Willson Builders
A quarter century of success
And it all came about for Willson Builders by adding new skills and
new directions
Willson Builders was born 25 years ago in the tough times of the early
1980s. Founder Bud Willson had been working as a carpenter for a general
contractor for 15 years, but a slow economy forced him to strike out on
his own. He was willing to build almost anything to get the business off
the ground, from burying gasoline tanks to pouring concrete. He was quickly
joined by his dad and his uncle, with brother John coming on a year later,
right after his high school graduation. "We learned together how to
run a business," he says. Altogether, the family represented a cumulative
90 years of construction experience.
Becoming a general contractor meant turning from a specialty crafts focus
to "taking projects out of the ground," building completely from
scratch, say the Willson brothers.
As time went on, Bud Willson eventually bought out his retiring father
and uncle, taking over full ownership in 1994. Sales revenue had kept on
growing over the quarter of a century, and his initial $1,000 investment
has built a company now pushing $50 million in sales. Willson Builders now
employs about 40 people in the field and 16 in the office.
Changes in the industry
How have things changed since the company was started? One change is
how projects have speeded up. Construction is no longer sequential, says
John, but rather a multi-tasked, hurry up affair. Yet, the demand for high
quality is still there.
One valuable addition, say the brothers, was hiring Ron Bugaj, the firm's
marketing man. "Ron brings in more business," says Bud. "We
had no lack of business before, but we needed to address market changes,
and we did.
"We are getting to be better known," adds Bud, "and people
know they can trust us. We are known for quality. It's like going to an
out-of-town restaurant-you go to someone you know because you know you can
expect quality." The firm is now working toward better internal communications,
a better planning strategy and a more organized way of doing business. "It
seems we are always running in different directions, and at 90 mph,"
says Bud. The future will see all players speeding in one direction.
Toward the future
Some of that is because of one change coming in early 2007: a new hire,
brother-in-law Don Kohntopp. He will increase the firm's potential by adding
to the management mix with a human resources focus, letting Bud and John
have more time to hone new skills.
That addition will help fuel the firm's plan to master the private sector,
moving away from its current 50/50 mix, by adding more negotiated projects.
"Our challenge," says Bud, "is to get our personnel positioned
for the direction we want to go." BXM
"We do anything"
This firm has grown by taking on new challenges and learning a variety
of skills and services
Willson Builders' diversified project portfolio spans state borders and
includes projects from a $3.5 million trucking facility in Monroe, MI, to
the popular COSI hands-on science museum in downtown Toledo. Among some
other projects:
Education
Toledo Public Schools: Willson Builders is currently building
Burroughs Elementary for Toledo Public Schools, due to open next fall. As
the general trades contractor, Willson is in charge of concrete, carpentry,
ceilings and roof work.
Other projects:
- The University of Toledo's Medical University of Ohio, plus student
housing
- Ohio Schools Facilities Commission work
- Monroe Public Schools (MI)
- Monroe (MI) Community College
Public and healthcare
When the Toledo Zoo needed eucalyptus wood imported from Africa to build
huts, Willson got it.
Other projects:
- The Monroe County (MI) Courthouse renovation
- Monroe (MI) Library
- Medical office building for Drs. Okoro and Ho-A-Lim
- Matthew Lark, DDS, new offices
- Toledo Peridontics Inc.
- Allan Vasko, DDS
- Sylvania Pet Clinic
- Bone, Joint and Spine Surgeons office remodel
Retail
Kohl's Department Stores: For the last five to six years, Willson
Builders has had Kohl's Department Stores as a major client, a partnership
which constitutes the firm's construction management arm. It all started
in Battle Creek, and it keeps growing with the popular department store
chain's planned growth of 10% a year. The result has been 34 new facilities
and remodels or additions to more than 20 others in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.
Stores are built within a 15-week timeframe.
