In the course of every day we all touch and are impacted by our local or national infrastructure. If we go to school, have a job or a family we use some aspect of infrastructure during the course of the day. We have come to expect and take for granted what infrastructure provides us.

Unfortunately our infrastructure has not been maintained to the level that will allow it to continue to deliver what we have all come to take for granted.

In 2013 the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Report Card for America’s Infrastructure shows we have a significant backlog of overdue maintenance across our infrastrzcture systems, a pressing need for modernization, and an immense opportunity to create reliable, long-term funding. It also shows that we can improve the current condition of our nation’s infrastructure — when investments are made and projects move forward.

They estimate that $3.6 trillion dollars of investment renovating, refurbishing and replacing our country’s infrastructure will be necessary by 2020.

The sectors below received the following grades:

Our country and communities are great because of the strength, fortitude and integrity of groups and institutions like yours that have thrived through decades of growth, innovation and investment.

We are awed by the manner with which you adapt to the changing environments in our ever-evolving social, economic and technological culture.

We have benefited greatly from what you do and are committed to helping you continue to benefit those that will come after us.

However there are systemic challenges facing us that threaten your ability to move forward and continue your mission!

We see the buildings which you operate in cease to be available to you due to deferred maintenance, underinvestment and inefficient construction contracting practices.

Planning for the future is difficult in an environment of limited budgets, short-term vision and political uncertainty.

Something needs to change with the manner we procure and deliver public facilities if those that follow us are to continue to benefit from your fulfilling your mission.

That’s exactly what we’re about at The Hvidt Group.

In order to address these challenges new approaches and methods that address how you procure and deliver your capital projects need to be developed and implemented.

Through listening, understanding and partnering with our clients we develop and implement long term solutions unique to the challenges of your community or campus.

Our approach focuses on recognizing that each challenge is truly unique. The forces within the economic, social and political environment in your community, while similar from a systemic view to other communities, require unique resources and understanding. Our broad experience has shown us that no two projects are ever the same, each offering unique challenges and opportunities.

There is one element that we see in common though. That is the area of life cycle costs or the total project cost over the life of the project. This is the element of a capital project that is often overlooked when presenting the financial analysis on a project’s viability which results in the costs associated with the maintenance and operations being under budgeted.

It is also the element, that if addressed on the front end, can result in greater operating efficiencies, cost savings and longer life of the asset allowing you to focus on your core mission rather than on your buildings.

The Hvidt Group believes that the critical success factor to successfully addressing the challenges faced by public and private entities seeking to procure and deliver capital projects lies in the development of a partnership between the people empowered to address these challenges and their willingness to collaborate and work together.

Recruiting, engaging, developing and leading the right team of experts for your project makes the difference between it being approved and delivered in a timely manner or not.

The Hvidt Group has “boots on the ground” experience recruiting and leading teams delivering capital projects for public and private sector clients. This experience augments your in-house teams abilities in the areas of team development and dynamics, project and development management and insuring that all the moving pieces involved in the development and delivery of your capital project come together and work in unison to the end of the successful delivery of the project.

Managing Partner Bill Hvidt, has a talent for connecting with people, building teams and opening markets. He has over 40 years experience working with and for corporate, institutional, public and private sector owners and developers developing and implementing strategies that address the challenges around their capital real estate projects and investments.

He possesses the ability to identify and bring together the needed talent in an environment that creates success for the team. The consummate goal is to have teams that collaborate, communicate and commit to providing 100% solutions to the challenges that arise during the delivery of your project.

The Hvidt Group’s experience has developed a proven methodology that provides a complete roadmap of how to successfully deliver a project including the lessons learned that anticipate challenges that may not have been foreseen previously.

This methodology includes supporting and developing your team’s expertise in the following areas:

• Analyzing, evaluating and selecting which of the numerous delivery methods is best for the project and the owner,
• Coordinating the development of the following project elements:
  • Design,
  • Construction,
  • Engineering,
  • Operations and maintenance,
  • Financial feasibility and structure,
  • Risk analysis,
  • Value for money analysis,
  • Stakeholder engagement,
  • Stakeholder management
  • Other critical project elements.

This methodology provides the foundation template from which to structure the successful, timely and cost effective delivery of your critical project.

In 2012 UC Merced was faced with making a decision on how to deliver the 2^nd phase of their campus so they could continue to fulfill their mission as the newest Research University in the UC system providing unmatched education opportunities to an underserved demographic and deliver it by 2020. As Managing Partner of the Hvidt Group I was connected with the soon to be Vice Chancellor of Planning and Budget (CFO) and was brought on in February 2013 to advise the UC Merced team and develop and implement the strategy that would bring the necessary subject matter experts to the team and accomplish the above stated goal. The University with our direct assistance successfully recruited, engaged, developed and led these subject matter experts through the RFQ and RFP process and in June 2016 UC Merced selected Plenary Merced Partners as the developer and operator for the 2^nd phase of the campus which will include approximately 800K square feet of new structures with an operating and maintenance agreement for 35 years. The total value of the contract is approximately $1.3B. In August 2016 the project achieved financial close.  Update on 2020 Project: August 27, 2013.