One man’s buiding projects are touching the lives of two distinct communities.
As a nine-year-old boy living in Carmichael, Bill Rogers had no idea he was headed for a career in construction. He wanted to be an American Indian.
“I read a book about the way Indians used to catch the salmon in the [nearby] American River,” he explains. “They used a spear and stood in the river forming a breakwater with their legs. The salmon would rest in the calm water at their feet and the spear would do the job.”
So Rogers rose before dawn one morning, took his mother’s biggest and best scissors, and made two spears. “I crossed over the river before sunrise and slowly crept to a downstream spot that I knew would be full of salmon,” he says. “Because I was an Indian, I took off all my clothes and I used my sister’s lipstick to paint what I thought was an Indian fisherman’s face. I drew circles on my breast and a fish on my belly, pointing down.
“As the sun came up, I turned my back to it, creating a shadow in front of me. The salmon were everywhere. I crossed the river again, moving downstream, never looking up, and finally speared a big one. I was on the opposite side of the river, at least a mile down from where I had started. Suddenly I heard laughter and giggling. I had entered a public salmon viewing area where there were 10 men, women and children who had been watching me the whole time. One of them was a game warden.”
In Rogers’ own words, he “caught the salmon and caught hell, too.” The warden took the salmon—and the still-naked Rogers—back to his home. “In full sight of my sisters, the warden marched me in the door. My mom cried and my dad laughed. It took two months to get that lipstick off. I still cannot see or hear the word salmon without wanting to cover myself up.”
The first inkling Rogers had that construction might be a better career happened just about the same time as his Native American caper.
“I wanted the ducks to come to my very own man-made lake,” he reminisces. So he decided to build a dam in a nearby drainage canal. “I used car bumpers and axles and assorted other scavenged materials. It backed up the canal that winter for miles, flooding all the fields. But the ducks came!”
The problem was that the dam was so well built, “they had to blow it up with dynamite,” he says.
And then there was the tree house his mother claimed was better built than the family home. “It had electrical and plumbing that actually worked,” Rogers laughed.
Childhood memories of the “good old days” still elicit laughter from Rogers, but these days things are still pretty darn nice for the 60-year-old Napa-based contractor. His company, Modular Constructors, is involved in the construction and evolution of two very diverse “neighborhoods”: a Prisoner Industries Authority (PIA) modular construction manufacturing facility at Folsom State Prison and a California-style retirement community in Bohol, Philippines.
Building blocks
Rogers has been a general contractor in the building industry for 35 years, 30 of those focused on modular construction. He once owned a 250,000-square-foot modular manufacturing business, United States Modular Manufacturing, in Richmond. “We went out of business during the recession in the 1990s,” Rogers says. “It was lights out and go reinvent yourself. I decided to stay in the modular arena, constructing buildings instead of manufacturing the parts.” So he founded William Rogers & Son Construction and focused on modular projects, building schools, hospitals, retail stores, houses—just about everything. In the process, he invented and patented two pieces of equipment, called Quick Set, which make it easier and safer to put modular buildings together.
He also traveled the world, consulting on myriad unique projects.
A few years ago he was contacted by the United Bank of Switzerland to consult on a proposed project in the Philippines that would provide housing for several Filipino families living in Stockton, who planned to return to their native country after they retired. He liked the area—and the project—and subsequently became an investor. But more about that later.
Mr. Rogers goes to prison
In February 2006, Rogers was approached by various individuals in the private modular building sector, who asked if he knew anything about the State of California’s plans to use prison inmate labor to produce modular buildings for the prison system. The next month, he attended a public meeting at Folsom State Prison, where the PIA unveiled plans to refurbish an existing recycling facility at Folsom, transforming it into a state-of-the-art modular building manufacturing site.
The idea of the PIA was simple. It would produce much-needed buildings for medical, educational and many other uses at the prisons by using inexpensive inmate labor (inmates are paid 45 cents to $1.03 per hour for their work). At the same time, the inmates would learn a skilled trade. Inmates that “graduate” from the program would be provided with a full set of tools and the PIA would pay initial union dues for the men to join Carpenters Union Local 46, which is based in nearby Sacramento.
“I was overwhelmed [with the project],” Rogers says. “At a time when the media is criticizing the prison system for everything under the sun, I saw firsthand how our state government works to solve problems. As I listened to the presenters, I could clearly see this idea was essentially perfect. No one from the private industry spoke against it, and the unions were in favor. By the time the meeting was over, I had resolved myself to help in any way I could.”
Rogers volunteered his time at first but was eventually asked to submit a proposal to serve as a paid consultant. After a lengthy interview process, he was selected. He has a two-year contract that will expire in April 2008.
According to Gil Wong, construction supervisor II with PIA, the program officially kicked off in mid-September of last year. Approximately 80 inmates are participating in the program and PIA has a staff of 14. The factory runs, depending on the workload, from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.—longer if needed.
“The first phase of production will be to build classrooms for the state’s Juvenile Justice System to fulfill educational requirements under a court mandate,” Wong says. After that, the inmates will produce offices and counseling rooms, with future projects (possibly medical and dental facilities) still to be determined.
