ConTech Construstion, Advisory Board Council, SBDC, Jill Kaufman

ConTech Construction

Rock Solid: Concrete Contractor Stronger than Ever with Help from the SBDC at UCF’s Advisory Board Council

In classic entrepreneurial style, Alan Haughey and his wife Joan started ConTech Construction in 1993 in the living room of their Orlando home.  At its founding, the firm was a general contractor and concrete contractor that employed a staff of three.   Today, ConTech has offices in Winter Garden, employs a full time staff of 62, and Alan and Joan are joined in the business by their son Jeff.

ConTech’s success has come about in large part as a result of the solid reputation for integrity, collaboration and high performance that the Haugheys have built for the company.  In fact, ConTech’s name is so esteemed in the industry that 92% of the firm’s work comes from repeat business and direct referrals.  Alan Haughey’s more than 35 years in the concrete industry has enabled him to establish many long term relationships with clients and industry-leading firms.  That, combined with the firm’s strong financial standing and bonding capacity of over $10 million, has enabled them to take on larger jobs.

ConTech’s projects can be seen all over the region including Winter Garden City Hall, Uptown UCF, SunTrust Plaza and an eight-inch thick ice floor at Amway Arena.   The firm has poured over 160,000 cubic yards of concrete ranging from theme park rides at Disney World to a nuclear power plant and boasts a 99.998% rate of accuracy.

ConTech has won many accolades for their work.  Their $6.5 million restoration of the Royal Floridian Resort in Ormond Beach earned them 2011 Project of the Year by the International Concrete Repair Institute.   The firm has also received the Eagle Award from the Associated Builders and Contractors for excellence in construction of the Winter Garden City Hall.

Alan Haughey believes that “innovation and modifying your business to keep up with ever-changing realities” are keys to ConTech’s success.  Joan and Alan took action on this belief when they sought the assistance of the Small Business Development Center at UCF’s Advisory Board Council (ABC) in 2007.  “For me, joining the Advisory Board Council was our first major step in the process of working on the business rather than in it,” said Alan.  “We were so overwhelmed with the day-to-day operations that it was very difficult to focus on the strategic business changes that we needed to make to survive in a changing economy.  That’s why we sought out help from an advisory board at the SBDC.”

Jill Kaufman, the ABC program manager, worked with ConTech and hand-picked a board of volunteer advisors for the firm comprised of professionals in the fields of finance, business development, human resources, succession planning and law who were willing to donate their time and energy to working on the board.  According to Haughey, “The people who were on the advisory board were absolutely expert in their fields and they encouraged us to look at everything we do rather than just operations.”

The business graduated from the ABC program at the end of 2008, and Haughey points to three topics that were focused on with the board as crucial contributors to the company’s ongoing success: the need to diversify the client base, succession planning and development of a marketing plan.   When ConTech experienced the impact of the recession and downturn in the construction market, they were prepared to make changes which enabled the firm to rebound.

“What we did was take the seeds that were planted from the board and we started making continual changes in the company based on insights we gleaned from those folks,” commented Haughey.   Some of the changes that grew out of the work with their advisory board include a rebranding effort, new lines of business and a new business focus.

Today, ConTech specializes in concrete restoration with a greater focus on hospitality industry projects and has rebranded itself as ConTech Restoration.   Existing structure renovation projects include condos, timeshares and parking structures. The company has also expanded their scope of work and now offers commercial painting and waterproofing.  From 2009 to 2011 ConTech added 49 jobs and realized a 63% increase in revenue.

Haughey encourages other business owners to also take proactive steps for their business.  “I would absolutely recommend the SBDC at UCF’s Advisory Board Council to other businesses,” remarked Haughey.  “An advisory board helps a business owner fast track changes in his business because the board members have ‘been there and done that’ and their advice allows the business owner to learn from their years of experience.”

Founded with the purpose of strengthening Central Florida’s economy, the Small Business Development Center at the University of Central Florida conceived and developed the Advisory Board Council in 2003 to help small businesses reach the next level.    Funded by Orange County Government since the program’s inception to facilitate sustainable revenue and job growth, the Advisory Board Council provides established businesses with no-cost advisory boards comprised of area professionals who volunteer their expertise.

The ABC has found an extremely cost effective model to tap into community resources for the benefit of small businesses.  The program’s $100,000 annual budget is modest compared to the economic impact achieved by its participating companies.  The program has formed over 150 advisory boards for Orange County businesses, which have achieved $72.4 million sales increase, 1,968 jobs created and retained, $15 million in capital formation and $62.3 million in government contracts obtained.

Jorge Suria - Hooah!

Hooah, LLC

Just 18 months after becoming a client of the Advisory Board Council, this interactive communications company achieves 265% revenue growth. Even while developing his creative talents in art school, Jorge Suria knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur. His dream of opening his own agency came to fruition in 2003 when he established Hooah LLC. An expression of high morale, strength and confidence popular in the military, Suria thought Hooah would be an ideal name for his firm which provides marketing, IT and video production services to clients such as the U.S. Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserves.

“There is a direct correlation between the board’s involvement and our growth.”

