He attends a job fair at U.C.’s Berkeley campus where he usually finds one good employee each year. Canyon Construction also offers a summer internship. “Sometimes interns stay, sometimes they move on, but they bring us new ideas,” Avant says. He also uses the Craig’s List (www.craigslist.com) Web site to promote job openings.
“Whether you have a job opening or not, if the right person comes along, hire them,” Avant advises. He recently hired an employee who had run his own company. “You rarely find people with that much experience. After I hired him, a project came along that was a perfect fit for his skills,” he says.
KEEPING GOOD PEOPLE Avant feels that the key to human resources is retention. A strong benefit package is a good base. He notes that the minimum in today’s market is health insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan, and profit sharing. He says employees also like working on unusual designs and projects with well-known architects. “If you don’t keep talented people engaged in interesting projects, they will go somewhere else,” he says.
Canyon Construction also has a consistent review system, and in-house and outside training. “At the beginning of each year I review the trade show schedules and determine who will go to each one, for the best impact,” he says. However, he notes, the biggest return on investment comes from bringing speakers to his company. “It brings people together and creates new dialogue,” Avant says.
He sometimes asks employees to spend their off-hours in training. For a recent green certification course, the first day was mandatory and paid for by the company. The second day of the certification was voluntary, but all his employees still attended. Sometimes Avant holds training sessions after lunch, with employees being paid until the end of the work day; any after-hours time is voluntary.
also asks suppliers and subcontractors to teach a seminar on their specialty. The company holds project management meetings every month that end with a lunch seminar. “It’s good to step back and shift our mindsets to the academic side,” he says. Avant wants moderate growth in volume for the company, with a focus on growing profit margins. His current plan is to grow 10% per year, reaching $30 million by 2013. “It’s a constant evolution,” he says. “If you understand business principles and provide a valuable service, you can get an organization to be profitable and grow.” This growth will likely include green design and build consulting work.
Achieving this growth goal will also rely on acquisitions. “I am interested in acquiring other smaller companies with a long track record and systemized programs,” Avant says. Similar to baby boomer clients who are looking to retirement, there are older remodelers who are looking for a succession plan for their companies.
LEEDing Green For the past year, Canyon Construction has been renovating an old hotel for use as its new headquarters. It is aiming for platinum LEED (Leadership In Energy and Environmental Design) status — the highest rating in the LEED certification program. The renovation will maintain the historic exterior of the 1914 building, but will update 3,200 square feet of interior space.
Green elements include solar roof tiles, a rainwater capturing system, radiant heating, and an advanced lighting system with motion sensors and dimmers. “People associate green with contemporary design. I want to show people you can build very green in a historic setting,” Avant says.
The renovation has provided a great learning experience for the company’s crews. “This building has pushed us to another level,” Avant says. “I would recommend it to anyone, both as a way to build equity and as a way to integrate green building into your company’s consciousness.”