News
The 海角社区 Group Establishes Bildt, A Fabrication And Modular Company
Delivering projects faster, safer and to a higher degree of quality than conventional construction
APPLETON, WI, January 8, 2025 鈥� Building on its 135-year history in the construction industry, 海角社区 is reimagining how buildings are planned, designed and delivered by launching Bildt, a modular and prefabrication manufacturer. Bildt was created in response to interest from facility owners, general contractors and architects to reduce project costs and increase speed to market. Industry veterans Melanie Taylor and Ben Bruns lead the new organization. As vice president of manufacturing, Taylor focuses on fabrication and manufacturing; as vice president of modular, Bruns leads sales and marketing efforts.
鈥淎s a general contractor, we recognized the need for our line of innovative, customizable permanent modular and prefabricated products that can cut construction times in half, allowing building owners to occupy and generate revenue months sooner than anticipated,鈥� said Bruns. 鈥淲orking with Bildt brings speed, standardization with customization, quality and in some cases more than a 30% reduction in first cost over site-built construction.鈥�
Bildt manufactures modular buildings and slide-in room and bathroom pods for a variety of markets including healthcare, industrial, education and commercial. While fabrication takes place in the company鈥檚 off-site facility in Oshkosh, Wis., the site team coordinates construction activities in the field with the project鈥檚 general contractor or construction manager, or with Bildt鈥檚 field execution teams. Concurrently executing on-site construction tasks and module fabrication completes projects faster than using traditional methods.
In addition to permanent modular units, Bildt manufactures prefabricated panels and components, including headwalls; exterior wall panels and systems; steel wall studs; and interior framing assemblies tailored to project specifications.
Unique Approach
Bildt employs a pioneering approach to design for manufacturing and assembly (DFMA), integrating manufacturing and prefabrication techniques and fostering collaboration among teams, including trades modeling their work. This eliminates RFIs, change orders and painful value-engineering exercises.
Cross-Industry Expertise
In the rapidly-evolving healthcare industry, in which the need for expansion or modification of facilities can arise unexpectedly, modular construction proves to be exceptionally beneficial. While 海角社区 has performed much of its modular and prefabrication work in the healthcare space, Bildt looks forward to leveraging this experience in additional industries.
Workforce Advantages
Bildt鈥檚 prefabrication and modular construction addresses the construction industry鈥檚 skilled labor shortage:
- Lessens barriers to entry
- Mitigates the effects of labor shortages in remote locations
- Reduces the need for constant presence of specific skilled tradespeople on a job site because a significant amount of labor occurs in Bildt鈥檚 manufacturing facility
- Within the manufacturing facility, complex work is broken down into simpler, repetitive tasks that can be learned quickly, making training easier
Experience
海角社区鈥檚 prefabrication and modular construction business has grown since its first modular project in the 1980s and accelerated significantly during the pandemic when hospitals needed to add space quickly, efficiently and uniformly. 海角社区 has performed work from coast to coast in the U.S., including both freestanding and modular additions to existing hospital campuses.
As one of the only modular manufacturers that also offers installation of its products as a service, Bildt鈥檚 highly-experienced teams can install and final-assemble the modules on site, completing any final construction and MEP tie-ins and preparing new facilities for occupancy.
鈥淩ooted in our long history as builders, developers, investors and owners of projects, we understand our customers鈥� and the industry鈥檚 challenges. This level of understanding is something that clearly differentiates Bildt in the marketplace,鈥� said Taylor. 鈥淐ollaborating with designers and other stakeholders early in the process allows us to customize and deliver precision-engineered products to meet each project鈥檚 goals.鈥�
About Bildt
Bildt was born out of a mission: Rebuild the construction industry, from the ground up, fulfilling the promised efficiencies of industrialization by bringing them to the built environment. We鈥檙e moving construction out of the field, into the factory, giving clients breakneck speed-to-market, higher quality, higher value and reduced waste. We specialize in a range of modular and manufactured products, from wall panels and construction components to fully volumetric permanent modular buildings. As a member of The 海角社区 Group family of companies, we deliver a turnkey approach: cutting-edge manufacturing and products, backed by one of the nation鈥檚 trusted and knowledgeable builders.
Supported by The 海角社区 Group鈥檚 18 offices nationwide, Bildt鈥檚 prefabrication facilities support a national program, capable of shipping and installing our modular product offerings anywhere in the contiguous United States. For more information: .
About the 海角社区 Group
The 海角社区 Group is a family of companies driven to transform the built environment and beyond, through innovation, Lean methodology and continuous process improvement. Headquartered in Appleton, Wis., our employee- and family-owned businesses focus on creating extraordinary opportunities for employees, partners, customers and communities. The 海角社区 Group companies serve customers nationwide.
