established 1974
http://www.snohomishcountybusinessjournal.com/archive/jun06/gaffney-jun06.htm
06/16/2006
06/16/2006Snohomish County Business Journal
By Kimberly Hilden
SCBJ Assistant Editor
“We’re very efficient — our approach is a team approach. We get our subcontractors on board early on, both from a price standpoint and addressing any issues they might (see),”said Jim Gaffney, president and founder of Gaffney Construction Inc. With him are brother Pete and son Joe, who are project managers and estimators for the company.
Gaffney Construction Inc. seems to be everywhere at once. In recent months, the Everett-based general contractor’s signature red, white and blue banner has shown up at the Monroe Boys & Girls Club, at the newly built Bartell Drugs in Silver Lake and at the First Baptist Church of Everett, where construction is under way on a multimillion-dollar Community Outreach Center.
“We probably always have 10 jobs going,”said Jim Gaffney, president and founder of the 32-year-old commercial contractor. “We might do a job that’s $500 for a customer; we might do another that’s $5 million.”
While the company’s geographic footprint extends from Stanwood to Lynnwood, the majority of its work is done right in its own hometown, and 90 percent comes from satisfied customers and their referrals, he said.
Customers such as Dwayne Lane’s Family of Auto Centers, which has used Gaffney Construction for remodeling and building projects since 1987, including construction of glass showcase gazebos at the auto dealer’s Chrysler Jeep center as well as its Dodge store. In a 2002 letter of recommendation for the company, Dwayne Lane’s chief executive, Tom Lane, cited Gaffney’s ability to provide quality work, meet construction deadlines and offer competitive pricing.
“I would not hesitate to recommend Gaffney Construction for any project and look forward to utilizing their company again in the future,”Lane concluded. Those sentiments are echoed by other customers, from the leaders of nonprofit organizations and churches to health-care professionals whose medical and office buildings Gaffney Construction has built over the years
The reason for customer satisfaction is simple: In an industry known for missed deadlines and mounting change orders, Gaffney Construction always finishes on time, with nine out of 10 jobs finished under budget.
“We’re very efficient — our approach is a team approach. We get our subcontractors on board early on, both from a price standpoint and addressing any issues they might (see),”said Gaffney, whose company has developed close ties to its regular subcontractors.
The team approach extends to the project’s owner and architect, he said, which is key when trying to manage costs in an environment of fluctuating material pricing and gas surcharges. That meticulous regard for a project’s bottom line is a benefit for any client, but especially so for nonprofit organizations that rely on Gaffney Construction to work within a tight capital budget that doesn’t allow for costly surprises during the building phase. The Assistance League of Everett, St. Vincent de Paul and the Snohomish County Boys & Girls Clubs are among the many nonprofit groups that have benefited from the contractor’s cost- conscience attitude.In a 1999 letter to Gaffney, Boys & Girls Clubs Executive Director Bill Tsoukalas wrote, “It seems that you can stretch a dollar farther, without sacrificing quality, than any other company. ... I have no doubt that your company’s success comes from your honesty, trustworthiness and hard work.”
Helping Gaffney fulfill customers’needs is a staff of 15 full-time employees, with brother Pete and son Joe working as project managers and estimators. All three grew up in the construction industry, with Jim and Pete’s father, John Gaffney, having owned a paint and drywall businessand Joe, a graduate of Central Washington University’s construction management program, having cleaned up at his dad’s job sites during high school. “We all grew up in that; we came through the ranks, cleaning up construction debris to where we are today,”Jim Gaffney said. Together, the three often work 10- to 12-hour days, meeting daily to discuss project issues and meeting weekly for luncheons with their project superintendents.But the company isn’t all work and no play. Every Thursday evening, Gaffney Construction employees and subcontractors get together for golf. The company also holds a golf tournament in August, an annual event Joe put together while he was still in school.
As for the future of Gaffney Construction, Jim Gaffney is content with his company’s place in the market: a commercial contractor completing a wide range of projects close to home, from restoring the Historic Everett Theatre to constructing office buildings and retail outlets.
“We found a niche that we’re real comfortable with,”he said.
June 2006 Main Menu © 2006 The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA
"I have no doubt that your company's success comes from your honesty, trustworthiness and hard work."
