internal groups, like church councils, to sign off on a new project can be difficult, and often takes a strong value proposition and well-communicated goals.

One of the best ways church leaders can provide responsible returns on their congregation’s investment in the Kingdom and create buildings that can meet the needs of their church well into the future is value engineering.

What Is Value Engineering?

Value engineering is a way of thinking about construction that makes larger projects easier and more affordable, without compromising on quality. Value engineering takes a holistic view of client needs and construction realities, giving church leaders a bird’s eye view of their project and direct lines of communication with the design and engineering teams. Designers, engineers, contractors, material suppliers, and church leaders tackle problems as a group, shrinking budget overruns and reducing construction time.

By balancing the work a structure needs to perform with the price of that structure over its lifespan, value engineering gives us the opportunity to deliver on a client’s goals on-budget while meeting functional needs.

Here are a few ways we engineer for value:

  1. Comparing different structure types or materials to make them more affordable to purchase and easier to construct.
  2. Altering the project finishes and fixtures to provide economical quality based on client requirements.
  3. Locating pain points and adding features that can address or eliminate them.
  4. Removing planned features that would impede usability or result in added costs and lead times with little benefit.

How Can Value Engineering Help My Church?

Choosing to build a new worship hall or classroom wing can be a big decision, and not everyone will be on the same page with the final product. When embarking on that project, you need to be sure you’re getting what’s best for your congregation. Value engineering helps church leaders gain the approval they need by exercising due diligence on behalf of their congregation.

Why Should We Choose Leon Williams for Our Church Project?

At Leon Williams Contractors, we specialize in balancing cost and value for our faith-based clients. Through pre-construction consultations, site assessments and more, we strive to provide as much value as we can.

We love creating spaces where congregations can gather and worship together, and we treat every church project as if it were our own place of worship. Are you looking to invest in an upgrade or new building? Contact Leon Williams Contractors today to learn more about how we can use our value engineering expertise to make your next project a fruitful endeavor.

Finding the Right Site for Your 2021 Construction Needs

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Looking for a site for a new commercial facility can be a chore. It’s important to find the right match to meet your business needs and ensure your success. As the saying goes, it’s all about “Location, location, location.” It’s important for any business. Is there enough traffic to justify building a retail location? Can the property be easily accessed or will inconvenient roadway access drive away customers?

Site Assessment

Leon Williams Contractors, your Maryville construction expert, can help you find the perfect site for your facility. Our preplanning and site assessment services are thorough. We’ll ensure there are no unexpected, expensive surprises at a proposed location such as environmental issues requiring remediation, geotechnical issues that would need overly-extensive sitework to overcome and insufficient utilities or infrastructure.

If you think that finding the right site for your commercial facility will take care of any potential issues, that’s not quite the full story. Businesses also have to consider what happens to the site once construction begins and design plans are being implemented. A construction company needs expertise and the ability to work well with designer and architects to execute their vision exactly. Otherwise, problems can creep in.

We Can Help

That is where we can help. The team at Leon Williams Contractors has decades of design-build construction experience working closely with our clients and their design firms on commercial construction projects. We take pride in properly executing all aspects of a project, ensuring that both commercial facilities and sites are built out in the best way possible.

At Leon Williams Contactors, we’re ready to assist our East Tennessee clients assess the right site for their building projects. If you are ready to talk about your construction plans for 2021, contact us today.