The medical-office construction boom that's taking place in anticipation of Skagit Valley Hospital’s expansion has been keeping local contractors busy.

But while many of the projects have been landed by large, well-known local commercial builders, Tower Pacific Construction is among a number of smaller companies that are also seizing the opportunity to make their mark in Mount Vernon's health-care district.

Toepfer's company specializes in private-sector work, especially offices and clinic space for medical, dental and mental-health professionals. Projects typically average between 2,000 and 3,000 square feet in size, ranging from tenant improvement remodeling contracts to ground up for new construction.

“I've always been big on going after the smaller projects,” Toepfer said. “They're your bread and butter.”

Builders face increasing competition for commercial projects in fast-growing Skagit and Snohomish counties, and Tower Pacific sometimes is in the running for the same contracts being sought by larger, better-known local companies.

“You have to be proactive,” Toepfer said. “If you hear about something coming up, you have to go after it.”

The company's recent projects include the offices for the North Cascade Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic in Mount Vernon, which won recognition from the Skagit-Island Counties Builders Association for commercial project of the year in 2000. Tower Pacific is also remodeled an adjacent house to convert it to clinic space, and built the clinic's office in Anacortes.

Tower Pacific also recently finished an interior remodeling project for Phoenix Recovery Services, a drug and alcohol counseling office on College Way. That project breathed new life into an old building that had seen previous lives as a restaurant, deli, a professional office, a business-supply store and an antique shop.

Toepfer opened his company in Mount Vernon just five years ago, but has been in the construction business for 20 years, getting his start by working for his father in his hometown of Lansing, Illinois, a suburb south of Chicago.

Before moving to Mount Vernon, Toepfer ran a contracting business for 10 years in Alaska, where he specialized in building retail stores for a wide variety of companies.

In addition to professional offices and clinics, Tower Pacific also specializes in small retail projects.

The company is currently building two stores at Quil Ceda Village just off I-5 near Marysville: one for the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and one for Country Rose Home Furnishings, both of which will be part of the Seattle Premium Outlets Mall now under construction.

To generate business, Toepfer said he does a considerable amount of advertising, but also relies on informal, word-of-mouth referrals, and repeat business from satisfied customers.

“Even though the economy is doing really well, it's still really competitive,” he said. “It's always a struggle. To get the jobs, you've got to put in the time.”

Toepfer said he hopes to double the volume of work done by Tower Pacific within the next two or three years, focusing on projects in Skagit, Snohomish and King counties.

“You can't stay in just one county and survive, especially if you're going to be in a niche area,” he said. “I hope to add more people as the workload expands.”

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