Masonry Magazine May 2003 Page. 13
Greer: The biggest misconception about the masonry industry right now is manpower, that there aren't enough skilled craftsmen to complete projects. From a general contractor's or an owner's point of view, they think there's not enough manpower to get their projects completed on time and done in a quality manner. If you look at the employment ads in the local newspaper, the average ratio of carpenters wanted are eight to one compared to bricklayers.
Masonry: What would you do to change that misconception?
Greer: That's a tough one. We need to go to our clients and the people that we bid with, give them schedules - realistic ones - and we just have to prove it to them time and time again. That's all we can do is keep proving ourselves repeatedly.
Masonry: What are your three biggest concerns in keeping your company successful?
Greer: Well, number one, of course, is the clients' satisfaction. L.F. Jennings is constantly getting information and feedback from the clients on our projects, their likes and, more importantly, their dislikes so we can always adapt to their wants and needs. The needs are always changing as the time goes on. For instance, you think you have a shopping center down pat and something new will come up. We need to know what they're thinking and deliver quality.
The second thing would be our employees. Our employees are our diplomats to our clients, of course. The attitude of the employee is always important and each employee is L.F. Jennings. Everyone is equal in that stand point. We function as a team!
Our mission statement is: 'L.F. Jennings, Inc., will be the leader in the construction industry by providing our clients with superior products and services while maintaining our financial strength. We value our clients and employees that are our greatest assets. Each employee's commitment to quality will continue to build our reputation as the preferred contractor. And we do live by that statement. Like I said, the client is number one and the employees are not that far behind at number two.
The third biggest concern, is our reputation. We've been around for 50+ years and we're constantly reinforcing our reputation with the quality of our employees and work. We pride ourselves on client satisfaction. It is a driving force.
Masonry: What do you feel is the industry's biggest challenge in the near future?
Greer: I think it's the various kinds of wall constructions and manpower.
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