December 2000–The
Washington Construction News Special Feature Reprinted with permission from The Washington Construction News.
Teamwork
Takes Company to the Top W.E. Bowers Looks to New Technology for Clients and Service
By Rick Ostopowicz, Editor, Washington Construction News
Together everyone accomplishes more. Examine that sentence
for a moment. If you look close enough, you will notice the
first letters of each word spell t-e-a-m. And this acronym
explains the attitude of the management and staff of W.E.
Bowers, an established–yet growing–business providing
mechanical construction, plumbing and HVAC service to general
contractors, telecommunications and other high-tech companies,
property managers and government agencies throughout the Mid-Atlantic
region.
Teamwork has allowed W.E. Bowers to experience the growth
making it one of the major players in the industry. In the
16 years since its inception, W.E. Bowers has gone from a
home-based business to a multi-million dollar company breaking
new ground and making new strides in the construction, maintenance
and service fields.
"We're really a team here," said Wayne Bowers, president
and founder of the company. "Teamwork is what has caused the
growth we've had. And teamwork is why we're still growing."
The company has come a long way from its humble beginnings,
according to Bowers.The company was started in 1984, and was
operated from Bowers' garage with just one employee, "no budget
and a lot of hope," Bowers said. Slowly but surely, Bowers
began to bring people on who were knowledgeable, experienced
and established in the mechanical construction industry. It
was those original employees who helped shape and expand the
company to its current staff of 250 employees. Bowers began
his company working on small service and installation projects;
now the company provides construction and service for many
major corporations, including MCI WorldCom, America Online
and Cellular One.
W.E. Bowers is comprised of two major departments: Construction
and Service. And it is teamwork that has helped each department
become more successful. Under the guidance of Executive Vice
Presidents David O'Donnell (construction) and Kenneth Colburn
(service), the two divisions have worked both independently
and as a team to bring in new business while continuing to
satisfy the needs of existing clients. The service department
provides 24-hour emergency service for construction department
warranty calls, while the construction department will work
to replace chillers, boilers and cooling towers for the service
department in emergency situations. The company also provides
clients with plumbing and HVAC service contracts at the conclusion
of new construction and renovation projects.
"We strive to make sure we keep our customers," Bowers said.
"When we do a construction job, we want to make sure the client
looks to us for their service needs. And when our service
clients need construction work, we want them to look to us."
"The construction department is our best salesman for the
service department," said Colburn, who added that if the client
is satisfied with the quality of the construction work they
would be more likely to retain W.E. Bowers for their service
work.
"Our service department will always be there to assist the
construction department with technical issues and vice versa,"
added Bowers.
It is this type of team spirit that has allowed the company
to grow in such leaps and bounds through the years, becoming
one of the bigger mechanical contractors in the Washington
Metro area. In 1998, W.E. Bowers earned revenues of $32 million;
last year, the company was the fourth largest mechanical construction
company in the area with revenues of $43.6 million, and placed
224th out of 600 specialty contractors nationwide, according
to Engineering News-Record. And Bowers said they estimate
revenues of nearly $70 million this year.
Commitment to the customer is one reason W.E. Bowers has
become so successful. The company makes sure its employees
receive training to stay on top of the latest procedures and
practices. From the company trucks to the uniforms, W.E. Bowers
projects a most professional image to clients and competitors.
And customer satisfaction is the rule and not the exception
for Bowers and his staff. "We have never left a client with
any kind of problem," he said. "We make sure things are done
right, and strive for them to be done right from the very
beginning."
Bowers also credits the support he gets from outside sources
as another contributing factor to the company's success. "We
are fortunate to work with the area's finest general contractors,
engineers, architects and developers," he said. "They are
a big part of our team and a reason for our continued growth."
With the company's expansion have come innovation and the
desire to be ahead of the rest. W.E. Bowers is looking toward
high technology businesses for new customers and using advanced
technology to better serve its existing clients. "Washington
is becoming a hub for data and telecommunication centers,"
said Colburn. "My goal (for the service department) is to
be the best mechanical service contractor in the D.C. area
and be the one (technology) companies look to for service."
Colburn said the service department is currently utilizing
the Internet to provide service for W.E. Bowers' clients.
He feels the company is well ahead of the competition in the
use of new technologies.
The company is striving to provide a paperless operation
for its clients in the future. He said the various departments
of the company are currently using the latest computer software
in all operations.
Meanwhile, Bowers said the construction department would
also strive to grow and prosper by providing the type of service
clients look for. "Our goal is not only to bring the job in
on time and under budget, but to help form a long-term relationship
with the client that extends past the initial construction
phase," he said. In fact, the W.E. Bowers construction department
was recently awarded a Craftsmanship Award from the Washington
Building Congress for its work at the Freddie Mac main data
center.
Together everyone accomplishes more. When it comes to W.E.
Bowers, truer words were never spoken. From the clients to
subcontractors to office staff and executives, teamwork has
allowed W.E. Bowers to take its place among the top companies
in service and quality.
