Building confidence key to successful construction business.

The key to building a successful construction business is creating a stellar reputation--building a name in which clients have a great deal of confidence. Building confidence goes beyond just the desire to do a great job--it involves developing a finely tuned, highly responsive method of working with clients.

HRH Construction boasts 75% repeat client business, due in large part to our careful attention to client relations. Some clients have been with us for 50 years. Even though we're one of the largest construction companies in the country, we give each client highly personalized attention. Chairman Gregory Cuneo calls us "a big company with a small company mentality."

Early meetings with a client build a roadmap for the project. Construction-industry leaders set themselves apart because they come well prepared after working closely with consultants and engineers to learn everything there is to know about a particular client's interest. Take a hospital project, for example, if the operating room has to remain active during construction, you must factor that into the schedule and the conceptual budget.

A first-rate, accurate conceptual estimate is essential. At the very beginning of a project at HRH, chief estimator Jim Muscianesi and his staff meet with the developer and architect to go over, every last detail. Muscianesi works closely with Lou Esposito, the chief, purchaser, to value-engineer the project.

HRH prides itself in having open lines of communication for developers to do conceptual estimates on a project that are going through a feasibility study. We utilize our full range of talent by working as a team. From the' general counsel, risk management, and community relations to our experienced project executives, estimators and support staff, we bring ideas together to aid the developer in making project decisions and constructing the overall vision. The team initiative gives the developer a full understanding of all aspects of the project, including often-unseen obstacles for constructing, a successful and profitable project..

It's a tremendous advantage to have an in-house estimating team with first-hand experience in purchasing. Our purchasing -department is up-to-date on industry pricing because of the volume of purchases we make and the close relationships we maintain with our vendors. Purchasing in large quantities gives us an opportunity to pass along value to our client and makes for very competitive project.

It is also vital to have a protocol for maintaining open and inclusive lines of' communication from start to the finish of a project and beyond. We assign one of our executives to oversee each new project. While we may have 20 or 30 projects being built at once, we give each project a personal touch by giving the executive no more than three or four to oversee.

HRH holds regular weekly client meetings to, discuss the progress of all jobs and not only includes the presence of the project executive, but often Cuneo and president Brad Singer as well. Developers appreciate the involvement of senior management with their project.

Construction companies should not only come into a project with the intention to do their best and most efficient job, but with the goal of building a long-term relationship. The focus should go beyond the current project and extend to creating a foundation for a strong, on-going relationship that leads to a strong industry-wide reputation.