"The year ahead will be challenging for all general contractors. The job-flow in the pipeline is down to a trickle, which makes for a highly competitive marketplace," says Mike Jones, VP of business development for the 28-year-old firm. "We're anticipating that our contracts for 2003 and beyond will come from long-term relationships we've established with our developer-clients, as well as their financial partners."

The company's recently completed projects are located in Hayward, Rancho Cordova and Lathrop. These projects include the new construction of low-rise office and industrial space, as well as the reconstruction of an existing distribution center.

In Hayward, near the intersection of Industrial and Clawiter, Wentz built a two-story, 50,000-sf concrete tilt-up for Cell Genysis and F&S Hayward LLC, a joint venture by Todd Foster and Kirk Syme. In addition to general contracting, Wentz provided pre-construction services, schedule management, logistics planning and budget management for the $2.5-million infill project, which is located behind existing structures on a 7.5 acre site. In Rancho Cordova, at Progressive Drive and White Rock, Wentz constructed two, two-story 80,000-sf office buildings for Gold Center LP, a joint-venture of B&Z Properties and The Pigman Companies. The $7.2-million project consisted of erecting two concrete tilt-up buildings and a glass-enclosed, 60-foot breezeway connecting the structures, which were designed to match existing buildings on an adjacent parcel. The site's lessee, Progressive Auto Insurance, completed tenant improvements for the low-rise office.For Catlin Properties' warehouse in Lathrop located at 18250 Murphy Parkway, Wentz provided general contracting services and completed the $1.45-million reconstruction of the warehouse's 267,000-sf slab flooring.