Hunter Roberts

Source: Construction Digital

Date :08/05/2008 07:08:37

Although Hunter Roberts is a relatively new entrant to the construction market, the company has made its mark and caused a bit of a stir. Exec learns more

Written by Fiona Nicolson and Produced by Amber Sweeney

When Robert Fee retired in 2003, after 40 years in the construction industry, he had a hunch there was more to do. And he was right. After studying the construction market in the North East corridor, he perceived a need for a new construction management firm to capitalize on the opportunities in this area.

He acted on this by founding Hunter Roberts in February 2005. Although it is a relatively new entrant to the construction market, the company has already made its mark.

In the space of only three years it has achieved spectacular increases in annual turnover. In its first year of trading, turnover reached an impressive $50 million, which then jumped to $300 million the following year and more than doubled again to the current level of $700 million. It has also built a workforce of 330 employees.

While some companies may be beginning to experience a downturn in demand due to the economic climate, business is still booming at Hunter Roberts: “We’ve got $1.5 billion worth of work all signed up, to roll out over the next three years,” says CEO Jim McKenna. So it comes as no surprise that Hunter Roberts is estimating an enviable $1 billion turnover for the year ahead.

Firm foundations

According to McKenna, the secret of Hunter Roberts’ success can be attributed to the core values by which the company defines itself. “Hard work, depth of expertise, accountability and good client communication are at the root of our achievements,” he confirms.

Attention to the crucial details of the construction process is key to their competitive advantage too. “Clients view us as a builder’s builder,” McKenna says. “We assign highly experienced principals, with strong builder’s resumes to each project and there is hands-on senior level involvement at every stage”.

That includes the initial stages, as McKenna says. “We place a strong emphasis on the importance of pre-construction issues, such as estimating and purchasing. This builds client confidence when they see that our commitment to quality and value is there right from the start.”

Recruitment and reward

McKenna also believes that the company’s rapid growth stems from a focus on the people it employs. “People are our number one priority”, he emphasizes. “And that’s not going to change. We put a lot of time and effort into recruitment. This year alone we’re planning to employ another 40 new graduates.”

The recruitment process is followed by an in-depth program of training and development. Hunter Roberts is committed to environmentally sustained construction and ten of its team are already LEED accredited. “We give our people time off work to study for LEED accreditation and they receive a generous financial bonus on passing the exam,” says McKenna.

“We’re aiming to have another 100 staff accredited during 2008.”

Business Plan

Another reason for the company’s achievements is the successful deployment of its business strategy. Instead of specializing, it has chosen to diversify and, as a result, has made inroads into a wide range of construction sectors, including commercial, residential, education, healthcare, public sector, sports, pharmaceuticals, hotel, retail, student housing and corporate interiors.

While all endeavors are thriving, McKenna singles out the interiors division for praise: “We’re very proud that they have built a client base that consists mainly of Fortune 500 companies,” he says.

The outcome of targeting a broad range of sectors is a diverse workload. Hunter Roberts currently has a varied mix of contracts underway including high rise residential, high school and healthcare projects, to name but a few.

It is also gaining expertise in the sports sector. The company hit the headlines when it won the contract to provide pre-construction services for the New York Jets new training facility, due to complete this summer and it has since strengthened its links with the world of baseball. Hunter Roberts is currently working on three new parking garages, rehabilitation of two existing parking garages and six surface parking lots at the Yankee Stadium.

Recognition

The company’s meteoric rise within the construction industry and the caliber of its work has not gone unnoticed. Hunter Roberts has attracted a number of awards and accolades in the last year.

The company was awarded the prize of Best Adaptive Reuse Project from the General Building Contractors Association, at the Philadelphia Construction Excellence Awards and it also won an award from the Department of Community Affairs and the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, in the category of community revitalization at the Governor’s Excellence in Housing Awards. This was for a 110 unit housing project, of which 25 percent of the units were reserved for residents with special needs.

Most recently, in April of this year, Hunter Roberts featured in 8th place in the top ten of a recent magazine survey of the best New York contractors.

The future

While McKenna is keen to continue expanding the client base to gain as many new clients as possible, he acknowledges that repeat business is also vital to the continuing growth of the company: “Building enduring relationships is crucial. Success in construction comes from having good contacts and a wide network of clients who know how well your company delivers.”

Hunter Roberts has a strong foothold within the North East corridor and the plan is to maintain its position in this area. The company currently has offices at five locations: two in New York, including its headquarters, one in New Jersey, one in Philadelphia and the other in Charlotte. It also has two satellite offices, in Raleigh and in Stamford.

While it is not actively seeking to expand beyond its target geographical market, McKenna does not rule it out: “We are always looking for new opportunities wherever they might arise, but it is likely we will continue to focus on the East Coast, as this is a particularly strong market for us.”

McKenna has been in the construction business for more than twenty five years, so has he seen it all by now? “Definitely not,” he laughs. “We’re all still learning something new every day.”

Click here to view the corporate brochure on Hunter Roberts