The dedicated team members at UBS and Wall-panel, subsidiaries of Wall-tech Inc., build a strong and steadily growing business in a unique and untapped field.

Exterior CFMF wall panels were installed on this three-story school addition, Waunakee, Wis.

Madison, Wisconsin is home to United Building Solutions (UBS), an integrated team proficient in structural engineering, coordination, and manufacturing through construction. UBS sets itself apart from the competition by incorporating tailor-made solutions through panelization during design development. Value-engineering architectural and steel elements into structural assemblies provides projects with effective coordination while minimizing onsite labor.

The combination of these services is the key to the firm’s success. Panelized components range from simple exterior cladding to multi-story cold-formed metal frame (CFMF) load-bearing wall and floor systems. Panels can be manufactured in 12-foot by 30-foot lengths, both vertical and horizontal. Here’s where the story begins…

Mike Clary, Operations Manager of UBS, prides himself on thinking like a “field guy”—which only makes sense since that’s where he learned the business and where he spent the first 25 years of his career. When Pete Braun, Owner of UBS’ parent company Wall-tech Inc., decided to consider creating UBS as a subsidiary, he turned to Clary for guidance. “I brought unique panelization experience, which we were able to leverage” says Clary.

UBS assembled the right team and got to work thinking through the alternatives. What type of panel jigs would be used? How would the team set up a shop? What type of connections would be used? What about welding versus screws? What are the pros and cons? What types of materials can be incorporated into panels to streamline the construction process? This was reality: “From the first multi-story project we did, there were hollow structural steel tube (HSS) members with strapping specified, but they were independent of the panels. I knew this was going to increase the work load, time and inefficiencies in the field. It was clear we needed to incorporate these members into our panels,” says Clary.

“We get to see buildings transform much quicker than site-built structures,” adds Ryan Williams, Director of Project Management. “We’re setting 15 to 20 panels a day, literally building multiple floors at a time; you can see real progress in front of you each and every day and really see the building take shape.”

Inspired Leadership

Clary attributes much of their success to Kurt Frey, PE, Vice President and Director of Engineering. “Kurt is a structural engineer and has been doing cold-formed work for nearly 30 years,” Clary says. “He really knows materials and I learn so much just being around him. During the erection process in the field, I did not understand why an opening that wasn’t bearing a lot of downward load needed headers, or beams, and jambs that were oversized. Kurt explained that the load in these cases was all lateral pressures from wind, and not vertical loads. He showed me that it has to do with wind and load pressures. Learning from him helps us all to design more efficient systems.”

Brett Davis, the team’s Preconstruction Services Manager, concurs: “I was acting as project executive for the Bucks arena project in May 2017 when I got the call about an employment opportunity at UBS, working directly with Kurt Frey. I had met Kurt while I was working as a consultant in 2010 and was impressed with his vision and ideas. Needless to say, I immediately accepted the position. As an engineer, Kurt is nothing short of brilliant. As a designer for a structure, he is an owner/GC’s best friend, due to the fact that he so clearly sees the big picture. He takes into consideration every factor—from cost to schedule to customer needs—and puts together the perfect design.”

Frey is best known for his signature statement, “Cold-formed metal framing is nothing but wood on steroids.”

Power Team

Chandel Ninmann, a Virtual Design/Construction Specialist, underscores the importance of individual contributions as the building blocks for a great team. “The uniqueness of our company is our team being a true team,” she says. “We each have our own areas of expertise to help create the best product for the project. Our goal is to always provide a product that works well from design to installation, so we discuss how connection pieces work with the panel and the building. We discuss different ways to build a panel and consider how each decision saves labor or material costs. Many times, a cost savings in fabrication means it’s harder to install, or a cost savings for installation means it takes more material or time to fabricate. We decide what design works best for each particular project and make it happen efficiently. The only way this is possible is through our people truly working together to get each person’s expertise about a panel design at each stage of the process.”

Ninmann explains that the synergy happens when they learn from each other, gain inspiration from each other, and solve problems or come up with new ideas together. “We have people who have installed walls in the field for over 20 years; we have people who have engineered cold-formed framing for nearly 30 years; we have people with excellent project management and preconstruction skills; and we have people who specialize in the technology to make it all happen,” she adds. “It’s common to find us in an impromptu gathering at a whiteboard or in a conference room to ask questions that seem too difficult to solve, and talk through how it can be done, then how it can be done better. One person will say, ‘Why wouldn’t it work to do it this way?’ and often the answer leads us to innovate that design.”

“We can cut weeks and in some cases months off a project schedule, saving time and money to help GCs/owners turn over their buildings faster.” Ryan Williams, Director of Project Management

Young, Nimble and an Early Success

UBS, as a recently formed subsidiary of Wall-tech, has achieved significant success in less than two years. The firm is currently working on a variety of projects, including a seven-story hotel in Iowa, a K-12 school addition near Madison, and a hospital in Kenosha. Its work spans throughout the Midwest and the Great Lakes region.

“We’ve seen some successes because we are providing something new and unique that competitors in our market aren’t providing at this time,” says Williams. “We are much more than your standard panelizer. At UBS, we bring a holistic approach in terms of design, engineering and construction, incorporating an array of structural components into our prefabricated panels. We strive to provide a more collaborative process on the front end of projects, which helps us deliver value-engineering suggestions as projects evolve through the design phase. That’s one reason why GCs are hiring us.”

Williams is very proud of their early success, as well he should be. “Ryan’s efforts have things running smoothly company-wide and he’s been a major factor in getting UBS to where it is today,” comments Davis. But Williams points resolutely to the team.

“We’re off to a great start,” he says. “It typically takes a few years to get a company off the ground and moving in the right direction. We’re a small, dedicated group with little overhead and everyone brings a unique and necessary skill set. It’s very efficient!”

Clearly, United Building Solutions is building a significant future.