Founded during the Great Recession, Impact is one of the era’s success stories. The company has grown organically with little traditional advertising, according to Justin Sullivan, the company’s owner. And he believes the company’s commitment to its employees is one reason why.
Half of Impact’s employees have been with the company more than five years, Sullivan says. He credits the longevity to hiring employees who have the same values as Impact Construction. Beyond that, Sullivan also places a high priority on making sure the company has stakeholder values at heart. This includes not only the firm’s clients, but also its subcontractors, architects, and even its client’s neighbors.
“Part of what [our clients] want is a relationship with neighbors after we complete construction,” Sullivan says. “Our project manager will provide business cards, we introduce ourselves, and we’re here to work with them … if there are disturbances in their lives.”
Taking extra time with stakeholders also means taking extra time in the design process. Though the company does not charge for estimates, it generates a detailed scope of work for each potential project. In some cases, homeowners provide a large set of plans, each detail of which the company goes over with the homeowners to build their confidence in Impact. In cases where homeowners have no set plans, Impact outlines the differences between a design-build and a design-bid-build approach. Sullivan says the company does both and will guide clients toward whichever approach will fit them best.
The detailed scope of work isn’t used to winnow prospects, because more of Impact’s customers these days are well-qualified, Sullivan says. But even if Impact relied less on word-of-mouth marketing, he would see value in the process because the thorough scope of work would give Impact a higher chance of getting the job.
