Customer Relations: National contractor relies on knowing and understanding its customers
by Jonathan McGaha | 31 May 2012 12:00 am
With three locations across Ohio and Michigan, Rudolph/Libbe Inc. is a full-service national contractor offering a broad range of construction, maintenance and facility-related services. The company has consistently ranked among
Engineering News-Record’s Top 400 Contractors, and in 2011, received a ranking of 220.
Gary Haas, vice president, contracts administration/labor relations at Rudolph/Libbe, explains that the company is one of the few large, self-performing contractors in the country. “With more than 300 skilled tradespeople from almost every major trade, we provide the skilled manpower necessary to complete projects on-time, on-budget and with outstanding quality.”
Experience
Founded in 1955, Rudolph/Libbe has experience in a wide variety of industries, including automotive, commercial/retail, education, food processing, government/institutional, health care, hospitality/recreation, industrial/manufacturing, metals, power/petrochemical, solar, warehouse/distribution and worship.
Haas explains that the company has the capability to take a project from site selection all the way through construction and maintenance, and offers services in preconstruction, construction, small projects, building systems, custom millwork and site management.
“The people who work at Rudolph/Libbe are the key to the company’s success,” he says. “They are talented, hard working, skilled and extremely committed to our customers. They bring creativity, innovation and value to every project. We employ generations of tradespeople, and many of our associates have worked for us for decades. Many have never worked anywhere but Rudolph/Libbe. That’s a source of great pride for us.”
Haas goes on to explain that the company is constantly looking for business growth opportunities, whether it be new markets, new services or new ways to provide customers with more value. He says that it’s the company’s willingness to respond to their customer’s changing needs with expanded services that has helped the company grow over the years.
Metal Building Systems
An authorized Varco Pruden Builder since 1982 with Memphis, Tenn.-based Varco Pruden Buildings, Rudolph/Libbe has ranked in
Metal Construction News’ top 100 national metal building contractors since 1984. “Metal building systems represent a significant part of our business,” notes Haas. “At Rudolph/Libbe, pre-engineered building systems are more than a capability-they are an important focus. We actively promote and dedicate full-time resources to our pre-engineered building services.”
The company’s Building Systems Group achieves that focus with decades of experience with metal building systems. The group has managed more than $500 million of construction projects involving the design, fabrication, delivery and erection of high-quality, pre-engineered metal buildings. Haas says that the company understands that pre-engineered metal buildings can often meet all of a customer’s requirements at a significantly lower cost. Advantages expressed to customers include faster delivery and installation, enhanced quality with reduced maintenance and customizable design. The company’s in-house focus provides opportunities for faster design and value engineering. “We focus exclusively on the proper integration of these systems into our industrial and commercial construction projects,” he adds.
Excellence in Safety
A strong safety record is important to many of Rudolph/Libbe’s customers, and something the company does not take lightly. “Protecting the safety and health of our employees, customers, subcontractors, the public and our communities is a core value of Rudolph/Libbe,” Haas says. “Our safety approach emphasizes personal commitment, individual leadership, teamwork, management involvement and communication.”
“Our ‘Will & Skill’ philosophy is the foundation for our safety initiatives,” he continues. “We define ‘Skill’ as the training, experience and knowledge needed to work safely. ‘Will’ is the personal commitment required to work safely. Safety excellence requires a safety culture that is part of people’s lives 24/7/365 at work and at home. Our goal is to have every associate make a personal commitment to safety and demonstrate that commitment by being a leader in safety.”
Customer Satisfaction
Rudolph/Libbe strives to improve the business effectiveness of its customers and help them meet their goals, Haas explains. its goal is to provide customers with more than building services, and it does that by acting as consultants to help customers improve their business effectiveness. This is accomplished by taking the time to understand a customer’s business and goals, and making recommendations that will add value to their investment. “We offer responsiveness, communication, value-engineering, flexibility, proactive thinking, and an experienced and consistent team on projects,” he says. “Our team is experienced at working within operational facilities.”
Over the years, the company has grown steadily due to its focus on customer satisfaction. “More than 80 percent of our business comes from repeat customers, and some of our relationships with customers span decades,” Haas continues. “Most of the projects we work on are smaller jobs, and those small projects are as important to our customers as large projects. We strive to give every project the same high level of attention to quality, value and schedule. This industry is all about building and maintaining relationships. It’s all about earning and keeping the customer’s trust.”
“We have seen technology, equipment and services change in our industry through the last five decades, and we have seen one constant: commitment to customer service,” says Haas.
Rudolph/Libbe Inc. Profile
Year Founded: 1955
Locations: Walbridge, Ohio; Independence, Ohio; and Plymouth, Mich.
Markets Served: Automotive, commercial/retail, educational, food processing, government/institutional, health care, hospitality/recreation, industrial/manufacturing, metals, power/petrochemical, solar, warehouse/distribution and worship.
2011 Total Revenue: Approximately $500 million
Number of Employees: More than 500 in 2011.
Combined metal building systems and roofing square footage 2009-2010: 104,100 square feet
Building Manufacturer Affiliation: Varco Pruden Buildings, Memphis, Tenn.
Management Team
Tim Alter, President
Dave Boyer, General Manager, Cleveland Office
Brad Deal, Vice President, Project Management
Ron Dulay, Vice President, Construction Management
Gary Haas, Vice President, Contracts Administration/Labor Relations
Kay Jones, Manager, Human Resources
Scott Libbe, Executive Vice President
Jim Philo, Vice President, Field Operations
Justin Rossi, Director, National Accounts
Jeff Schaller, Vice President, Preconstruction Services Operations
Brian Seeger, Manager, Special Accounts
Ken Swartz, General Manager, Plymouth Office
Brian Zientek, Chief Financial Officer
Building Systems Group
Jimmy Hoben, Manager, Building Systems Group
Ron Kuzma and Quin St. John, Project Managers, Building Systems Group
Source URL: https://www.metalconstructionnews.com/articles/customer-relations/