A former New York City banker, Arnold Karp now keeps his eagle eye on projects ranging from new kitchens to spec homes. “We tend to be budget hawks,” he says. “We want to give the clients as much value as we can, and the best way to do that is to build a cohesive team.”
• Karp prefers to be the point person on a team that often includes architects, engineers, and surveyors. “When we run the project, it’s well budgeted with a line item for everything,” he says. “Not only are we providing construction services, but also financial overview of the client’s needs.”
• Karp’s team doesn’t sacrifice margin to win a job. “The advantage is that we have no jobs that we would lose money on, even though maybe we lost a few jobs along the way,” he says.
• The company engenders loyalty among trades by always paying on time, using working capital if the client hasn’t paid in full.
• Karp stays involved in the community as a board and committee member of organizations such as the local nature center and high school.
