Leopardo Ramping Up In Ohio With A Seasoned Team That Understands What Projects In The State Need

Medical facility construction is on the upswing in Ohio, perhaps best illustrated by Cleveland Clinic’s ambitious plans to expand its main campus and other properties in the state’s Northeast. 

All this activity is an opportunity for construction firms with both regional experience and healthcare know-how to step up to help local providers meet their growth goals. Leopardo Construction is expanding its Ohio team to provide local clients with the same level of professionalism it brings to hundreds of worksites across the country.

Eric Dey, Leopardo’s vice president of operations for Ohio, knows the Buckeye State well and understands what local projects need to thrive. He said he’s building a workforce with the same mindset.

“The project managers, superintendents and engineers on my team are all Cleveland- or Ohio-based,” Dey said. “They also have the tools and corporate support needed to solve the challenges that clients here are likely to have.” 

Dey, who was appointed to his role in January, has construction leadership experience in the state — and healthcare in particular — stretching back decades. He has delivered a project portfolio in Ohio exceeding 1M SF in healthcare projects. Most recently, Dey was vice president of construction services with TriMark SS Kemp & Co. in Ohio, where he oversaw the growth of his team to nearly 100 people. 

Local Talent

The team Dey is assembling in Leopardo’s Cleveland office is similarly experienced. 

Key members include Preconstruction Manager Brian Smith, a 20-year-plus veteran of the Ohio construction market, and Director of Business Development Kori Chapic Jesenovec, who has a decade-plus worth of in-state experience, including working on Cleveland Clinic projects. Both previously worked with Cleveland-area construction firms with extensive healthcare portfolios.

Dey said Leopardo prefers to hire local talent like Smith and Jesenovec who are good fits for its culture of trust, performance and accountability, with a special focus on complex projects.

“My biggest goals are to build our Cleveland presence to win more work, but along with that is to develop the team here,” he said. “As we grow our Cleveland and Ohio presence, the members of our team, which could double in the next year or two, will have more opportunities to advance their careers.”

Detail Oriented

Leopardo has already hit the ground running. Its in-state projects have included work for clients Oak Street Health, a primary care provider with multiple clinics in Ohio; Biomat USA, a network of Grifols plasma donation centers; and a senior living facility near Cincinnati.

Outside of healthcare, recent projects include Ten60 Bolivar, a 184-unit multifamily development in downtown Cleveland that blended adaptive reuse with new construction; and 45 Erieview Plaza Apartments, a conversion of a 16-story office building into 367 apartment units, also in Cleveland. In addition, Leopardo will serve as project manager for more than $75M worth of work at Belle Oaks Marketplace, a mixed-use development in Richmond Heights. 

“Belle Oaks is a great example of the extensive preconstruction collaboration we like to perform with the client, which in this case is owner-operator DealPoint Merrill,” Dey said. “We have a contract for three buildings in the first phase of a complex reworking of an old shopping mall site.”

Hands-On Approach

Complex projects are one of Leopardo’s sweet spots, he said. The firm likes to take a hands-on approach and work directly with project stakeholders to stay on top of scheduling, budgeting and logistics.

The Leopardo team, including the staff Dey is growing in Ohio, looks for solutions to construction challenges that other firms might deem unsolvable or not worth the effort, he said. That can-do attitude and an attention to detail pay dividends on complex healthcare projects, which account for approximately 25% of Leopardo’s projects nationwide.

“In healthcare, where you may have infectious control, patient safety and other issues that you need to look at — or in any complex project — staying on top of all the little details is what we do well every day,” he said. “The value-add to the customer is that they know they're in good hands because we understand the risks or needs associated with these projects.”  

Serious About The State

Dey said he looks forward to working on more projects with Ohio subcontractors. An open house the company hosted in June at its Cleveland office brought Leopardo together with the region’s subcontracting community to network and get to know each other.

“Brian, particularly through his preconstruction experience, knows a lot of the subcontractor market here,” Dey said. “We want them to know that we view them as partners and we're serious about Cleveland and Ohio. As we continue to build, we will have work where we can continue to develop these partnerships.” 

Those subs will help Leopardo service every client with its “A-team,” which is significant because the company sees itself as the “missing middle” among contractors. Dey explained that Leopardo is neither too large to provide a client with the attention it deserves nor too small to provide the technical expertise and experience needed on challenging jobs.

“We pride ourselves on exceptional service and a level of engagement that ensures clients always feel supported,” he said. “No matter the size of the project, clients can count on having our best people involved from start to finish.”

Growth Mindset

Dey said Leopardo’s future in Ohio looks bright, adding that he is eager to continue to support development in the state with the help of his growing team.

“We look forward to bringing on team members with a growth mindset and who are excited to be part of a company that has such a long runway in Cleveland,” he said. “Maybe some potential clients here don't know the Leopardo name just yet, but that doesn't mean that we're not qualified, not local and not serious about building here.”

This article was produced in collaboration between Leopardo and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

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