To the casual observer, the Skatium and the Shoot Straight gun range in Fort Myers have nothing in common. But to those familiar with Compass Construction, Inc., the dissimilar projects exemplify the scope of commercial products the company can deliver.
Since 1984, the Cape Coral-based general contractor and construction management firm has tackled assignments ranging from healthcare, faith-based and educational facilities to recreational, public works and multi-family projects. To date, its completed projects total more than $450 million.
“We’ve been fortunate to do a wide variety of projects that don’t come along every day and may never come around again,” says Compass Vice-President Teri Burleigh, who has been with the company for the past 20 years. “I mean, how many ice rinks do you get to build in Florida? We’re proud to have a little bit of everything on our resume,” including specialty renovations involving the Lee County morgue as well as the county’s tuberculosis clinic.
Over the years, Compass Construction’s staff has grown from one office worker to 17 office and field personnel. Founding partners Larry Oliver and Peter Olsen remain at the helm as president and corporate secretary, respectively, although Burleigh and Executive Vice President Dan Luft oversee the company’s day-to-day operations. All have extensive backgrounds in commercial construction.
While Burleigh and Luft each have been in the business for more than 25 years, the founding partners have almost 70 years of experience between them. Before the two joined forces, Oliver was a project manager for Lee Memorial Hospital and Olsen worked for a local general contractor.
Initially, their idea of starting a business in Cape Coral was met with considerable skepticism. “People told them they were crazy and that a Cape location would never succeed,” says Burleigh, noting that 26 years later, “it’s worked out just fine.” Since moving to its current Lafayette Street location 20 years ago, Compass has expanded the original building twice and now occupies the entire two-story structure.
Embracing
Challenges, Change
Since the company’s establishment, its construction portfolio has expanded, as well, thanks mainly to repeat clients and referrals. As it has grown, its services have diversified to meet market demands. Besides shifting its focus from vertical construction to smaller projects and tenant buildouts, “we’re pursuing projects now that we might not have considered before.” To Burleigh and the other principals, the challenge is refreshing. “We get excited when we get the opportunity to do something unique.”
•Bokeelia Boat Ramp. Earlier this year, the company completed renovating and improving the county-owned boat ramp in Bokeelia, replacing the existing single ramp with an ADA-compliant two-lane concrete ramp and installing new seawalls and boat docks. The project also encompassed stormwater retention improvements and new asphalt parking, restrooms and landscaping.
According to Bob Taylor, a capital projects manager for Lee County, the project “required expertise, careful management and a little bit of special attention, so as not to create pollution or disturb the sea beds outside of the construction area. Compass did a great job. The DEP was very pleased with their work and we had no complaints from anyone.”
Taylor, who has worked with Compass on other projects over the years, describes the company as “top-notch. They’re very quick to react to problems and any requests for information or changes we might suggest. Further, they’re always on top of whatever we need.”
•Toll Plazas. Compass also has started the first phase of a $10 million project to demolish and reconstruct the toll plazas at the Midpoint Memorial and Cape Coral bridges. When renovations are completed next spring, the reconfigured Midpoint toll plaza will facilitate free-flowing eastbound traffic and devote two westbound lanes exclusively to vehicles with LeeWay and SunPass transponders. The concrete barrier between the two lanes will be removed to allow motorists to travel continually at 45 mph. There will also be three attended lanes for those paying tolls with cash.
During construction, “safety and traffic control are the main issues,” says Burleigh. To keep people moving and to minimize confusion, Compass managers modified the traffic maintenance plan so that traffic flow would be changed just three times during the 11-month project vs. four, as originally expected. “We hope to make it easier for motorists to navigate. This way, they won’t have the constant stress of wondering which lane to choose during their commutes, which can be hectic anyway.”
Compass will start on Phase II, the Cape Coral Bridge toll plaza reconstruction, when the Midpoint project concludes.
•Wildcat Run Clubhouse. By mid-September, Compass expects to be finished with a total renovation of the clubhouse kitchen at Wildcat Run in Estero. The overhaul required gutting the entire kitchen and replacing the HVAC and electrical systems and commercial kitchen equipment. The company also enlarged the storage areas and added kitchen management offices, among other things.
Compass previously worked at Wildcat Run in 2004, when it renovated and expanded the club’s grillroom and kitchen, and constructed a new tennis and fitness complex at the community. According to General Manager Thomas Noyes, everyone was so pleased with the finished product, “we really didn’t consider another contractor or architect when it came time to do our (clubhouse kitchen) project. They provide great service every step of the way and immediately resolve any issue that arises, no matter how small.”
•Bonita River Park. Phase one construction is underway at the park, which is situated along the Imperial River in Bonita Springs. When completed, amenities will include canoe launches, an aluminum boat ramp and dock, fishing pier and boardwalks to the river over areas of protected mangroves. Compass is also installing a rain garden with native plantings that thrive in the water.
Besides providing adequate drainage to the site, Compass must remove numerous melaleuca and Brazilian pepper trees and other exotic vegetation, and work around an on-site eagle’s nest. “Nesting season runs from Sept. 15th – May 15th, so we have a very small window of time to get a lot of work done,” says Burleigh. Despite this year’s robust rainy season, Burleigh says the project is proceeding as planned.
