Changing a Work Culture Perspective from “Me” to “We”
Heritage Construction Companies
The construction world can be a cutthroat business. Project managers must not only manage the project, but complete the paperwork, make telephone calls to customers and other project stakeholders, and be the catch-all troubleshooter for any problems that arise.
Consequently, for some overwhelmed project managers, communication takes a backseat to bottom-line output. This is an inefficient and distressing practice—and one that isn’t exercised at Heritage Construction Companies, LLC.
When Andy Christensen founded his Elk River, Minn.-based company in 2004, he did so because he was tired of the “every project manager for himself” mentality he had seen far too often in the industry. He wanted to create a team-oriented atmosphere where employees come together as teams and the sum of their efforts is greater than the individual parts.
“The work culture at my previous employer was one where people were in it for themselves, and that provided no real support,” Christensen says. “Changing that attitude was the whole point of forming Heritage. As we’ve added project managers we’ve added support staff to assist them, promoting a team-oriented atmosphere.”
A Supportive Approach to Conducting Business
Christensen believes that by having strong support teams, project managers can achieve more.
By focusing equally on cultivating staff and projects, the former grocery stocker who made a whopping $4 an hour at age 14 now runs a successful $20 million corporation. Not bad for a guy who only has a couple of years of college education under his belt. Within five years of leaving college, he worked as a cement laborer and finisher, a brick layer, a carpenter and a job site supervisor before being promoted to a sales and project management position.
“I was a sales and project manager for about five years, but left because I had a strong desire to develop support initiatives for managers that upper management just didn’t support,” he says. “I then formed Heritage because I knew that I wanted to do business a different way. It is a passion of mine to provide exceptional service and support on every project that we do, and to meet clients’ needs in a meaningful way.”
Christensen’s team-first approach extends not only to his in-house staff, but also to subcontractors.
“We view and treat subcontractors as equal partners on all our projects,” Christensen says. “We pay our subcontractors bi-monthly to help with cash flow while projects are ongoing. We achieve our project goals because the subcontractors help us not only win bids, but also to complete projects on time and on budget. Hence, we invite their input on the means and methods for every project.”
Today, the company does 90 percent commercial projects and 10 percent residential. In the upper Midwest, Heritage has a well-established reputation for building dental and medical facilities. The company constructs more than 30 dental and medical projects annually.
But it hasn’t always been an easy to road to success for Christensen and his team.
During the construction recession in 2009, the company’s sales dropped from $8.5 million annually to $1 million because commercial projects essentially “dried up,” says Christensen. Heritage survived by being able to adapt quickly by diversifying its services.
“We had great success during the recession doing residential projects, which allowed us to retain our core staff and pay the bills,” Christensen says.
Altruism Defined
Christensen’s firm caters to both commercial and residential clients and specializes in new construction as well as renovation and repair work. The company’s project portfolio includes medical and dental buildings, churches, hospitality venues, retail centers, manufacturing facilities and residential real estate.
But the company owner’s priorities in life aren’t limited to construction jobs.
Currently, his church is contributing financially to the construction of an orphanage overseas. Christensen and his family actively support this effort as part of their Christ-centered ministrations to children around the world. The Christensens also sponsor two children within the orphanage, and through Compassion International have sponsored various children—including a 17-year-old girl in Haiti for the last 14 years.
Christensen’s empathetic approach in life can be traced back to his upbringing. The youngest of four siblings by 10 years, he was raised with strong Christian beliefs. His parents also taught him to help others who may be less fortunate and to listen to what others have to say.
“We always tried to do what was right,” Christensen recalls. “The discipline that my parents gave me helped shape who I am today, which I’m grateful for. I’m glad they invested the time and effort to raise me the way that they did, to guide me in what is right.”
Christensen’s desire to do what is right also extends to supporting philanthropic causes in the community. For two years now, his company has served as a title sponsor for a local “Walk A Mile in Her Shoes” charity event. This Venture Humanity, Inc. initiative, in which men literally walk a mile in a pair of women’s heels, serves to raise awareness as well as funds for sexualized violence education, prevention and remediation. Heritage employees and several of their family members have participated in this event .
A “We” Approach to Construction
Kathy Smith, a human resources consultant contracted by Heritage, says Christensen brings a “we” approach to the construction business, promoting events and exercises that build working relationships and boost team camaraderie.
“He doesn’t really worry about expenses first,” Smith reveals. “He puts people first. We attend seminars, have team-building exercises and are planning to do community outings to further build relationships.”
The company hosts regular team lunches to discuss project progress. Additionally, employees are allowed flexible work schedules to fit their family life needs. Creating an inclusive atmosphere tends to augment employee performance and improve their perspectives toward their daily work, notes Christensen.
“Our team-building exercises help us delineate our weak points and identify our strengths,” he says. “This practice also helps us discover what additional processes need to be put in place to better organize the company and to do things more efficiently. With a team-oriented approach, we are all able to achieve more.”
Clients also take notice of the company’s attention to organization and efficiency.
Bryan Provo, General Manager and Co-owner of Alliance Machine, Inc., a metal manufacturer specializing in aerospace, defense, medical and technology industry solutions, has worked with Heritage in the past.
“We hired Heritage to build our manufacturing facility here in Elk River. The staff was very accommodating and professional through the whole process. The building came in on budget and on time, as they said it would. Heritage has been very prompt in taking care of any warranty issues after the construction process was completed,” says Provo. He adds: “What amazed me the most was the level of detail and record keeping of this construction contractor. Being from the aerospace and defense world, I have a greater appreciation for this type of commitment to great organizational practices. The Heritage team is now a friend to Alliance for life and we would recommend them to anyone doing a construction project.”