Construction Business Owner, April 2008
When Jose Elias-Calles first began in construction, he enjoyed remodeling and building homes, but the emotions often interlaced with homebuilding eventually pushed him toward commercial work. He purchased a small commercial construction business in 1989, and nineteen years later, Consolidated Contracting Services, Inc., has grown to a $40 million-a-year commercial contracting company.
In 1993, Joseph Troya joined Consolidated Contracting as vice-president and partner. The men had been friends growing up in Cuba, but had been separated as they followed different paths. While Elias-Calles pursued construction and management in commercial contracting at his small firm, Troya immersed himself in side of construction as a project manager for one of the largest contractors in the industry.
Since the two became partners, the San Clemente, CA, based company has grown quickly, and they credit much of their success to their staff. They strive to create a family atmosphere where all employees learn various aspects of the business, and no task is ever deemed too small. Their business cards don’t even carry titles to emphasize their belief that all employees are important.
“We want people to feel like it’s their company,” said Troya. “We’ve hired great people so that we can let go and grow.”
This family atmosphere goes beyond the staffers—Elias-Calles and Troya also try to maintain a close-knit relationship with their customers. A client once advised the men to stay in touch with their roots because, as a relationship-based company, people hire you for your values, not your construction work. With that advice in mind, Elias-Calles believes that trustworthiness should be the company’s calling card.
“You need to be someone who can be trusted,” said Elias-Calles. “Integrity is the integration of what you say and what you do. Make sure if you say it, then you do it.”
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