We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Franklin Farmer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Franklin, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

As a child, bringing visions to reality always sparked an interest with me. While in school, I took Computer Aided Drafting and Design classes. It was then I knew I found my calling. Applying my knowledge and talent, I brought home 2nd place in the Tennessee Agricultural CADD Contest. After High School, I went on to college to pursue a career in Architecture. Then my big break came. I worked for one of the largest Architecture firms in the Southeast. It was there that they put my talents and knowledge to the test supporting all Architects, Engineers, and Project managers. Then it clicked. What if I could use my talents to support any Architect, Engineer, or Contractor with BIM/CADD services? It seemed like a dream. Fast forward 5 years. I left for an opportunity to work for a mechanical contractor in charge of the BIM services department. It was a field that I saw an opportunity in. It was there that my first client contacted me. This was a client I had worked with years ago. I couldn’t believe it. The dream had finally become a reality. I created farmer Drafting and Design.

Farmer Drafting and Design was born with the goal of supporting the little guys. Typically, larger Architectural/Engineering firm have the budget and human resources to complete BIM in house. Same goes with Contractors. However, for the smaller companies, BIM can be a costly process. That’s where Farmer Drafting and Design steps in for support. We will use our 20 years of experience to use BIM/CADD to produce a product that’s on time and under budget. Allowing you to pursue larger projects you wouldn’t have without the support of Farmer Drafting and Design.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Farmer Drafting and Design provides full BIM/CADD services. With a focus on full service, we provide clients with everything from 3D model creation to BIM coordination. 3D Model Creation is where we would take all plans/ submittals and create 3D models for Revit, or any other software designated by the client. We can forget items in 2D workspaces that only become apparent when it’s converted to 3D. While this might seem rudimentary, 2D CADD remains the norm for the industry thus requiring 3D models to coordinate with other trades.

We apply BIM Coordination by combining all trades, architectural, and structural models to determine if issues are present between trades. This is by far the most crucial part of the process as this directly affects construction crews and the construction schedule. BIM Coordination will highlight these issues for resolution before they spend any time. Before BIM Coordination, these issues would only be present while construction was active, thus resulting in costly changes and hours lost. Once every trade is free of issues, a sign-off model is created, then issued to all construction teams solidifying the location of trades.

Documentation/Shop Drawings typically is the last step of the process. We will dimension, call out bottom of pipe/duct, call out equipment, etc. to ensure that the contractors have a clear, consistent, and concise set of drawings for installation of trades. While not as crucial as BIM Coordination, this is still a very import part as they used these drawings for construction.

This approach to BIM allows Farmer Drafting and Design to work with our clients on a more professional level to provide the exact services the client needs. This along with our 20 years of experience allows us to provide services on a level that sets us apart from the rest.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

While working with clients, Farmer Drafting and Design builds relationships that will last. This is done by understanding on a more personal level what they are needing. With current technologies, there are several ways to achieve BIM. We take that guesswork out and foster our client’s with exactly what they need eliminating any guesswork. This experience is the reason why many clients keep coming back. Give clients an experience they cannot get anywhere else.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Our attention to detail and the desire to provide our clients with the most accurate and budget friendly services sets Farmer Drafting and Design apart from the rest in the industry. The accuracy of detail, quality of 3D models, clear and consistent shop drawings are noticed by project managers. This build trust among clients that still to this day remain the foundation of Farmer Drafting and Design.

Contact Info:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franklin-farmer-97586b133/
• Other: [email protected]