May Sustainability Spotlight: DBS Corporation
DBS Corporation is this month’s Sustainability Spotlight. DBS is a general contractor that specializes in commercial construction. They got their start building Walmart Supercenters all of the Southeast for a locally owned development company The Fletcher Bright Company. Over the years DBS has become more active in green spaces events and even sponsored this year’s Green Prix. We got the chance to sit down with Jason Geraci, Vice President, to find out more about how they have worked toward more sustainable practices in their work.
“For the first 20 years of our company’s existence we built Walmart Supercenters all over the Southeast” Geraci explained. “Over the last 6-7 years we set out to diversify into the industrial, medical, storage, and multifamily products and we made a hard push for some of that to be sustainable. We have built millions of square footage on millions of acres over the years and this was our attempt to come full circle. DBS was able to secure the contracts for the City of Chattanooga’s Homeless Health Center and Well Advantage projects over near the Community Kitchen.”
City of Chattanooga WellAdvantage Center
“Well Advantage could have received their LEED Certification but the City chose not to pursue that option in a value engineering effort. So technically it is not LEED Certified but it could be if they wanted as they met all the needed requirements to do so. This was our first taste of “sustainable construction” and we really enjoyed it.”
Geraci explained that LEED certified buildings and sustainable project are less common because they can be more expensive to build than building in the traditional way.
“Unfortunately we live in a world that’s profit driven and profits are the number one priority, sometimes sustainable things get cut,” Geraci said. “Not many properties in Chattanooga have their LEED certification or could have their LEED certification if they wanted it. As technology advances the hope is that sustainable construction methods and materials become more cost effective. With advancements, that is typically the case with anything.”
When DBS Corporation found out that the iFixit Group would be making Chattanooga their East Coast headquarters, they began to push to work closely with them.
“We made an effort to go partner with them,” Geraci described. “We really wanted to be their builder. We liked what they were preaching and we wanted to be a part of it.”
iFixit Corporation - East Coast Headquarters
DBS Corporation chose to sponsor this year’s Green Prix after becoming a green spaces member.
“We know that we aren’t the main driver in design,” Geraci said. “We provide services for owners, developers, architects, engineers. We build what they come up with. We don’t always get to pick what we build but we try and promote sustainable practices in our work when we can. One of the reasons we wanted to partner with a company like green spaces was to help push and drive the change. We wanted to jump in the car or kind of hitch our wagon to an outfit that can help drive sustainable change. Whether that’s through our time, our money, or both, that’s why we chose to work with green spaces.”
“Our business revolves around owners, developers, architects and engineers putting together a set of plans and then us coming up with a price and then executing the build,” Geraci explained. “Depending on the project, we can make business decisions to say make less profit on one project over another. We have been willing to make less profit on a project if we feel it will allow us to be a part of something that’s sustainable, that’s going to be around for a while.”
Sustainable practices take a village to maintain. Architects, engineers, GC’s and regular consumers all together. DBS has made an effort to be part of the village, and that is clear looking at their actions.
“The reality is there aren’t enough sustainable projects and if we wanted to ensure that we were a part of them we had to think differently to ensure we were a part of it. It helps us grow as a company and be a part of something bigger. Hopefully it helps attract others to come in and invest in the city. Maybe more people will see that Chattanooga’s a place where sustainable construction happens, because we are already doing it.”
Written by Anna Truss