Masonry Magazine May 1979 Page. 12
IN THE MIDWEST
Dedication to Quality Performance
Pays Off for Contractor In Illinois
Tony Luczynski (right) constantly consults with his builders to develop a good working relationship.
Tony Luczynski is a quiet man. His reputation in the masonry industry speaks for itself. Dedicated to doing the "best job possible," Tony works basically with the same group of home builders he started with in 1967 when he founded T & J Enterprises, Inc., Elmhurst, Ill.
With a comparatively small operation—10 bricklayers, five laborers, and two foremen—Tony personally estimates, bids, sells, orders materials, schedules jobs, and takes care of all the numerous details essential to accomplish the job. He has been known to work on the wall, but "not very often anymore," he says.
Working with a group of six to eight home builders, Luczynski will finish about 70 residential structures this year. Some will feature fireplaces and brick fronts only, others will have complete brick veneers.
In previous years he has done more commercial buildings than residential. In 1977, 60 percent of his work was residential, 40 percent commercial and industrial: last year it was 75 percent residential and 25 percent commercial and industrial. The range of costs of the residential buildings he worked on was from $100,000 to $200,000.
"Business generally has been good," Tony reports. "By anticipating our needs and ordering materials early, we are able to overcome brick shortages. If there are any problems at all, it is the personnel shortages." Tony utilizes apprentices, whenever possible, providing training "on the job, which is where I learned my trade," he says.
Luczynski maintains a close eye on the market, advising his home builders on new styles in brick and new market trends. Working closely with the brick dealers and suppliers, he keeps abreast of the innovative products being introduced to the market.
Since he works primarily with customer-designed structures that are nearly always pre-purchased, Tony is often called upon to assist with plan alterations to accommodate the buyers and builders. "Servicing the home builders we work with is essential in this trade," Tony points out. "If we aren't able to finish the masonry, the scheduling of other services cannot be accomplished, which destroys the whole work flow."
12 MASONRY/MAY, 1979
Spanish motif with graceful arches is the signature of this home built by Luczynski in a western suburb of Chicago.
Tony recalls one instance in which he and all the other building trades were called upon to complete a residential building in eight days. The foundation was already in when the house was sold contingent upon an eight-day occupancy. "Everyone cooperated," Tony remembers. "The site looked like a beehive with everyone buzzing around. But we did it, and the house was ready in just a week."
Tony had occasion to confer with the owners about three years later, and the house was "in perfect shape," he says.
Today, Tony explains, the financial situation has resulted in a significant change in his business methods. "I used to complete a job and then submit a bill to the builders. Now, with financing being so critical, it is essential to estimate and bid a job in order for the builder to know what kind of financing he must obtain before the job can go ahead.
"I know all my builders and they know me, we have a good working relationship. It usually works out that when one builder completes his homes, another comes on the scene, either because he knows I am available, or it just works out that way. It is a special group, the workload seems to pass around within a circle."
The fact that Tony is always busy attests to the widely known quality of his work and of his interest in serving his customers promptly.
He is equally dedicated to serving the masonry industry. Tony is a past-president of the Mason Contractors Association of Du Page County, III., a post he held for eight years, and is a board member of that group. He also is a trustee for the Welfare Fund of BAC Local #56, Carol Stream, III., and is Illinois state chairman of the Mason Contractors Association of America.
One of the features of a Luczynski-built home is an attractive and well-constructed fireplace.