Refocus for recovery
Builders find ways to provide more value for clients
Let’s face it. The recession wasn’t good. Real
estate slumped and new construction came to
a near standstill.
Some of the more familiar names in building
– Majority Builders, Ancon Construction
and DJ Construction – fought to maintain
their valuable core group of employees. But
the post-2008 economy revealed to their
leaders an even greater need to focus on client
services. So, as recovery occurred, these firms
emerged in positive ways, ready to get back to
work.
Majority Builders – “New construction was
scarce, so we focused more on renovation of
existing buildings and smaller projects,” says
Rick Slagle, Majority’s president. “Renovation
is fun work, anyway. It’s really cool to give new
life to a building that deserves it, especially
when someone finds just the right use for it.
The Lerner Theatre is a great example of that.
And the finished project means a lot more to
the customer and the community than just
building on a greenfield. … We had faith we’d
rebound, especially our friends in Elkhart
County. That’s where my heart is – Elkhart just
has such a great attitude, free-wheeling and an
almost crazy pace of business. It’s phenomenal,
wonderful and healthy.”
Ancon Construction – “We improved,
but it was more of a cultural thing in our
company,” says Rhett Fisher, Ancon’s chief
financial officer. “In other sectors, you have
just-in-time inventory schemes, ISO and
Black