- Bill Tsoukalas Executive Director
Boys and Girls Clubs of Snohomish County
GAFFNEY'S 'TEAM APPROACH' LEADS TO SUCCESS
BALL FIELD NAMED AFTER GAFFNEYS -September 1999-
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County and the City of Everett Parks and Recreation Department recently dedicated Gaffney Field in honor of Jim Gaffney, owner of Gaffney Construction, and Tom Gaffney, who sits on Everett Mutual Banks Board, for their commitment to the Club, and their involvement in youth baseball. The field was made possible through a unique collaboration of organizations, including Everett Mutual Bank Foundation, who gave a $75,000 grant to the Club for a ball park for kids. The Boys and Girls Club already had the field, but the field had drainage problems and other maintenance issues. The money went to fix up the park and the City of Everett Parks Department agreed to contract with the club to do ongoing maintenance for the improved park in exchange for using the park too. 8105 Broadway
Everett, WA
98203
Camano Commons
Location: 848 N. Sunrise Blvd., Camano Island
Owner/developer: Jeff Erickson
Project team: Gaffney Construction, general contractor; Lundeen Simonson, DKS and Backstrom Curb & Sidewalk, concrete contractors; Dykeman, architect; RB Engineering, structural engineer; Smokey Point Concrete, ready-mix supplier
The project is a retail village that will include nine buildings when fully developed. The buildings surround a courtyard of concrete pavers and landscaping designed for outdoor seating and pedestrian activities.
Concrete was left exposed on some interior walls as a design element. Concrete floors were stained and polished.
Each building was individually designed for the tenant. Architectural concrete was one of the project’s primary materials, being used for both design and structural purposes.
Two pedestrian gateways feed into the courtyard. Concrete columns, heavy timber trellis elements and a steel grid for tenant signs were used in the courtyard to create a sense of enclosure for the space. The concrete finish is natural and is intended to weather along with the wood and steel.
Concrete was used on the foundations and slabs of the buildings, many of which have 3-foot-tall exposed concrete stem walls that were board-formed with cedar planks. Several buildings have stained concrete floors.
Concrete was used in the site’s 120-stall parking lot: 4 inches thick in traffic areas and 6 inches in truck delivery areas. It was selected over asphalt due to its low maintenance and low environmental impact. Sand-set concrete pavers were used in the parking area to help retain rainwater.
REFERENCE: Copyright ©2005 Seattle Daily Journal and DJC.COM.
At Camano Commons, a courtyard is encircled with
concrete steps and brick pavers.
ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF EVERETT
19TH AVENUE PLACE
Scuttlebutt Brewing Co.
Opens at the Port of Everett's Waterfront Center to Record Crowds!
Everett, Wash. - On April 15, Scuttlebutt Brewing Co. opened at the Port of Everett's new Waterfront Center and drew record crowds.
The popular waterfront restaurant and brewery now located at 1205 Craftsman Way, almost doubled its best day volume at its previous location off West Marine View Drive, Scuttlebutt Co-owner Phil Bannan said.
"We are really happy to be in our new location, and would like to thank Gaffney Construction and all the others that worked so hard to meet our opening deadline," Bannan said. "With our new location, we nearly tripled our staffing to approximately 40 employees. We will have the same food and the same prices for the most part. We are adding some special dinner meals such as salmon, halibut and prime rib."
The Port signed a six-year lease with multiple options with Scuttlebutt in August 2010 for 5,560-square-foot space. This doubles the room for customers, creates more kitchen space and adds a full service bar. The expanded bar also increases the number of Scuttlebutt beer on tap from eight to 12.
Scuttlebutt is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
"Waterfront Center was a perfect site for Scuttlebutt," Director of Properties Steve Hager said. "The building was designed to meet the needs of the boating community, yet also provide an outlet for non-boaters to come down have a meal and enjoy a walk around the waterfront – Scuttlebutt provides for both."
Scuttlebutt has been a tenant of the Port of Everett since its company started in 1996. Its former location is part of an environmental cleanup and the building, along with the other abandoned structures will be removed in 2012 as part of the cleanup effort. The area is part of the Port's waterfront revitalization effort.
