By: Sam Cole
Running a business is a balancing act – luckily, we have some friends who know a thing or two about building stable structures.
Back in 2023, New Energy Works founder and CEO, Jonathan Orpin, started a networking group called the Building Forward Collaborative (BFC). The BFC is a focused cohort of 10 small businesses in the design-build space, located in the Pacific Northwest. And, perhaps most importantly, they are all businesses dedicated to the Triple Bottom Line, a business philosophy that places equal importance on People, Planet, and Profit.
Last month, we had the pleasure of convening with the Building Forward Collaborative and couldn’t be more grateful for the time.
“Coming together with like-minded business owners like this is really powerful,” says Jonathan. “We’re all striving to run our companies with respect to the Triple Bottom Line, and having an opportunity to not just strategize together, but encourage and reaffirm one another – that’s huge.”
The idea behind the BFC is simple: get together with these companies that not only operate in the same industry, but share goals and principles, spend time comparing notes and brainstorming, and ultimately become better businesspeople together. Each member company brings their own unique experiences and specific insights to the table, and through collaboration, remove obstacles for one another.
“In a way it’s like builder therapy – you’re in a room full of smart and motivated people who share a lot of your same challenges,” says New Energy Works architect, David Shirley, AIA, CPHB. “Everyone brings their energy to really help one another, as well as commiserate on losses and celebrate the wins. You come away feeling equal parts exhausted and inspired.”
The Building Forward Collaborative meets biannually, with hosting duties performed by a different member company each meeting. The structure of the meetings is designed to offer all participants an opportunity to share their latest news, but a majority of the time is dedicated to a deep dive on the host company. As the host for this particular November gathering, New Energy Works had the honor of being in the hot seat. Over the course of two and a half days at the McMenamins Hotel Oregon, we had the opportunity to present our stories, strategies, and challenges in depth to our esteemed peers, and receive their feedback and suggestions.
While the BFC is full of builders and architects who are always eager to discuss the nuts and bolts of construction, the focus is about business operations and how we all might function more efficiently and effectively. What this looks like in practice will vary, depending on the needs of the host company, but can include things like reviewing financials, discussing market trends, or performing a SWOT analysis exercise.
“We definitely came away with some new strategies,” reports David. “After hearing about some things that worked well for other companies, we are reworking some systems in our design process, with the end goal being a more satisfying experience for our clients.”
In addition to the brass tacks of business planning, there are of course extra-curricular activities built into every BFC meeting. As the host of this gathering, we were thrilled to provide a multi-phase tour that offered participants an up-close look at various timber manufacturing processes. Stops on the tour included the NEWBeamery where we do our timber framing work, our sister company Pioneer Millworks, as well as the facilities of our close partners and neighbors at Elk Creek Forest Products.
And we couldn’t host an event like this in the Willamette Valley without showing off some of the world-class wine from the region, including a home-grown selection from our very own hobbyist vintner, David Shirley.
Thank you again to our friends and colleagues for joining us for another successful gathering of the Building Forward Collaborative. Working with you is a vital source of inspiration!
- A1DesignBuild
- Akos Construction
- Bicycle Homebuilding Company
- Birdsmouth Design-Build
- Dream Home Building and Designs
- G. Christianson Construction
- Six Degrees Construction Company
- Targa Homes
- Triple Bottom Line Construction
The current iteration of the Building Forward Collaborative is capped at 10 members by design so that each participant is able to contribute and benefit meaningfully. A second cohort will be starting in 2026; if you operate a design-build company out of the Pacific Northwest and are interested in joining, please reach out to jonathan@newenergyworks.com or buildingforwardcollaborative@gmail.com. It’s a challenging time for builders and small businesses, but by working together and building supportive communities, we can ensure a better future.
