I must first start with an apology for an error in last month’s issue. I incorrectly stated in the table of contents that Performance Contracting, which has offices across the country, had done a job that was actually done by Precision Walls, which is located in North Carolina. Both companies are members of the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry, and both are well represented at all of AWCI’s meetings. And I confused them for no apparent reason except for the possible fact that I sometimes suffer from TMB disease (TMB = Too Many Birthdays).
In that issue, the article was a focus on the drywall work done by Precision Walls at the UNC Rex Heart and Vascular building. After that issue had gone to press, we learned that the name of the project had changed to the SECU Jim & Betsy Bryan Hospice Home of UNC Health Care. So, if you were searching the Internet for more information on that job after reading about it in our magazine, try the new name.
Now, on to this issue.
Because this is the magazine that goes to AWCI’s annual convention, it’s a little bigger than the normal issue. We have lots to talk about!
First is our article on communications. Today’s technology offers many choices for getting in touch with those who work with and for you, so what methods do wall and ceiling contractors use to get the word out? Whether it’s communicating with your supplier or jobsite foreman, AWCI member contractors may use different techniques. Turn to page 38 to find out how they handle it.
The next article comes from someone you may have heard of, especially if you live in the New England area. Rob Robillard, also known as “The Concord Carpenter,” is a talented individual who juggles lots of jobs; he’s an editor, a cable-TV personality, a general contractor and, obviously, a carpenter—among other things. As you can imagine, having so many jobs means he’s going to need some help once in a while, so he wrote an article about his experiences with outsourcing. Go to page 48 and see if he might have some ideas that you can apply to your small business.
For the larger business and those with fleets, the article on page 50 offers tips on how you can reduce your operating costs as well as ways to get the most out of your lease. Effective fleet management is key, and Theo Rennenberg, a global fleet asset manager for DLL, has some advice for you.
More tips follow in the article that starts on page 56. These tips are for those of you who don’t yet have a website for your company (you know who you are) or are thinking of giving your current website an upgrade to modern styles and technology. This article includes comments and tips from web designers and developers who advise you to design your website the way you want it designed, not how they want it.
Finally, in our last (but not least) article, Steve Saucerman offers tips on working with construction management firms and making money in the process. In the article that begins on page 62 he details the advantages and disadvantages of working with CM firms, explains how CMs differ from GCs, and he also provides guidance on whether or not using a CM firm may be right for you and your company.
So that’s it for our feature articles, but of course there is much more. Unfortunately, I’ve run out of room, so I’ll close with my usual “call to comment” on our magazine. Let me hear from you! Do you like our new social media section? Do you have a question you’d like to see in Problem Solved? You can find me on social media, or email me—[email protected].
Enjoy!
