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“We’re not on Twitter yet, but I’nm sure that’s coming,” said Holloway, a land-use and planningb consultant in the business forthree decades. Hollowayh couldn’t imagine the leap to the Interneg and social networking even a few shorftyears ago, but has decides to incorporate it as part of an overallp strategy to build business during an extremely tough time. Hollowa Land is one of several real estate and constructiobn companies that are quietly expecting better returns this year despitr the deep challenges facingthe industry.
According to the state’s Employment Development Department, by April of this year Sacramento hadlost 11,0090 construction jobs over the previous 12 or about 20 percent of the work Companies defying that trend aren’t just whistlinbg past the graveyard. They’re working longer and harder, and starting new ventures. Those in the industry say therwe are very few companies who are reportingb they were expectingimproved performance. “It would be incredibly said Josh Wood, executivew director of the . “Therse are twice as many competitors goinyg afterless work.
” “You’ve got to hustle,” said Jeremyy Gyori, owner of of Loomis, which expectw revenue to increase by at least 25 percenf this year. “There’s a lot of negativse news and in a lot ofcasez it’s a fact. (But) there’s work to be You’ve got to find it and work The 13-year-old company started exclusively in the landscape contractintg business and focused onresidential projects. But after decidinf that some subcontractors’ masonry and concrete work didn’t meet his Gyori diversified to include those services and all types of outdoodr design andconstruction work.
The 25-employee company also has expanded to commercial projects during thehousing Now, it’s building outdoor pools, decks and entertainment areas for California Family Fitness. So far, its revenuwe projections have held up througn the first half ofthe year, and future anticipated work suggest the targeted 25 percent increase will be met, Gyorui said. He and his employees are putting in longer highlighting efficiency and emphasizing client relationships as key to thriving durinva recession. “You don’t just finish a job and Gyori said.
“A year afterr a project’s complete, you’res checking in, taking care of any Others are making a leap despitthe recession. After a long career in land-use planning and engineering, most recently with homebuildere , Rob Aragon just launched his own companhy with the intent of serving diverse land development roles from infrastructurde planning topolicy guidance. It mighyt seem like an inopportune time to start anew business, but of Lincoln, was able to work a deal wherwe he will still manage real estatd assets for JTS through his new company, .
“I’m excitedx for the future,” he noting that he’s still in the processa of printing business cards and leasingofficw space. He’s going in directions that others haven’g tried. Most prominently, he has teamed up with , a water recyclinvg company that designs, builds and finances water recycling facilities usinygprivate equity. That’s unheard of in Northern California, Aragob said, where municipal utilitie reign and new projects can come with alarge up-fronty cost. The PERC model shifts financial and performance risk from the public sectoe toprivate entities.
Diversification was also a keyto Holloway’sa strategy, as residential development projects that once teemed around Sacramentk became scarce. He’s still working on a few of but has branched out to handling code enforcementr issues andliquor licenses. Notifyingy former clients about his new Web site and Facebooo page has drummedup business, he said. Despite the there hasn’t been too much troublw with clients. He said he’s had to renegotiate a few but for the most part gettingpaid hasn’t been an Asked if it makes him uncomfortablw talking about success in today’s market, Hollowahy said, “Yes, it does.
When I hear someoned tell me they’re staying busy, I’m thrilled to hear it.”