Executive-2018-fall-winter

end restaurants; the lab can be seen from the retail area through a large picture window. “Our consumers can see and be a part of the process, it’s not just hidden in the back,” Tharwani said. “It’s the first concept of this kind that I know of.” To design the new state-of-the-art lab and expanded retail space, Tharwani chose to work with Eclipse Brand Builders because they were excited about taking on the complex, though small design and construction project. “A lot of their senior executive team came on site even though we were a small project for them,” Tharwani said. “They were as invested in this project as I am.” “We hit it off right away. It was a great relationship right from the start,” said Chris McClung, president and partner of Eclipse Brand Builders. McClung said Eclipse’s main focus during the entire project was helping Tharwani and his partners stay focused on running their business. “We handled everything,” McClung said, which is one of Eclipse’s specialties. “We are a true design- build firm,” McClung said, “we handle everything from site selection and demographic analysis to finding artwork for the walls before we hand over the keys.” For the Gwinnett Drugs project, handling everything included coordinating closely with the manufacturer of the compounding lab, which was constructed off-site. McClung said Eclipse had to be sure everything was perfectly prepared for installation to avoid delays to an already tight construction schedule. The lab is temperature- and air-controlled and sterile, and all the utility hook-ups and other connections to the retail location had to fit perfectly. Another complicated aspect of the expansion was that Tharwani wanted to continue serving his customers without interruption during the entire process. McClung said Eclipse did its best to keep the inconvenience of construction as painless as possible. “We kept them operational during construction, which can be a miserable experience,” McClung said. “Minimizing their discomfort and minimizing the potentially negative effect on their customers was a priority.” To keep the customer-based business running during construction, project phasing was very important. Planning early when each space in the building would be a construction zone versus a retail/business area was key to smooth business operations for the pharmacy, McClung said. Eclipse had an onsite manager available during business hours to address any problems Tharwani or his staff experienced due to construction. “We were in constant communication with them as issues arose,” Tharwani said. The lab was installed in late August and Gwinnett Drugs was fully operational in its new space by mid-September. With the newly expanded space and refreshed company branding in place, Tharwani still doesn’t plan to take it too easy. “It’s finished, it’s looking great and now it’s time to get back to work,” Tharwani said. Young Companies Find Value in Chairman’s Club Network According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 50% of small companies fail in the first five years. Gwinnett Drugs, Eclipse Brand Builders and Frenik Marketing Group seem to be exceptions. All three companies are young (about five years old), growing quickly and finding success, in part due to their involvement with Gwinnett Chamber and its Chairman’s Club. Chris McClung, president and partner at Eclipse Brand Builders, said that the Chairman’s Club makes it possible to build the relationships needed for design-build success. “The Chairman’s Club offers very good networking opportunities, which is how we get work in our business” he said. Casey Heffernan, senior creative director at Frenik Marketing Group, agreed, saying she gets introduced to companies she might never have met otherwise. “We see companies who are up and coming, that might be lost in the shuffle,” she said. By leveraging those relationships created through involvement in the Chairman’s Club, Naveed Tharwani, owner of Gwinnett Drugs, expanded his business and hopes to grow his influence in the community. “Being a member of the Chairman’s Club increases the validity of our brand,” he said. “There’s no point in having a great place unless I can tell everyone about it.” the EXECUTIVE 9