No one knows more about making lemons from lemonade than Chad Loper. The coastal Alabama builder found his entire community devastated by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Loper and his team had so much rebuilding work to do that keeping track of it all became a challenge. So they opted toe-mail clients a weekly agenda with a full checklist of everything that needed to be done on their project that week. “We decided to create an atmosphere of full disclosure with the client,” he says.
A funny thing happened: Once the company began using the agendas, its project completion time plummeted. Clients made their selections more quickly, motivated by the list set out in front of them. Loper and his staff, meanwhile, gained the ability to see at a glance what was expected of them each week. Even after the post-Ivan building boom settled down, they kept up with their new system. “We found that it was so productive, we continued the process,” he says. “We’ve noticed a 30 percent increase in productivity from using these agendas.” Every Monday they e-mail the client a detailed list of the tasks and decision-making each person involved in the project should complete that week, from Loper to all the subcontractors involved to the homeowners themselves. That Friday, the company follows up with photos documenting the week’s progress.
The system also gives Loper’s clients, often vacation-home buyers who live out of state, a sense of connection with the project. And it sets the company apart from other builders, which provides a marketing advantage. While the weekly agendas started as a temporary necessity, Loper recognized their long-term value and incorporated them into his business. That kind of resourcefulness is what being a custom builder is all about.
J. L. Loper Construction Co. Inc., Orange Beach, Ala.; Type of business: custom builder/remodeler; Years in business: 32; Employees: 8; 2007 volume: $4 million; 2007 starts: 4
