BIM Designs Partners with California’s SMART Local 104

By Caitlin Dunn

November 14, 2019

After a year of negotiations, BIM Designs, Inc. has reached a signatory agreement with Sheet Metal Workers Local 104, which spans in jurisdiction from Northern California to just above Los Angeles County. This new partnership enables BIM Designs to hire Local 104 union laborers to support mechanical contractors in the northern half of California. “We’re very excited to partner with one of the largest sheet metal labor unions in the US,” said Mark Oden, CEO of BIM Designs. “It’s important to this market to keep contracts and jobs in the local area, and now we are able to do just that.”

BIM Designs is a fully domestic, VDC consulting firm, providing on-demand MEP CAD Detailing and BIM modeling solutions. Their staff, which has grown from one employee to nearly forty in just eighteen months, includes professional engineers, project managers, journeyman CAD detailers, and VDC Technicians across six states. The company works to attract and hire field-experienced tradesmen; and then utilizes their expertise and trade knowledge to collaborate with local contractors and AEC firms, expanding their MEP virtual design capacity. Together, they produce turnkey constructible BIM models, used for prefabrication, efficient installation on-site, and facilities management. "Design contractors like BIM Designs, Inc. are helping ensure our installation and fabrication contractors have the detailing resources they need, when they need them, without having to take on the risk of over or under-investing in their detailing departments or looking elsewhere.  We're pleased to announce the partnership with BIM Designs, and look forward to years of success for our local members." says Robert Hansen, Director of Business Development, District 1, SMW Local 104.

Keeping Work in the USA

BIM Designs has since opened its second office in the region. “We’re excited about expanding our presence in northern California,” Nathan Vigil, VP of Operations at BIM Designs, said. “We want companies to know that with us, they can stay within the benefits of the union and work with the domestic talent of BIM Designs.”

Vigil described those union-related benefits as superior technical training and on-the-job apprenticeships for laborers, resulting in reliable and professional performance; knowledge of local building codes; higher ethics; and high-quality, useable work products. “We’ll be working with top talent in the region and filling a need for their contractors,” Vigil explained.

BIM Designs is bringing thought leadership about the construction process into the planning stages of projects. Vigil says the company works with local unions, nationwide, because the union produces and protects the installer, fabricator and detailing labor force; education and practical experience are standard for all members, including five years of apprentice work. When applied to the BIM process, which saves time and money on construction projects, field-trained employees can think through a project from many perspectives, even before construction starts.

Cozzolino’s experience rings true to Vigil’s assertion about the experience of BIM Designs’ Detailing Department. He’s worked over fifteen years in the sheet metal trade as an HVAC worker, with both field and fabrication work, adding drafting/detailing experience along the way. He says he’s “very comfortable” with software like Autodesk’s Revit platform, and sees it as a way to not only advance his career, but also a conduit for filling the need for advancements in technology on construction projects. Cozzolino says, “In the construction industry, it’s important to have qualified, intelligent personnel working for you and making informed decisions when problems arise. BIM Designs takes care to find the right person and the right fit for the job.” To learn more about other BIM Designs signatory partnerships or their growing detailing team, visit their website.