Projects Of All Sizes Statewide Showcase Lloyd Construction’s Growing Health Care Portfolio
Drs. Meg and Chris Freed saw an opportunity to bring something new — and needed — to the Sioux Falls dental market.
Both former U.S. Navy dentists, “we have a desire to serve and show up when people need it most,” said Dr. Meg Freed. “So my husband and I wanted to bring a dental urgent care facility to Sioux Falls while maintaining comprehensive care for our patients.”
They acquired Montoya Dental and rebranded it 10th Street Dental in early 2018 but realized parking was limited and patient demand was strong.
“Our services continue to expand with sedation for adults and children, implants, Invisalign, custom dentures and excellent restorative work,” Freed said.
They purchased land at Dawley Farm Village on the east side of Sioux Falls for its prime location and visibility and started picturing what their next chapter could look like: A custom-designed space for what would become Modern Dental.
“We felt this would be a future landmark practice for a dental urgent care and comprehensive care clinic given visibility and weekend hours,” Freed said. “We needed a clinic that represented the quality of care we provide.”
When it came time to build, the couple drew up early construction plans with one firm, then had a conversation with Lloyd Companies CEO Chris Thorkelson.
“We met with a previous construction team, and it just didn’t feel correct,” Freed said. “We met Chris and have now interacted with him for over a year. We knew we could trust his company to do a great job for us — and they did. Lloyd was fantastic to work with — very responsive — and any concerns were addressed during construction. We love how it turned out.”
The new office opened this past March, and “we have updated our urgent care and comprehensive care modalities to provide the best and most comfortable experiences possible,” Freed said. “The parking is much better, and emergency wait times are much less. We are so excited for the future of Modern Dental.”
For Lloyd Construction, the project represented one of many health care and specialty medical projects the company has undertaken in recent months.
“We’re just entering the dental world, so this one was unique for us,” executive vice president of construction Mike Dill said. “We worked on that quite a while on the front end through design and helped keep them on budget.”
For Modern Dental, the 4,700-square-foot building was intentionally designed to offer a more personal, affordable experience. It’s offers a facility that accommodates everything from routine dental care to sedation and surgery, supporting the only board-certified dental anesthesiologist seeing children and adults.
“My husband and I, both former owners of large dental practices, learned to appreciate the overhead involved with large facilities, which ultimately influences cost to patients,” Freed said. “We keep our spaces efficient; therefore, we have not raised prices in three years.”
Her construction project also remained on time and under budget, with ongoing support from the Lloyd Construction team.
“The communication was excellent, and the project was smooth,” Freed said. “The building speaks for itself. Patients love it. Staff love it. Every day, there are patients affirming the vision we had, and we know this is exactly where we were supposed to be.”
Learn more about this project here.
Clear Vision
Dr. Kristen Kramlich grew up as a patient of Vision Care Associates, joined the practice as an associate doctor and became a partner in 2021.
Last year, she decided to update a clinic in Sioux Falls to improve the patient experience, create a more efficient flow and address normal wear and tear.
“We explored different renovation options and project scopes, but ultimately, a complete redesign was the only approach that truly made sense,” she said. “It gave us the opportunity to modernize the clinic while adding a few crucial rooms that have meaningfully enhanced the care we provide.”
Kramlich connected with Lloyd Construction through her relationship with Lloyd Commercial Real Estate broker Kristen Zueger.
“Her personality, resources and excellence in execution made me confident the construction team would be just as strong,” Kramlich said. “She connected me with their project executive, Ryan Hoffman, who, along with Vice President of Architecture and Design, Laura Devine, took a very rough vision of what I needed and transformed it into something that made perfect, real-world sense.”
When working with the Lloyd Design Group, “it was especially important to me that the design supported patients with all types of vision,” Kramlich said.
“Most people might not notice, but the high-contrast black trim against white walls helps individuals with varying levels of visual impairment navigate hallways and doorways more easily. We also intentionally kept the exam room colors simple to avoid patterns that could interfere with vision testing or aggravate post-concussion symptoms. So while the space looks beautiful, every detail was also chosen with thoughtful purpose.”
Kramlich said she was “blown away by the depth of resources” Lloyd brought to the project.
