Concrete contractor Jay-Ton says its speed and quality of work set it apart.

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Burlison, Tenn.-based subcontractor Jay-Ton Construction is able to complete assignments on time and on budget mainly because of the speed of its workers, President Bud Burlison says.

“We feel our speed and our quality puts us above other concrete contractors,” Burlison states. He cites the 2006 construction of an OSB manufacturing facility for Grant Forest Products in Clarendon County, S.C., as an example. Jay-Ton took six weeks to complete the 270,000 square-foot building foundation, while another business took four months to finish a similar facility near Fairfax, S.C., for the same company.

“We worked enough overtime to make sure we were ahead of schedule so the iron worker and the other subcontractors did not have to wait on us,” he says. “We performed above and beyond what the other contractor did on a similar job in Fairfield, S.C.”

The 19-year-old company works in 40 states and balances 10 to 15 projects at a time. To sustain an experienced and loyal staff, Burlison says he pays his employees competitively and treats them with respect. “We’ve had problems maintaining our crews because we travel so far,” Burlison says. “We try to benefit them with more money and more working hours [than our competitors].

“Our supervisors have been with us for years – the average is 10 to 12 years. I think we’re more like a big family. We’re not [so] big that we don’t know everyone’s name. Our [workers] are people; they’re not just a number.”

‘Jay-Ton Way’
Public Relations Director DeWayne Huffman says the “Jay-Ton way” of doing business makes employees feel valued and ambitious. “When Bud brings someone in to the company, whether they’re a laborer or a superintendent, he’s looking at someone that can be an integral part of the company,” Huffman says. “You have a job description to an extent, but the whole point is, you can make your career whatever you want it to be. It’s not like starting at other jobs.”

Huffman attributes the “Jay-Ton way” to Burlison’s experience with working his own way up. “[The Jay-Ton way is the way it is] because Bud started off as a toolshed attendant,” Huffman says. “One of the superintendents he worked with told his fellow superintendents, ‘Be careful how you treat your water boy because they may be your boss someday.’

“That very thing came true. Even before he started Jay-Ton, Bud didn’t hesitate to step in and do his job and keep working hard to grow in the company. “On the same token, with everyone in our organization, they have the same opportunity to be president of the company, if you will.”

Humble Beginnings
After rising to a superindent’s position at another construction company, Burlison put his television, shotgun and living room furniture up for collateral in 1989 to start Jay-Ton with his partner, Brad Sellers. In 1996, Burlison and Sellers brought on Kenny Holder as the third partner. “Kenny is an example of our growth from within, having started with Jay-Ton Construction in 1992 as a project superintendent,” Huffman says.

Nineteen years later, Jay-Ton has more than 300 employees and averages $60 to $80 million a year in sales. Burlison says his success is a result of “hard work and being up-front with the clients, and doing what you’re saying you’re going to do.”

Facing Challenges
Like many construction companies, Jay-Ton faces the concern of rising fuel prices. “Many of our jobs have already been bid before we get the increased cost,” Burlison says. “We’re going to have to anticipate another rise in cost and we’ve got to incorporate it into our estimating so we can still make a profit.

“You can’t reduce your work force [because then] you can’t get the jobs done on time,” he adds. “We’re going to try to keep up with the cost and put it into our estimating.”

Huffman says that approximately 90 percent of Jay-Ton’s business is with repeat customers, but the company is still working hard to secure new clients through its performance and other marketing efforts. “Our suppliers and subcontractors have and continue to be some of our best marketing and networking partners to new clients,” Huffman says.

Jay-Ton achieves a competitive price by maintaining good relationships with its suppliers, Huffman says. “We don’t make it a point of telling [suppliers] anyone else’s price,” he says. “We try to encourage suppliers by giving them parameters but not telling them what the other man is charging.

“[Our suppliers] know we’re going to pay on time and not make them be a banker,” he adds. “If a supplier has to wait 60 days to get paid, it’s going to be harder for them. If you’re able to help them out and get them paid in 30 days or less, then you’re sitting in a better position to get a better price. The way we work, we are making it profitable for the customer and in turn making it profitable for our vendors because the project isn’t getting drawn out.”