Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Meggerson de Martinez.
Hi Nicole, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I have been involved in the construction industry for nearly my entire career. I have always been intrigued by the transformation from idea to finished product, and how each construction project offers something new, exciting, and challenging. I started in the construction industry working first as an accounting clerk for a residential developer.
My husband, Douglas Martinez, also worked in construction and specialized in medical and dental offices, office buildings, and industrial facilities. I eventually transitioned from working in private sector development, continued my education, and moved into infrastructure contract management for the largest public water provider in California.
In 2015, we moved our family to North Carolina, and after getting acclimated to the local construction environment, Douglas and I decided we’d like to take a shot at opening our own construction company.
I’ve always been more of a risk-taker than Douglas, but I knew from my many years of working with contractors that Douglas brought a special dedication to the details than the average contractor I’d worked with, and I had every confidence we could make a go of it. In 2019, we established Silver Lake Construction while Douglas continued working, and I began attending networking events, joined a number of charitable organizations, and volunteered at nearly every opportunity presented in order to generate a name in the community.
We also participated in a local entrepreneurial development program called Launch Holly Springs which provided an intense 10 weeks of business training, so we knew clearly what we were getting into. In January of 2020, we jumped in with two feet and started aggressively pursuing local construction opportunities.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The first few months of 2020 were pretty scary. We reached out to a number of local commercial property managers to add our names to their contractor list to share with new tenants needing renovation work. We went nearly two months without a contract, but fortunately, we had tightened our belts and saved enough to carry us through the lean times.
Finally, in late February that first lead came from a property manager who had a tenant needing work. They had previously received quotes from other contractors that exceeded their budget, and after walking the project and providing our quote and schedule, they selected us for the job.
The construction went smoothly, we were able to meet their move-in date, and they were thrilled with the job we had completed. Then the world was hit with Covid-19 and the leads we were pursuing virtually dried up.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Silver Lake Construction Co.?
Silver Lake Construction is a general building construction firm specializing in commercial interior renovations. Our clients include building owners, property managers, and commercial tenants looking to build, renovate, or repair their office, retail, and medical work environments. Whether a space is occupied or vacant during commercial construction in or near Raleigh, North Carolina, we work with clients to reduce the impact on existing business operations while managing the schedule for a streamlined, efficient build (even if that means we work late!).
When launching a commercial construction project, whether, for retail, medical, or office use, we understand clients’ need to balance their business identity, the space’s durability, quality and accuracy of workmanship, timeline, trust, and cost. We pride ourselves on communication—open and prompt communication—because we know that’s a high priority for our clients, too.
At Silver Lake Construction, we understand and have built our business around these priorities. Our clients rest easy knowing they’ll have an experienced partner with a track record of creating a smooth construction process, long-term relationships built on respect, and quality workmanship. We are a husband and wife team of experienced builders who have worked in commercial, institutional and industrial projects in California and North Carolina. Douglas Martinez serves as General Superintendent, has decades of experience building commercial spaces and has a passion for problem-solving.
Able to transform images on a set of plans into your workspace vision, Douglas has a knack for building alliances on the job site so that trades work well together, all personnel remain safe in the field, and the client is fully informed throughout the process. I, Nicole Meggerson de Martinez, work as Project Manager and Business Development and bring many years of construction management, field experience, and working with government entities to make sure that all contractual components are taken care of.
While we have a successful track record working with medium to large organizations, we find that our ability to serve the small business owner is where our hearts lie. We are accessible, available, and patient, and it is our joy to make dreams come true for entrepreneurs opening their first storefront location.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
We established Silver Lake Construction in 2019 and launched full-time in January of 2020. We had just completed our first “official” commercial renovation when the Covid-19 crisis started to close down businesses. Because we were in construction, we were fortunate to be considered an essential business, but because we work exclusively in commercial settings, the contracts we were negotiating got put on hold until Covid restrictions were relaxed.
In order to keep bread on the table, we began converting dining rooms into home offices for clients required to work from home and who also had school-age children at home attending virtual learning. We completed a few of these projects until an opportunity to work on a small renovation project for Wake Tech Community College which was vacant during online learning.
What we learned from Covid was the need to be flexible and look for opportunities in non-traditional markets. While we weren’t anticipating doing any residential work, we had to be open to the opportunities that were available until the commercial sector confidence resumed. We also realized that the public sector is another market segment that is virtually immune to traditional commercial market forces, and we found opportunities to diversify our client prospects by registering as a vendor with a variety of public agencies.
And most importantly, we learned the power of networking. Had we not established valuable relationships within the community through regularly attending business networking events, actively participating in Holly Springs Chamber of Commerce activities, as well as volunteering through the Holly Springs Rotary Club, it would have been virtually impossible to create those connections once COVID social distancing was in effect. It has been those connections that have helped sustain Silver Lake Construction throughout the pandemic.
Contact Info:
- Email: nicole@silverlakenc.com
- Website: www.silverlakenc.com
- Instagram: @silverlake_nc
- Facebook: silverlakeconstruction
Image Credits
Amber Foster Smith, Nicole Meggerson de Martinez
