Picking the Right Partners: Meet Gais Construction- November 30, 2019
When it came time to pick a construction partner, finding a
firm that brought excellence in building breweries was a
must. After all, there are more than fifty in the Charlotte area
alone, and a construction crew behind every single brewery
built. But there’s one firm that stood out in our search. Gais
Construction had a hand in bringing many local breweries and
restaurants into business, and we’re proud to say they’ve been
involved with Lost Worlds from the beginning.
“Kevin and Michael’s experience building breweries and
restaurants brought a lot to the process,” said Dave Hamme,
co-founder of Lost Worlds Brewing. “We brought them in early
during the design phase, to share their expertise and provide
input well before construction began.”
Brothers, Michael and Kevin Gais, followed in their father ’s
footsteps, who started Gais Construction in 1980. Starting off
in both commercial and residential construction, they grew
the family business steadily until 2008. After the residential
downturn, they focused solely on commercial projects and
have spent the last decade perfecting their product and
building their brand. While the brothers each oversee their
own portfolio of projects as general contractors, they still
carry tools in their trucks, a nod to their deep roots in the
business.
“Working with start-ups, which many in the brewing and
restaurant business are, has been educational from the start,
says Michael Gais. “We work with owners to save costs and
deliver a quality product – passing along things we’ve learned
over the years.”
Things like building in air compressors for washing kegs,
water filtration and trench drains for easy cleaning to keep
the brew house spotless. It’s these details right down to, how
to get a 10-barrel brewing system into what’s often tight
spaces. “Our goal is get Lost Worlds brewing beer as soon as
possible,” says Kevin Gais.
Gais Construction is responsible for many of Charlotte’s hot
spots to hang out. Sycamore Brewing was one of the first
brewery construction projects more than 5 years ago, quickly
followed by Wooden Robot’s initial building and expansions, as
well as Good Road Cider Works, King Canary, Pour Tap Room,
Mama Ricotta’s refresh, Corkbuzz, and the recently opened
KiKi Bistro in Plaza Midwood.
“It’s so critical to have a trusting partner when you’re knee
deep in building your business,” says Hamme. “The bricks and
mortar are the foundation of our brand and every day it
becomes closer to reality