Feature Story

DeAngelis Diamond Construction Build Award-Winning Business on Foundation of Integrity, Quality and Attention to Detail
By Elizabeth W. Pearce

As the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Naples, Dr. Hayes Wicker knows a thing or two about miracles. Even so, he was taken aback when DeAngelis Diamond Construction, Inc. completed building his ministry’s $30 million campus on time and under budget. “That’s miraculous in itself!” joked Wicker. “We’re just thrilled beyond words.”
The firm’s feat is all the more impressive considering the size and scope of First Baptist’s cutting-edge campus. Situated on 100 acres, it includes seven buildings, and an impressive array of amenities and special features.
Large, multi-faceted projects are nothing new to the Naples-based firm, founded by John DeAngelis and David Diamond in 1996. Over the years, their company has compiled an extensive portfolio of commercial projects throughout Lee and Collier counties, ranging from constructing and renovating office, retail and medical space, to multi-family developments, self-storage facilities and hotels, to name a few.
Recent projects include First Presbyterian Church, Specialists in Urology, the clubhouse at Quail Creek, Cypress Self-Storage, TIB Financial Centre (in Collier County); Vasari sales center, fitness center and amenities, Lighthouse Bay condominiums, and Renda Broadcast building (in Lee County).
First Baptist Church, however, required an unusual commitment of energy, attention and resources. Besides being DeAngelis Diamond’s largest commercial undertaking to date, it took approximately two years for the firm to build.
“As a regional ministry, we have an enormous amount of facility demands,” said Wicker. “We wanted to create a unique, multi-purpose campus that would reflect our philosophy and meet our needs.” To accomplish that, DeAngelis Diamond built what Wicker describes as “a statement that will last for all eternity.”
Designed by the architectural firm of Schwab, Twitty & Hanser from West Palm Beach, the campus contains a total of 176,000sf under air, as well as 70,000sf of covered walkways, four lakes, and various fields for sports and recreation. Other highlights include a 2,000-seat worship center, a youth worship facility, complete with state-of-the-art audio, video and lighting systems; a high-tech refrigeration plant to cool current and future buildings; parking for 1,300 vehicles; a Christian school that accommodates 435 students (preschool through eighth grade); and features such as a lakeside prayer area with a 35-foot cross towering above it.
Because First Baptist’s master plan provides for additional buildings as the congregation grows, the church’s construction committee sought an experienced contractor with whom it could work over the long haul. The fact that both DeAngelis and Diamond are members of First Baptist didn’t ensure that they had the job.
“We probably took a harder look at them because they were members of the church,” said Wicker, adding that “they’re great guys personally. As Christians, they brought a perspective to the building that was way beyond just the material or the financial. But they also had an outstanding professional reputation and extensive experience, and an incredibly thorough presentation. It was obvious they’d done their homework.”
Outstanding service after the sale and ongoing involvement on the job are among the many reasons for DeAngelis Diamond’s stellar success in the commercial contracting industry. Since 1996, the company has recorded $200 million in sales by focusing on details before, during and after construction.
“We concentrate on the integrity of the (construction) process, from concept to completion, because we want to make it a really positive experience for our clients,” said DeAngelis. To him and his partner, that means exceeding clients’ expectations by focusing on the things their clients think are important.
“I think our clients appreciate that we care if the electrical outlets are level, for example. You can do 95% of the job well, but if you can’t finish the last 5% to a client’s satisfaction, it leaves a negative impression. We’re only as good as our last job and our reputation is everything.”
According to veteran developer Don Bordner, who owns a real estate brokerage in Bonita Springs, DeAngelis Diamond’s reputation is golden. “Their reputation is that they stick to their price and schedule,” said Bordner. They have more than lived up to their end of the bargain.
Recently, on behalf of an investor group, Bordner hired the firm to build a 105,000sf self-storage facility on Immokalee Road in Naples. “As (project coordinator), I demand exceptional communication with a builder and I’ve never found communication as good as with these folks,” he said of DeAngelis Diamond. “I’d never worked with them before but I definitely will again.”
Border said that if the company completes his job as expected by the end of March, they’ll be approximately two months ahead of schedule. “That’s exceptional, but then, so are they. Those two are very special young fellows. The sky’s the limit for them.”
Beyond catering to its clients, the firm also focuses on building positive relationships with its subcontractors, in part by clearly communicating the goals and scheduling associated with each job. “I’d say that 95% of the issues that arise on the job site can be resolved before they happen if everybody communicates clearly,” said DeAngelis.
To keep on schedule (or ahead of it, as is often the case), he and Diamond have cultivated an unusually good rapport with their subs. In fact, their firm has been named Commercial Builder of the Year for an unprecedented three years in a row, starting in 1999. The unsolicited honor is awarded annually by the American Specialty Contractors of Florida, Inc. (ASCF) to recognize builders who cultivate quality relationships with their subcontractors.
Honored builders are also judged on the excellence of their workmanship and overall professionalism in the building industry. Other criteria ranges from quality and extent of on-site supervision, to payment structure (including whether they pay their subs in a timely fashion) and ability to follow through on contractual agreements.
Due to the demand from their commercial clients and contacts, DeAngelis Diamond established a residential division that has taken off since its debut in late 2000. This year, it expects to build 10 homes, most in the range of $1 million or more, in places such as Little Harbour, Aqualane Shores and similar neighborhoods. “The division has grown much more rapidly than we expected, even though we really haven’t done much marketing,” said DeAngelis.
To accommodate the ongoing growth of both divisions, DeAngelis Diamond has more than doubled the size of its office space. In January, the company moved into a new, 14,500sf headquarters building in Willow Professional Park off Airport Road, between Pine Ridge Road and Vanderbilt Beach Road in Naples.
DeAngelis says that while he and his partner have been blessed by God and a favorable market, they continue to hold themselves to the highest possible standards. “There are lots of general contractors and construction managers out there, and only a handful of really good ones. And I think the good ones will always stay busy, regardless of the competition or area growth.”
 

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