Masonry Magazine April 2006 Page. 18
Contractor
to Contractor
MCAA MEMBER CONTRACTORS RESPOND TO THE INDUSTRY ISSUES OF THE DAY.
Randy Jensen
Coastal Masonry Inc.
Pompano Beach, Fla.
Meet Randy Jensen, vice president of South Florida's Coastal Masonry and inventor of the Smart Masonry Clean-out System. Dedicated to his work in every respect, Jensen has helped grow Coastal Masonry Inc. to become a full-service industry leader. With more than 38 years in the business, Coastal has completed more than 1,000 projects, is a member of numerous trade associations, and remains active in apprenticeship programs. We sat down with Jensen to learn more about Coastal's active involvement in the industry, the keys to the company's success, and how Jensen's innovative tools have helped impact business.
Masonry: Tell us a little more about Coastal Masonry's history.
Jensen: Coastal Masonry was started in the late '60s by Gary Jones, and it's been in business since then. The company has done just about every type of masonry building, from housing developments to multi-family residences to churches, schools and government buildings. Now, we primarily concentrate on building high-rise hotels, apartments and condominiums. The company is still owned by Gary Jones, who is still very much involved in the business on a day-to-day basis.
Masonry: Your company is labeled as a "full service" masonry firm. Explain what services Coastal Masonry offers.
Jensen: In short, I would say that we bring a full scope of work to our contracts, meaning that all the work associated with masonry, including value engineering, grouting and professional layout, is included in all of our bids. It's important because we are then able to operate without relying entirely on other trades to do portions of the work necessary to go on and complete the masonry. A good example is that a lot of our competitors won't include or warrantee installation of rebar or grout in the block cells. We've found that by doing so, we maintain control over our own destiny because it's an integral part of staying on schedule with the work from one phase to another.
When I say we're full service, the operative word would probably be "full scope." Of course, that's another reason why most developers and general contractors do their best to get us aboard with them on major projects.
Masonry: Your website states that Coastal Masonry is known for its "fast track" approach to completing projects far ahead of schedule. Tell us what this approach entails.
Jensen: All projects today are fast track, meaning that the schedule is of utmost importance to the owner/developer, which includes all of the trades. To maintain the fast track schedule, your personnel must be trained to do their jobs and do them efficiently and timely. This way, not only your own crew of people can work smoothly and rapidly, but other trades can also follow behind and get their work done. Planning ahead is critical, which starts during the estimating process using custom designed software.