Other projects:
- Turn-of-the-century building renovation for Okun Produce in downtown
Toledo
- FirstMerit Bank's first branch in Toledo
- Preston Place, two retail centers in Levis Commons
- David Fairclough Jewelers new store
Church and senior residence
- Olivet Lutheran Church Christian Life Center
- Blissfield Immanuel Lutheran Church
- Lutheran Church of the Master
- Sunset House-The Woodlands and Sylvania (general trades)
- Creekside at Lutheran Village (general trades)
Offices and commercial
Pinnacle Technology Group built a new 21,000-sf facility to consolidate
its operations. The design/build project resulted in a facility that saves
time and money for the customer.
Eastman Smith. Converting a portion of the old Owens Illinois
Building, a landmark building, into Eastman Smith's law offices, with
specialty carpentry skills
Other projects:
- Marsulex office and laboratory renovation
- Page Plus Communications remodel
- Pugh Heating and Air Conditioning new facility
- Sujkowski Funeral Home major addition BXM
Meeting client needs
Willson Builders keeps on growing
by going the extra mile for customers
Willson Builders is always adding to its repertoire of services by taking
on new areas of expertise in response to client demand. Says Bud Willson,
"The key to success is being able to be quick on your feet and able
to adapt to a changing environment. It's our ability to change to meet the
needs of customers."
Adds John Willson; "It's also our willingness to try new things.
We need to change and learn."
"If a construction manager has a need for a general tradesman, we
can do that," the brothers agree, a promise that rests on a firm basis
of carpentry, concrete and other specialty work. While the firm has not
yet done any green projects, there is currently one in the preliminary design
stages. It also hopes to do more construction management projects, and
more retail work. One weapon in the firm's search for more retail customers
is its on-time performance. "We will work 24/7 to make a deadlinewe
do not miss deadlines," says Bud. "You can put us up against anyone.
"We are always asked how we learned to do something," Bud goes
on. Willson personnel find one resource at Associated General Contractors
meetings. "They are exciting," says Bud. "You see your peers,
and you get new energy."
Top-level employees
The company also grows and learns by hiring new employees with the requisite
know how. "Our employees have taught us to do different things,"
he says. "We have a diversified workforce, and that helped us grow
better and quicker. We find that a lot of our employees came here and blossomed.
They are free to express their talent." As an example, the brothers
point to employees like Mike Keller and Tom DuBois. "There are so many
ways to use their talents," says Bud. Management is adamant that the
firm's on-time performance is due to its project managers and superintendents.
Adds Ron Bugaj, Willson Builders marketing director, "It's due to
people like Mike Keller, who is tireless and detail-oriented. He has learned
the Kohls' way and knows how to satisfy the retail client."
One personnel issue, says Bugaj, is to attract, and keep, younger workers.
It's a challenge to the entire industry, he says, in a region where too
many potential workers are moving away and at a time when college is promoted
as the only road to fulfillment and prosperity. The solution is to present
construction as a viable career move, and one option is to encourage minorities
to get into the trades, luring persons willing to work hard with good salaries
and pensions.
"Our employees learn to work in teams, and there are not a lot
of rules." Staff members are monitored to measure their professional
growth and evaluate what they can add to Willson Builders.
Safety is also paramount at Willson Builders. "We were ahead of
the pack on this issue," says Bud. All Willson superintendents have
taken the OSHA 30-hour course, and 70% of office staff as well. Carpenters
have completed 16 hours, and random drug testing is the rule. The company's
safety focus is translated into viable results. It gives little energy to
the paper work that would give it formal credentials and awards as an Elite
company.
A diversity of knowledge
According to Bugaj, today's construction projects are too often a matter
of add-ons, and cost-plus extras. Willson Builders prefers instead to focus
on high-end quality, to do what others can't. It likes to work on a fixed-fee
approach and offer a solid package of services that owners can rely on.
It's a matter of integrity, of reputation.
The firm is not perfect, says John Willson, but it is dedicated to making
each project the best it can be. If there is a problem, they will work
with the construction team until the client is satisfied with the result.
"It's all part of the package," he says. BXM