Tanya Zeiher
Hooah, LLC

Hooah has been utilizing the services of the SBDC at UCF’s Procurement and Technical Assistance Center since 2007. In 2008, after attending an SBDC Advisory Board Council (ABC) Reception for Small Business Owners, Suria decided to apply to the program. “We wanted to have an advisory board because we saw potential for growth and the challenges it would bring and we wanted to get objective advice from people who didn’t have any personal interest in the company,” remarked Suria. When Hooah applied to the Advisory Board Council there was some discussion on the firm’s readiness for the program as they barely met some of the ABC’s eligibility guidelines. However, the company was working hard to reach their potential and was certified as a Minority Business Enterprise and had just been granted Small Disadvantaged Business 8(a) status by the U.S. SBA. Jill Kaufman, ABC Program Manager, decided to accept Hooah as a client and began work on their board formation.

According to Suria, “One of the most valuable aspects of working with the Advisory Board Council is the fact that they specifically tailored Hooah’s board to our company’s needs. He continued, “I can’t imagine putting together a board without the SBDC’s help.” Some of the projects Hooah sought help with from their board include: contract negotiations and contract review; putting proper accounting systems in place; determining cost and price structures; and mapping out their business development strategy. According to Hooah vice president, Tanya Zeiher, “The board has helped us at a strategic level to map out our growth strategies and really hone in on what we do and who we are. They helped us define our strengths and clarify the areas of service we should focus on.” In addition, Hooah’s board recommended the company rebrand itself, re-position the firm in the marketplace and determine where they needed to focus the business. Some of the board’s best advice surrounded Hooah’s business development plan. Suria commented, “The board helped us create a very effective business development strategy which enabled us to branch into and win work in the utilities sector, a new industry segment for us.”

Today, Hooah is one of the fastest growing companies in the entire ABC program. “There is a direct correlation between the board’s involvement and our growth,” remarked Zeiher. Revenues have jumped 265% to $2 million and in 2010 the firm expects to double its sales again. Hooah has also tripled its number of employees and hired 10 new staff members. The firm targets federal and local government work and also serves large private sector organizations. In August 2009, Hooah opened a branch office in Arlington, Virginia to better serve their growing clientele in Washington, D.C. That office employs a staff of five information technology professionals. One of their main projects has involved managing a large internal website for the Army National Guard called Virtual Armory.

Kings Service Solutions

Kings Service Solutions

In late 2009 Arnaldo and Yanet Herrero of Kings Service Solutions first approached the Small Business Development Center at UCF (SBDC at UCF) Advisory Board Council Program Manager Jill Kaufman about their interest in becoming a client of the program. Arnaldo had explained, “We want to begin taking the proper steps to become your next success story.”

It took them just three years to achieve this milestone. In that time their janitorial and commercial maintenance company has made a dramatic transformation and experienced extraordinary growth. According to Yanet, “I felt the SBDC at UCF was the right organization to pair up with to set our company’s vision on the right course. I wanted to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the company and have access to experts’ knowledge and ideas to develop our organization.”

In 2010, Kings Service Solutions (KSS) was accepted into the SBDC at UCF’s Advisory Board Council (ABC) program and an advisory board was formed to address the company’s needs. Experts in human resources, accounting, strategic marketing, business development and law comprised their board. “We had the best of the best on our advisory board team,” remarked Yanet.

Kings Service Solutions acted immediately on what they had learned. The board helped them put in place an organizational structure, systems and processes to better manage the company and facilitate their growth. “We learned how to make the organization’s mission and vision come alive and become part of the company culture,” explained Yanet. Among the biggest benefits coming out of the board’s recommendations included improved financial management, HR policies, quality control and risk management. “I started with an idea for what my business could be and by the end of the term in the ABC program it was so much more than I expected,” said Yanet. “The Advisory Board Council program gave me the tools to attain what I wanted for our company.”

Beginning with the simple idea of providing high quality and reliable commercial cleaning and facility maintenance services, KSS has grown to serve industry leading companies throughout the state of Florida such as Trustco Bank, Florida’s Blood Centers, and Lamm and Company Partners. KSS has instituted innovative business processes and the latest janitorial management software to increase their organization’s efficiency and quality control. In fact, KSS was recently chosen to be featured by MSNBC in a television segment on how technology is helping small companies.

When KSS became a client of the Advisory Board Council in early 2010, the firm had a staff of 6 full time and 37 part time employees and leased a 1,700 sq. ft. office. Just three years later KSS has grown to be a company of 87 full time and 162 part time employees. Annual revenue jumped 270% from 2010 to 2012 and the company now owns its 3,500 sq. ft. office and warehouse suite. Importantly, Arnaldo and Yanet also strongly believe in giving back to the community and KSS is a devoted supporter of a number of worthy organizations such as Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida.

On the strength of its founders’ determination and the external assistance they were savvy enough to bring in, including from SBDC at UCF’s Advisory Board Council program, Kings Service Solutions is now that “next success story” that they wanted to be. “I would recommend the Advisory Board Council to any entrepreneur that is ready to realize their vision,” remarked Yanet. “The process will transform your business culture and inevitably your business success.”