‘The Better the People, the Better the Project’
Teamwork is a winning game plan at Phoenix Contractors, Inc.
Construction can be a tough business, but the team at Phoenix Contractors, Inc. (Phoenix) has a winning game plan for success.
“We treat our people and our clients equally fair and equally well: subcontractors, architects, owners and owners’ representatives,” says Mark Hiser, President and Owner. “We expect each Phoenix team member to operate at a high level of respect and fairness. The better the people, the better the project.”
Phoenix, based in Ypsilanti, Michigan, provides design-build, general contracting and construction management services primarily in southeast Michigan. The full-service contractor is experienced in all types of commercial and industrial construction and renovation. Projects include education, health care, hospitality, municipal, recreational, religious, retail and multifamily properties. The company completes about 50 projects each year.
When Mark joined Phoenix back in 1996, he was already an experienced industry professional and vice president of estimating at a large construction company. Moving to Phoenix, which had just 10 employees at the time, provided him with a welcomed opportunity to both estimate and manage projects of various sizes.
Twenty-one years later, he purchased the business from its founder, Bill Kinley. The company now manages several million dollars of construction work each year. Mark is a hands-on owner: “Our clients like the ownership involvement that we provide,” he says. “We thrive on helping make the impossible happen.”
Bench Strength
The company’s five client-driven project managers have extensive experience in both project management and estimating. They are embedded with the project team from preconstruction to completion, sometimes for two years or longer for large projects.
Most of its superintendents and project managers have been with Phoenix for at least 15 years. The company matches its managers and superintendents with clients’ project requirements and their personalities.
Mark has taught construction management as an adjunct professor at Eastern Michigan University for many years. He capitalizes on that experience and the team’s deep knowledge base to provide a strong foundation for new team members starting their construction careers at Phoenix. Now at 18 employees, the company continues to grow.
Tina Bateman, Executive Coordinator, is also the office manager. An insurance specialist, she coordinates with Mark and Chief Financial Officer Dennis Knight to manage human resources. “She rounds out our team,” Mark says of Tina, who joined Phoenix on Valentine’s Day in 2010.
Dennis joined the company 15 years ago and runs the finance and accounting side of the business. “The loyalty at Phoenix is great. We represent a wide range of personalities and roles and all work well together. The wholehearted trust Mark has in all of us is much appreciated,” he says.
Experience and Continuity of Service
About 70% of the company’s work is construction management. Its experience in estimating costs and scheduling helps clients understand many elements of the project early in the design process. “Working as a team, we’re able to help architects and clients work through difficult and complicated projects, from construction to financing and scheduling,” Mark says.
Assigning an experienced team to the project during preconstruction—as well as keeping that team on board during construction through to the final completion of the contract—helps provide a continuity of service. The collective knowledge of the firm also benefits clients looking years and decades ahead toward future projects.
Dennis says that clients appreciate their long-term relationships with the company. For example, Phoenix has been on the University of Michigan’s select bidders list for 35 years, completing projects ranging from $150,000 to $15 million.
Getting Projects Across the Finish Line
Phoenix is an eight-time winner of the Washtenaw Contractors Association’s (WCA) PYRAMID Award for Best Project Team. An independent jury of industry experts selects the recipients.
The company’s 2016 PYRAMID award was for construction at the University of Michigan’s William L. Clements Library in Ann Arbor. This $13 million project was extremely complicated and difficult—creating an underground annex 40 feet below grade for the university’s prized historic archives.
Phoenix was also the construction manager for a state-of-the-art shelter for Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit. Phoenix first developed preconstruction and scheduling data, but funding goals were not achieved by the planned start date. The client was running out of time and straight into winter. “We found a way to start construction on time and build alternates into the project,” Mark says. As funds were received by the nonprofit, the alternates were added back into the project. “We were able to get 100% of their building built.” The project received WCA’s 2019 PYRAMID award for Best Project Team in the $3 million- $25 million project category for the efforts that went into it.
The awards showcased at Phoenix also include an AIA Huron Valley Honor Award for Best Interior Completion, among others.
Many of the company’s projects are for nonprofit organizations, such as the new $5.1 million Ozone House in Ypsilanti, an innovative facility that will provide counseling and housing for youths and young adults. Chris Love, Phoenix’s Field Superintendent received the Outstanding Safety Performance Award from the Ann Arbor Safety Council for his work on this project.
A Family Approach at Work and at Home
“We have loyal, dedicated employees and satisfied repeat clients who also recommend us,” says Dennis. “Our reputation extends to the financial services industry. We’re straightforward and honest with what we’re doing.”
“Mark’s focus on employees is monumental,” Tina says. “We trust him because of his loyalty to us, and we want to succeed along with him. He’s fun, too! He’s our coach!”
“Phoenix employees work as teammates,” adds Mark. “We get to go out and build and create together. I feel like our people, when they leave at night, no matter where they go or who they run to, they always represent themselves well and professionally and that reflects back on our company as well.”
Mark is a committed family man. He coached youth sports for his three sons who all went on to play college football. Many of his employees have kids of their own. “I want our employees to be able to enjoy their own families and spend time with them,” he says.
A popular fall occurrence for the entire Phoenix family is the “Lion’s Lottery.” The company has season tickets to the Detroit Lions games. For each home game at Ford Field, Tina and Mark pick a number, and Dennis keeps it under lock and key. The employee with the correct guess receives four tickets to the game. During baseball season, there’s a similar lottery for tickets to Detroit Tigers games. “It’s a lot of fun for our folks,” Mark says.
Commitment to Community
Phoenix supports youth sports teams and contributes to many local nonprofit organizations, including Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, Saint Louis Center, Food Gatherers, Avalon Housing, SOS Community Services and Arbor Hospice, among others. “I feel like I can never do enough,” Mark says. “The work these nonprofits do in our community is amazing.”
Phoenix also participates in and contributes to WCA educational programs including “Just Build It!” a long-running career exploration program for students in grades 8-12.
Maintaining a Winning Team
Mark compares running a successful construction company to running a sports franchise. “On a successful and competitive athletic team, no matter a player’s position, teamwork is essential,” Mark explains. “We strive to accomplish good things and to do so harmoniously, as a team. If all 11 players on a football team are doing their job every single play—paying attention and focusing on being the best at what they do—then the team is competitive, gaining yardage, scoring and winning. We try to run our organization the same way.”
With low attrition and long-term experienced employees in the field and office, the Phoenix team strives to bring dedication and knowledge to each project. Mark concludes: “When everyone does their job well, the work is very exciting and becomes a rewarding experience for everyone involved.”