June 3, 2026

This piece is sponsored by Journey Group.

Shortly after Dr. Rachel Soyland purchased her orthodontic practice in 2020, she gave it a new name and soon considered a new location.

“The original office was in a leased space on the east side, but it had limited visibility, and we quickly began to outgrow it,” said Soyland, a Sioux Falls native who purchased the practice from Dr. Jack Wilson.

“Since the east side of Sioux Falls is growing so rapidly, I knew I wanted to remain in that area while moving to a more visible, permanent location that could better support our growth.”

She decided to build 605 Orthodontics from the ground up at 5901 E. 26th St.

“I interviewed several contractors before selecting Journey Construction,” Soyland said.

“What stood out to me was their transparent process, strong communication and outstanding reputation in the community.”

The approximately 4,700-square-foot building was designed “to comfortably support our growing practice while still feeling warm, welcoming and inviting for patients and families,” Soyland said.

“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Patients and visitors frequently compliment the building, and I’m extremely happy with how everything turned out. It really reflects the welcoming environment and level of care we strive to provide.”

The new office opened in the spring of 2025.

 “The experience with Journey was excellent from start to finish,” Soyland said.

“Communication was always clear, and anytime a challenge came up, they presented thoughtful solutions right away. Everything before, during and after construction has gone smoothly. I would absolutely recommend them and would choose them again without hesitation.”

For decades, Journey Construction has built a portfolio of healthcare and specialty medical projects ranging from small independent practices to major medical centers.

“We consider it a privilege to build spaces that will lead to health and healing in our communities,” said Mark Lukonen, vice president of special projects for Journey Construction.

“We understand the unique considerations required to deliver these projects and are proud to have built a reputation in this field.”

For Ophthalmology Limited and Eye Surgery Center, Journey Construction’s track record of successful healthcare projects led to the company being chosen to build the center’s recent expansion.

“They understand healthcare,” Ophthalmology Limited CEO Matt Long said.

“They’ve been a primary healthcare contractor for a long time and have done pretty much all the work for Avera Health and a number of other practices. We did not ever lose a day of service because of how everything is phased.”

Ophthalmology Limited added about 9,000 square feet to its longtime location at 6601 S. Minnesota Ave., bringing much-needed additional capacity to support demand.

That includes a total of 18 new rooms for pre- and post-surgery patients, two more operating rooms and an overall space designed with more windows for natural light.

Construction started April 1, 2025, and the team moved into the new space earlier this year, on March 30.

“So in less than a year, we occupied and did our first surgery,” Long said. “The employees love it. It’s so much bigger, brighter and more usable.”

Work now shifts to the original 7,700-square-foot space, which is being renovated to match the new side and is scheduled to be done later this summer.

“Working with Journey has been a pleasure,” Long said. “My site manager is the nicest guy in the world — completely committed, knows everyone’s name and came up with multiple ideas to smooth the phasing out. You can just tell he cares.”

Throughout construction, Long said he has appreciated attention to noise reduction and close accountability with the subcontractors working on the building.

“We do delicate surgery, and if there’s someone pounding, within three seconds it’s addressed, and everything is shut off until we’re done so there’s no noise or vibration to disturb anyone,” Long said. “They’re very sensitive to that.”

Meetings are held weekly, “and that’s my style as someone who has done project management for years,” Long continued.

“We’re talking about what’s gone well, what’s not going well, and we have the architects there, as well as two or three people from Journey. We talk about safety. We talk about what’s happening in the next one, three and five weeks so there are no surprises.”

Small touches stood out, he added.

“It’s little things like smoothing floors and finishing temporary walls so they look nice every though we’re going to tear them down, so they’re finished and clean and the patient experience is good” Long said.

“As a guy who’s been around healthcare and leadership, you know the difference between someone who puts the effort in and doesn’t, and this team does it.”

To learn more about how Journey Construction can support your business’s building needs, visit here.