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By David Greenberg
Photography by David Johnston, Johnston Photography

For Brian Crawford, building is his livelihood. But Crawford knows that it takes more than establishing a reputation as a professional, responsible general contractor, to help build a community and an industry.

That's why, in addition to being the owner of Concept Construction, a Lake Citybased general contractor, Crawford is finding the time to be involved in the Columbia County Builders Association (CCBA), currently as the president.

Concept Construction, which has been in operation for a little more than three years, can handle commercial, industrial and residential work, with a specialty in commercial design-build and construction management. For the last two years, the main focus has been commercial, but Crawford says he still has an interest in residential development as well.

"We're creating a full-service construction company," said Crawford. "The idea is that people can come to us for the design, construction and management of their building. What we look for more than anything else is an opportunity to partner with our customers. We don't just want to be your builder. We want to be your partner. We care about the people we work with, and do everything we can to help ensure their success."

Crawford is currently working with one customer-partner, Anytime Fitness, to coordinate the groundbreaking at Bascom Square, a new commercial development in Columbia County.

"It is beneficial for us and for them," he said. "Co-hosted events, such as groundbreaking ceremonies are a great opportunity to display our customers' businesses as well as our commitment to them."

The foundation of Crawford's fullservice operation is based on construction management.

"In construction management, everything is out in the open," he said. "We do construction management with a lot of customers. They understand all the costs and fees associated with construction. There is a lot of trust in that kind of relationship, and we are trying to tailor everything to do that. Once that bond of trust is formed, we can collaborate on the project and are able to be more efficient and economical."

Commercial Building Trends Magazine™ is the only source in the North Central Florida area for information on the latest trends, products and techniques in the Commercial, Industrial and Municipal industries. Our readership consists of: general contractors, design/build firms, developers, suppliers, subcontractors, architects, engineers and partners in the industry. Not only are we committed to providing the best possible feature stories and spotlights on successful local companies, we can also offer timely articles about national trends in building quality, technique, financial information, legal issues, educational opportunities, events and ethics, as well as insight into the industry in general.