Beyond the Build

Commodities Pricing

Travelers

From time to time, I am asked how we manage to build projects in multiple states, often a long way from here, and how we have been consistent for 35 years. The answer is pretty simple:

We have developed a group of traveling subcontractors and vendors who we trust. In return, they trust us. The key is working together.

That’s the way our world is built right now, and will probably always be. We depend upon our trade contractors and could not be successful without their input. It’s like a family. We all work together, help each other and deal reasonably with one another. When there is a problem, we try to work together to figure it out for our common customer. It’s worked this long, and we have built in 25 or 30 states over the years.

As an interesting aside, trade contractors almost always tell you that they can build a project out-of-state for not much more than working in their hometown. (Maybe not always, but often, depending on the trade.) This is because traveling crews are there to work. They focus and stay until it gets done.

Merrill Stewart Jr.

Merrill Stewart is Founder and CEO of The Stewart/Perry Company, a commercial building contractor based in Birmingham.