Despite Growth, Firms Worry - Railworks Corporation
Despite Growth, Firms Worry - Railworks Corporation
Despite Growth, Firms Worry - Railworks Corporation
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THE TOP 400 CONTRACTORS<br />
OVERVIEW<br />
The Top 400 Dialogue<br />
Do you see any existing or new technologies<br />
that are helping the construction process?<br />
MATTHEW GRAY, PRESIDENT<br />
GRAYCOR INC.<br />
Oakbrook, Ill.<br />
What are your strategies for succeeding in an<br />
uncertain market?<br />
ROBERT ALGER, CEO<br />
THE LANE CONSTRUCTION CORP.<br />
Cheshire, Conn.<br />
People have iPads, smart phones, iCloud<br />
accounts, social media accounts, bar-code<br />
recognition. They believe, “If I can do it at home,<br />
why can’t I at work?” <strong>Firms</strong> that can keep up<br />
with these expectations will be successful.<br />
We developed a new business-development<br />
department. We have taken high-performers<br />
from our operations side and placed them in the<br />
department. It is too soon to tell if this will be<br />
successful, but early indicators are good.<br />
DENNIS CORNICK, EXECUTIVE VP<br />
GILBANE BUILDING CO.<br />
Providence, R.I.<br />
KEVIN MCCARTHY, CEO<br />
PC CONSTRUCTION CO.<br />
South Burlington, Vt.<br />
Sophisticated web-based project management<br />
tools like our proprietary iBuild program are<br />
allowing for virtual jobsites, where all team<br />
members can have a real-time view of changes<br />
made to the project as they are happening.<br />
The markets in which we pursue work will not<br />
change in the near future. We see many<br />
companies reaching out of their comfort zone<br />
to pursue work in new markets. For us, it just<br />
makes sense to stick with what we do best.<br />
JIM KARAMBELAS, CEO<br />
GLY CONSTRUCTION INC.<br />
Bellevue, Wash.<br />
FRED PERPALL, CEO<br />
THE BECK GROUP<br />
Dallas<br />
Virtual design and construction [VDC]<br />
continues to be an evolutionary force in our<br />
industry. If you’re not engaged in the<br />
conversation and investing in training and<br />
software, you’re just going to be left behind.<br />
In 1999, Beck merged with Urban Architecture<br />
to become an integrated enterprise that relies<br />
on a business-model strategy, instead of a<br />
contract model. Over a decade later, we remain<br />
committed to our integrated-enterprise model.<br />
JOHN ALLCORN, EXECUTIVE VP<br />
WILLBROS GROUP INC.<br />
Houston<br />
JEFF STONE, COO<br />
BRASFIELD & GORRIE LLC<br />
Birmingham, Ala.<br />
In the pipeline market, the advance of GIS,<br />
mapping and imaging technology has allowed<br />
us to develop leading solutions for the<br />
management of integrity programs and<br />
increased regulatory requirements in the field.<br />
Over the last five years or so, we have entered<br />
into many, many more joint ventures than we<br />
had in the past. There’s a lot of synergy that we<br />
gain from partnering with other companies that<br />
share our values and expertise.<br />
THOMAS GOEMAAT, CEO<br />
SHAWMUT DESIGN AND CONSTR.<br />
Boston<br />
JIM CHARPENTIER, DIR. BUS. DEV.<br />
BNBUILDERS INC.<br />
Seattle<br />
We created a software program to track, report<br />
and analyze our safety-related data and<br />
subcontractor performance. [We can] analyze<br />
potential exposures and rectify any issues by<br />
looking at both leading and lagging indicators.<br />
One of the keys to our success has been to<br />
diversify geographically and take advantage of<br />
downtime to build relationships where they did<br />
not exist before. We pushed into Southern<br />
California ... and have not looked back.<br />
enr.com May 20, 2013 ENR 5
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