FH Martin provides construction management, design/build and general contracting services.

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As the owner of one of Michigan’s oldest family owned construction companies, President Andy Martin of FH Martin Constructors understands that the end-result of any project will look about the same, no matter who built it. The difference lies with the processes and services in place that bring a construction project to fruition.

“The process we go through to get there is really where we need to focus,” Martin says. “The first thing we preach is integrity. We do what we say, and we say what we do. That is fundamental, and it is the core value of the company.

“In the end, you’ve got to deliver and produce a building on time and meet the owner’s budget. But there is more to it than that. We judge our success on the basis that customers invite us back time and time again.”

After returning from World War I in 1919, Andy’s grandfather, Franz Herbert Martin, and Joseph A. Krausmann formed Martin-Krausmann Co. in Detroit. The company was a general building and masonry contractor. The pair split in 1936 and Martin formed F.H. Martin Construction Co.

Under Andy Martin, who took over as president in 1995 after his father, Robert Martin, retired, FH Martin began forming relationships with long-term customers like The Kroger Co., Farmer Jack and Home Depot. Today, the company operates in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky and earns approximately $70 million annually.

“I think we have a strong history, being around as long as we have, and a track record of being fair and honest in everything we do. That is part of the value we add,” Martin says. “We’re not the biggest, but we’re certainly one of the oldest in our area, and there is still that sort of family feel.

“I’m the only member involved from my actual family, but I think our entire team acts as if their name is on the door, as well.”

Through its construction group, FH Martin provides construction management, design/build and general contracting services. Martin says the most common delivery method is construction management, but his company has seen an increase in design/build projects, as well.

FH Martin also has a service group that evolved out of clients’ needs on smaller projects. This group’s services include building alteration, maintenance and repair projects, site improvements and building finishes.

Diverse Portfolio
FH Martin works in a variety of markets, including educational, financial, religious, hospitality and office, but the bulk of FH Martin’s business is in the retail sector, which Martin says has experienced a slowdown related to the housing sector downturn. To adapt to the changing economy, FH Martin has started to seek out more work in other construction sectors, specifically the healthcare market.

The company has worked in this market throughout its 89-year history, Martin says. “We never really stopped doing it, and we’ve maintained long-term relationships with a couple of healthcare customers,” Martin says. “But until recently, we hadn’t emphasized it as much as some other markets. Of course, we’re not the only ones who have figured out there are opportunities there, so we have good competition in that arena. Our challenge is to build on the good work we have already done to increase our presence in that market.”

FH Martin’s work for healthcare clients ranges from ground-up construction of medical and dental office buildings to interior build-outs and renovations. The company is currently renovating the Labor and Delivery Unit at St. Joseph-Mercy Hospital in Pontiac, Mich., and recently completed a major renovation of the birthing center at Annapolis Hospital in Wayne, Mich., part of Oakwood Healthcare System.

FH Martin was selected to complete the nine-phase renovation of the 21,000-square-foot Annapolis Hospital Birthing Center after years of providing services for Oakwood. The scope of work included 11 new luxury labor and delivery suites, a new nursery, renovation of the existing triage area, a new family waiting area, and new medical gas, nurse call, code blue and patient entertainment systems.

Martin says this project’s biggest challenge was the fact that the center is a 24-hour operation. This made it necessary to schedule the work across nine phases in 14 months through January 2008. Approximately 1,000 were born in the center during this period, according to Martin.

“With all of the phases, there were multiple deadlines to meet. All the while, we had to protect the general public and the cleanliness of the surrounding areas,” Martin says. “It was not totally unique, but it was certainly not like constructing a new building where we control everything from the ground up. For instance, there were air quality issues where we could not intermix the air from the construction area with the hospital area air.

“Our experience working in and around patient care areas has made us sensitive to the special needs in these situations, including cleanliness and noise control.”

FH Martin clearly rose to meet the challenges of the project. In a recent letter to the company, a nurse manager at Annapolis Hospital commended FH Martin for the quality of their work, and said she “would be pleased to recommend the company and work with them again.”

“As a business owner, this is exactly what I want to hear,” Martin says.