TZL 1344 (web)

BUSINESS NEWS WARE MALCOMB ANNOUNCES CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE ON NEW TRAVEL PLAZA AT ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Ware Malcomb , an award-winning international design firm, announced construction is complete on a new travel plaza developed by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority at the Orlando International Airport in Florida. Ware Malcomb’s Miami office provided architecture and interior design services for the project. Located at the northeast corner of Jeff Fuqua Boulevard and South Park Place next to Terminal C at the Orlando International Airport, the new 9,000-square-foot travel plaza includes a 7-Eleven convenience store and gas station, as well as a food court containing Baja Fresh and Built Burger restaurants. The exterior design features a steel and glass canopy in the front of the building that emulates an airport terminal, while both sides of the building curve up at an angle to mimic

airplane wings. The plaza’s exterior design also includes a canopy over the gas station. In addition, Ware Malcomb provided interior architecture and design for the food court, restaurants, convenience store, and gas station. A large flight board is incorporated into the food court for the convenience of travelers. The new travel plaza is directly connected to an existing cell phone lot designed for drivers picking up travelers from the airport. The site of the new facility was previously undeveloped, requiring significant engineering work to de-water and clear the swampy area and prepare the site for construction. The team collaborated with the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure all building materials met strict airport guidelines and requirements. “We worked closely with GOAA to design a comfortable, convenient, and welcoming place for travelers who are coming to and from the Orlando International Airport,” said Rei

Gomez, regional manager of Ware Malcomb’s Miami office. “This thoughtfully-designed travel plaza is an exciting new addition to the airport’s outstanding facilities.” Established in 1972, Ware Malcomb is an international design firm providing planning, architecture, interior design, branding, civil engineering, and building measurement services to commercial real estate and corporate clients. With office locations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Panama, the firm specializes in the design of commercial office, corporate, industrial, science and technology, healthcare, retail, auto, public/educational facilities, and renovation projects. Ware Malcomb is recognized as an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private company and a Hot Firm and Best Firm To Work For by Zweig Group.

KIT MIYAMOTO, from page 9

In your team, trust your offices, trust your leaders, trust your staff, and have them decide and act. Unless your vision is to stay as a one-man show or five-man organization, this principle always applies. Have your team come up with the implementation plan and trust their direction but monitor it carefully and adjust as you go. “When our team arrived on the island a few days after the earthquake, the public was panicked. After all, earthquake damages are completely different from hurricane damages. With hurricanes, there is a warning, a beginning and an end , but not with earthquakes. Aftershocks can last weeks.” 4)Public communication is key. Mr. Roman attends daily press conferences to inform the public and take tough questions from media. People need to know what is happening on a daily basis. Especially when public distrust is so high. He didn’t shy away from media. In your team, external and internal communication is critical. It’s more than marketing. Communication can shape the reality you operate in and you need to take control of this. Your organization’s success relies on it. I am sure some people may disagree with me about the status of the government’s responses to this earthquake. But without political biases, if you measure against recent disasters and how others reacted to it, I do feel the government and people of Puerto Rico did very well in the first eight weeks. They have incredible challenges ahead for recovery and reconstruction, but I feel Puerto Rico will succeed because of their perseverance and passion for their country. KIT MIYAMOTO, Ph.D., S.E., is global CEO of Miyamoto International. Contact him at kmiyamoto@miyamotointernational.com.

mysterious, even for engineers. Thousands of people fled their homes, cities, and even the island. I returned to Puerto Rico again eight weeks after disaster response began and saw substantial progress. Eighty percent of affected homes had been assessed. All major roads were restored. One-hundred percent of power was back. Displacement camps were reduced to less than 600 people. What did Mr. Roman and his team do to make this happen? 1)Do not pretend you know it all. Get experts and get answers fast. Within a few days, they realized this disaster was different. They brought in earthquake response and damage assessment experts from California, New York, and around Puerto Rico and tasked them with setting up a rapid damage assessment system and training. As a leader, your job is to attract someone better than you. In your team, the same thing applies. Make sure to attract people who are faster, more knowledgeable, and smarter. Better technical specialists, managers, and experts. Your job is to make their jobs easier – then, anything can happen. 2)Set major strategic direction and move fast. Mr. Roman understood the importance of rapid assessment and the opening of key infrastructure as key strategies. His team set a general direction and let their experts do what they can do well. He knew how to move away when needed, and support when required. In your team, vision setting and strategic direction is so critical. Without a strategy and associated action, no team or organization can move or they waste a lot of effort. Just being busy is not good enough and can be fatal. Show the team direction and how to get there – in the most efficient way. 3)Decentralizing in decision making. Mr. Roman recognized the importance of municipalities taking responsibility. Mayors need to make the final decisions for their cities and people. There is no way that a centralized government can make decisions for such widespread areas and specific needs. He understood that trust is essential.

THE ZWEIG LETTER MAY 11, 2020, ISSUE 1344

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