Construction Business Survey Reveals Areas of Opportunity

Business Planning for Growth and Profitability a Missing Link for Construction Contractors

Lake Success, NY — June 24 /PRNewswire/ — Grassi & Co., CPAs, one of the region’s leading accounting, tax and consulting firms with the largest national construction practice, released its 2009 Construction Industry Survey results and report. This industry-wide survey, The State of Your Business 2009, was conducted in partnership with McGraw Hill Construction’s New York Construction.

The survey queried construction companies in seven different information areas: organizational structure, contract types, training and technology, profitability and access to capital, financial tools, business development and future vision. The results uncovered the need for implementing best business practices that increase reliance on sophisticated business planning tools and programs that focus on ways in which to grow the business over time and rely on financial techniques to increase profitability.

“Construction contractors should key into business planning for both growth and profitability,” advises Louis C. Grassi, CPA, CFE, and Managing Partner of Grassi & Co., CPAs, who has been advising construction firms for nearly thirty years.

Conducted bi-annually since 1997, the survey is the only industry-wide research tool of its type designed to explore current business practices about construction companies. According to Seth Horowitz, New York Construction’s Publisher, “This survey is another important information resource for our readers to learn about more about how to advance their own businesses in a current challenging economy.”

Business Succession Plans Needed

Overall, many of the firms who responded to the survey reported that they did not have a business succession plan in place. The importance of succession plans — especially in the construction industry which has followed a father-to-son/daughter business model — cannot be underestimated says Grassi. “For many companies, second generation professionals are in place; however for many others, a new generation of leadership has not been formalized, leaving business growth on an uncertain path,” he says.

Reducing Change Orders – Key to Increasing Profits

Many of the firms who responded indicated that change order disputes is still one of the largest causes of litigation and often leads to profitability losses. According to Grassi, this result is most telling and indicative of a growing trend on the part of owners and developers, both public and private, to implement better project planning procedures and more complete construction documents as ways to reduce the number of project change orders.

Technology is also playing an increasingly important role in providing more complete construction documents and drawings to ensure that clashes, conflicts and the potential for future change orders may be reduced. According to Pat DiFilippo, Executive Vice President at Turner Construction and his firm’s lead professional on Building Information Modeling (BIM), “Technologies such as BIM and other integrated project delivery programs are likely to have a significant effect on reducing changes throughout a project and increasing overall profitability — for both the owner and the contractor.”

Highlights of the Survey Results

Highlights of the Survey reveal the following results:

Business Planning (Succession Plans)

* 60% of the respondents did not have a succession plan. In a generational-based business, succession planning is critically important. The lack of these plans in the construction industry is significant for a better understanding of this predominantly, small business industry.

Joint Ventures and Other Associations

* 30% of the respondents currently participate in joint ventures. Larger projects require increased bonding and financial capacity. Smaller firms may be challenged by complex mega-projects. The results of the survey point to an emerging trend for companies to consider joint ventures and other business associations as a way of expanding capacity. This is also more prevalent in a down economy, as firms can collaborate and be more competitive.

Training & Technology

* 57% of the respondents reported they do not have in-house training programs. With the need for increased training in safety standards and new technologies, training both in best practices and technology emerges as a ‘must have’ for many construction companies. There appears to be need for more improvement in this area.

Profitability

* 52% of the respondents cited change order disputes as the largest cause of litigation. With the need to increase profitability, many of the respondents may begin to look at ways in which to control costs through exploring opportunities to reduce change orders.

Financial Tools and Controls

* 57% of the respondents stated that their companies have instituted fraud control plans. With data from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (CFE) indicating that companies lose an average of 7% of their revenue to fraud (CFE), the fact that just over half of the firms reported fraud control plans appears to suggest that greater control in this area is needed.

Business Development

* 57% of respondents indicated that they have a business plan; only 40% noted that they have a marketing plan. The survey indicates that lack of use of standard business planning tools (i.e., business plans, marketing plans) is another emerging trend in the construction industry and may have a significant effect on the growth of an industry that demonstrates generational and familiar characteristics for supporting business growth.
* Only 76% of the respondents noted that they have a website. The construction industry is increasing its reliance on web-based documents, forms and communications and the fact that almost a quarter of the firms surveyed do not have websites is another telling characteristic about the way in which a traditional industry such as the construction continues to operate.

The Future

* In general, firms surveyed were moderately optimistic about future growth, despite the current economic downturn. Almost 80% of the respondents indicated that their firms are growing or at least leveling off. However 18% of the respondents indicated that they saw their firms declining.

PANIC OR PLAN

The results of the survey indicated that many of the respondents focused on cash flow versus profitability. While vitally important, cash flow is only one measure of financial health, and profitability is the ultimate bottom line factor in financial success. Highly successful contractors that we work with use the following tools: budgeting, forecasting, monthly financials and profitability reports. Many of the survey respondents did not report that they rely on those tools to manage their business.

MORE PLANNING NEEDED

The survey results also indicated that firms need to put a plan in place to survive and thrive in the current economic climate. While contract opportunities for both private and public work are reduced for 2009, with expectations of an upswing in 2010, the need for a realistic business and marketing plan is critical.

The survey reported on trends including joint venture participation, targeting larger opportunities and partnering on jobs. According to Grassi, new associations can create new opportunities for contractors. “Contractors can be more competitive on bids, more efficient with productivity, and more successful when utilizing each other’s expertise,” he says, “We’ve seen clients utilizing partners with financial backing, minimizing their own financial exposure and presenting more competitive bids. The construction industry is going to overcome the economic downturn. Contractors will emerge stronger, well-prepared, and more diversified than before.”

For a complete report on the Survey Results please visit: www.grassicpas.com/2009constructionsurveyresults

About Grassi & Co., CPAs

Grassi & Co. CPAs, P.C. features full-service practices in the areas of taxation, accounting and business consulting. Focused on helping companies run their operations more efficiently, save money on their taxes and plan for the future, the firm has headquarters in Lake Success, New York and offices in Manhattan and North Carolina.

The firm has been recognized as one of the nation’s best-run accounting firms by Inside Public Accounting and is ranked by Crain’s New York Business as one of the 25 largest accounting firms in the New York metropolitan region.

SOURCE Grassi & Co., CPAs