Böehm Turns Twenty
Before diving into the construction industry, what were you doing? Were there any unexpected skills or experiences from your previous career that proved useful in building this company?
At age 21 I moved to Nanaimo from Saskatoon to become a Domino’s Pizza franchisee. After 14 years in that business, I sold my stores and went into the construction business. I always had a knack for building anything and everything, so it was a natural fit. I have been building things since childhood.
What was the "aha" moment that made you realize you wanted to transition into the world of construction?
There wasn’t any particular “aha” moment. I think it’s in my blood. I have saw dust in my veins instead of blood. I have always been handy, and I am self-taught in every area of construction.
What inspired you to start a construction company 20 years ago, and did you ever imagine it would grow into what it is today?
I have always been self-employed and knew how to run a business, so it was an easy transition to be self-employed in construction. For the first several years, it was just me, so at that time, I never dreamed this company would become what it is today. What I realize now, looking back, is that during those first years, I was putting in my 10,000 hours and gaining the vast experience I draw on today in every area of construction.
Looking back on the past two decades, what's one project that stands out as the most memorable or exciting for you?
Around 2012, I bought a house on Laguna Drive. It was in foreclosure and in really bad shape. I knew it had potential when I first saw it, so I bought it and spent about six months renovating it from top to bottom. It had holes in the roof, and nature was trying to reclaim it. I even convinced some neighbors to let me trim some trees to open up the ocean view. We pressure-washed the siding to bring it back to life. We opened up some walls to create an open concept. Nearing completion, we had a flood and had to redo many things. We sold it for a profit, and it was a successful project overall. What I am most proud of is that I could see the tremendous potential and then realize it just by rolling up my sleeves and getting to work.
Construction can be a challenging industry. What's one humorous or unexpected moment you've experienced on a job site?
We always try to play jokes on the new guys. If we notice he cut a board too short and he says hey boss I cut it too short we say its ok just go to my truck and grab the “board stretcher.” Most times the new guy will go looking for it. Of course there is no such tool that can stretch a board after you have cut it too short! Its been the source of many laughs in our industry for generations!
As the founder, what's your secret to maintaining a positive company culture and keeping your team motivated after all these years?
I have been blessed with a generally positive nature and I genuinely love what I do. I don’t come down hard on people when they make mistakes.
We've all heard stories about mishaps on construction sites. Can you share a funny "oops" moment that happened early in the company's history?
There have been many, but I can’t think of one specifically. It is very important in our industry not to be too hard on oneself. Mistakes happen. Sometimes, the number of things in our business that get done twice is shocking.
With 20 years of experience under your belt, what's one piece of advice you'd give to your younger self when starting in the industry?
I would like to say to my younger self to start growing the company sooner. I now know that I was ready for growth sooner than I thought I was at the time.
Every business has its share of challenges. What's one obstacle your company faced that seemed insurmountable at the time but you managed to overcome?
At one point, I realized I needed to become a certified licensed home builder quickly. Once I dug into the process, I was pleased with the number of people I knew in the industry who were willing to vouch for me and write letters in support. Based on this, I was able to fast-track this approval, which saved a lot of time and money.
With 20 years of experience, you must have seen some incredible advancements in construction technology. What's one innovation that has revolutionized the way your company operates?
Undoubtedly, the most important innovation has been the internet-based operating systems. Buildertrend, CoConstruct, and Procore (we use Buildertrend) are full-service solutions that allow us to automate every part of the build: client portal, time clock, budgets, schedules, sales process, file organizations, pricing take-offs, and more. We use every piece of this technology we can, and it helps give us a tremendous advantage over our competitors who are not.
Another innovation that revolutionized how we operate happened several years ago when I decided to implement a planning phase for every job. Now, we ask clients to hire us just for the planning phase of their project so that we can adequately plan and price their jobs. This has revolutionized what we do because it helps to prevent the typical “contractor nightmare” story from happening. We insist on doing a large amount of planning on every job no matter how big or small.
Building a successful company requires a lot of hard work, but having fun along the way is essential. What's one team-building activity or company tradition that you look forward to every year?
We don’t have it every year, but sometimes we have a nailing competition where everyone on the team gathers around and tries to drive a 6-inch (very large) nail into a timber in the least number of strikes. It’s quite fun.
Finally, looking ahead to the next 20 years, what are your hopes and aspirations for the future of the construction company you've worked so hard to build?
My hope is that this “pirate ship” we have built can continue providing affordable living spaces for people for decades to come and continue to fight against rising housing costs and continue doing it long after I am gone.
