With a full-service approach, Geis Companies revolutionizes design and construction projects
Geis Companies (Geis) is a visionary leader in fully integrated design and construction services. The company distinguishes itself from competitors through its unique all-in-house service, known as the Full Cycle Approach. This innovative structure enables Geis to employ a design-build process instead of the typical design-bid-build method, resulting in an average project timeline that is 25 percent shorter. Conrad Geis, President, shares insights into the company’s core services.
“My grandparents were German immigrants who planted their roots in Northeast Ohio via Canada. A brick mason by trade, my grandfather worked in tool and die for Ford alongside his brother before they eventually started Geis Tool and Die from the basement of their home. As the business grew, my grandfather expanded it by building a 12,000-square-foot, multi-tenant building in Macedonia, Ohio. The plan was for them to move into the endcap and lease out the other two bays to cover the mortgage. After building the facility, Geis Construction was born, marking my grandfather’s entry into the real estate business, which set the foundation for growth. Fast forward to today, and we are a vertically integrated, one-stop-shop real estate solutions company. Headquartered in Northeast Ohio, we have offices from coast to coast, including locations in Los Angeles, California; Hackensack, New Jersey; and Southwest Florida. This extensive presence allows us to serve clients across 43 states. COO of Construction, Jeffrey Martin, a 30-year associate of Geis said “at Geis we have five distinct divisions that collaborate using an integrated project delivery team approach to solve for solutions for clients, from early client consultations to in-depth preconstruction services locking in budgets and schedules for management planning, to complete design and ultimately delivering the project, for sale or even creative lease structures. Geis does this for both foreign and domestic entities looking to expand into new markets across the country.”
Conrad offers details on the integrated team approach and the different areas covered by Geis’ divisions, highlighting how they complement one another to offer a one-stop-shop solution to customers. “Geis Construction handles the full site selection in-house, including zoning and entitlement, ensuring that the site meets our clients’ requirements. From there, our pre-construction department develops site plans, conceptual layouts, floor plans, and preliminary cost estimates. This helps clients and tenants make informed decisions moving forward. Our upfront effort in site identification and conceptual planning is crucial for their decision-making process, and everything is managed in-house, leading to detailed production drawings and more. As a full-service development company under the Geis umbrella, Geis Development specializes in ground-up construction and build-to-suit projects for clients looking for a site to expand within the US. If a client or manufacturing company prefers not to own their facility, we offer a leaseback option where we handle financing from our end and allow them to sign a lease while we pay for the improvements.
“Beyond development, we are a full-service architectural engineering firm with approximately 30 design professionals on staff under GDOT Design (GDOT). This division handles everything from pre-construction concept and site and floor planning to comprehensive construction drawing. All aspects, including MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) designs, are managed in-house, with the exception of civil engineering, which we subcontract. GDOT’s sister company, Geis Construction, collaborates closely with our architectural team throughout the design process, conducting price and budget checks that enable us to operate as a true design-build firm.
In addition to construction, we offer property management services through Geis Properties, encompassing facility management, marketing, and landlord
representation. Meanwhile, our hospitality division, staffed by about 250 employees, is dedicated to owning, operating, and managing boutique hotels, along with approximately 17 food and beverage operations. Despite all these divisions, our core expertise remains in manufacturing and industrial projects across the country,” he elaborates.
Geis green
Portage County’s Turnpike Commerce Center, a large industrial park in Ohio, is a testament to Geis’ versatile expertise, as the company played a key role in its development. “Geis Development acquired this site about four years ago. Historically, we have been big into land development, buying large tracts of land for business campuses catering to manufacturing or general industrial use. The Turnpike Commerce Center spans nearly 500 acres, conveniently located just up the road from our headquarters in Streetsboro, Ohio. Since establishing roots there in 1996, we have developed approximately 12 million square feet of industrial space. Shalersville, Ohio, became our next target because we see it as a strong, emerging area. This led us to build a million-square-foot speculative building. The cross dock facility is the largest of its kind in Northeast Ohio’s history, as we believed the timing was right for such a location. Now that we have completed the million-square-foot spec building, which is currently 50% occupied, we are actively looking to lease the remainder. We believe that activity breeds activity, so we are positioning the park for heavy manufacturing use. For instance, we recently finished phase one of three for Viega’s new manufacturing facility, which occupies about 80 acres. We are also actively working with various groups, both foreign and domestic, to attract additional manufacturing operations to the site, which will drive job creation. Jobs are a significant focus for us in the manufacturing world.” Conrad explains.
Within its construction endeavors, Geis is committed to building sustainably and in accordance with recognized green industry standards. “Given that the world and manufacturing landscape are ever evolving, we stay current with LEED certifications and other sustainable practices. Much of this is driven by our clients and what they want. If a client walks through the door needing full LEED certification for their project, we have the checks and balances in-house to design and build accordingly. Many of the new facilities we have built, such as Viega’s and the speculative building in Shalersville, aim to become carbon neutral, which means that these facilities rely entirely on electric power. To achieve this, we collaborate with various bodies, including utility providers, and conduct detailed load studies and engineering drawings. In addition to being driven by client needs, our sustainable practices are driven by our organizational structure. This enables us to pivot and offer full LEED certifications or what we refer to as Geis Green, which encompasses building to those standards in a more cost-effective manner,” Jen Diasio – President GDOT Design explains.
Thanks to its unparalleled expertise passed down through generations, Geis effortlessly delivers integrated design, construction and real estate solutions.