You’ve heard the Three Musketeers shout it as a show of selflessness and solidarity. It’s the national motto of Switzerland. I’m proud to say it’s also a mantra of the Stewart Perry team. When the economic downturn started affecting commercial construction, our CFO Del Allen and I were forced to take a hard look at …
When we prepare for projects, we have a plan A (or better said a construction schedule) but with backup plans B and C. Experience tells us to plan for success but leave room for contingencies. I saw a similar scenario played out in the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. Recall the Vancouver …
Over the years, I have noticed how many people get attached to job titles, particularly in their letters and on their business cards. Some are in the game for a higher rank, and achieving their desired title is almost like wining an Olympic medal. It’s something for them to hold on to. If I had …
In my opinion, good listeners are continually refining their skills of attention, empathy and most of all, reticence. Listening comes more naturally to some, while others have to work hard to silence themselves and fully digest the thoughts of others. Over the years, I’ve made a conscious effort to improve as a listener, and I …
From my perspective, these tough economic times have had an impact the unwritten rules that long governed the way construction businesses operate. Case in point: the vendors employed by subcontractors seem much quicker to file liens these days, even without communicating with the contractor. Insurance limits are being lowered on aggregate and umbrella coverage to …
Anyone can talk a big game. It seems that in the name of public relations, lots of business leaders are talking up green initiatives, corporate responsibility and the importance of a welcoming in-office environment. It all sounds good, but does it ever really play out in day-to-day operations? I’ve always thought that corporate culture goes …
HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning) systems have evolved and gotten better with technology. Matching system requirements with the need and with quality will always trump the bells and whistles. Over the years I have worked with a number of HVAC subcontractors and a few thoughts come to mind that might be useful: SYSTEM ENERGY …
Ideally, I could say that every project that we’ve built during the last 25 years has been perfect. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. As our company has matured beyond those early years, it’s become evident that starting out with a good game plan and a properly laid concrete foundation makes the rest of the job …
I never get through all of the newspapers I wish to read each day. I bring them home and they stack up on my kitchen counter waiting to share their knowledge with me. At the first of last year, not seeing all the news and forecasts might have been good for my morale. With so …
As 2009 comes to a close, I have thought about what I could have done better, the mistakes I made, and the wins we achieved. To me, we always learn more from our failures than from our wins. Winning makes us think we are smarter than we might really be. Never confuse success with a …
Every December our team and their families come together for a long weekend. Last weekend was our 25th year to celebrate this tradition. We started on Friday afternoon with a presentation on quality EIFS details, followed by the chairman of the USGBC visiting with us about their standards. Saturday morning our branding consultant, Holland & …
As a construction company navigating our way through these hard economic times, we are devoting much time to seeking out the right opportunities. Many of us are in the same boat, looking for work that has reasonable profits. On the cost side of our operations—overhead—we’re fortunate to have a forward thinking CFO who keeps me …