The city of Fremont in Alameda County is a city brimming with industry. All sorts of businesses ranging from technology to healthcare can be found here, and their numbers continue to grow. While the longevity of these businesses and brands can be attributed to their successful dealings and their leaders’ incredible acumen, it is also no secret that a well-built location for elevated guest experience is a draw for customers everywhere.
If your business is in need of a new build-out or renovation, look no further than this list of the best retail contractors in Fremont, California. Our editorial team selected these builders for their strong backgrounds, their local experience, and their ability to cater to the specific project needs of businesses and clients across a number of industries and markets.
Hillhouse Construction Company
140 Charcot Avenue, San Jose, CA 95131
Hillhouse Construction Company is an award-winning construction company on a mission to provide high-quality work environments that help people and companies thrive and prosper. The firm is led by CEO and COO Ken and Kevin Huesby. Their combined experience of more than five decades ensures the firm’s position as an industry leader that brings the Silicon Valley spirit of innovation and drive for results to every project it undertakes.
One example of the firm’s work is for the Warm Springs Optometric Group in Fremont. This project involved the completion of a 3,000-square-foot optometrist office and retail space. The retail space has high-end display cabinets, counters, and lighting fixtures. Extensive millwork was provided throughout the build and multiple exam rooms were customized to meet the optometrist’s specific needs.
Swenson Builders
777 N 1st Street, 5th Floor, San Jose, CA 95112
When you come to Northern California, the name of the Swenson Builders is one that is uttered with complete trust and confidence. The firm has been serving the area for over a hundred years and four generations, making the industry leader one of the most trusted builders in operation today. The firm is led by chairman C. Barron “Barry” Swenson and president Case Swenson, whose over 50 years of experience have made the firm into the thriving practice it is today.
Swenson Builders’ wide range of development, construction, and architectural services are built on integrity and sound business practices. An example of the firm’s work is the historic San Pedro Square Market in San Jose. Completed in 2011, the Square Market includes the 1797 historic Peralta Adobe, which is San Jose’s oldest building, as well as other new and old structures. Designed for micro-restaurants and stall-style boutiques, the market provides entrepreneurs a chance to open businesses with minimal capital investment. The city of San Jose contributed $5 million in redevelopment agency funds, half of which came in the form of a historic preservation grant and half as a low-interest loan. In all, the property has eighteen tenants that are mostly eateries.
South Bay Construction
1711 Dell Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008
South Bay Construction has been a leader on the Northern California construction development scene since 1978. The people behind the firm’s success are its three partners, Richard Furtado, JB Cahoon, and Cameron Peach, whose individual experiences with construction make them formidable partners in business. The partners each focus on various aspects of the business: Richard is in charge of all aspects of marketing, sales, pre-construction, and construction through the completion of each project; JB oversees business development, client retention, and maintaining the firm’s image; Cameron brings his experience in design-build work to oversee many projects as well as the day-to-day operations at South Bay Construction.
Because of their productive partnership, the partners have maintained a steady flow of high-profile projects and clients through the years. One of these projects is the 127,000-square-foot Santa Clara Square. South Bay Construction collaborated with Irvine Company during the design development phase to re-develop the outdated manufacturing facility site into a retail center on Irvine Company’s 100-acre Master Development project. The Square’s design was inspired by Fashion Island in Newport Beach and consists of seven high-end buildings which house a Whole Foods market and top restaurants and shops that are conveniently nestled alongside this new residential and commercial community. The Project Team successfully tackled extensive team collaboration during pre-construction and construction to be able to complete the project on time in spite of an overburdened City and sub-contractor manpower market.
W.L. Butler
1629 Main Street, Redwood City, CA 94063
Based in Redwood City, the highly-respected firm W.L. Butler is a prolific practice with a presence throughout the Golden State. The mid-sized general contracting firm was founded by William “Bill” L. Butler and builds for virtually every sector of the economy, from the automotive industry to healthcare and everything in between. The firm has also worked on projects for Fortune 500 companies including Target, Costco, Gilead, Charles Schwab, Samsung, Whole Foods, and AmerisourceBergen. Because it’s such a busy practice, the firm is proud to say it is able to generate over $250 million in sales annually.
