Q: What has been your greatest accomplishment in your 40 years in business?
A: "The recognition we've received for our work and our project delivery, including the American Subcontractors Association Contractor of the Year Award, BBB Torch Awards, Bravo Entrepreneur of the Year Award and numerous ACE Awards."

Q: To what do you attribute your success and longevity?
A: "Trust and communication. As a result of those two attributes, we've earned a great deal of repeat clients and a reputation for providing quality and value."

Q: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced over the years?
A: "The biggest challenge we've faced is adjusting to the recent recession. It's been a significant challenge and an ongoing adjustment."

Q: Who inspires you?
A: "My mentor W. Dean Smith. After starting a commercial construction company in Omaha, Dean took me under his wing in Fort Collins to teach me the carpentry trade. He was instrumental in helping me land my first big job and coached and inspired me to build my business."

Q: What is your greatest piece of advice for success in business or owning your own business?
A: "Pay attention to the details!"

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 150,000 construction site injuries occur each year, and the construction industry accounts for almost 19% of all workplace fatalities—more than any other industry. While Drahota has always been committed to safety, we've recently strengthened this commitment with new safety signage posted on every job site:

The new signage is an example of Drahota's belief in the fact that relatively small changes can prevent big accidents and increase efficiency in the long run. By creating and implementing these safety guidelines, we're notifying workers of the level of care needed to ensure a job well done.

A recent article in the Denver Post says hiring in the long-depressed U.S. construction industry will get a boost from the rebuilding that will follow Superstorm Sandy. Those jobs, in turn, could raise economic growth, analysts say.

The article makes the case that construction jobs are especially vital to the economy. Pay is higher than average: At $25.86, average hourly pay tops the average of $23.58 for all U.S. private-sector jobs—and is far above the averages for areas like retail ($16.43) and leisure and hospitality, which includes restaurants and hotel jobs ($13.35).

In addition, job growth in construction typically spurs hiring for other jobs, like architects, real estate agents and sellers of appliances, building materials and office equipment. As the Denver Post reports, the stocks of home-improvement retailers like Home Depot (up more than 3 percent) and Lowe's (up nearly 6 percent) surged last week even as overall stock prices were flat.

Last month, U.S. home construction reached its fastest rate in more than four years—a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 872,000. That's more than 82 percent above the recession low. Read more.

U.S. builders started construction on homes in September at the fastest rate since July 2008, a further indication that the housing recovery is strengthening and could help the economy grow. Apartment building increased 25.1 percent. Read more.

A recent article by the Denver Post says the construction sector now ranks second to professional and business services in terms of the jobs being added this year, according to Richard Wobbekind, an economist at the University of Colorado Boulder Leeds School of Business. Read more.

As the economy eases out of the recession and workloads increase, one of the major focal points for companies should be on improving quality management. Firms can begin this process by assessing their current quality management programs to ensure superior service and to safeguard themselves against claims and protect owners.

I believe there are five key assessment areas when it comes to quality management in the construction industry:

• Assigning clear accountability to teams

• Solid documentation

• Strong communication skills

• Good understanding of complex building issues

• Technology enhancements that improve quality and communication

Companies should place a strong focus on these essential business components, and others that may affect their internal processes, when conducting an in-depth quality management evaluation. At Drahota, we aim to continually analyze our procedures and business practices to ensure we are achieving the highest quality management standards possible, while maintaining outstanding client satisfaction and long-term value to our clients.

We want to express our sincerest gratitude to the men and women who have been risking their lives to fight the fires that have threatened our beautiful state and its residents. The firefighters of Colorado have been going above and beyond to protect our communities and we would like to show our support by donating over $2,000 to the Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department (RCVFD) to aid in the High Park Fire relief efforts.

RCVFD is a donation based volunteer fire department which receives no tax funds and is staffed purely by volunteers. We wish to support their heroic efforts in the northern Colorado area.

Our thoughts continue to be with all of those effected by and fighting the High Park Fire. We've been serving the Northern Colorado area for more than 40 years with strong ties to the community and are deeply saddened by this tragedy.

We look forward to being a resource and providing our support to the community and those effected by the fire. As an additional resource, we're providing a link to the following article in the Northern Colorado Business Report about home or property damage and steps to selecting a contractor to repair or rebuild homes. Read more.

The Parker Skilled Nursing Facility is coming right along. Our crews are out on site and are currently working in the structural and framing stage with the roof nearly complete. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing are 20% complete. The building is three levels with a concrete and steel structure, offices and underground parking. Upon completion, the facility will accommodate 157 beds, adjacent to Parker Adventist Hospital. To see more Healthcare projects, click here.

Terry Drahota shares his insights on the local real estate development market in a column for the Northern Colorado Business Report. 

"Public-sector construction projects are waning, but multifamily market remains solid : A recent report from Beacon Hill Institute ranks Colorado as the third-most economically competitive state. We continue to see decreasing unemployment, positive job growth, and a new sense of optimism from business owners and consumers – all pointing to an improving regional economy.

While confidence is up, the reality is that commercial development is still playing catch up. Financing remains a challenge for private developers and competition for jobs among builders remains high. It's clear that the real estate development landscape remains a mixed bag." Read the full article.

The Denver Post reports, "Construction employment increased in 171 out of 337 metro areas between February 2011 and February 2012, with the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield metro area adding the most jobs at 6,300. Read the full article.

I like what I'm reading and hearing about consumer confidence, companies adding jobs and the overall optimism of small business owners. Our estimating department has been busy preparing costs for both negotiated and hard bid projects, though the competition remains stiff. I believe we'll continue to see a strong apartment market in the Denver Metro area, especially those projects financed by REITs, as bank financing remains difficult to come by. If office vacancies continue to decline, we should see an uptick in commercial construction, as well. Although the development landscape continues to be relatively flat (down in some sectors, up in others), we are hopeful that lending for private developers loosens up, fees continue to increase for jobs and the economy continues to trend upward. For more info, check out the articles below related to the local economic forecast and the construction market in Colorado.

http://www.ncbr.com/article/20120319/NEWS/120319923

http://www.metrodenver.org/metro-denver-economy/monthly-summary

Maintaining the proper insurance standards is a critical component to any construction job. And in today's business climate, contractors must be more vigilant than ever about mitigating risk, protecting owners and having the proper systems in place.

West Vail Fire Station #3 in Vail, CO has received LEED Gold Certification from the USGBC.

Welcome! Thanks for taking a peek at our new website. Check back often to see what's new -- from projects to press and our new blog where we'll share news and insights on the industry.