Warehouse Construction Has Never Been More Demanding — But Painting Them Can Be Effortless

The U.S. is in dire need of warehouse space. Despite the fact that the country has added more than 2,000 new warehouses since 2008, demand has outpaced supply since 2010. Add to this the fact that the U.S. is experiencing a construction labor shortage, and companies that are hoping to build new warehouses may be in for a long wait. 

Mike Ewing, head of business development at Graydaze Contracting, wants to make sure that once a company finally builds the warehouses it needs, there won’t be any delays in the final steps of the process — painting and sealing.

“In a market as hot as this, retailers can’t afford warehouse construction delays,” Ewing said. “If they choose the wrong contractor to partner with, they could end up facing even more.” 

One of the major drivers of warehouse demand is the booming e-commerce market. A recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that U.S. e-commerce sales totaled $146.2B in Q2 of 2019, an increase of 4.2% from Q1 and up 13.3% from Q2 2018. 

As e-commerce purchases rise, so do consumer demands for next-day and same-day delivery. An Invesp survey found that 80% of shoppers want same-day shipping while 61% percent want their packages within one to three hours of ordering it. To meet these delivery demands, retailers will need new warehouse space, particularly in last-mile locations close to major cities. 

“It has never been more important for companies to have warehouse space in multiple markets in order to stay competitive,” Ewing said. “While we can’t solve all the construction challenges companies are facing, we can simplify the buyout process and make sure every warehouse they build has the same high-quality finishes.” 

Graydaze is a single-source painting and sealant installation company comprised of customer-focused teams that work with the same general contractors all over the U.S. Instead of searching for different subcontractors in every market, general contractors who work with Graydaze team up with a single partner. Graydaze employees follow them from project to project, no matter where their next facility is located. 

“With our model, the project manager that worked with you on your job in South Florida will be the same project manager that works with you on your next project in Kansas,” Ewing said. “This helps ensure clients are getting consistent quality and customer service on every job, when you buy a Graydaze paint job, you know what you can expect.” 

Ewing added that Graydaze employs a robust staff, so there are always plenty of team members working on each project to ensure that it gets done on time. This is especially important as nationwide labor shortages continue to drive up construction costs and cause major delays. 

According to a USG and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Commercial Construction Index report, 70% of contractors surveyed said they are struggling to meet deadlines as a result of the labor shortage and 63% said they have been forced to increase costs for new projects. But this shortage has not impacted Graydaze, which employs more than 75 crews and around 425 painters across the country. 

According to Ewing, the key to retaining staff in this difficult market is to promote from within and invest in employees’ potential. 

“Most of our foremen started out as painters, then we trained them until they were ready to lead their own crews,” Ewing said. “This way, every team manager understands every part of the painting and sealing process and exactly what it takes to get the job done right.”

Ewing added that the company never stops training its crew members. The Graydaze quality control team travels around the country checking to make sure that each team is meeting safety and quality standards, training both new hires and seasoned workers as needed.

“It’s all about building a strong, confident team that understands their clients’ needs in every market,” Ewing said. “When everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goal, everything just gets easier.” 

This feature was produced in collaboration between Bisnow Branded Content and Graydaze Contracting. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.