Business Profile: Kymar Limited, Facilities and Construction Management, White Plains
For individuals and businesses looking to build, renovate or even relocate, the prospect of having to navigate through confusing zoning regulations and building codes, architect and builder proposals, professional contracts and licenses, not to mention, the government and legal agencies monitoring the construction field, can become overwhelming. If along the way mistakes are made, then costs may become excessive and valuable time lost.
Having spent over 30 years in facilities and construction management, Richard Cirulli, a former member of the Architectural Review Boards for Wappinger Falls and Port Chester, and having held senior facilities management positions at numerous Fortune 500 companies as well as healthcare institutions such as New York Presbyterian Hospital, Beth Abraham Healthcare Systems and Continuum Healthcare, decided it was time to step out on his own.
“Construction is beginning to pick up,” Cirulli said. “With land use issues being a major concern in Westchester and government regulations expanding, it’s difficult for owners to know what right steps they should take to get the best prices and quality for construction work they want to get done.”
Positioning himself as an owner’s representative, Cirulli created Kymar Limited, offering services to existing facilities as well as developers and owners with new projects. Cirulli’s is a soup to nuts approach to project management. Depending on the job, he offers a complete selection of construction management services including Architecture and Engineering services, contract review, negotiation and management, inspections and assessments, preconstruction planning and estimating, on-site field coordination, financial tracking, change order management, site visits as necessary, and project close out.
For homeowners, Cirulli developed the Homeowners Ombudsman Program.
Because his company is not a contracting firm, its mission is to act as the homeowner’s advocate to protect them from unethical and inexperienced contractors.
Kymar should be the first call you make when planning a home improvement, not the contractor, Cirulli says. In many cases the adversarial relationship that develops between the remodeler and the homeowner, can be avoided if there is good communication and a clear scope of the work to be done is determined.
Cirulli’s years of experience in dealing with home improvement contractors confirmed the need to provide homeowners with a service to assist them from falling into the pitfalls so common in the industry.
Just recently a friend requested Cirulli’s assistance in qualifying a contractor. He met with the contractor, who was a medium level carpenter with close to 20 years experience as a tradesman, and now just starting out in his own business.
Cirulli asked the contractor which bank would hold the client’s escrow account as required by New York State lien Law, and informed him that the homeowner would require a waiver of liens at each progress payment. He also asked for a copy of the contractor’s license.
Needless to say, the contractor did not have the necessary license and experience to do the scope of work required by the homeowner, and he balked at the payments process.
Such encounters are commonplace, and in many situations, if the remodeler holds the upper hand. The homeowner may pay a hefty price.
Kymar also does pre-purchase inspections for people buying a new home with plans to remodel and has access to the services of a number of well-experienced architects and construction managers.
While Cirulli holds may academic degrees in construction and management and has worked at the top levels of the industry, he apprenticed as a union brick mason, cement finisher, and carpenter to pay his way through college.
This experience gives me an edge when it comes to knowing what it takes throughout the entire construction process, Cirulli says.
For more information visit www.kymar.net or email profcirulli@optonline.net.
