Even with the arrival of a decidedly tough competitor—online shopping—retail in Los Angeles remains a booming industry. Many of L.A.’s neighborhoods are home to local stores, luxury boutiques, and eclectic shops, which thrill shoppers and keep the retail industry alive. Although online shopping is convenient, retail stores offer consumers intimate shopping experiences and immediate access to products.
Here, we list the top 8 high-end, retail contractors in Los Angeles responsible for lining Beverly Hills and West Hollywood with gleaming clothing and jewelry stores. Their expertise has allowed these contractors to establish long-term relationships with many top brands.
8) Ramland Construction
1650 Westwood Blvd, Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90024
Ramland Construction specializes in building commercial projects for clients, as well as providing entitlement processing, site viability surveying, construction management, and design-build solutions. A veteran of restaurant construction with a strong portfolio, the firm recently made its foray into retail construction and has already proven its abilities. In Los Angeles, the firm completed projects for trendy accessory and clothing brands, such as Lululemon Athletica, Deus Ex Machina, pet lifestyle boutique store Pussy & Pooch, luxury dressmaker Monique Lhuillier, high-end men’s fashion company Bonobos, Rick Owens, and contemporary brands, such as Trina Turk and Kitson.
Moreover, Ramland Construction provides full-service general contracting management and interior improvements in California. The firm completed 145 projects in 43 cities over a period of 20 years. These works have appeared in the Los Angeles Times and Mercury News.
Moreover, Ramland Construction engages in restoration and remodeling. The firm’s team of talented and seasoned project managers and craftsmen is committed to exceeding client expectations.
7) Bogart Construction
9980 Irvine Center Drive, Suite 200, Irvine, CA 92618
Bogart Construction is a well-known partner among global retailer brands. With roots in tenant improvement, the firm has since grown to include ground-up construction of major retail stores. Licensed in 38 states, the firm has completed over 1,000 retails stores, including multiple locations in California for familiar retail brands, such as H&M, Express, California Welcome Center, Sephora, Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, Petco, and Vineyard Vines. Founded in 1991 by Brad Bogart, the firm runs on the principles of integrity and perseverance.
Bogart Construction provides full-service general contracting services and project delivery on schedule. The firm is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, the International Council of Shopping Centers, Vistage, the Retail Contractors Association, and the American Institute of Architecture.
Bogart has received the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Up and Comer of the Year Award for their H&M store in 2015, as well as multiple URBN Awards for their work on various Urban Outfitters stores.
6) Shangri-La Construction
550 South Hope Street, Suite 510, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Since 2008, Shangri-La Construction (SLC) has completed more than 250 top-quality, commercial projects in various market sectors. The firm’s projects have earned SLC multiple recognitions from the Los Angeles Business Journal, L.A. Sustainable Awards, and the Calibre Awards, which are granted by the International Interior Design Awards. SLC president and owner Ayalushim Getachew noted that the firm was formed to address shortcomings in the retail industry and to provide better service in order to generate a higher level of client satisfaction. Getachew says, “(we are) keenly focused on our service-value proposition whether an engagement is limited to hanging a door or as expansive as a large, ground-up capital project.”
In retail, SLC has worked on Malibu Village—a high-end mall in Beverly Hills—by providing 4,600 square feet of improvements. The firm has also worked on the interior construction of Beverly Avenue stores for the Saks Fifth Avenue Denim Bar, the Saks Fifth Avenue Men’s Store, and Stylehaus—an upscale, membership-only clothing boutique. The firm also worked on retail stores for Kiki De Montparnasse and camera maker Canon. The firm provides general contracting services, land entitlements, green building, and health-conscious environmental options. In addition to retail, SLC is experienced in other sectors, including healthcare, hospitality, housing, offices, education, and government.
5) PWI Construction
3903 West Martin Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada 89118
PWI Construction is one of the leading commercial general contracting companies in the country. Though headquartered in Las Vegas, PWI’s operation extends nationwide, as the firm holds a general contractor license in all 50 states. Jeff Price established the firm in 1985 in Mesa, Arizona and began completing local projects. Soon, the company’s reputation gained widespread recognition, prompting him to expand his services and establish branch offices in three more states. To date, the company has completed 1,800 projects, of which 250 were completed in the last five years.
