When it comes to healthcare construction in the Southeast, few names carry as much weight as Robins & Morton. With more than 1,700 successful projects to their name, they’ve built a reputation for collaboration, sustainability, and innovation. Over the past several years, Charter Construction has had the privilege of partnering with Robins & Morton’s Nashville office on several groundbreaking projects.
The relationship began in 2020 when Charter was recommended to Robins & Morton by stakeholders at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). Having already completed numerous projects for VUMC, Charter was a natural fit as Robins & Morton’s chosen concrete subcontractor for several high-profile endeavors. For Senior Superintendent Dustin Ranger, the partnership with Charter has been nothing short of transformative.
Pioneering Solutions for Complex Projects
One of the first collaborations between Robins & Morton and Charter came in 2021 with the renovation of Vanderbilt University Hospital’s (VUH) grand lobby and the Medical Center East Garage. This complex, multi-phase project required innovative solutions to maintain patient safety and vehicle traffic while performing structural shoring through the lower levels of the garage.
Led by Ricardo Avila, Charter’s team devised an approach that balanced safety, functionality, and efficiency. Dustin recalls his first impression of Charter during this project:
“From my first-ever experience, I felt like, ‘This is who we have to work with.’ It wasn’t just the pricing, quality of work, and professionalism that made the difference. The team at Charter understood what it takes to deliver—even if that means outside-the-box thinking.”
The collaborative success continued in 2022 during the expansion of the Central Garage. This project added 600 spaces across three floors to VUMC’s main parking structures. Charter’s pre-construction team played a pivotal role during the design and planning phases, ensuring that all lower levels of the garage remained operational—a rare accomplishment in such expansions.
Turning Challenges into Time-Saving Opportunities
The partnership reached new heights in 2023 with the Jim Ayers Tower project, a 15-story expansion and the largest addition to date for Vanderbilt University Hospital. Speed was a top priority, but the project faced significant challenges during its initial phases. Blasting and excavation on the east half of the site delayed progress, even as the west half was ready to go vertical.
Charter’s pre-construction team stepped in with a game-changing solution: splitting the structure into two construction zones. This creative approach saved an estimated six months on the project timeline. Dustin reflects on this pivotal moment:
“Richard Wilson and the pre-construction team were able to develop a plan where we could split the structure, which likely shaved half a year off of where we would have been.”
Charter’s commitment to collaboration and problem-solving has proven invaluable, whether joining design discussions or addressing structural considerations such as steel versus turnkey cast-in-place options.
A Partnership Built on the Commitment of Going “Above and Beyond”
With work on the Central Garage expansion and Jim Ayers Tower still underway, Dustin doesn’t hold back when speaking about the impact the partnership has made.
“If you want a job done correctly, safely, fairly, and expediently, then the only option from my experience is Charter. This company is not just the best concrete subcontractor I’ve ever dealt with—they’re probably the best subcontractor, period.”
The partnership between Robins & Morton and Charter is a testament to what’s possible when two teams share a commitment to excellence, innovation, and collaboration in healthcare construction.