One example of the firm’s work is the Target Flex West in Burbank. The scope for this store required conjoining five buildings, major structural upgrades, bringing in a new power service, and new M/E/P/F systems. The exterior received a full façade remodel, including painting, signage upgrades, and site upgrades such as ADA ramps and sidewalks. The interior tenant improvement included an online pick-up area, electronics, a grocery, fitting rooms, restrooms, and a Starbucks. Target’s new Flex Format helps the stores move into the digital age in order to provide customers with an elevated guest experience. These smaller-format stores—located in more densely populated urban neighborhoods—generally offer men’s and women’s apparel and accessories, home decor, groceries, health, beauty, and tech items. The Burbank store in particular will also carry sporting goods, toys, and a broader range of baby and kids’ products, as well as a CVS pharmacy and a wide array of mobile devices for sale and order pickup services.
Rudolph and Sletten, Inc.
2 Circle Star Way, 4th Floor, San Carlos, CA 94070
With over 3,000 completed projects across five California offices in its portfolio, Rudolph and Sletten is a prolific practice that can point to six decades of steady and continuous growth. The firm has been building in all aspects of life science, higher education, healthcare, high-tech, and government. The firm is currently led by Jonathan Foad, whose tenure at the company spans 30 years after he started out as a project engineer.
A great example of the firm’s work is the Morris Hyman Critical Care Pavilion of the Washington Hospital Healthcare System in Fremont, which is targeting a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Healthcare certification. Completed in collaboration with architect Ratcliff, the Morris Hyman Critical Care Facility provides an expanded emergency department and critical care units as well as other acute care services. As Fremont’s Washington Hospital currently serves more than 320,000 area residents and houses the second busiest emergency room in Alameda County, the new emergency room inside the Pavilion will be approximately four times as large as the current facility, which will allow Washington Hospital to become eligible for trauma center designation by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. The size of the Critical and Intensive Care Units has also more than doubled and offers 48 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds, 68 medical surgery beds, as well as support space. The 240,000-square-foot structure consists of one basement floor to house a seismic-isolation foundation system, three stories of acute care facilities, and a rooftop penthouse for mechanical and electrical equipment. Building features include multiple terraces and open-air courtyards, providing plenty of natural light for patients and staff.
Build Group, Inc.
405 14th Street, Suite 900, Oakland, CA 94612
Build Group was founded by business partners Ross Edwards and Eric Horn as a general contractor, construction manager, and design-builder serving the state of California. As builders at heart, the firm and its 400 employees have unparalleled knowledge of the construction industry. Their knowledge runs across various project types including multi-family residential, commercial office spaces, high-end retail, restaurants, hospitality, student/senior housing, healthcare and MOB, seismic upgrades and retrofits of existing buildings, religious establishments, civic buildings, and parking garages.
An example of the firm’s work is the interior build-out for retail giant Zara. Build Group, in partnership with Westfield and architect Gensler, completed a massive 26,000-square-foot interior build-out for Zara. Ken Mancuso, SVP Leasing of Westfield was proud to sing the firm’s praises. Mancuso said they were pleased to partner with Build Group again, this time for the Zara build-out. Thanks to the firm’s attention to quality and client satisfaction, Build Group was able to deliver a product that increased the value of the client’s assets and created an unmatched experience for the client’s shoppers.
TICO Construction, Inc.
1585 Terminal Avenue, San Jose, CA 95112
Riley and John Marmesh founded TICO Construction with the goal of offering complete consulting and construction services throughout California. Today, the firm continues to offer these services for the repair of structurally damaged buildings. The firm also provides work in a preventive capacity, helping to protect against future earthquake damage. The firm’s practice thrives under Riley and John’s leadership, thanks to the partners’ extensive individual experience. In the past, Riley has personally grown a small start-up business to 600+ customers throughout the Bay Area with $500,000 in yearly sales within the first years of inception. John, on the other hand, has 30 years of experience in construction and real estate, providing him with the understanding of what it takes to minimize cost and optimize efficiency and move a construction or development project from conception to finished product.
One example of the firm’s work is the micro-retail space MOMENT in San Jose. The firm was involved in constructing the space’s exterior façade. Its work immediately signified the space’s creative character, with the pillars carrying the name of the space standing tall in the front. The set of four spaces was launched to elevate businesses, talent, and brands to newer and greater levels of visibility at a time when San Jose itself is on this same skyrocketing trajectory. The result is a creative space with as much exterior character as the stores and brands that occupy it.
