Opening Doors of Opportunity
Bay Area renovation and rehab company, G.A. Higgins, Inc.
For Greg and Elaine Higgins, their construction company, G.A. Higgins, Inc., is more than a quality service provider for commercial and residential customers; it’s a platform to create opportunities for themselves and those who work with them.
Their quest began more than 30 years ago, and like most success stories, required its champions to overcome some significant personal and professional hurdles. From domestic abuse to an economic collapse, they’ve certainly triumphed.
G.A. Higgins started out providing janitorial services in 1985. Today, it is a full-service renovation and rehabilitation company that through its affiliated subsidiaries now provides custom furniture and general repair, maintenance, painting and tenant improvements to customers throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.
More importantly to Greg and Elaine, they’ve delivered on their mission to build a professional “family” where everyone has an opportunity for success.
Like Minds Meet
The inspiration for G.A. Higgins emerged in the late 1970s. While attending California State University, East Bay studying business, Greg cleaned offices at night and painted houses in the summer to pay for his education. An entrepreneurial class sparked his interest in owning his own business. After graduation he worked in banking and solar sales—a career choice that didn’t hold his interest. Instead, he opted to establish his own janitorial business, which he called Maxim Services. Then, he bought a large direct mail company.
Soon after, he hired Elaine, now his wife, to help support both the direct mail and janitorial services. With her help, Maxim Services grew exponentially. By 1995, the company was responsible for cleaning over one million square feet of property per night and had a growing client base.
Coincidentally, existing janitorial clients began to ask Greg if he had a recommendation for a tenant improvements and painting contractor. Recognizing a potential opportunity, Greg set out to learn the skills necessary to perform these tasks and meet the needs of his customers.
In 2002, they incorporated G.A. Higgins Construction and continued to grow the business … until the recession hit.
Licensed to Compete
In 2008, the residential market dropped off a cliff and the couple wondered how they could continue to stay in business. The answer came from a familiar source—a repeat customer.
One of their former residential clients had started working in the Apartment Renovation Division of Equity Residential, a U.S.-based apartment acquisition, development and management company. Greg recalls, “That client remembered the quality of our work on previous projects and thought we could help support some upcoming commercial projects. He suggested we bid on one upcoming project.”
“This company is more than our livelihood; it’s our family. And it’s our goal to give every member of our family an opportunity to succeed.” Greg Higgins, Founder & Owner, G.A. Higgins, Inc.
The job was given to another company that had submitted a lower bid. “However, when that contractor couldn’t fulfill the contract, our former client called us to finish the job,” says Greg. That was the beginning of one of our first long-standing relationships within the apartment renovation business.”
G.A. Higgins has continued working with Equity Residential, and has added several other property management firms to its portfolio,
including Essex Property Trust,
Carmel Partners, Sequoia Equities, Shea Properties and JCM Partners.
The People Priority
While Greg and Elaine take pride in all of the work they’ve completed over the last nine years, they are quick to point to those projects that highlight the unique skill sets of their longtime employees.
Elaine explains, “One of our favorite projects was at the Rincon Towers renovation in San Francisco. It was at this site that Mike, our Project Manager, really shined. He built a great relationship with the project manager/superintendent, was quick to resolve issues as they arose, and got the job done on time.”
Similarly, Mike’s cousin had an idea to expand company services to include custom renovations and remodels. Today, Alex manages all of G.A. Higgins Construction’s one-of-a-kind projects, which range from gym remodels to outdoor venues. Like many other G.A. Higgins employees, both Alex and Mike have been with the company for over 10 years.
Greg talks warmly about his relationship with these cousins, adding, “Alex, Mike and I worked our first renovation project together in 2006. At the time, they were painters. They’ve since learned to perform all aspects of a renovation, building leadership skills along the way. Since our first project together all those years ago, they have served as foremen, project managers and estimators. Their desire to learn new skills, and improve on existing talents, makes them invaluable to our company; but more importantly, they’ve become an integral part of our ever-growing family.”
Cabinets and Connections
While working on both apartments and hotel renovations in the early 2000s, Greg and Elaine noted that their clients struggled to get quality cabinets and furniture delivered undamaged and in a timely manner.
Once again looking to their many industry connections, they talked with one of their regular interior design subcontractors, Dylan Pei of American H&Y Trading Co., who recommended a reliable custom cabinet building manufacturer in China. They took his advice and worked out a business deal with the manufacturer. In 2010, the company won its first bid to furnish a Renaissance Hotel in the Bay Area using Dylan’s custom designs and his connection to the manufacturer.
By 2014, the couple’s business was doing so well that they formed California Classic Cabinets, doing business as G.A. Higgins.
Through California Classic Cabinets, Greg contracts with large apartment clients to provide cabinets to custom specifications. The build-to-fit cabinets are shipped to the job site for assembly and installation or to the G.A. Higgins warehouse.
Once again, the new service opened the door for another longtime employee, Ryan Linkey, to find a specialized career niche that he loves. Ryan is the company’s full-time Outreach Specialist, sourcing cabinets to owners, developers and architects.
Elaine says, “He’s our relationship guy. His job is to find the right people and projects, develop competitive bids and win projects. He then coordinates with Dylan and our logistics consultant to facilitate the order from the manufacturer.”
Over 100 people are employed between the three companies under the G.A. Higgins, Inc. umbrella—Maxim Services, G.A. Higgins Construction and California Classic Cabinets. Greg says, “We look for employees who are family-oriented, hardworking and compassionate. In turn, we strive to develop a family-oriented corporate culture that emphasizes a balance between work and life.”
The company even sponsors a shuttle van to take employees to the far reaches of the San Francisco Bay Area and back every day, relieving the stress of driving in heavy traffic. To maintain a balanced work-life environment, the company has Ping-Pong and foosball tables in the main office to generate some healthy competition between work teams and create a fun work atmosphere. The business also hosts summer barbecues and holiday parties.
Elaine says, “Our motto is to work hard and play hard.”
Giving Back
Greg and Elaine’s philanthropic and volunteer work is near and dear to their hearts. Both are survivors of domestic abuse from previous relationships, so they focus on helping others who have gone through similar challenges feel safe and build new lives.
In particular, they’ve been involved with STAND! For Families Free of Violence, an organization that for more than a decade has provided prevention, intervention and treatment programs for victims of domestic violence and child abuse.
Elaine says, “Our work at STAND! is important to our community and we are proud to do whatever we can in the way of furniture and household item donations, or repairs and renovations of shelters so that women and children have a safe place to recover.”
Greg, Elaine and their employees are also involved with the Housing Industry Foundation and with the local Salvation Army to house and help the homeless. Additionally, they sponsor local Little League teams and National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues in their neighborhoods.
Greg concludes, “This company is more than our livelihood; it’s our family. And it’s our goal to give every member of our family an opportunity to succeed.”