Three more months of the Great Recession have passed us by since the premier edition of this newsletter reached your computer. I'm so proud to announce that, although this recession was said to have pulverized the construction industry more than any other sector of the economy, we ended 2010 in great shape. For us 2010 was a very good year. Not our best, but nearly so. What's up with that?
I think our current readerboard quote summarizes best why I believe we're weathering this economic firestorm better than most:
"OUR CUSTOMERS ARE OUR SALES FORCE".
The two featured articles in this issue will help you understand why this is true. We just finished up two very large remodels this past quarter and, besides designing and building these two structures, we also built an incredible relationship with both couples. Read about the projects and the processes in the words of their designers: Maggie Bates and Cindi Landreth. They put their hearts and souls into these projects, as did the rest of our co-workers, and it sure shows. Not only are they both environmentally sound outcomes, not only did we achieve the goals our customers presented to us, but our salesforce has now increased in size by 4 additional humans!
Add to this mix the effect of such remodels on their adjacent neighbors and neighborhoods. More efficient use of energy. Improved aesthetics. Eliminating the deterioration of building materials by deleting conducive conditions that accelerate rot. Optimizing the life expectancy of products and systems. And while these objectives are sought after and achieved, the property values of their neighbors and neighborhoods also increase.
Well, we're over the hump now................ our days are getting longer as we turn towards the arrival of spring. I hope this cyclical emergence brings better days to the rest of the construction industry as well, and to the economy in general. Here's to less unemployment, but not at the price of further deterioration of our environment.
To that end we hold our sights high: to more projects that seek these same lofty objectives. If you and I row in this same direction perhaps we can help drive an economic recovery that also fosters the health and well being of that which helped us evolve; namely, clean air and water, rich soil, a healthy diversity of fellow creatures.
To achieve an economic recovery amidst the further degradation of our surroundings is not a recovery in my book. We need this web of life, vibrant and intact with all of its miniscule threads and links. It's up to you and me to keep them intact.
