DECEMBER 2023 THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AMERICA - EAST engineering, in dialogue. “Because I have an interior design background, as do other lighting people at Michaud, we understand the aesthetics of a space and how important those are. Because we work for an engineering firm, we also understand the system that has to deliver power and air to these spaces. Sometimes being the bridge between the two is interesting and helping those two groups understand each other and communicate together is always fun. I always say I certainly understand the aesthetics, but you have to realize the function too.” Such cross-disciplinarity and focus on the balance between aesthetics and function has allowed MCE to take on not only diverse projects but also particularly complex ones. Their projects range from the cultural to the medical. One cultural artifact MCE has been involved with is the lighting and ongoing preservation of the Cathedral of St. Paul. When looking at work in healthcare, they have created MEP systems for the Shakopee VA Clinic for example. These two seemingly disparate projects give a clear view of MCE’s dedication to art, design, and function working symbiotically. This symbiosis is just part of the reason why Chaput has stayed at Michaud for twenty years. “I like the technical aspect of working for an engineering firm,” Chaput notes. “Since I work in lighting design, I get to do what gives me the balance of aesthetics and function. There is a little art in lighting as well as the function of working with engineers, so the combination has been good.” These projects also present challengestheteamsatMichaud strive to overcome. The teams at MCE want to take on difficult projects because those projects lead to innovative solutions, creativity, and adaptability of skillsets. “We like to have the projects that we feel we have the engineers to complete. We like the unique or hard-to-work-on projects. They are projects that maybe aren’t always driven by the lowest fee, but they are more about having the skillset to work on the tougher stuff.” Aside from diversity in projects and skillsets, Michaud Cooley Erickson retains long-standing clients by fostering positive relationships and evoking active listening skills to strategize effectively about a project. They also bring historical knowledge to the table that perhaps other clients in the area may not have. Chaput adds, “We are listening to clients and understanding their needs. We are coming up with innovative approaches. It is about having a relationship with the client by listening, getting them what they need, and being around for them when the next project comes down the line. Maybe having historical knowledge of how they work, what they want in the facility, what has worked, and what hasn’t worked helps to bring that knowledge to the table for the next project.” In some projects, the company’s longevity offers the company significant leverage over competitors in the area. With seventy-five years of business in the area, it is likely that a client with an older building may have previously work with Michaud Cooley Erickson. History and previous knowledge of buildings in the area give MCE a competitive edge. History aside, MCE’s awards and quality of work speak for themselves. In 2018, MCE won the NAIOP Minnesota Award of Excellence in Hospitality, and the company was ranked the Best Mechanical Engineering Firm by Reader Rankings. Michaud has also won multiple awards for work done in the MSP International Airport. Michaud designed the infrastructure of Terminal 2 and introduced engineering solutions into the complex systems located in Terminal 1. As a result of such seamless and extensive involvement with the airport, Michaud is a proud Continuing Consultant at the MSP MAC. In this role, the team at MCE acts as an extension of experts readily available to the MAC Facilities Department. MCE has also won IES Illumination awards for their GE Vehicle Innovation Center and the Musical Instrument Museum. Despite winning three IES awards, Chaput stresses the importance of participating with peers rather than winning the awards. They have worked collaboratively with MCA facilities to “I like to show and participate in the Illumination awards. I want to be part of the lighting community here. I like to see other people’s projects as well. It’s not always about winning. It is good to participate,” says Chaput. When looking at the company during the COVID pandemic, MCE was not affected as significantly as other companies. Chaput mentions that it was clear that some market sectors were affected more significantly than others. In some projects, the pandemic helped to speed the completion of projects. “Some of the hospitality and improvementprojects lightened up,” reflects Chaput. “Michaud in general was able to plug along. We had a little restriction in employees. We shifted to work from home, which was seamless. There hasn’t been any major hiccups. In some cases, like roadways, it made our projects move along faster because there was less traffic and less people out and about. We were able to ride the wave and be successful in the workfrom-home environment.” With a seventy-five-year anniversary to commemorate, the pandemic was unable to stop progress at Michaud. When looking at future growth, Chaput seems to see a bright
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