As General Manager of Hal Collums Construction, LLC my job is to ensure all departments are working in harmony to achieve our project goals accurately and efficiently.  I have at least 1 weekly meeting with all workgroups, focusing on improving the delivery of  service to our customers.  Production is my main focus,  reviewing every current job daily with project managers to ensure maximum job progress.   I work with Estimating, Accounting and Design workgroups mostly to review and edit final drafts. My first and foremost job is to communicate to our existing customers regarding their job progress and to meet new customers and review new projects.

Daniel Harris, our commercial estimator, was introduced to construction at an early age by his father and his grandfathers who are the epitomes of do-it-yourself’ers.  After being at their side for various projects from pool decks to lake houses, Daniel furthered his knowledge of construction at Mississippi State University where he earned a degree in Construction Management.  A year ago Daniel began his career at Hal Collums Construction and has been gaining priceless knowledge from his talented co-workers daily.

As a native of Plaquemines Parish, I am proud to have even a small part in the reconstruction process our amazing and unique city is going through.

Luckily, as a commercial estimator in New Orleans, there is never a lack of work to be done only a lack of time to complete it in.  Due to the large number of projects which are in the pre-construction phases in the gulf south region, Daniel and HCC are able to select projects to bid based upon which best suit our firms’ strengths.  All types of building construction project invitations to bid come across Daniel’s desk on a weekly basis such as; hospitals, schools, libraries, apartment complexes, museums, churches, and other various municipalities.  The first step is determining whether or not the project scope of work is in line with any of our many services and capabilities.  If we determine that we would like to bid the project then the construction documents are gathered and the specifications manual is read so our estimators can become familiar with the various elements of the project.  Next, each page of the blueprints is carefully reviewed and an accurate material and labor take-off is performed.  Finally, these numbers are entered in to our CAD Estimator software and general conditions costs, which are project specific, are added in.  The estimate is now complete and ready for review before being submitted.

“As a native of Plaquemines Parish, I am proud to have even a small part in the reconstruction process our amazing and unique city is going through.  We are fortunate our city is one of the only locations nationally which has seen an increase in construction starts rather than the decline, which has been all too common these days.” -Daniel Harris

Lawrence Falencki, is the chief of our estimating team, he came to Hal Collums Construction, LLC by way of Rimkus Consulting Group, Inc. Lawrence graduated from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management and Masters in Environmental Science!!  He has been with Hal since 2003, together they endured Hurricane Katrina and did not miss a beat.  After the storm, Lawrence rescued a guinea pig from a nearby gutter, Buddy.  She is happy pig, in addition to, a healthy 4lbs!! 

Leah Glade works as Chief Project Manager for Hal Collums Construction. She is responsible for the management and supervision of major renovations. This includes everything necessary to make sure a job runs smoothly and projects are completed on time. On any given day Leah may be found on site giving directives to employees and sub-contractors. Or she may be in the office executing change orders, placing orders for supplies, doing takeoffs for material or organizing billing for her jobs. Another crucial part of the work she does is keeping the client informed of progress on the jobs and ensuring that all of their wishes and requests for their renovation are being met whenever possible. As a project manager she is also the liaison for the architect on site.
Leah Glade began working for Hal Collums Construction at the age of 15 when she was still Leah Collums. She and her brother learned all about construction while working for their father Hal as a summer job. Leah spent a few years working in high end residential renovations in Manhattan for Uberto Ltd. Now she is back in New Orleans and combines the technical skill she gained from her in-field experience with the management skills she gained from the fast paced world of New York to manage major renovations for Hal Collums Construction.
“I am so happy to be able to live in New Orleans and work at a job I love. I really think that we are making a difference in New Orleans and doing work that will be part of the city for a long time to come. And it is made even better by the fact that I get to do this work together with my Dad. Helping to run this company has been a goal of mine for a long time and I am enjoying every minute of it.” – Leah Glade