Q: After successfully completing 190 TI projects in 2013. What do you attribute Gateway’s success to?
We have worked hard to leverage the success we’ve had with our existing clients into new opportunities. We have also made a big investment in staff upgrades from Business Development to Project Management that have given us a greater exposure to the market. But our success lies in our project teams onsite and our superintendents that understand the big picture.
Q: What are the common misconceptions about TI contractors or TI work?
That we’re smaller and have less bandwidth than larger contractors. This would be accurate if we were building a stadium but with TIs it is not. When comparing us to a larger contractor’s Special Project Divisions we are often larger and definitely more experienced.
Q: What changes are you noticing in the industry today in terms of tenant improvement work? What changes do you think Gateway will have to make in the future to stay successful?
Just like every other industry technology is allowing us to do more with less. We have implemented many new forms of innovation and technology to make us more productive and accessible. Those of us in construction who do not continue to evolve with technology will not be able to compete.
Q: Are there any areas Gateway can improve on to be more successful?
When ramping up our marketing campaign we asked the market what their perception was of Gateway Construction. The overall response was not what we expected. We were still perceived as a small contractor managing smaller projects and that we were a low cost solution. This was not at all in line with our branding, or what we had accomplished over the last five or six years. So it is very important that we continue to keep up the brand and keep the market informed of who we are and what we have been doing. We are a solution for all facets of tenant improvement construction.