Olympic works miracles on the 'Little Project That Could'
January 2004

St. Joseph's Outpatient Center in Wauwatosa, Wisc., has been called the "Miracle on Mayfair Road" as well as the "Little Project That Could" because a lot of people didn't believe this 210,000 square foot, five-story, $40 million project could be built in 10 months and one day. But a team of 700 workers led by Hunzinger Construction, Brookfield, Wisc., did exactly that.

And Olympic had a part in this miracle. Olympic did the exterior EIFS, metal studs, drywall, plastering and column covers (gypsum reinforced pre-formed columns).

"This was a year and a half project condensed into 10 months," explained Hunzinger senior project manager Tim Van Dyn Hoven. "There were a lot of people on this job who said, 'You're nuts; there is no way it is going to happen.' But we proved it can be done." He added, "Olympic was the major player for framing up all the walls and keeping the construction moving. If they had fallen behind we wouldn't have succeeded."

The project was also like an amoeba constantly changing shape. "The drawings were about 95 percent complete when we submitted our bid," said Mike Kelly, Olympic's project manager. "After work started we had over 100 construction bulletins on changes as the owner and architect completed the design. It took a tremendous amount of coordination to get everyone's work within our walls so that we could complete our work on time."

Van Dyn Hoven confirmed that a key factor in the project's success was tight coordination and lots of communication: "We had a lot of men on this job. We peaked at over 325 on one day. We did it by orchestrating the manpower - multiple shifts, multiple floors, multiple phasing and lots of meetings to coordinate who's going where, when."

The managers signed a commitment to each other to get the job done in 10 months; however, Hunzinger gave the real credit to the workers. "The tribute really goes to the guys in the trenches who get the job done. It is one thing for us management people to wave our hands and talk the lingo, but it is the guys in the field who make it happen and get it built," Van Dyn Hoven said.

Hunzinger presented a plaque to Olympic in recognition of the company's effort to complete this project on time. The plaque reads in part: "...The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood...who at best in the end knows the triumph of high achievement. and if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt, April 23, 1910.