A MULTIFACETED CIVIL ENGINEERING FIRM

Land Development Consulting (LDC) is a consulting, engineering, surveying, and planning firm based in Woodinville. The company was founded in 2003 and currently employs 43 people.

LDC works in three different market sectors:

1. The first is civil engineering related to residential land development in the Puget Sound area, which includes surveying, permitting, and road and utility work for builders.
2. The second sector is helping cellular companies, such as Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, with tower siting and installations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, and Texas. “It’s interesting and challenging work,” says Mark. “We’re often designing small cell systems in localized environments, like the Gorge Amphitheater and Seattle Center.”
3. LDC’s third area of work is in public works, specifically design and construction for large municipal projects.

Mark has several roles at LDC. As the director of engineering, he manages the day-to-day operations of the firm from a technical and financial aspect. He is also the de facto CFO and manages the company’s benefit and health insurance packages.

LDC HAS ENJOYED 13 YEARS OF MBA HEALTH TRUST BENEFITS

“We’ve been using the MBA Health Trust since the inception of our company. And over the past five or six years, as we’ve really been growing, we’ve shopped MBA’s pricing several times. Every single time, the competitor packages were not nearly as strong. They may have been cheaper, but the MBA always provided the best overall value.” Last year, Mark says, the MBA plan was “almost 9 percent less expensive and provided 20 percent lower deductible costs for individuals and 40 percent lower for a family.”

AFFORDABLE PLAN FOR THE COMPANY, ITS EMPLOYEES, AND THEIR FAMILIES

Mark says that the MBA has evolved with market conditions. LDC was able to transition from a PPO plan to an HSA plan four years ago to ensure more affordable health insurance for the company, employees, and dependents. Mark says, “95 percent of our employees are now on an HSA plan. It was a seamless transition. The MBA team walked us through the entire process and taught us to communicate it to our employees. The plan is working really well. There are no complaints from our employees and all the doctors who were previously available still are.”

REDUCING FINANCIAL STRESS

Mark adds that the HSA plan has saved his company enough money to increase its coverage for dependents. “Our goal,” he says, “was to reduce the financial stress on our staff’s families and the MBA Health Trust helped us do that. Overall, we get much better coverage for a much better cost. And we are now able to provide 50% of dependent coverage.”

Mark’s firm works closely with EPK, the administrator of the Health Trust plans. “They’re great to work with,” he says. “Every year they give a lunchtime presentation about what to expect for the coming year. They have continuously stepped up to the plate and provided the service we’ve needed for the plans we adopt.”

MBA MEMBER BENEFITS ALSO INCLUDE THE GRIP PROGRAM

LDC takes advantage of additional benefits provided by the MBA, including the GRIP program, which helps improve safety and reduces the overall cost of workers’ compensation for MBA members. “That service has been a huge asset in getting our safety procedures up to speed to make sure we are compliant,” Mark says.

Media Contact:
Nona Raybern, PR & Media Manager
Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties
p 425.457.7067
m 425.208.6308

COVID-19 Safety Toolkit Released for Construction Restart

Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties develops a safety packet with templates for builders to resume work during COVID-19 crisis

BELLEVUE, Wash—April 24, 2020—Today, Governor Jay Inslee announced a plan to immediately restart some residential construction that can be done safely. The plan is based on recommendations unanimously agreed to by a workgroup formed by the Governor, consisting of construction industry and labor leaders. Based on the Governor’s announcement and this framework, MBAKS has created a safety toolkit designed to create and maintain a safe working environment upon return to construction projects.

“We have an obligation to help our workforce and our community stay safe as residential construction restarts,” said MBAKS Executive Director Kat Sims. “We are providing this toolkit simply because the safety of everyone who returns to work in this climate carries the highest importance.”

The Phase 1 toolkit includes safety plans for job sites—including policies regarding control measures related to safe distancing, hygiene, sanitation, etc.—and plans for jobsite cleaning and disinfecting, OSHA recordkeeping, and other safety information.

The toolkit also includes English- and Spanish-language signage and posters to be posted at job sites, and identifies specific duties given to onsite supervisors or managers who will oversee the compliance of safety protocols. Guidance on weekly meetings for procedures and expectations is included in the toolkit, along with daily checklists and safety data sheets.

MBAKS has created this toolkit alongside our existing COVID-19-dedicated website, which provides resources on where businesses can find safety equipment—PPE, handwashing stations, etc.—and resources pertaining to jurisdictions and utilities.

More information on this release: mbakscovid19.org/phase-1-toolkit

Founded in 1909 and headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) is the nation’s oldest and largest local homebuilders association. Like our founders, our members continue to take a leading role in all facets of homebuilding and support the planning for a growing region. From new technology to advances in sustainability and from collaborative public policy efforts to investing in our communities, our commitment to a thriving, inclusive, and well-planned region never wavers. We are the professional homebuilders, architects, remodelers, tradespeople (carpenters, framers, roofers, plumbers, electricians), planners and engineers, suppliers, manufacturers, and sales and marketing professionals in your community who believe everyone deserves access to a healthy and productive place to call home.

We took a break from our Painting a Better Tomorrow® volunteer day at YouthCare to talk to their director of community engagement. YouthCare works to help homeless youth become self-sufficient. This year's Painting a Better Tomorrow was sponsored by Capital Benefit Services.

Learn more about our community stewardship