Choate Construction

Choate Construction has never missed a deadline, which may help explain its strong and steady growth. Company founder and CEO Millard Choate tells Keith Regan how strong internal process controls ensure projects are done right first timeSince being founded in Millard ChoateÔÇÖs basement in 1989, Choate Construction has experienced dizzying growth. Within three years, the diversified construction company had expanded to $70 million in annual revenue and this year, less than two decades after starting from scratch, the company expects to bring in over $800 million.Millard Choate says the firm that bears his name has achieved that growth mainly by paying little or no attention to how much itÔÇÖs racking up in volume revenues, and concentrating on doing things right. ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖve never focused on volume,ÔÇØ he says. ÔÇ£We never set volume goals. We want to procure quality projects with quality clients, and do good work and the volume takes care of itself.ÔÇØChoate has become a major construction player in the Southeastern US, with offices in Atlanta, Savannah, Charleston, Charlotte and Raleigh. Its growth has come in part due to its willingness to expand into new areas, gaining expertise in various construction types such as interior construction, mixed-use projects, student and senior housing, sports facilities, wastewater treatment plants, manufacturing, distribution and industrial facilities and retail. Choate has developed expertise in building state-of-the-art data centers and other high-tech facilities, such as the robotic coatings facility it built for Lockheed. More than half of ChoateÔÇÖs business now comes from repeat customers and most of the rest come to the company because of its reputation, says Millard Choate. That derives from telling clients up front what a project will cost, how long it will take, and then sticking to its estimates. ÔÇ£We pride ourselves on there being no surprises in terms of cost and in terms of completion dates.ÔÇØ That consistency is made possible through a system of safeguards and overviews that have been developed over a lengthy career in construction. Before work begins, projects are run through a series of rigorous reviews, with cost analysis evaluated based on current market conditions and potential changes and the project planned to a detailed level to ensure that a schedule can be followed throughout. Once under way, projects are constantly being audited to ensure costs are under control and projects on track, giving the company the ability to spot problems before they get too serious. ÔÇ£You canÔÇÖt overview every detail, but we have a system that focuses on results, schedules, and dollars to keep tight controls on whatÔÇÖs being done. The idea is if there is going to be an issue, we want to discover it early so we have time to rectify it before it mushrooms into something costly and time-consuming.ÔÇØLooking ahead, Choate expects more steady growth, but on the companyÔÇÖs own terms. It already does less work than it could, choosing to focus on quality. Growing slower also helps ensure the right people are being brought on board. ÔÇ£We are blessed in that weÔÇÖve been able to find, maintain and train good people, and keep them. I always say you have to have a high energy level to come work for us. You have to get pumped up here every day. We treat our valued employees right and give them opportunities to improve themselves and their positions, and they repay us by their long term loyalty,ÔÇØ he says. ÔÇ£You have to be able to go to bat for your employees. It sounds like a clich├®, but we truly have structured our groups in a way that builds a family type of camaraderie. You need that. YouÔÇÖve got to take care of your future.ÔÇØSome of ChoateÔÇÖs future growth will likely come in the area of green construction. Choate completed the first LEED-certified project in the Charlotte, North Carolina region and has also completed a certified regional office for the state of GeorgiaÔÇÖs Department of Transportation. Choate believes more sustainable building practices will take hold over time, and itÔÇÖs easy to see Choate at the forefront of that trend. Early in his career, Choate built the product development and marketing ÔÇ£launchÔÇØ facility for the IBM personal computer and more recently, it has built state-of-the-art facilities for other high-end manufacturers. ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖve always been on the vanguard,ÔÇØ he says.┬á