Masonry Magazine March 2007 Page. 18
Contractor
Contractor definitely gives us a very professional presence. More and more, we are being sought out through our website by general contractors seeking mason contractors in our general working territory.
We believe that our website demonstrates a very professional picture of who we are as a company. We are very proud of our company and of our accomplishments.
Masonry: What has been the most difficult project you've worked on, and how did you overcome the obstacles?
Johnson: Two recent projects come to mind. While neither one was difficult to build, each had its own challenges.
The first project, the Larry Miller Motorsports Park, had 22 buildings constructed over a period of 5-1/2 months through the winter. We had an extremely tight schedule to maintain, while fighting the strong winds-recorded gusts of up to 90 miles an hour and consistent winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour - very cold temperatures, and the logistics of working an area of about a half-a-mile radius.
The other recently completed project was IM Flash, a computer chip manufacturing facility in Lehi, Utah, which had nearly 2,000 people working on site at its peak. We were working with a clean-room environment and an accelerated schedule of six, 10-hour days over a period of three months. Several craft trades were working in the same workspace, creating a high stress environment. Extreme planning was necessary to work together, our foreman worked closely with the general contractor and the other trades, creating a win-win situation for everyone.
Masonry: IMS has been completing work for some of the nation's leading contractors for 20 years. To what do you attribute these high-profile jobs?
Johnson: Again, always striving to achieve high standards of performance, quality and safety have led to satisfied customers, leading to many large projects that require the skills and talents that our company has to offer. We have built relationships over the years with many successful general contractors, and we are always on a short list of those who get to bid on their high-profile projects.
Masonry: You have received positive referrals from many of your clients. Tell us a little about your business philosophy that drives this recognition.
Johnson: Part of our philosophy is to be evaluated by our customers and our employees for the benefit of learning and understanding our weaknesses. We want constructive criticism so that we can improve on our systems. Other eyes on our company give us a different perspective. Asking for feedback from those we work with sometimes gets us positive recognition, and we believe that we often deserve that when it does come along.
The problem is that a lot of times they might have issues or stuff that bothers them and they don't voice those concerns [during the project]. In order to try to address these concerns, at the end of all our projects, we send out questionnaires for people to rate us on how we related to the company, how our foreman worked on the job, etc. The idea is to see if there are areas we can improve upon. Every now and then, something will come up that we need to start paying attention to.
Masonry: What advice would you offer to a budding mason contractor?
Johnson: In the process of starting from scratch and becoming the fine organization that I feel that we are, I have learned a great deal.
I would recommend for them to join their local and national trade and construction associations. Most contractors start out as a tradesperson and after they think they have a good grasp of the trade, they think they can start a business. Most do not understand or have the financial aptitude and managerial skills that banks and bonding companies are looking for. All of a sudden, you have employees and have to master several fronts all at once. These organizations offer training in all aspects of operating a successful company. More importantly are the relationships that are built while networking with similar individuals.
Masonry: What do you feel is the biggest misconception about the masonry industry?
Johnson: That it is a dying trade. I believe that the history of masonry speaks for itself. There will always be new wall and building systems, but there will also always be plentiful amounts of masonry as long as there are qualified masons to do the work. When there is a severe shortage of masons, creating a big rise in wages and time constraints, then the architects and owners will look for other systems to fill their needs.
I believe 100 percent in networking, building relationships and learning from different educational opportunities.