In California, PWI completed more than 30 commercial projects, ranging from restaurants to luxury retail stores. The firm recently completed stores for Burberry, Ermenegildo Zegna, Escada, Etro, and St. John in Beverly Hills. The firm also completed Los Angeles branch stores for Philip Plein, Diptyque, Club Monaco, Hugo Boss, Zadig & Voltaire, Carolina Herrera, Moncler, Salvatore Ferragamo, St. John, Pomellato, and Tiffany & Co. Moreover, PWI has worked on stores for Bvlgary, David Yurman, Gucci, Prada, and Giorgio Armani in nearby Costa Mesa.
In addition to general contracting services, the firm provides clients with feasibility studies, materials evaluations, value engineering, conceptual budgeting, project management, and site analysis. Hotel Management, the leading hospitality news outlet in the nation, recognized PWI as the “Top Construction Company” for the sixth consecutive year. The firm’s work has appeared in Conde Nast Traveler’s 2017 Hot List, Foothills Magazine, and Builder Magazine.
4) Trainor Commercial Construction, Inc
1925 Francisco Blvd. East, Suite 21, San Rafael, CA 94901
Trainor Commercial Construction, Inc. (TCCI) is a nationwide store builder for large-scale retail brands, including Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Old Navy, Macy’s, and Bare Escentuals. Bringing with him over 40 years of experience in construction management, Brian A. Trainor founded the firm in 2001) The firm is currently headquartered in San Rafael, California, but has completed projects in New York and Chicago.
TCCI has worked with luxury retailers Alton Lane, Coach, Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Kate Spade, Lord & Taylor, Porsche Design, Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel, as well as clothing companies Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Hugo Boss, Gap, and Polo Ralph Lauren. Notably, the firm has built more than 250 stores across the country for cosmetic brand Bare Escentuals and has worked on 850 projects for Macy’s. TCCI provides full-service general contracting and construction management.
Over the years, TCCI has earned a myriad of design and building awards, including the Store of the Year and Design Award from the Association for Retail Environments for its work in Restoration Hardware Boston. For its collaborative work with Gensler architects, TCCI also received the Innovation Award and Brand Spaces in the 44th International Store Design Awards. The firm’s work for Saks Fifth Avenue won them design:retail Magazine’s Best Store Design of the Year Award in 2014. TCCI is a member of the American Institute of Architects, the Retail Contractors Association, and the International Council of Shopping Centers.
3) Michilli Construction + Consulting
34 Executive Park, Suite 120, Irvine, CA 92614
Starting our top three is Michilli Construction + Consulting—one of the most prominent commercial contractors in the United States. Founded over 20 years ago, the firm has completed more than 150 projects in 30 cities across the nation, many of which are retail stores for luxury brands, such as Armani, Balenciaga, Longchamp, Alexander McQueen, Bulgari, and Christian Louboutin. Founder Angelo Michillii has said that while the firm’s projects have varied in size, scope, and locations, the company remains committed to the same standards of quality.
Michilli recently completed the Swedish fashion house Acne Studio’s flagship store in Los Angeles—a head-turning, acid-yellow store in West Hollywood. Japanese luxury watchmaker Grand Seiko also entrusted Michilli with building the brand’s first U.S.-based store in Beverly Hills. Another notable project is Kith’s subterranean store in West Hollywood. At the center of the store is a glass shoe display that extends to the ceiling. Michilli also built stores for Prada, Lanvin, Balenciaga, and more. The firm’s work for Vera Wang earned it a Lumen Feldman Award of Excellence from the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, an Honors Award from the American Institute of Architects in 2010, and a feature in Architect’s Newspaper.
