When Japan-based Fujita America needed a mechanical and plumbing pro to help deliver its first North Alabama general contracting job successfully, it hired us. From breaking a major language barrier and taking on additional scope with no additional schedule time to working through a pandemic, we did whatever the job required. Fifteen months later, a new 318,000-square-foot warehouse was equipped with full-scale HVAC and plumbing systems on time and on budget, showing the contractor how to define “success” American-style.

During an initial concept meeting with Japanese-speaking Fujita America, we encountered a language barrier. Jerry C., veteran project manager, and Tom H., business development director for industrial markets, relied on Fujita America’s interpreter to help them explain a simple concept, but their ideas were not getting through.

Tom took a napkin and drew the building and pictures indicating summer and winter with corresponding highs and lows in Celsius. Then, Tom’s sketches clicked. Suddenly Fujita America understood the Vuteq facility they were planning would need to be equipped with systems that could keep occupants comfortable in extreme weather conditions.

We managed an evolving and expanding project, bringing it home on budget during a pandemic – and without adjusting the original schedule. The mechanical and plumbing systems were completed as promised in Sept. 2020, and according to the revised budget.

Vuteq, USA received the 2021 Eagle Award from the Greater Tennessee Associated Builders and Contractors chapter and the 2021 Award of Excellence from the North Alabama Associated Builders and Contractors chapter.

P.S. Vuteq, USA was one of 6 Lee Company projects honored with a 2021 ABC award – and several of those projects received multiple awards! Altogether, Lee Company took home 12 ABC awards this year. That’s incredible. We greatly appreciate this industry recognition of our dedicated professionals and their work. Thanks to our team and customers. We couldn’t do it without you!