Thinking Inside the Box Never Looked this Good

RCM Modular Solutions Group
Written by Jessica Ferlaino

The Canadian leader in modular building solutions since 2000, RCM Modular Solutions Group has proven itself repeatedly as a specialist in modular construction. The group provides fully integrated craftsmanship and expertise.
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RCM Group was based on an extensive knowledge of the construction industry. The group has created the benchmark in modular quality and is strategically headquartered in Beauce, Quebec to serve customers across North America.

RCM Group has an ultramodern, 75,000-square-foot facility equipped with twenty workstations and the resources necessary to produce the quality for which it is known across commercial, residential and multi-residential sectors.

The company’s portfolio includes lodging such as condominiums, dormitories, apartments, senior homes and mining camps as well as dining rooms and optional facilities like bathrooms and changing rooms. It also makes spaces that provide various services. These may include recreation centers, classrooms, stores, lounges, gatehouses, cafeterias, medical facilities, and offices. All of these have been designed, manufactured and finished to exceed stringent industry and quality standards.

RCM Group manufactures and produces buildings using products and components of superior quality, and its projects commonly receive a “Wow!” reaction. “It is pretty impressive when you see it for the first time,” says Julie De Roy, director of human resources. “These are boxes being put together, assembled… it’s very amazing what can be done.”

“But behind all of that is all the engineering, all the drawings, and conception,” she notes, “There is a lot of design and architectural work being done by our drafting department. We have technicians who are highly qualified.” She cites examples of mining camps or construction camps where the company’s craftsmanship exceeds project requirements.

RCM Group began its business in residential homes in 2000. Its intent to design and fabricate liveable spaces was well received, and the group’s volume of work increased greatly. It received contracts to complete mining camps, and from there, it has grown.

“In the beginning, it substantially grew because of the mining industries in northern Quebec. And then, a couple of years later, in northern Alberta, where we were present with Suncor,” De Roy explained. “We were exposed to a lot of potential clients being in the mining industry, and then we started to develop in schools, residences for students, residences for the elderly.” There is also a growing market in Ontario and the U.S.

“What makes it so great for all of these clients is the time that it took to put the whole facility together,” De Roy said. “To fabricate the modular here would take a very short time. We could have it in a question of months.” The project would otherwise have taken a couple of years. Whatever clients’ modular construction needs may be, RCM Group works with them to bring their visions to life.

RCM Group recently completed a 120-room hotel in eight months. “This is a Holiday Inn – a hotel which has express suites and luxurious rooms. This is our third hotel,” said De Roy. “The client will be able to operate all in eight months.”

Modular construction has a fast turnaround time, meaning that projects can meet the toughest deadlines. In fact, RCM Group builds the equivalent of 16,000-square feet of living space, or upwards of twenty modules, each week.

Short lead times are only one of the many advantages of modular construction. As RCM Group is in control from design and fabrication to delivery and installation, and the entire process takes place under one roof, inclement weather no longer causes production delays.

This all helps to save time, money, and labour, making it much more economical when compared with conventional construction.

RCM Group has enjoyed a great deal of balanced, scalable growth and has been successful at achieving it without sacrificing the quality and service for which it has a strong reputation in North America. This standing is the reason it can secure the million dollar projects it has.

Rightfully using the term “haut de gamme” to describe RCM Group’s ability to complete projects at the highest level, De Roy emphasized the commitment to high-end modular production. RCM Group’s portfolio showcases project quality which is certainly attributable to the skill and expertise of its employees.

“We start from sales to estimates, and then we get to our design and conception department,” said De Roy. Plumbers, electricians, painters, carpenters and many other hands are responsible for constructing the project and adding the many finishes that make the space complete.

“We have an engineer which calculates and must put his stamp on all of our drawings. We also have project managers, with a team of assistants,” De Roy stated. “After it’s been drawn up and sealed, it goes to the shop floor to be fabricated and manufactured.”

“The management team has been working on developing lean manufacturing in order to be able to upgrade our demand and be able to respond to all of the commercial and industrial projects that we are being solicited for.” The RCM Group has experienced growth as the result of its reputation for quality design and manufacture.

Behind some of RCM Group’s success is its sister company, Valencia, which is in the same industrial park in Beauce, Quebec. Valencia specializes in bedroom furniture, kitchen and bathroom cabinets and meets both upscale and economical design goals with the perfect finishes for any project’s needs.

Valencia’s fixtures are installed before project delivery in RCM Group’s FastPod modular bathrooms, which is a growing portion of the market. Like the rest of RCM Group’s products, FastPod is built in-house in a controlled environment and offers a practical and aesthetically pleasing solution. FastPods are made to measure and easy to install.

“We are developing the market for FastPod, which can be put in administrative buildings, airports, or integrated in certain modular projects. It is a cubic bathroom that is ready to install. You have one electrical outlet and one plumbing outlet, and that’s it; you’re ready to go,” said De Roy.

All of RCM Group’s projects are in strict compliance with quality and safety standards, as it is subject to differing legislations in Quebec, across Canada, and in the U.S. The group has a dedicated quality assurance department to ensure that standards are being met. RCM Groups is also a member of Novoclimat and Energy Star, which assist clients’ energy efficiency goals with each build.

It has a collaborative approach to safety. “We do a lot of prevention here at RCM. We have two committees with employees involved. We thrive on our success because we implement things with our employees. We implicate them, and it is important to us that we support them in making them feel safe in the workplace,” said De Roy.

A leadership approach to management rather than a stiff top-down approach has enabled RCM Group to fully deploy the skill, expertise, knowledge, and vision of its team. Despite its growth, RCM Group has maintained a home-away-from-home feeling for its 175 employees who are driven to succeed on an individual and company-wide basis.

“We communicate with our employees and therefore receive constructive feedback,” said De Roy. “This is the formula to stay close to our employees and to implement new ideas. To do this, we need to implicate our employees. This has been our culture, and has brought very positive results.”

RCM Group was the recipient of the 2016 Private Business Growth Award Presented by The Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Grant Thornton LLP. “It signifies that, for us, we have moved on from being a small company to a medium/large company growing the self-sufficiencies we have been developing, which is recognized by this award.”

It is amazing how far modular design and fabrication have come, and with all the advantages of modular construction and RCM Group’s attention to detail and quality, it is time to start thinking inside the box.

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