Masonry Magazine March 2006 Page. 16
Contractor
to Contractor
MCAA MEMBER CONTRACTORS RESPOND TO THE INDUSTRY ISSUES OF THE DAY.
Bill Whistler
Shook Construction
Dayton, Ohio
Since 1926, Shook Construction has had a reputation for quality work and customer satisfaction in the construction industry. In the past 30 years, the company has acquired six Build Ohio awards, two Build Indiana awards and three Build America awards, along with a host of other prestigious honors. Shook Construction offers services within a seven-state region and boasts world-renowned clients such as General Motors. Highly regarded for its design-build approach and commitment to conservative management and safety regulations, Shook Construction has become a nationwide industry leader. Vice President Bill Whistler spoke with Masonry regarding the company's management strategy, business approach and keys to success.
Masonry: Shook Construction was founded 80 years ago. What assets do you attribute to the company's longevity and success?
Whistler: Continued recruitment and development of good people who share our core values. The core values are integrity, strong work ethic and collaborative spirit to build our projects. We spend a lot of time recruiting and picking people. We're very choosy when it comes down to adding somebody into our Shook family. Part of that is making sure that we have a culture fit, and I think that's the foundation that's been keeping us going for 80 years.
Masonry: Your website mentions that "conservative management" is a main strategy that has helped keep the company strong. Please explain a little more about this concept.
Whistler: Part of our whole strategic plan is for conservative, steady growth. It's important for us to grow our company and to continue to provide opportunities for our key people. That said, we only select new projects that match up with our strengths. We don't bite off more than we can chew. We never accept an invitation to bid, or answer a request for a proposal, if we aren't 100 percent sure that we have a team to go build that job-and not only a team, but that team's commitment to go build that job. That's really where the conservatism comes into play.
Masonry: Shook has completed projects in 11 states, from Illinois to Pennsylvania, down to Florida. What are some of the biggest obstacles in overcoming these distances while still maintaining quality work?
Whistler: When we do that, we're moving into a different labor market. We're moving into a different specialty contractor market, a different materials supplier market. Before we ever move into a different geographic market, we spend a lot of time gathering intelligence to understand those variables. Likewise, we interview and pre-qualify materials suppliers and specialty contractors. In doing so, we try to alleviate some of the risk that's involved when moving into a new marketplace. We do our homework.
Masonry: Throughout the years, your company has won numerous awards for projects. How has this affected the company and its growth?