Cover Photo: The staff of Vanderbilt Bay Construction in the hangar of the Collier County Sheriff's Special Operations facility (L to R): Michael Brunoli, LEED AP, business development director/project manager; Matt Morey, LEED AP, project manager/estimator; Troy Buhs, vice president of operations; Brad Smith, vice president of finance; and Daniel Buhs, president/CEO.

The types of projects that many commercial contractors are reluctant to tackle are the very projects that have made Vanderbilt Bay Construction (VBC) in Naples a success. After 20 years in business, the family-owned construction management and general contracting firm continues to excel at delivering complicated municipal projects and other challenging commercial assignments. Take the Collier County jail for example.
The year-long, $11 million renovation was extensive and included installing bullet-proof security windows framed in solid steel, as well as new plumbing and new interior finishes. Also, the exterior received a facelift consisting of a synthetic waterproof finish. The work had to be done in six phases so that inmates could be moved into temporary quarters while their cellblock was under construction.
Security posed additional challenges for VBC and its workers, all of whom had to undergo background checks and face stringent on-site scrutiny. All building materials had to be accounted for and recorded, down to the last screw and tool. Despite the additional administrative work, VBC completed the job ahead of schedule and characteristically on budget.
VBC’s performance not only garnered kudos from the Collier County Sheriff’s Department, it also won acclaim from the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). Earlier this year, the company received ABC’s 2009 Excellence in Construction Award for the jail renovation. It is one of many professional honors VBC has received over the years.
Company History
It’s not the awards that keep company founder and President Dan Buhs at the helm of VBC, but his passion for overcoming obstacles with expertise and imagination. He began his career in the Midwest, focusing on architecture and expanding into construction management, design/build and development before turning his attention to general contracting. “I love to create and build,” he says. “That’s why I got into the business.”
In 1983, he moved to Naples with business partners from Illinois to build an assisted care facility on the East Trail, followed by the construction of what were then some of the area’s largest apartment complexes. Six years later, when he established VBC, one of his first projects was as a construction manager for Port of the Islands, a resort community with a marina, hotel and convention center, just southeast of Marco.
Originally hired as a planning and design consultant, Buhs subsequently worked on improving, expanding and building the development’s various multi-family and commercial components. Although he built some single-family residential, Buhs mainly focused on renovating the resort’s existing facilities, upgrading and expanding its infrastructure and creating new multi-family communities.
Since then, VBC has built a varied array of commercial structures, including government facilities, parks, retail centers, funeral homes, schools, fire stations and medical facilities. The company also has worked on beach erosion projects in Collier County and a historical renovation of the Bonita Springs Elementary School built in 1921.
Small Staff,
Broad Knowledge
“Our work is interesting and I’ve always thought it was fun,” says Buhs. “We have a lot of people here who feel the same way.”
Buhs credits his employees for the company’s success. His son, Troy Buhs, joined the company in 1997 and notes, “We’re all very diversified and wear a number of different hats.”
The staff is comprised of office and field administrators, project managers, estimators and project superintendents, as well as accounting and support personnel. While all have been with VBC for at least six years, some have been with the company for more than 12 years.
“I am very fortunate to have (such an) intelligent and loyal team,” says Dan Buhs. “If there’s a problem, whether in administration or construction technology, we work it out together. We’re very team oriented.”
What’s more, the team is well educated and highly trained. It includes five Class-A general contractors, two of whom are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professionals (LEED AP). Furthermore, two staff members are certified storm water inspectors for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
In order to attract and retain top talent, VBC offers employees a profit-sharing plan and a 401K plan. It also provides paid vacation time, health insurance and other benefits.
But according to Troy Buhs, employee perks aren’t the primary advantage VBC has over some of its larger competitors. “Our bonding capacity is equal to much larger companies. Also, we’re not limited in the types of projects we accept. Everyone is exposed to different types of construction and a wide range of clients. That’s what keeps everyone excited here.”
Challenging Projects, Satisfied Clients
“We do a lot of complex projects that many companies don’t want to touch,” says Michael Brunoli, LEED AP, project manager and director of business development for VBC. Many are either high-profile projects or low-profile assignments shrouded in secrecy for security reasons. In any case, the more difficult the job, the more the company shines.