Other Areas of Expertise
Compass remains a popular choice among the owners of healthcare and faith-based facilities in Southwest Florida and beyond. Because of founder Larry Oliver’s hospital background, Compass was one of the first area contractors to specialize in health care construction and has maintained a dominant presence in that sector. The fact that two of its project managers are certified by the American Health Care Association (AHCA) further enhances the company’s ability to secure contracts for medical facilities statewide.
Most recently, Compass completed a Hospice facility in Spring Hill, Florida. It has also built medical office buildings in Fort Myers for Retina Consultants (on Daniels Parkway near Hammond Stadium), Harris Dermatology (on Bass Road, across from HealthPark) and Children’s Specialists (on Summerlin Road, just south of Cypress Lake Drive). Past projects include the Alzheimer’s units at Gulfcoast Village in Cape Coral, the HealthPark Care Center nursing home and the Riverwalk Orthopedic Center, both in south Fort Myers. Also, Compass has done work for Florida Hospitals in Lake Placid and Sebring.
•Faith-Based. Over the last 20 years, Compass has built approximately 25 churches, multi-purpose facilities and religiously affiliated schools on behalf of all denominations and faiths. Projects include St. Agnes Church in Naples, Temple Beth-El in Fort Myers and First Baptist Church in Cape Coral, to name a few. Many are repeat clients such as the Lutheran Church, for whom Compass has built at least six different projects in Lee and Collier counties.
•Public Works. Compass was the first construction manager hired by Lee County in 1996, when it built the South County Regional Library in Estero. In addition to libraries, Compass has built several facilities at FGCU including a student center and energy plant. It has also done construction and renovation work at the Lee County Justice Center, area law enforcement facilities, community parks and theaters, municipal buildings and more.
•Recreation/Clubhouses. Compass is well known for its clubhouse renovations, which include the Landings, Wildcat Run, Moorings Park and The Villages at Country Creek, among others. Its construction portfolio includes the Minnesota Twins training facility and two area Moose Lodges, as well as the award-winning Miromar Lakes Beach Club in Estero. The facility includes a bi-level dining area, a private dining room with fireplace, a 40-seat theater, a library, indoor and outdoor bars and lounges, and many other amenities.
Value Management & More
Identifying innovative ways to save clients money is a cornerstone of Compass. On behalf of each client, Compass conducts a management review of the items going into a project or building and looks for creative, cost-effective alternatives. “When we build religious facilities, for instance, we’ll work with clients on their budgets and tax-exempt status to help save them money that can be used in other areas,” says Burleigh.
For example, Compass helps tax-exempt clients purchase materials directly from the supplier, tax-free, saving approximately 1% of the contract amount. Often, the money they save can be used to pay down their loan or to buy pews, playground equipment, special sound systems and other necessities that they couldn’t otherwise afford.
“We realize that they’re very concerned about protecting the dollars that their parishioners have raised. That’s why it’s so important to form a bond with them and gain their trust.”
Often, that means working with a building committee, which commonly accompanies projects for churches, private clubs and homeowner associations. Doing so can be a challenge, says Burleigh, because the committees usually comprise former corporate CEOs and other retired professionals with strong opinions.
At Wildcat Run, Noyes says he appreciates that Compass project managers have worked well with the club’s building committees and been receptive to their ideas. “It takes a lot of people skills, which they have. They’ve always been very patient with our members in the planning stages and throughout the construction process.”
But even if a project doesn’t involve a building committee, Compass works diligently to lower costs without sacrificing quality. “They’re cognizant of the fact that we’re spending taxpayer dollars to construct our projects,” says Taylor, of Compass’ approach to numerous public works projects for the county. “In the end, I think it’s their desire to (do the best job at the least expense), realizing that ultimately they’re (answering to) the taxpayers.”
Keys to Success
Compass regularly receives local, state and national commercial contracting awards and honors, and has even graced the cover of a national trade publication. However, client satisfaction and a connection with the community seem to bring the greatest joy to those at the firm.
“We like constructing projects that the entire community will enjoy,” says Burleigh. “It’s really gratifying to drive around and see people utilizing and enjoying the facilities we have built,” namely: public swimming pools and sports facilities (such as the Sam Fleishman Regional Sports Complex); Little League softball fields; youth football facilities; and community parks.
Further, Compass gives freely of its time and expertise, along with money and materials as needed, to beneficiaries throughout Southwest Florida. The company’s good deeds include helping Trafalgar Middle School students build an outdoor classroom, rebuilding the TLC Home for Children’s horse barn, constructing a handicapped ramp for a Charlotte County facility and replacing $400 in donations stolen from a Cape Coral veteran’s facility.
Company employees also are actively involved in a number of community organizations such as the Horizon Council, the Lee County Building Industry Association and the Christian Chamber of Commerce, and sit on the boards of the Real Estate Investment Society and the Cape Coral Construction Industry Association,
The company credits its longevity in the commercial contracting business primarily to its loyal clients, long-time relationships with area subcontractors and top architectural firms, and outstanding employees. “You’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with. We realize that our employees are our foundation and we value them tremendously.”

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