About Waterfront Center
- Waterfront Center is an 83,000 square foot facility that includes space for retail, office, marine shop space, with event rentals available in the Blue Heron and Sandpiper rooms
- Waterfront Center was created by remodeling the former Marine Spill Response Center concrete tilt-up structure and adding 15,000 square feet for Port and Marina Administration offices and restaurant space
- Waterfront Center is home to the Port of Everett’s administrative and marina offices
- 9 tenants for the building: Port Administration & Marina Offices; Scuttlebutt Brewing Company (opening in April); Everett Yacht Service; L&M Marine; Tom’s Electric, B&B Marine; Marine Power Services, CNC Technologies and Port Gardner Yacht Brokerage
- Marine service shops open to on a new state-of-the-art environmentally sound boatyard, haul out and wash down facility — served by 35/75 ton Travelifts
- Boatyard expansion is expected to be complete in Spring 2012
- Waterfront Center is located adjacent to the largest public marina on the West Coast and within walking distance to the state’s largest boat launch
- Waterfront Center offers community rental space, for weddings, business meetings or any other function
- Approximately 30,000 square feet is still available for lease. For leasing information, contact Brian Stuchell at Eclipse Real Estate Group at 425-320-1076 or by email at bstuchell@eclipsegrp.net
Lisa Lefeber
Public Affairs Administrator
Port of Everett
425.388.0617
lisam@portofeverett.com
Published: Friday, June 17, 2011
Dining review: Scuttlebutt’s new location only complements the same tasty food
By Sarah Jackson, Herald Writer
Scuttlebutt Brewing Co., famous for its locally brewed beers and beloved for its little Everett brew pub, has moved a few blocks north.
This is a good thing. Scuttlebutt has made a major upgrade in terms of ambience.
I visited the old location on Marine View Drive a few times in the past five years. I would have gone more, but the atmosphere was lacking. Despite the proprietor's admirable attempts at warming up the old space, it was tables only, no booths, and it never felt much like a restaurant.
Scuttlebutt's new brew pub anchors the southwest corner of the Waterfront Center, home of the Port of Everett's new headquarters just south of the 10th Street boat launch. And it is most definitely a restaurant, a big, beautiful, busy one.
You won't find water views here. Across the street is a huge vacant lot, a reminder of a condominium development that failed to materialize. But the atmosphere is bright and inviting and you feel close to the water with sail boat masts visible in most directions.
Scuttlebutt's new space, like the building, features industrial decor, including polished concrete floors, exposed steel beams and numerous booths next to huge windows that let in an abundance of natural light. It is a loud, lofty space. Our server told us there are plans to install noise-muffling materials on the high, black-painted ceilings. In the bar, a long, 4-inch-thick slab of polished hemlock adds a lovely splash of natural beauty and warmth.
What about the food?
Apart from a variety of new dinner selections featuring fish, steak and chicken, it's pretty much the same classic Scuttlebutt assortment of burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads and fried appetizers. I had the always-popular Scuttlebutt fish and chips ($8.99 for two pieces, $9.99 for three), Alaskan cod dipped in Scuttlebutt beer batter and panko bread crumbs. You can upgrade to halibut for an extra $1. It was quite delicious with breading that was more brown than golden brown, but so good that it was hard not to finish the whole plate. I relished the large portion of fries, which were lightly battered for a bit of extra texture and crunch. It all came with bottle of malt vinegar. I also ordered a cup of clam chowder ($2.99), another specialty. It was a winner, full of surprisingly large pieces of tender clam. Though creamy, the broth was not overly thick or heavy, and the vegetables were tender and flavorful.
My dining companion ordered the French dip ($8.99), another highlighted specialty on the vast menu. It came on a gorgeous bun that was crusty on the outside and soft and airy on the inside. He liked the meat -- "a pile of tasty, thinly sliced roast beef" -- as well as au jus and, most of all, a house-made horseradish sauce. It had just enough kick to provide full flavor but not so much as to overpower the sandwich or horseradish-shy diners. I'd like to go back to Scuttlebutt soon to try out the rest of the extensive lunch menu, which includes just about any fried dish you can imagine, including a seafood platter ($11.99) and coconut prawns ($9.99), but also gyros, bratwurst and wings.
Our service was speedy and efficient, if a bit curt at times, perhaps because of the lunch rush. I didn't see anyone complaining as they piled into the large corner booths. When we arrived about noon on a Tuesday for lunch, we claimed one of the last spots in the house. Most of the diners were feasting on fish and chips. All of them seemed pretty happy, me included.
Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037, sjackson@heraldnet.com.
Scuttlebutt Brewing Co.
1205 Craftsman Way, Everett; 425-257-9316; www.scuttlebuttbrewing.com.
Speciality: Lunch fare.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Alcohol: Full bar.
Vegetarian options: Veggie burgers, appetizers and salads.
Getting there: Go north on Marine View Drive two blocks past the old location. Take a left on 13th Avenue, toward the water. Look for this place on your right as 13th Avenue curves to the right.
Scuttlebutt Brewing Co.
BRIDGEWAYS
