Jerry Franke
President of real estate developer Wispark Corp., headquartered in Pleasant Prairie

What is design/build?

"We've approached design/build as a situation where we select the general contractor before the final plans are complete. The general contractor and the architect work hand in hand in the design of the building. ... It gives you a handle on the price of a project earlier on. ... We like the fact that not only do you have the single source of contact - the team approach - but it eliminates a lot of the surprises before you have a full set of plans. And it also allows for value engineering on paper, which is always easier than value engineering on the site."

What is "turnkey?"

"You really then become the owner's representative to get this project done on time, on budget. You assume all responsibility. We like to do that because we know our business. ... I know of too many instances where a company says, 'You know what, I don't want to do that, that's no big deal,' and in the meantime they take their eye off the ball and their business suffers. So we really assume all the responsibility for getting the project done on time, on budget and consistent with the standards set forth by the plans."

What is construction management?

"It's a type of a general contractor, only in that case, they have no direct involvement in construction. Many times a general contractor will do the masonry or the cement or the carpentry work. In the case of a construction manager, they don't provide any of that with in-house services. We almost look at that as an owner's rep, as someone who has direct construction expertise who can advise the owner. We view that as more of an adviser rather than the actual builder."

How does a negotiated contract influence delivery?

"The negotiated approach allows you to explore alternatives. It allows for the contractor to better understand what you're looking for and suggest alternatives to achieving the same thing. You can also pursue a guaranteed maximum price."