diff --git a/lib/columnutils.py b/lib/columnutils.py
index 5af867d..8a6949b 100644
--- a/lib/columnutils.py
+++ b/lib/columnutils.py
@@ -47,3 +47,13 @@ def fmt_colname(colname: str, warehouse: str):
         return colname.lower()
     else:
         raise ValueError(f"unsupported warehouse: {warehouse}")
+
+
+def quote_columnname(colname: str, warehouse: str):
+    """encloses the column name within the appropriate quotes"""
+    if warehouse == "postgres":
+        return '"' + colname + '"'
+    elif warehouse == "bigquery":
+        return "`" + colname + "`"
+    else:
+        raise ValueError(f"unsupported warehouse: {warehouse}")
diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
index bb99c56..6fe92f4 100644
--- a/main.py
+++ b/main.py
@@ -11,12 +11,14 @@
 from operations.mergetables import union_tables
 from operations.syncsources import sync_sources
 from operations.castdatatypes import cast_datatypes
+from operations.coalescecolumns import coalesce_columns
 
 OPERATIONS_DICT = {
     "flatten": flatten_operation,
     "unionall": union_tables,
     "syncsources": sync_sources,
     "castdatatypes": cast_datatypes,
+    "coalescecolumns": coalesce_columns,
 }
 
 load_dotenv("dbconnection.env")
@@ -52,6 +54,7 @@
 warehouse = config_data["warehouse"]
 
 # run operations to generate dbt model(s)
+# pylint:disable=logging-fstring-interpolation
 for op_data in config_data["operations"]:
     op_type = op_data["type"]
     config = op_data["config"]
diff --git a/operations.yaml.template b/operations.yaml.template
index 4a93407..c6eb9fa 100644
--- a/operations.yaml.template
+++ b/operations.yaml.template
@@ -18,4 +18,22 @@ operations:
       config:
         source_name: <top level name of the source in sources.yml file in dbt project. all tables will go under here>
         source_schema: <schema of the source mentioned above>
+    - type: castdatatypes
+      config:
+        dest_schema: <destination schema>
+        input_name: <name of the input model>
+        output_name: <name of the output model>
+        columns:
+          - columnname: <column name>
+            columntype: <type to cast column to>
+    - type: coalescecolumns
+      config: 
+        dest_schema: <destination schema>
+        input_name: <name of the input model>
+        output_name: <name of the output model>
+        columns:
+          - columnname: <first column>
+          - columnname: <second column>
+          - ...
+        output_column_name: <output column name>
 
diff --git a/operations/castdatatypes.py b/operations/castdatatypes.py
index 11f2150..9287718 100644
--- a/operations/castdatatypes.py
+++ b/operations/castdatatypes.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 from logging import basicConfig, getLogger, INFO
 
 from lib.dbtproject import dbtProject
+from lib.columnutils import quote_columnname
 
 basicConfig(level=INFO)
 logger = getLogger()
@@ -37,11 +38,11 @@ def cast_datatypes(config: dict, warehouse: str, project_dir: str):
         )
         union_code += (
             ", CAST("
-            + column["columnname"]
+            + quote_columnname(column["columnname"], warehouse)
             + " AS "
             + warehouse_column_type
             + ") AS "
-            + column["columnname"]
+            + quote_columnname(column["columnname"], warehouse)
         )
 
     union_code += " FROM " + "{{ref('" + input_name + "')}}" + "\n"
diff --git a/operations/coalescecolumns.py b/operations/coalescecolumns.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e1dfa63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/operations/coalescecolumns.py
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+"""generates a model which coalesces columns"""
+
+from logging import basicConfig, getLogger, INFO
+
+from lib.dbtproject import dbtProject
+from lib.columnutils import quote_columnname
+
+basicConfig(level=INFO)
+logger = getLogger()
+
+
+# pylint:disable=unused-argument,logging-fstring-interpolation
+def coalesce_columns(config: dict, warehouse: str, project_dir: str):
+    """coalesces columns"""
+    dest_schema = config["dest_schema"]
+    output_name = config["output_name"]
+    input_name = config["input_name"]
+
+    dbtproject = dbtProject(project_dir)
+    dbtproject.ensure_models_dir(dest_schema)
+
+    union_code = "{{ config(materialized='table',) }}\n"
+
+    columns = config["columns"]
+    columnnames = [c["columnname"] for c in columns]
+    union_code += "SELECT {{dbt_utils.star(from=ref('" + input_name + "'), except=["
+    union_code += ",".join([f'"{columnname}"' for columnname in columnnames])
+    union_code += "])}}"
+
+    union_code += ", COALESCE("
+
+    for column in config["columns"]:
+        union_code += quote_columnname(column["columnname"], warehouse) + ", "
+    union_code = union_code[:-2] + ") AS " + config["output_column_name"]
+
+    union_code += " FROM " + "{{ref('" + input_name + "')}}" + "\n"
+
+    logger.info(f"writing dbt model {union_code}")
+    dbtproject.write_model(
+        dest_schema,
+        output_name,
+        union_code,
+    )
+    logger.info(f"dbt model {output_name} successfully created")