The Benefits of Youth + Experience
Timbers Building Co. stays focused on steady, long-term growth
Timbers Building Co. is a young company with unusual depth and experience.
Dan Palmer Jr., Owner and President of Timbers Building, is only 28, but he represents the third generation in his family to own and operate a construction company. He lives the entrepreneurial lifestyle of his grandfather and father before him.
Dan Jr. wasn’t only born with an entrepreneurial bent; he’s grown up with the construction industry.
“Every summer, from grade school through high school, I worked at a different trade with my father’s company,” Dan Jr. says. After high school, he earned an associate degree in building construction from the Pennsylvania College of Technology, joined a carpenters union, earned a journeyman certificate and then launched Timbers Building.
“It’s the only thing I’ve known,” Dan Jr. says, and he enjoys every aspect of it, including the opportunity to work with family members.
Dan Jr.’s dad, Dan Palmer Sr., serves as Project Manager. He retired from the company he founded in 2016—and then promptly reentered the workforce, supporting Dan Jr.
Dan Sr. grew up in construction, too. His dad, Bill Palmer Sr., returned from the Korean War in 1958 and promptly started his own construction company, building homes in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. He eventually moved into commercial construction, building industrial facilities, offices and multifamily homes. Dan Sr. and his brother, Bill, took over their dad’s company in 1992.
Dan Jr. launched Timbers Building in 2010 and now reaches clients in the tri-state area (western Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia), plus Maryland. By 2016, he was ready for expansion and purchased a Ram Jack franchise. Since then, Timbers Building has offered hydraulic foundation repair and waterproofing in addition to general construction. The team specializes in remodeling, renovation and handyman services as well as fire or storm damage restoration.
Timbers Building has experienced steady financial growth as well. “The company grew from $1 million a year in sales to $7 million, then to $8 million in sales this year,” Dan Jr. says. The goal for 2020 is $13 million to $14 million.
“The company’s success is from the sheer will of Dan Jr.,” his dad says. “He’s been growing his company in a very controlled manner.”
Importance of Diversification
Part of the company’s success lies in diversification. The Timbers Building team spends almost 20% of its time on service contracts, about 15% on foundation repair, and the rest of its time on commercial, industrial and multifamily construction.
The service division allows clients—including those with pharmacies, retail spaces, gas stations and office buildings—to focus on business rather than maintenance. Timbers Building currently has two major retail clients, totaling almost 300 locations in the tri-state area. The company’s employees take care of tile, paint, flooring, pavement—any kind of work that can help maintain and improve a site’s appearance.
Recent construction projects include IronRock Tap House, a 10,000-square-foot restaurant at Westmoreland Mall in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. IronRock features a large outdoor seating area and a second-floor bar with live music and is the first restaurant of its size and kind in Westmoreland County.
Timbers Building is also working on a 20,000-square-foot call center in Cranberry, Pennsylvania, and a 54-unit residential building for retirees in Pittsburgh.
“Timbers Building is a collaborative workplace with input from all stakeholders and customers,” Dan Sr. says. “We assist clients all through the building process and also offer design guidance to help keep the projects within budget.”
Controlled Growth
Starting a company in 2010, when the country was still reeling from the Great Recession, was a risky move. Dan Jr. proved successful because he didn’t overextend himself, Dan Sr. says.
“Dan was staying in his lane and doing exactly what he knew to do. He’s followed a methodical pattern of growth,” Dan Sr. explains.
Controlled growth is crucial, Dan Jr. adds, as a safeguard against volatile markets. “The market can change, just as we saw with the Great Recession, which was a five- or six-year hit,” he says. “You had to have the staying power to weather that kind of problem.”
After building a solid foundation and not overextending, Dan Jr. says that Timbers Building was then poised to expand once the market stabilized and was conducive for development again, in 2014 and 2015.
Expanding Workforce
With continued growth comes the continued need for qualified employees. Timbers Building employs an experienced general manger, an additional project manager, two salespeople, an estimator and office support. The company has plans to add another project manager as well as an estimator and cost analyst. Employees are fully bonded, licensed and insured. The team is proud to offer specialized expertise in scheduling, budget control, contract administration, and project planning and control.
Even with growth, the leadership at Timbers Building continues to focus on familiar and familial connections. Father and son often meet with their clients. “We still have that nice touch,” Dan Jr. says. “When someone has a problem, they know they can call either one of us. It’s always been our stock and trade to have interaction with project owners.” Even if the firm was hired through an architect or a facilities manager, or serves as a subconsultant to a project management firm, Dan Jr. and his father still want to establish rapport with the actual building owners and their key staff. Their personal touch leads to add-on work, referrals and lasting relationships.
Diversity and personal attention are two of the many lessons that Dan Jr. has learned from his years of growing up in the business. “Instead of him having nine or 10 years of experience, he really has the force of 20 years of experience, though he’s only 28,” Dan Sr. says. “From riding around with me in a truck during all those growing-up years, he’s seen it all.”