The Durrant Group Inc

Source: Construction Digital

Date :11/04/2008 02:12:58

How do you find skilled people? Where has the knowledge gone? These are challenges facing most construction firms. Exec learns how one – The Durrant Group – is working to overcome them

Written by Megan Santosus and Produced by Sean Bakke

Even though the credit crisis is causing ripples throughout the United States economy, the biggest issue facing diversified construction management and design company The Durrant Group Inc. has less to do with business conditions and more to do with personnel. “Recruiting and retaining qualified people is our biggest challenge,” says Charlie Marsden, Durrant’s president and CEO.

To tackle the people issue head on, the Dubuque, Iowa-based company has stepped up its recruiting efforts. “We work with area universities and we have our own foundation that helps students pursue careers in architecture, engineering, interior design and construction management,” Marsden says. Durrant also has a summer internship program for young students and encourages employees to participate in career development activities at their alma maters.

On the employee-retention front, Durrant is working hard to improve communications with, and training of current staff. To improve communications among its nine offices, Durrant plans to install video conferencing companywide.

The company is also a firm believer in coaching and mentoring junior employees particularly when it comes to defining career paths. The company aims to have a long-tenured workforce, and defining and identifying growth opportunities for employees is a critical practice.

The Durrant Group as it is known today was founded in Boscobel, Wisc., in 1933 by Joe Durrant. In 1948, the company relocated to Dubuque and over the years has expanded through acquisitions. Durrant has offices located in diverse areas in the United States ranging from Madison, Wisc., and Denver, Colo., to Phoenix, Ariz., and Honolulu, Hawaii.

The company offers a range of services related to the construction industry including architectural and engineering services, interior design and project management. Over the years, Durrant has compiled an impressive portfolio of diverse building projects; the company has won several awards for a number of different construction projects including a recreation center in Aspen, Colo., a train depot in Dubuque, a municipal complex in Arizona, and a public library in Wisconsin along with a number of LEED certified buildings. Durrant offers its array of services to clients worldwide.

As a company with dispersed operations, Durrant has implemented an IT infrastructure designed to support both mobile (via Smart Phones) and interoffice (via a wide area network) communications. While not cutting edge, the technology certainly is on par with other companies in the construction industry.

Durrant seeks to stay current with technology trends in the industry. “We typically review our IT infrastructure on a two-year cycle and conduct strategic planning with an outside consultant,” Marsden says.

The company runs on a Microsoft platform and uses Vision from Deltek Inc. for accounting, human resources, marketing, project management and customer resource management (CRM) and also Autodesk Revit for design.

In terms of using the CRM, Marsden says that Durrant takes a different approach from most architectural and engineering firms. “Our focus is on client satisfaction, so we use the CRM to collect client feedback and really solidify customer relationships,” he says. In Marsden’s view, most other firms in the industry use their CRM systems as vehicles for marketing and business development; Durrant sees its CRM as a way to collect and maintain feedback from clients.

“Our industry does not like to talk about things from a sales perspective,” Marsden says. “We’re focused on what is going to make the client happy and successful.” At each office, communications with clients is emphasized as a means of gauging their perception of Durrant.

The close contact with clients is essential to Durrant’s sales and marketing efforts. Each office also needs to identify three good market sectors, with a designated “rainmaker” charged with bringing in business that generates between $1.5 million and $2 million per year.

The company has embraced building information modelling or BIM, an IT-enabled process that incorporates building designs and documentation throughout a project. Durrant uses Revit software from Autodesk not only to draw a building but to design and create an informational database that describes exactly what is being done in the building. Changes that are made throughout the project are automatically coordinated in the database.

“BIM allows every person on the project team to integrate their expertise in the design of the building,” says Marsden. The system essentially is a communication and collaboration tool as much as a design tool in that the information entered into the database is accessible to everyone on the team including the construction personnel and suppliers. “BIM isn’t unique to Durrant, but we’re making a concerted effort to lead the industry,” Marsden says.

While the current economic situation isn’t taking a serious toll on Durrant, the company nevertheless is feeling some effect in the commercial construction sector. “We are also seeing some impact in the public sector involving buildings that need bonds for financing,” Marsden says. “Lending institutions are much more cautious and conservative, and due diligence takes longer and is much more detailed.” As a multidisciplined firm, Durrant is in a better position than many others in the industry to weather the current business climate.

As part of the company’s strategic plan, Durrant aims to be a leader in sustainable design, and there’s no better place to demonstrate that than with its own headquarters. Durrant is in the process of renovating a 100-year old former foundry in a once-blighted area of Dubuque that is being rehabilitated. The 18,000 square foot headquarters building will be a showplace of green building practices and is expected to be LEED Platinum certified. (LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a nationally-accepted standard administered by the US Green Building Council.)

“Our headquarters will really make a statement about sustainable design,” Marsden says. “It’s possible to take an old industrial building and adapt it into a modern corporate headquarters using green building principles.”

Click here to view the corporate brochure on Durrant Group Inc