For a commercial general contractor, every Invitation to Bid (ITB) represents the contractor’s brand. Every document needs to reach the right trade partners. And every subcontractor brought into the process needs to meet the standards the contractor expects.
For Berghammer Construction, a Wisconsin-based commercial general contractor with approximately $120 million in annual revenue, those priorities shaped the search for a new preconstruction solution.
Today, Berghammer uses Pantera, a Hubexo product, as its virtual plan room to invite select trade partners, distribute and track project documents, and support qualified bid coverage. The company is also working to expand its use of Pantera into subcontractor prequalification.
Who is Berghammer Construction?
Berghammer is a medium-sized commercial general contractor performing all of its work in Wisconsin, with approximately 95% concentrated in southeastern Wisconsin.
Public bidding is rare for the company. Instead, Berghammer relies on trusted trade partner relationships and requires subcontractors to be prequalified.
Rather than simply distributing bid opportunities as broadly as possible, Berghammer needs to reach select, qualified trade partners while maintaining control over how its company and projects are presented.
As Director of Estimating and Senior Associate Chris Rozof, LCPE, LEED AP, explained:
“We use ‘Pantera’ as a virtual plan room, to invite select trade partners, and are working to implement it to manage the prequalification process.”
What challenge was Berghammer facing before using Pantera?
Before Pantera, Berghammer had used iSqFt for approximately 10 years.
When changes to the existing platform necessitated that Berghammer go through a reimplementation process, the company decided it was the right time to evaluate other options.
Three things stood out about Pantera.
1. More control over the Berghammer brand
Berghammer wanted bid invitations that reflected Berghammer, rather than making another technology company’s brand the focus.
According to Rozof, the company was attracted to:
“The ability to have customizable bid invites that focused more on Berghammer than being an advertisement for iSqFt.”
That distinction matters when bid invitations are one of the most frequent touchpoints between a general contractor and its trade partners.
2. An integrated virtual plan room
Pantera also provided Berghammer with a plan room webpage that could integrate into the company’s web presence.
Rather than creating a disconnected experience for subcontractors, Berghammer could provide a plan-room environment that felt more consistent with its own organization.
3. Competitive pricing
Berghammer also found Pantera’s pricing highly competitive, giving the company a solution that aligned with both its operational requirements and budget.
How does Pantera help?
The transition to a new platform can create its own challenges, particularly after a company has spent roughly a decade working within another system.
For Berghammer, the move to Pantera was different.
Rozof specifically credits the support provided by Director of Customer Success, Susie Martzahl, with making that transition successful.
“Through OUTSTANDING work by Susie Martzahl our transition to Pantera (Hubexo) was seamless and she has proactively serviced Berghammer.”
That support continued beyond implementation.
“She has been a phone call away from answering questions and getting customizations completed in a timely, cost-effective manner.”
What results come from using Pantera?
The results that the company has seen are operational and brand focused.
Most notably: Better brand uniformity across bid invitations.
For Berghammer, Pantera creates a virtual plan room experience that appears to trade partners as an extension of Berghammer itself.
Rozof summarized the value this way:
“Hubexo (Pantera) has provided a virtual plan room that looks like ‘Berghammer’ to outsiders.”
The platform is also supporting a critical part of Berghammer’s preconstruction process: getting project information into the hands of qualified trade partners.
“It provides essential document transmission and tracking with our trade partners to insure we get the best qualified bid coverage possible.”
For an organization that rarely pursues public bids and requires subcontractor prequalification, that ability to maintain a selective, organized bidding process is especially valuable.
The Pantera difference
One point comes through clearly in Berghammer’s experience: construction technology cannot be separated from the service supporting it.
Contractors need software that works for their processes, but when questions arise, configurations change, or teams need help, responsive support can determine whether that technology actually delivers value.
Rozof puts it simply:
“As with any application, customer service is critical.”
For Berghammer, that relationship has remained consistent from the beginning.
“Susie has been our representative since day one. She is always there to provide service that is second to none.”
Why does Berghammer recommend Pantera?
The right solution should support how the contractor wants to work, how it communicates with trade partners, and how its brand appears throughout the bidding process.
For Berghammer, Pantera has helped create that experience through:
- A branded virtual plan room
- Customizable bid invitations
- Essential project document transmission and tracking
- Support for selective trade partner outreach
- Qualified bid coverage
- A pathway toward managing subcontractor prequalification
- Responsive, personalized customer support
And importantly, it provides those capabilities while helping Berghammer maintain its own identity.
“Hubexo (Pantera) has provided a virtual plan room that looks like ‘Berghammer’ to outsiders. It provides essential document transmission and tracking with our trade partners to insure we get the best qualified bid coverage possible.”
Chris Rozof, LCPE, LEED AP
Director of Estimating – Senior Associate
Berghammer Construction
If your team is still piecing together bid invitations, plan distribution, trade partner communication, and subcontractor qualification across disconnected processes, there may be a better way to work.
Pantera, a Hubexo product, helps contractors create a more connected preconstruction process while keeping their company, their trade partner relationships, and their projects at the center of the experience.
Related
The Ultimate Guide to RFIs in Construction Projects
Why Your Construction Bidding Software Needs Branded Bid Invites
Avoiding Pitfalls in Construction Software: Why Revenue-Based Platforms Fall Short
How to Save Time Managing Subcontractors
Best Practices for Optimizing and Bidding on Public Infrastructure Projects
