‘The Best of the Best’
Optimum Construction lives up to its name
When Owner Omar Elrahimy started Optimum Construction, Inc. (Optimum) nearly two decades ago, he set the bar high when choosing its name. “Optimum means the best of the best. That’s what I wanted the company to be,” he says. If his company’s growth rate and client reviews are any indication, things are going as planned.
Elrahimy started the business using a small crew for much of his work until he was able to add more crews and hire subcontractors. Ten years ago, he opened his first office in Clarksburg, Maryland, and has continued to add staff since that time. Today he employs seven full-time office staff, 12 on his construction crew and continues to rapidly grow. Before branching out on his own, he worked for other family-owned construction businesses for many years. “I was born into a business and an architecturally focused family,” he says.
Today, Optimum’s headquarters is in Rockville, Maryland, and serves the Washington, D.C., metro area. It is a general contracting company for both residential and commercial construction. On the residential side, the staff has experience in both interior and exterior property renovations, and Elrahimy is a licensed homebuilder. Its commercial side is focused on retail renovation and expansions.
Thriving on Variety
Variety is the name of the game for Elrahimy. One day, the job might be construction of a retail store, such as Sephora, Banana Republic or Abercrombie & Fitch; the next, a private home remodel. “We work closely with our clients throughout the entire process of their projects, from planning, budgeting and designing to permitting, construction, and all the way to completion,” he says.
National retailers are a heavy focus of Optimum’s commercial business. Recent commercial projects include three Sephora stores and a Parachute store in Washington, D.C., and fit-out of National Institutes of Health offices in Rockville. On the residential side, Optimum has just finished the complete renovation of two three-level luxury homes in Montgomery County, Maryland, and a four-unit condominium renovation in Washington, D.C. “No two projects are the same,” Elrahimy says. “Every project has its own set of challenges. That’s the fun part!”
Elrahimy estimates that Optimum has at least a dozen projects in progress at any given time, though he says he is careful not to take on more than the company can handle and still maintain its focus on quality. He says, “I’m very hands-on. I touch every single project. I get in my car and drive to each site, not just to check on the work, but to build relationships with each client.”
Building Not Just Brick and Mortar
“We build relationships. It’s what we’re known for,” Elrahimy adds.
Relationship building begins with Optimum’s staff. Elrahimy says the employee interview process is stringent because he is looking for “optimum” quality in his team members. Part of this quality rests in making sure everyone gets along and supports one another. “We want the office to feel like home, like a family. Being close in the office makes a difference because we care about each other,” he says.
To promote this feeling of family, Elrahimy plans special events to reward employees and create a positive atmosphere, such as family gatherings and holiday parties. This philosophy has helped create a loyal environment among his staff. Elrahimy says, “Some on our crew have worked with us since we started. You don’t see that often.”
The staff’s loyalty to the company is evident in the workmanship it provides. “I would call the staff hand-picked—they are some of the best in the market. It’s noticed by clients—how professional, careful and polite they are. We treat each project like we’re doing it for ourselves,” Elrahimy says.
The familial environment also extends to clients. Elrahimy says that the majority of Optimum’s clients are repeat business. Often, this relationship grows into a friendship. “We know their families,” he says. Optimum welcomes and encourages client participation at every step of the process, believing that open communication is key to each phase of the building process. Elrahimy says, “Our team is focused on 100% satisfaction of every client, building relationships and making friends along the way.”
Providing Optimum Service
In addition to strong relationships and open communication, Elrahimy cites attention to time and budget as another reason Optimum stands out. “We are one of the most well-known companies in our area for our ability to complete projects on time and within budget,” he says. He attributes this partially to Optimum’s use of a mobile app that uses informational posts, pictures, notes and a daily log to track progress and receive input from clients.
The app was designed for general contractors to use for project management, such as scheduling and communication with subs. It also offers tools for creating estimates, proposals and daily logs, in addition to photo sharing, change order management, invoicing, payment processing and more. Elrahimy says, “The app works for both commercial and residential construction. Clients love it.”
Optimum’s commitment to service in every aspect is evident in its client reviews. One person praises the ease of communication with the project manager: “Everyone that works for this company is a pleasure to deal with. I worked with Jason, who was the project manager. It was like working with a family member. He was very caring, conscientious and communicated regularly. Any question that we had was immediately answered to our satisfaction. A few small changes were requested during the project that were performed professionally and without additional fees. We were given a flat fee for our project and that’s what we paid.”
Another reviewer compliments Optimum’s care of the work site and attention to schedule: “Throughout the project, Omar and his team were extremely professional, considerate of our family and gave us a high-quality project. There are only positive comments regarding their work cleanliness and timely workmanship.”
And yet another is complimentary of Optimum’s staff, a common thread among reviewers: “Optimum Construction is a family-owned firm that instills its namesake into every facet of their craft. You’ll feel right at home with their best asset: the people.”
Optimum service and satisfied customers have resulted in significant growth for the company. Elrahimy says in the last two years his company has quadrupled in size, which led to the new office space in Rockville, where it occupies the entire building as well as the building next door, giving Optimum an entire block of real estate. Elrahimy plans for the space to eventually house not only the office, but also a design center for future and existing clients.
Elrahimy attributes the company’s significant growth to his efforts to expand the staff and delegate more roles, which in turn allows him to accept more jobs that come from repeat client business, referrals and internet traffic. He says, “I used to do everything myself, but our staff has allowed me to take on additional projects when otherwise I would have been stretched too thin.”
In the future, Elrahimy looks forward to company growth and expansion of his work to additional states. Wherever the job takes him, he plans to live up to the company’s name with every project he takes on.