6/26/18 – The Daily Transcript - Gafcon acquires scheduling firm
By Mark Armao
San Diego-based construction and program management firm Gafcon, Inc. recently announced the acquisition of McDowell Scheduling, an Orange County-based construction scheduling company.
McDowell uses advanced software to identify challenges and potential delays, enabling clients to complete projects on time and under budget, according to a news release.
Founded by Philip McDowell in 1988, the company has been responsible for more than 3,000 project schedules. The firm has developed and monitored schedules for private developments such as Downtown Disney and large-scale public transportation projects for Caltrans.
"The acquisition of McDowell Scheduling creates an unparalleled advantage for Gafcon in our industry," Gafcon COO Robin Duveen said. "Philip is a true thought leader and understands the detailed logistics of each construction project type. His 30 years of insights will be a significant differentiator for our scheduling department and our clients."
McDowell himself will join Gafcon as director of scheduling.
"I've been developing schedules since before computers were commonplace in construction," McDowell said. "Being able to mentally build a project and envision the entire sequence of work is a lost art, like a great director storyboarding an entire movie before filming even starts.
An active educator, McDowell has taught construction planning and management systems at UCLA Extension.
He has also been called upon to perform forensic analysis in legal proceedings regarding construction delays, helping owners save "millions by identifying the causation of project delays or defending costly delay claims by contractors," according to Gafcon.
Since the acquisition was finalized in March, McDowell and Gafcon have been developing technology-driven tools for project modeling and data visualization. The new tools will allow the team to distill "complex project management information into a format that is easily understood by owners, contractors and managers at all levels," a release stated.
"We are already collaborating on innovative solutions that combine advanced scheduling with building information modeling, geographic information systems, reality capture technology and data visualization," said Sean Olcott, Gafcon's virtual design and construction director.
Gafcon, which is part of the team planning the redevelopment of Seaport Village as well as an 800-acre master plan in Shanghai, has been utilizing McDowell's scheduling services on its educational, hospitality and health care projects since the acquisition.
