Masonry Magazine January 2007 Page. 23
STERLING
The "TOUGH GUY™
Make The
"Tough" Choice
GO HEAVY DUTY
See Us At
The World of
Concrete Booth
#C3444
We have built our reputation
in the Masonry Industry by
building rugged, dependable
"People Powered Equipment."
GELEBRATING
1904-2004
700 YEARS
STERLING
HANDLING EQUIPMENT INC.
P.O. BOX 090438, MILWAUKEE, WI 53209
Phone 414-228-7728 FAX 414-228-9032
www.sterlingtoughguy.com
vip@sterlingtoughguy.com
CIRCLE 174 ON READER SERVICE CARD
January 2007
Masonry
17
industries. Our expertise and the various delivering methods have proved to be an asset for Larson-Danielson. If a client is looking for a fast-track project, we have those design/build capabilities that we can do in-house and provide that to them, which also allows us the ability to manage the cost and schedule the project. By being able to do the design work in-house we have four, full-time registered engineers, and three, full-time draftsmen and architects that we use as consultants on a regular basis- it does give us an advantage over some of our competitors who may not have those resources available to them.
Masonry: Larson-Danielson uses an online, digital plan room to offer downloading, publishing, management, ordering and distribution of materials. How has this helped your business?
Lockwood: Advancements in technology have definitely had an impact on the construction industry. These advancements have allowed us to become quicker and more efficient in our everyday activities. The owners here have made a commitment to provide us with the most advanced technology that's available. The online, digital plan room is an efficient way to distribute documents to subcontractors and suppliers so we can receive bids back from them.
Masonry: Your company recognizes and rewards its talented employees. How do you accomplish this, and what result have you seen within the company?
Lockwood: As I mentioned before, management believes that their employees are the most valuable assets to the company. A lot of time, money and effort goes into training a new employee to learn the business, but the initial effort usually pays off in the end. Obviously, it is in the company's best interest to recognize and reward its talented employees. Larson-Danielson accomplishes this in several different ways. I look at it as a two-way street - the employees need to take care of the company, and the company in turn takes care of its employees.
Masonry: Tell us about one of the most difficult projects that you've worked on, and how you overcame those obstacles?
Lockwood: One of the most difficult projects I've worked on as far as masonry goes was about three years ago. We worked on an elementary school in Hammond, Ind., and it was for an architectural firm that does a lot of school work in the Midwest. The reason the project was so difficult wasn't so much because of the type or size of the project as much as the structural design and the amount of coordination required to build the project. The building shell, or super structure, was built of structural steel and masonry, which is not uncommon, but this specific