Contractors start up a supply yard

Shovel & Thumb found a new facility that had all the room they could possibly want for their installation business. The property included several good-sized buildings on 3-1/2 acres at a bargain price. It was also big enough and perfectly located for a retail supply yard. Opening a supply yard wasn’t in their plans, but the opportunity was too good to pass up... MORE

A wise investment, or a shiny new toy?

We’ve got crazy demand for our work. And with the labor shortage we’re booked out even further. So we focus more on efficiencies. Everything is aligning for investment in equipment. But, how do you decide whether that new purchase you’re dreaming of is a wise idea? One day the demand for our work WILL taper off, and some will be stuck making payments on equipment they can no longer afford... MORE

Don’t give yourself homework

Taking an action-oriented ADD-type individual and chaining them to a desk to type estimates and other paperwork can be pure punishment. Yet many contractors’ daily habits inadvertently create paperwork logjams. Too much “homework” can take all the fun out of your profession and make work drudgery. It doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some steps you can take to gain control of your paperwork and limit your homework... MORE

Retiring & selling the company name

When Bill and Gail Gardocki retired last fall they sold all of their hardscape company’s equipment, tools and inventory. They assumed that would be the end of it. Then their son suggested they also sell the company name. He reasoned their stellar reputation of 40 years should worth something to another contractor. But it seemed like a long shot. The experts knew of no comparable companies that had sold the company’s name... MORE

Are the good times really over for good?

After the ups and downs of these covid times, we wonder what’s going to happen next. Some of you may be of the negative sorts, but I am here to tell you the future looks bright for our industry, if we are smart and ready to adapt to the changing times. We need to stay attuned to hardscape construction trends, and we need to get creative to deal with materials shortages... MORE

Contractor Profiles

Interior design wins exterior awards

June/July 2021

Interior design wins exterior awards

Contractor stays on the leading edge of hardscape design trends by following interior design trends. MORE

Get smart building walls

April/May 2021

Get smart building walls

Educate yourself and your people to grow your company building more complex walls and bigger projects. MORE

Hand drawings win big projects

February/March 2021

Hand drawings win big projects

Contractor finds peace & profits transitioning to hardscape with a smaller, diverse, skilled crew. MORE

Working with strippers in Reno (cleaners & sealers too)

December/January 2021

Working with strippers in Reno (cleaners & sealers too)

Contractor Andrew Vear starts a paver maintenance company as a business opportunity for his son, and as a retirement vehicle for himself. MORE

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