Brad Cummings, President, Bradford Cummings, Inc.

In an interview with Invest:, Brad Cummings, president of Bradford Cummings Inc., highlighted Tampa Bay’s rapid healthcare expansion as a key driver of growth. His firm specializes in hospital renovations and outpatient facility construction, areas seeing strong demand as healthcare systems expand beyond main campuses.

Can you share an overview of Bradford Cummings Inc. and key highlights from this past year?

Bradford Cummings Inc. is a specialized construction firm focused on healthcare projects, ranging from hospital renovations to medical office buildouts and infrastructure upgrades. For nearly two decades, we’ve been a trusted contractor for major healthcare providers, particularly BayCare, handling a steady volume of projects that keep their facilities running efficiently.

Our primary focus is on smaller to mid-size projects such as lobby renovations, exam room remodels, MRI suite installations, and other infrastructure upgrades that healthcare systems need on a continuous basis. These projects require a high level of expertise in healthcare-specific construction, as they often take place in active medical environments where patient safety and operational continuity are critical. Larger contractors are typically focused on new hospital construction or major expansions, but our niche is in these day-to-day projects that hospitals and outpatient facilities constantly require.

Beyond hospitals, we also work extensively in outpatient medical office construction. With the growing trend of healthcare services moving off the main hospital campus, there’s been a strong demand for new physician offices, ambulatory surgery centers, and urgent care facilities. At any given time, we’re managing multiple projects in different stages — some under construction, others in permitting, and others in the planning phase.

This past year has been particularly busy as healthcare providers continue to expand their outpatient networks. We’ve seen steady demand for renovations and facility improvements, as well as new projects supporting the growth of healthcare systems in the region. With Tampa Bay being one of the fastest-growing markets in the country, we anticipate continued expansion and new opportunities in the years ahead.

With over 500 medical construction projects under your belt, what opportunities and trends for growth do you see in the healthcare construction sector? 

A big trend is hospitals acquiring more physician practices. Private doctor offices are becoming less common, and we’re seeing more physicians employed directly by healthcare systems. This shift means hospitals need to build and renovate more outpatient facilities to house these growing networks of doctors.

We also work with independent medical groups, some of which are quite large. While many general practitioners are moving under hospital systems, there are still specialized groups — like orthopedic and surgical centers — that remain independent. We do a lot of work for them as well.

Another trend is hospitals expanding their presence beyond their main campuses. The model now is to create outpatient networks around the hospital — urgent care centers, ambulatory surgery centers, and physician offices that keep routine care outside the hospital itself. That’s been a major shift over the last five years, and it’s where we see the most growth.

What makes the Tampa Bay region an ideal place for your business? 

Tampa Bay is one of the fastest-growing regions in the country. Florida’s population is booming, and healthcare demand is rising with it. Right now, we’re pricing work for Orlando Health, which doesn’t have a big presence in Tampa yet but clearly wants to establish one. That tells me Tampa Bay is a key growth market for healthcare.

The sheer volume of hospital construction here is incredible. Between HCA, AdventHealth, BayCare, and now Orlando Health looking to expand, the opportunities are endless. Honestly, even if I worked for all of them, my company still couldn’t keep up with all the work available. It’s just an immense amount of healthcare construction happening in this region.

How are you seeing technology impacting hospital design and construction?

There’s no question that technology is changing how hospitals are designed and built. About 10 years ago, hospitals were required to transition to electronic medical records, and it’s only evolved from there. Now, when you walk into a healthcare facility, IT infrastructure is a priority. Everything is wireless, patients check in on iPads, and waiting rooms aren’t designed the way they used to be. Instead of sitting down at a desk with a registrar, patients interact with digital check-in systems.

These changes have had a huge impact on hospital design. We follow plans created by healthcare architects, but even in the past few years, we’ve seen major shifts in how facilities are built to accommodate new technology.

How are you managing challenges related to rising construction costs, labor shortages, and supply chain disruptions?

We work primarily with subcontractors, and one of the biggest challenges we’ve faced, especially during COVID, was price volatility. Before the pandemic, a subcontractor’s quote would be valid for 30 days. During COVID, that dropped to five days, sometimes even three. It became impossible to work with those timelines, so we had to adjust our approach and make sure our pricing accounted for rapid fluctuations.

Just yesterday, I had to put together a proposal that included a clause about tariffs. With new tariffs on construction materials like steel, aluminum, and copper, we must protect ourselves from unexpected price hikes. One of the biggest issues remains permitting delays. The time it takes to get a permit approved hasn’t changed, but material prices fluctuate so quickly that by the time we’re ready to start construction, costs may have risen significantly. That’s a constant challenge, but as long as we communicate these risks upfront, our clients understand.

How do you assess the labor market for construction trades? Have you noticed improvements?

A few years ago, we had a tough time finding skilled trades, particularly plumbers. But things have improved. I think there’s been more awareness about the value of trade jobs, and there’s been a push to encourage young people to pursue careers in the trades rather than assuming college is the only path.

I’ve had conversations with subcontractors in the past where they told me they couldn’t take on more work because they just didn’t have the manpower. That’s happening less now, which is a good sign. The demand for skilled labor isn’t going away. If you know how to install a toilet, you’ll always have a job.

What are your top priorities for Bradford Cummings Inc. over the next few years?

We’re focused on smart, steady growth. I’d like to grow the business by about 20% to 25% over the next few years. That includes expanding our capabilities to take on more ground-up medical office projects, though we’ll still stick to smaller-scale buildings. I also want to improve our internal support staff. As a small company, we don’t have an HR department or a large administrative team. Expanding those resources would help us better support our employees and grow sustainably.

Beyond healthcare, I’d like to diversify a bit. Right now, about 10% of our work is outside healthcare, primarily for a hardware chain we’ve worked with for years. I’d like to increase that to 20%, just to maintain a balanced client mix. 

I’m optimistic about the future of healthcare construction in Tampa Bay. The amount of growth here is incredible, and with new players like Orlando Health entering the market, it’s only going to continue.