Michael Ortega – Customer Service

By Marla Misek Clark

Michael Ortega isn’t afraid to pick people’s brains for advice. It’s all part of his mission to make CDC Builders—the custom building company his father, Jose, founded in the wake of Hurricane Andrew—the best it can be. “Because we’re a home-grown company, we have more at stake when it comes to servicing our clients,” says Ortega, who joined CDC in 1998 and became its president in 2006. “We have ties to them that go beyond business. When they build their dream home, they want their builder to go above and beyond the call of duty. To keep a project moving smoothly, you need to have excellent relationships with your architect, your designer, your subs.”

Preserving those relationships requires a genuine willingness to identify what’s working and fix what isn’t. “We knew we wanted to make improvements,” Ortega explains, “but we wanted expert guidance from an outsider with construction industry expertise and no prior knowledge of our company culture.” His networking led him to FMI Corp., a consulting firm that specializes in construction management. After surveying 30 CDC partners and clients, FMI offered its recommendations—and CDC took action.

Semi-annual “subcontractor forums” now give subs an opportunity to speak candidly about their experiences working with CDC. To better service customers, the leadership team created two divisions with dedicated resources and processes—CDC Homes for custom home and residential interiors projects, CDC Construction for commercial and multifamily work. The company also streamlined its customer service and warranty department; developed a customer orientation program; and revamped its operations division.

Eighteen months later, “our partners are telling us that we’ve established ourselves as a highly professional organization,” Ortega says. And that pleases him greatly. “We [care deeply] about our roots and our reputation in South Florida. This community has supported us from the very beginning.” Clearly, CDC intends to do the same.

CDC Builders
Miami
www.cdcbuilders.com
Type of business: Custom builder
Years in business: 17
Employees: 28
2008 volume: $11.1 million (residential only)
2008 starts: 3 (residential only)