When Dow Smith Company (DSC) completed Murfreesboro Medical Clinic’s new 27,196-square-foot medical office building this fall, it was a project that was 27 years in the making.

Founded in 1992, DSC has worked hard to build trust with clients and a solid reputation as one of the most accomplished design-build firms in the Southeast. Since its first project, DSC has now worked with hundreds of commercial businesses, churches and medical facilities throughout Middle Tennessee. Our projects range from ground-up construction to renovations and additions. Ultimately, we specialize in taking a vision and turning it into a reality, working hand-in-hand with the client each step of the way to create modern facilities that will meet the needs of the future.

The new building, located at 3626 Shelbyville Pike, is home to MMC’s gastroenterology, gynecology, internal and family medicine, pediatrics, lab services and radiology services. DSC’s 10+ year working relationship with MMC began when they needed a walk-in clinic inside the Kroger on Lascassas Pike in Murfreesboro. It was an interior build-out in a small space. More recently, DSC did a complete tenant build-out for MMC’s two-story, 17,000-square-foot space at The Fountains.

Today, MMC is Dow Smith Company’s “biggest and best client,” says President and Owner Dow Smith.

As DSC’s relationship with MMC has grown over the years, so has our team and our level of expertise. When MMC came to Dow Smith with one of the most comprehensive projects in our company’s history, the people and systems were in place to make it a success.

Three years ago, MMC CEO Joey Peay called DSC and said, “I’m thinking about buying a piece of property. Would you take a look at it?” That piece of property turned out to be the site of MMC’s newest location on Shelbyville Pike, which Dow Smith calls “a watershed moment in our company.”

It’s not just because it was such a big project in terms of square footage, but because DSC was involved throughout the entire process— from preconstruction services, such as site selection to environmental studies to preliminary planning to design to working with City Hall for permitting and approvals to the actual construction.

DSC was involved at such an early stage that when MMC purchased the land, there wasn’t even sewer available on that stretch of the road. MMC bought the property with anticipation that sewer would come. Because of the Dow Smith team’s good relationship with the City, we were able to have preliminary discussions with Murfreesboro Water and Sewer.

While the MMC building was brand new, the MMC brand is 70 years old. The clinic has a strong name in the community, and DSC worked to ensure to design and construct a complimentary building that was in sync with their branding.

“We started with the thought of ‘How do we make this look like a sibling?’” Joey Rhyne remembers. “Their branding is very important to them.”

It wasn’t just about branding. This project took a lot of value engineering. DSC was also able to save MMC money by using Syncast, a synthetic precast product which is as durable as traditional precast concrete but much lighter and easier to install. Joey Rhyne worked for many months with the architect and MMC to come up with a financially feasible plan that would meet the needs and wishes of the doctors.

“We know how they like their exam rooms set up,” Joey Rhyne says. “We know their efficiencies. We could work seamlessly on using their existing workflow and make it work for the building.”

Dow Smith says that his company’s decades of experience with design-build in Middle Tennessee prepared them all well for the project.

Roman philosopher Seneca said, “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” The idea, of course, is that very few things happen by chance. When MMC was ready to purchase land on Shelbyville Pike and build a sizeable free-standing medical office, the company’s leadership knew they could count on Dow Smith Company. And the Dow Smith team knew they were prepared to take on the task.

This project allowed DSC to really test the team’s strengths.

“This project stretched our systems, processes, policies and people to an even greater form of excellence,” Joey Rhyne says. “Because of this project, our capability is even higher now than when we began.”