“The PIA at Folsom Prison is responsible for the installation of programs statewide,” Wong says. The next modular manufacturing facility will be built at the California Institution for Men at Chino.
As the chief consultant to PIA for the modular manufacturing project, Rogers focuses on quality control and management. As a result, he has little direct contact with the inmates. But those he does work with have made an impression.
“Many are guys who made stupid mistakes. They’re not the type of guys who did horrible things. The people I work with absolutely deserve a second chance. In fact, if you don’t notice the guards, it’s like any other manufacturing facility,” Rogers explains. “I haven’t heard of one single problem, and I really believe the guards care about these guys.”
In Rogers’ mind, the PIA modular manufacturing program is a model program that he’d like to see extended to prison systems nationwide, and he’s contemplating approaching other states to gauge their interest. But before he does that, Rogers is aggressively pursuing a very different type of building project in the Philippines—a California-style retirement community for a growing number of Americans who find the climate, cost of living and culture of the Philippines quite enticing.
Bowled over by Bohol
Rogers first visited the island of Bohol as a consultant. What he saw made him an investor.
Bohol is the 10th largest island of the Philippines and lies in the middle of the Visayas. Bohol is surrounded by other islands on all sides and is thus shielded from the typhoons that often occur in the region, as well as from the heaviest rains. According to Rogers, “Everyone speaks English, all the kids go to school and everyone is spotlessly clean. It seems crime is about zero. In my two trips [40 days total], I haven’t seen a cop or heard a siren,” he says. “And it must be a crime to frown because I never see anyone frown. A woman is called a ‘momma’ and is always pushed to the front of the line. If you’re carrying something, five people will try to help you before you can get to your car. And they don’t want a tip—they just want to help.”
Rogers’ partner in the Philippine project is Jojo Ofamen, a native of Bohol who currently lives in Stockton and owns elder care facilities.
“His experience has helped us really think the whole system through,” Rogers says. “Jo taught me a lot about the needs associated with aging and our homes will provide the perfect environment for the process. Plus, Jo is a great partner, handling the liaison work with all the governmental agencies.”
Phase one of Rogers’ project has two elements. One will be the construction of a panel manufacturing facility so he will have control of materials and distribution, which will cut his costs. The Philippine government is providing tax-free status as an incentive. The second phase is the construction of the retirement community.
Initially, he’s planning for 50 houses on 24.5 acres. “These will be large lots in a parklike setting. I’m saving all the trees and keeping everything as natural as possible,” Rogers says. “The project is located at an elevation of 700 feet, so there are nice, cool breezes and views of the ocean. We’ll have concrete roads with curbs and the community will be gated for security. It will offer solar electrical and pure drinking water from its wells.”
The community will have a clubhouse, a full-time nurse, security, maid services and a pick-up-and-delivery service. Landscaping and property maintenance will be provided, and each house will have a garden; staff gardeners will assist residents in planting seasonal vegetables for their own consumption.
The homes will be 100 percent compliant with the requirements set by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including supports for grab bars preinstalled in the walls “in case the need should arise,” he says.
“These are true California houses, except the eaves are extended to protect the sides of the houses from the sun. They will also have more insulation and will be fully air-conditioned,” Rogers says. They’ll range from 1,400 to 1,600 square feet in size and will feature two to three bedrooms, two baths, vaulted ceilings, cozy nooks and patios. Unlike most of his projects, the homes will be permanent, not modular. “We’ll build them with metal studs and stucco. They’ll be highly fire resistant and pretty indestructible,” Rogers says. He also plans to use tile, marble and granite and install Western-style cabinetry. “There will be options aplenty. In fact, I’ll customize things to the customer’s wishes,” he says.
The local government has embraced the project and even plans to build a new concrete road to the entry gate. “And the houses are located and aligned to Philippine tradition using Feng Shui,” he says.
Phase two of the project will be smaller homes. “Using local materials for finishes and competitive fixtures, I’ll be able to produce a low-cost, 1,000-square-foot house perfect for retiring lovebirds for less than $100,000 [United States currency],” Rogers says. These homes, also permanent, will be built throughout Bohol and not confined to the gated retirement community.
Rogers and his partner are also working with the Philippine government to build a California-class hospital with 60 beds.
“The land is available, and we have an architect who’s working on preliminary ideas,” Rogers says. “The hospital will handle the medical needs of tourists as well as take care of the retirees and local citizens. I’ve built two hospitals this size and see this opportunity as a giant plus for future developments. Besides, if it turns out like I want it to, I’ll be the first to get sick!”
Split personality
Rogers acknowledges the next several years are going to be quite busy as he fulfills his obligations to the PIA and ramps up his project in Bohol. The single father of two (son William, Jr. is 17 and attends Napa’s Justin-Siena High School; daughter Alexandra is 13 and goes to St. John’s Lutheran School) will split his time between Napa, Folsom and Bohol. Modern technology (email, cell phone and the Internet) will help him keep his finger on the pulse of each project. But it’s his own positive outlook and go-get-’em attitude that will serve him best.
“I’ve always wanted to give something back to the system, and I’ve always felt there was a way I could do more,” Rogers reflected. “This is what I was wishing for. This is very important to me right now. And I’ll serve two masters for as long as I’m needed.”