Michilli’s service is comprised of communications, consulting, and value engineering. The firm is affiliated with the American Institute of Architects, the Retail Design Institute, the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
2) Dickinson Cameron
6184 Innovation Way, Carlsbad, CA 92009
Dickinson Cameron (DC) is at the forefront of commercial retail construction. Established in 1994, the firm has already built hundreds of acclaimed, luxury retail stores and restaurants across the U.S., most prominently in California. Founder Frank Naliboff currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the firm. As part of the firm’s rapid expansion, Naliboff recently opened a New York City office in an effort to solidify DC’s East coast presence. DC specializes in providing both ground-up and interior construction for retail stores. The firm has partnered with others to build several stores for tech-giant Apple, sportswear manufacturer Adidas, and high-end fashion companies, including Coach, Hermes, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tory Burch, Chanel, Burberry, and Donna Karan New York. DC also built nearly a dozen stores for jeweler Cartier, including the much-applauded Cartier Mansion in New York.
In Los Angeles, DC completed two stores for Dolce & Gabbana, which are both located on Beverly Boulevard, as well as stores for Kate Spade, Saint Laurent Paris, Coach, Apple, Adidas, Dodo, and Polo Ralph Lauren. In Beverly Hills, the firm built stores for David Yurman, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Porsche Design, Van Cleef & Arpels, Sandro, MAC Cosmetics, Bobbi Brown, Carolina Herrera, Christian Dior, and others. In all, DC has built nearly 300 retail and restaurant projects in the state of California—most prominently in San Francisco and Costa Mesa.
DC offers general contracting services that comply with the green-building standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council and follows a zero-tolerance policy for unsafe practices. The firm’s Citizens of Humanity Los Angeles store won them a 2015 Sparks Gold Award, and in 2010, the firm’s Chanel store on Robertson Boulevard won an Institute Honor Award for Interior Architecture, which was given by the American Institute of Architecture. DC’s work has appeared in the New York Times, GQ Magazine, Luxury Daily, Architectural Digest, WWD, and Los Angeles Ranked.
1) Shawmut Design and Construction
11390 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064
Shawmut Design and Construction is a premier, award-winning commercial construction firm based in California. Shawmut’s incredible construction portfolio includes plenty of high-end residential and commercial projects. The firm’s numerous state offices have each won recognition as the “Best Place to Work” nearly every year from Fortune Magazine and other business journals. Moreover, INC. 5000 included Shawmut on its list, and the Boston Preservation Alliance awarded Shawmut the President’s Award for Excellence for its restoration work on the Paramount Center. In 2016, ENR named Shawmut the New England Contractor of the Year. The firm’s head of retail construction, Greg Skalski, appeared on design: retail’s list of 40 under 40, in recognition of his contribution to the retail industry.
President Les Hiscoe has been with the company for 20 years and has served on various community committees in New York and Massachusetts. In 2016, SmartCEO Magazine named Hiscoe a “Future 50” award recipient in recognition of leading one of the region’s fastest-growing firms”, and C-Suite Quarterly Real Estate & Finance hailed Hiscoe as a visionary in its Spring 2018 issue.
Shawmut has completed projects in various markets, including academic, cultural, healthcare, hospitality, and luxury homes. As for retail, the firm has worked extensively with high-end, global brands. Shawmut completed Los Angeles flagship stores for Alo Yoga, The Row, Isabel Marant, and Balmain. In Beverly Hills, the firm partnered with Lacoste to build its store on North Rodeo Drive. The firm has also built stores for Tom Ford, De Beers, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Ermenegildo Zegna, jewelers Christofle, and David Yurman, Victoria’s Secret, Uniqlo, Burberry, Kate Spade, Express, Sephora, Cartier, Anne Fontaine, and Longchamp in San Francisco and New York City.
Shawmut credits its workplace culture of teamwork, respect, and inclusion, as well as its talented staff as the source of its success. Shawmut’s work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, design: retail, Well + Good, Interior Design, Vogue, Elle, Visual Merchandising and Store Design, and ENR. Shawmut’s Polo Ralph Lauren store on Fifth Avenue in New York City won Store of the Year from design: retail.