“Ryan and Laura absolutely nailed both the layout and the budget. The interior designers, Kaeli Meyerink and Morgan Fonder, brought an effortless, elevated aesthetic and a real sense of personality to the space,” she said.
“Ryan was incredibly patient as we worked through several layout options before landing on the best fit. He was also very mindful of my strict budget, consistently planning and guiding decisions with that in mind.”
Project manager Dan Kurtz “was remarkable,” Kramlich said.
“He phased the entire project over three months without requiring us to close for even a single day. As a privately owned clinic, that was a huge benefit for both our patients and our employees. I was able to continue providing care without forcing anyone to reschedule, which meant a lot to me. Additionally, both Dan and our on-site superintendent, Abe Contreras, were incredibly detail-oriented when it came to finish quality. That took a tremendous amount of pressure off me as the client. I never felt like I had to personally inspect every detail because I fully trusted their quality control process.”
The Lloyd team anticipated needs before she even realized they needed to be addressed, she added.
“From health care-specific electrical requirements to designing spaces that are functional for people of all abilities, their level of knowledge and foresight truly felt unmatched.”
Feedback on the space has been overwhelmingly positive, Kramlich said.
“Some patients who have been coming to this location for decades are surprised to find that even the front vestibule now turns in a different direction. Many have even commented that they accidentally drove past because they didn’t recognize it. It’s always fun to see the look on their faces when they realize they’re in the right place for their appointment,” she said.
“My team and I love the new space as well. The layout provides greater privacy for our patients, and coming to work feels genuinely exciting.”
For Lloyd, the project represented one of a few vision-related projects in its portfolio.
“It’s a great example of what we’re able to offer clients of all sizes,” Dill said. “We’re proud of how many team members contributed to the success.”
Given the opportunity, “I would absolutely choose Lloyd Construction for another project,” Kramlich said. “Their experience is evident in every step, and it shows in how seamlessly they navigate a project from start to finish.”
Learn more about this project here.
Statewide Reach
In Yankton, Lloyd has another specialized health care project under construction.
The 18-bed residential treatment center for women is a partnership between Avera Sacred Heart and Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health.
“It’s especially geared toward mothers, with a design that is trying to be less disruptive to families,” Dill said. “Our design team handled the design, and it kicked off in September. It’s on schedule for completion this summer.”
The project is designed to serve women struggling with substance use disorders, with a focus on pregnant women and mothers with children, allowing them to stay with their children while receiving clinical support.
For Lloyd Construction, it represents a second major health care project in Yankton following its expansion of Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health.
“Conversations on this one actually started before we were awarded Lewis and Clark, so it’s been in the pipeline a while, and we’re excited to deliver it soon,” Dill said.
Lloyd Construction’s reach in health care projects also extends to western South Dakota.
The team recently finished a buildout for Premier Family Eyecare in Custer.
“We tore down an old house and built a new building in six months,” said Donnie Hambek, Lloyd Construction director of project development. “We kept it within budget, and the owner has since given us quite a few referrals after seeing how it turned out and because he was really happy with how the team treated him.”
Fall River Health Services in Hot Springs chose Lloyd when it was time to expand its emergency department.
“We were averaging 350 emergency visits per month, which created the need for additional patient treatment space. Only one trauma bay was available, and a waiting area for guests was unavailable in the existing design,” CEO Jeremy Schultes said.
“The newly redesigned space will address the need for additional treatment space, an additional trauma room, a waiting area for guests, and the EMS service will have an enclosed bay for ambulances to load and unload patients safely.”
The Lloyd Construction team is ICRA-certified and able to provide the highest level of infection control while work is done.
“With Fall River, a dust-free environment is key, so we’ve been able to collect and filter dust so we don’t push it into the hospital,” Hambek said. “We’ve also maintained access to emergency care, including pouring a temporary sidewalk.”
The first phase of construction, including the emergency department, is scheduled to be completed at the end of July.
“Currently, the schedule is on track and costs are in line with the budget,” Schultes said.
“We have been pleased with the contractor relationship with Lloyd Construction.”
Lloyd Construction “is gaining an increased presence in western South Dakota,” he added. “They are showing a history of completing quality projects on time and on budget. Our design-bid-build project was awarded to Lloyd Construction because of this history, and we plan to use Lloyd in future projects if they are available.”
To learn more about how Lloyd Construction can support your next project, visit here.