In addition to the jail renovation, VBC has worked on a wide variety of complicated construction projects for public and private clients. Collier County remains one of its most loyal employers, having chosen VBC to build numerous public facilities over the last 20 years.
“Vanderbilt Bay has a very good reputation of offering a competitive price and a high-quality product,” says Skip Camp, director of facilities management for Collier County government. “Also, they appreciate our special security concerns. Plans for government public safety facilities are not public record and require a high level of confidentiality. They understand that. They’ve done a good job for us and we would definitely work with them again.”
Other recent public projects include:
• Collier County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Operations Center. As with work at the jail, the Special Operations facility was an extraordinary project in many respects. “Structurally, it was complicated,” says Brunoli of the building, which was designed and constructed to withstand 160+ mph winds. “Also, the work had to be heavily supervised and everything kept under wraps because the facility incorporates all of the county’s law enforcement and special operations for Homeland Security under one roof.” VBC completed the center on time and on budget.
• North Naples Fire Department. Ten years after building the original fire station, VBC was selected to renovate it. The design-build remodeling project included interior upgrades to meet current codes. The fire station remained up and running throughout the renovation, which was completed without a hitch.
• Grey Oaks Public Safety Facility. Unlike most projects of this type, the Grey Oaks facility was unique in that it had to accommodate three different agencies under one roof. To meet the diverse needs of the Collier County E.M.S. and the North Naples and the East Naples fire departments, VBC worked closely with various county and city officials, as well as an architectural team.
Security concerns aside, many of VBC’s projects can best be described as potentially problematic. The renovation and expansion of The Colonade on Fifth, for example, involved an existing, mixed-use commercial building that fronted a 10-unit, three-story condo building in downtown Naples. Work on the mixed-use structure required VBC to remove the roof and add a floor while portions of the building were occupied.
“It was very complicated, in part, because of the volume of auto and pedestrian traffic on Fifth Avenue,” says Troy Buhs, adding that the entire site was highly exposed.
To secure the site without blocking access required constant vigilance and measures to protect the public, such as the installation of OSHA-certified temporary walkways. Further, VBC had to work around the first- and second-floor tenants that included legal and accounting firms, retail shops and financial institutions. All remained operational during the year-long project.
At the same time, VBC was working on The Preserve in Port Charlotte, a 134-unit, multi-family resort overlooking the Peace River. The project was 50% completed when Hurricane Charley hit in 2004, blowing the company’s construction trailer 600 yards from its site and reducing to rubble portions of the nine-building project. Despite the tremendous setback, VBC prevailed, maintaining its original two-year schedule and completing the project in January 2006.
Cultivating Opportunities
These days, VBC is doing its best to weather Southwest Florida’s stormy economy. With commercial construction virtually non-existent, the company is turning its attention to remodeling and renovation projects. Recently, the Naples Airport Authority hired VBC to enhance and expand its terminal.
The project includes an exterior facelift, interior upgrades and additional administrative offices at the north and south ends of the existing terminal building. When completed, the two-story, 8,000sf expansion will double the size of the facility, which has been designed to offer state-of-the-art energy efficiency.
VBC would also like to do more design-build projects. “Our industry seems to be leaning toward the design-build concept and it’s something we plan to focus on in the future,” says Dan Buhs.
Also on the company radar: green building. Although the market downturn has kept VBC from “flexing its LEED muscles” in Southwest Florida thus far, Buhs says it’s only a matter of time.
“It’s all about constructing sustainable buildings and protecting the environment. We’re urging our employees to continue their education and get (their credentials) now in energy conservation and building green. That way, they’ll have a competitive edge when the economy recovers.”
Networking is also playing a prominent role at VBC and is something that Dan Buhs has always encouraged by example. He serves as treasurer for the Estuary Conservation Association and serves on the board for First American Bank and the Pelican Bay Rotary Club, among others.
Others in the company, including Troy Buhs, are involved with Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Southwest Florida chapter, The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and other industry-related organizations.
Dan Buhs says that above all, networking presents the opportunity to “rekindle past relationships,” which may also help form the foundation for VBC’s future. “Owners appreciate longevity and over the years, we’ve prospered and enjoyed sustained growth. We’ve been blessed with loyal employees and clients, and we’re here for the duration.”

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