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commitment to consistency and process. We measure our key processes to make sure they are being followed and adjust them to keep them relevant. Most profit and growth loss can be traced to a degradation of these processes. Third is the combination of margin and net profit, relative to the market. If we can keep our margins and profit healthier than the market, it is an indicator that we are being relevant to our customers, good stewards of our finances, and lifting each other as people. “We are the stewards of a tradition and brand that was created and cared for by our predecessors. We have an obligation to these folks to think long-term and make decisions that honor their contributions and inspire others into the future.” TZL: How much time do you spend working “in the business” rather than “on the business?” BD: As CEO, the most difficult shift was making the transition to work “on the business.” This required me to improve my clarity of vision, clarity of instruction, hire the best and brightest, and trust them. Therefore, the vast majority of my time is spent on working “on the business,” but allows me the opportunity to dive down and get involved in details and the team needs me. My role is to make sure I am spotting issues with the market or the organization that will propel us or put us at risk, in the future. Ultimately, I’ve got to resolve these issues in advance of our arrival. TZL: What role does your family play in your career? Are work and family separate, or is there overlap? BD: Work and family are intertwined for me. As a business owner and now as CEO it is hard to have the kind of separation that others enjoy. As it is our responsibility to care for our own kin, we also bear the responsibility of all families within the organization. Therefore, our jobs are 24/7, 365 days a year. That issue can create an incredible burden on the family and must be balanced by purposeful separation from the business during family time. I can’t claim that I’ve succeeded in this category
but can claim that I have been blessed with three very supportive children. TZL: You co-founded a charity, 22in22, with your oldest son. Can you tell us a little bit about the charity and what it means to you? BD: When my son came to me and wanted to serve his country, I quickly learned about the sacrifice of our military and their families. On average, 22 veterans and active duty military are lost to suicide every day. Together, we were acquainted with the epidemic of veteran suicide and decided to take a leadership role to help stop it. We found by establishing the 22in22 brand we could teach people about the 22 per day statistic while giving them a way to help. Suddenly we found ourselves in the middle of a national movement and in the midst of amazing volunteers who we now call family. TZL: Artificial intelligence and machine learning are potential disruptors across all industries. Is your firm exploring how to incorporate these technologies into providing improved services for clients? BD: I don’t like the word disruptor; I prefer accelerator. It is more focused on the positive. For 75 percent of my career I was frustrated that we could not move the needle on production and value to the customer fast enough. So, when two things occurred, we jumped on them. First was the environmental movement. I believe LEED and other environmental topics facilitated the concept of radical change that would follow with AI. Environmentalism taught the industry how to accept a 90-degree turn in approach. We have leapt into AI, making a complete commitment to using BIM, FIM (facility information management), and augmented reality to build better buildings, lower costs, and create a safer environment on our jobsites. We plan to lead. TZL: What, if anything, are you doing to protect your firm from a potential economic slowdown in the future? BD: We can’t prevent the eventual downturn, so it is our job to build better buildings and relationships with our customers so that we can weather the storm better than others. TZL: You were VP Strategy & Marketing at EDiS for more than a decade. What’s the most valuable piece of marketing
HEADQUARTERS: Wilmington, DE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 85 YEAR FOUNDED: 1908
OFFICE LOCATIONS: ❚ ❚ Wilmington, DE ❚ ❚ Lewes, DE ❚ ❚ Malvern, PA SERVICES: Plan: ❚ ❚ Site selection
❚ ❚ Entitlement and permitting ❚ ❚ Facility financial analysis ❚ ❚ Pre-leasing advice, test- fitting and project budgeting ❚ ❚ Lease negotiation management ❚ ❚ Design management ❚ ❚ Sustainability ❚ ❚ Budgeting ❚ ❚ Scheduling ❚ ❚ Quality assurance ❚ ❚ Procurement/bidding Build: ❚ ❚ Quality control ❚ ❚ Subcontractor management ❚ ❚ Schedule management ❚ ❚ Cost management ❚ ❚ Safety management ❚ ❚ Closeout and commissioning management Operate:
❚ ❚ Facilities management ❚ ❚ Tenant improvement budgeting
❚ ❚ Minor capital improvements MISSION: Help our customers focus on what they do best while we provide knowledge and experience with what we know best.
advice you can give your peers? BD: As marketers it is important
See FAMILY LEGACY, page 8
© Copyright 2020. Zweig Group. All rights reserved.
ruary 3, 2020, ISSUE 1330
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