Beyond the Build - Page 56 of 63

Traditional Contact: Powerful. But To Stay Top-of-Mind, You Need More

When I met with a commercial real estate professional this week, we opened our conversation with the standard “Well, how is your business?” He said his problem is missing opportunities between connects. The rule in their company is to make contact with their prospects every 6 months. The problem? If a prospect has an opportunity …

Team Building

A Case Study in Adaptability

In these economic times, the fledging days of our business come to mind often. I learned a lot from my experiences. Hopefully, the account I share here can save you some time and trouble… In 1984, our very first customer had just raised $30 million dollars through an IPO and we were going to build …

Team Building

Now More Than Ever, Solid Strategic Partnerships Keep Us Afloat

I cannot imagine these times without the partners who work alongside us. Our folks really need to be multiple places at the same time looking for opportunities. (Since there are fewer opportunities right now.) We cannot do it alone. These partners keep their radar up for us and we gladly reciprocate. To me, this is …

Customer Relationships

In Construction, Take Disputes Out of the Boxing Ring and Into the Boardroom

This morning we resolved a disagreement involving a large piling and timber wall we constructed in Ohio. How? We finally got everyone together in one room and we talked. It got me thinking about how we used to resolve disputes. It was similar to a boxing match, when the two sides would spar for a while …

Recession

Thoughts on Innovation and Lemon Pie

Many of today’s great U.S. companies were founded at the height of the Great Depression. Charles and Joseph Revlon introduced a new opaque nail polish. College classmates Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard started an electronics firm that became technology giant HP. Texas Instruments, Tyson Foods, Ethan Allen and Polaroid all began in the 30s as …

Commodities Pricing

Raise Your Prices…And the Value You Provide

Our company likes a good bargain, and we are not alone. Entire organizations have been built using business models around the simple premise of selling products for less. With the economy continuing to lag, there remains considerable downward pressure on pricing. I sometimes struggle with the notion that “cheaper is better.” We all know that’s …

Tips from the Field

What Do Construction Contracts Have To Do With Brown M&Ms?

This week, I received an interesting Fast Company article about the details of Van Halen’s contract with concert promoters. There is a clause that the band should always be provided with M&M’s backstage and that none should be brown. At first glance it seems picky and eccentric, but if you think about it, the …

Construction Trends

Flourish Among Giants

In this economy, there are advantages to being moderate in size. Our company is not one of the 50 largest construction companies in the country. We do not have the same resources that our larger competitors maintain. But we are nimble. Being “right sized” in any field can be a real plus. It’s easier for …

Conservation

New EPA Regulations Usher in Construction Stewardship

If it has not already, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will eventually impact us all. The environment and the livelihoods of many are at stake. The tragedy is a “wake up call” reminder that we only have one earth, and we all have a stake in pollution control. Environmental responsibility has always …

Construction Trends

Notes From a Pervious Concrete Seminar: How “Sustainable” Becomes “Practical”

This week, several of our team attended a workshop led by Matthew Offenberg, a recognized expert in the field of pervious concrete. The discussion centered on the design and function of pervious concrete pavements, new developments in the technology and some of the challenges in implementing it. I found it interesting that the workshop was …

Projects

How to Keep Segmental Retaining Walls On Time and On Budget

Last week, I received a call from a long-term customer asking us to get involved with a new civil project. The catch? It starts in 10 days. Wow—that’s a nice problem to have these days. The site is full of challenges we like: wetlands, a stream relocation, a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) interface along a …

Family

Good Morning From High Hampton

A few weeks ago I asked my nearly grown children, ages 25, 20 and 17 to accompany their dad to a rustic Inn that has been welcoming guests since 1922 – High Hampton. This is a place where you will not find TV, Internet or even air conditioning in the rooms. Instead, you will find …

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Traditional Contact: Powerful. But To Stay Top-of-Mind, You Need More

A Case Study in Adaptability

Now More Than Ever, Solid Strategic Partnerships Keep Us Afloat

In Construction, Take Disputes Out of the Boxing Ring and Into the Boardroom

Thoughts on Innovation and Lemon Pie

Raise Your Prices…And the Value You Provide

What Do Construction Contracts Have To Do With Brown M&Ms?

Flourish Among Giants

New EPA Regulations Usher in Construction Stewardship

Notes From a Pervious Concrete Seminar: How “Sustainable” Becomes “Practical”

How to Keep Segmental Retaining Walls On Time and On Budget

Good Morning From High Hampton