In the world of commercial construction, too often populated by artificial smiles, Bud Bailey Construction Inc. stands out like a Ferrari at a soapbox derby.
Minutes after entering the main offices at 2330 West California Ave. in Salt Lake City, UT, newcomers to Bud Bailey Construction sense that this company is something special. Everyone, from the president to the receptionist, exudes casual professionalism mixed with candid enthusiasm. Add integrity and dedication to quality to the mix, and the secret of Bud Bailey Construction’s unstoppable surge to the top ranks of the commercial construction world becomes obvious.
In 1960, founder Bud Bailey decided to start his own construction company in Utah with one piece of equipment — a beat-up 1956 pickup truck. “We often end up doing something we know,” said Bailey, “and I knew and liked construction.”
Bailey’s “fair dealing” management practices led his fledgling company from local jobs worth thousands of dollars to national jobs worth tens of millions. “[Our] repeat customers needed the service of a contractor that they knew and could trust … we gave them consistent service and quality construction that they could depend on,” Bailey said.
Bud Bailey Construction’s commitment to the customer doesn’t vanish once the job is done. “We’ve spent our own money trying to make customers happy, even when we’ve felt in the right … clients remember how you handle them; sometimes they don’t even remember the problem, they just remember you handled it,” said Mike Evans, director of business development.
Maintaining customer relationships is a priority for Bud Bailey Construction, and communication is vital. Clients receive daily progress reports, weekly updates, and have continuous contact with the project manager.
When the project is complete, a team of customer service representatives visits the client and asks if anything remains to be done. If the client wants changes or finds a mistake, Bud Bailey Construction takes care of the problem. “The older I get,” said Bailey, “the more I find that these clients and the buildings I’ve built for them never go away … a problem may come up in later years, and … if it’s something we feel responsible for, we fix it.”
This company-wide “Golden Rule” policy attracts loyal employees as well as loyal customers. Many of Bud Bailey Construction’s employees have been around for more than 15 years, and several can boast of over 20 years of dedicated service.
Shawna Lee Roper, an employee of Bud Bailey Construction for over 22 years, is a perfect example. “Bud Bailey Construction Company is a very professional company, they have wonderful training programs and care about employee concerns,” said Roper. “It’s such a positive place to work.”
The steadfast loyalty of long-term employees was rewarded in 1997, when the corporation became part of Swinerton Inc. Swinerton adopted a sensible if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it attitude and made only one change. Swinerton assigned David Grubb Jr., to Bud Bailey Construction as senior vice president; Grubb proved a quick study, and now serves as president.
Equipment Shop Manager Brandon Marrott handles the equipment distribution at Bud Bailey Construction. Each project manager receives a standard tool kit, which contains basic drills and small hand tools, according to Marrott. Other equipment kept on-site includes generators, sump pumps for foundation work, and waste management trash bins. Additional equipment, including skid loaders, backhoes, forklifts, concrete saws, and Bobcats, is often rented from and delivered to the job site by ICM Equipment Company.
Bud Bailey Construction’s current projects include elementary schools, assisted-living facilities, grocery stores, and a $53-million housing project for the University of Utah. Finished projects include the Silver King hotel in Park City, more than 80 7-11 stores, and more than 300 church buildings for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Contracting more than $100 million in new work each year keeps Bud Bailey Construction operating solidly in the black, and the company enjoys an unlimited bonding capacity.
Certain projects Bud Bailey Construction worked on — especially renovations and restorations — required specialty materials not available commercially. The need for these custom-made materials, like quarter-sawn panels and transom doors, led to the creation in 1978 of BDL Mill, a sister corporation of Bud Bailey Construction.
In January of 1999, BDL Mill moved into new quarters adjoining Bud Bailey Construction’s offices on California Avenue. The new mill and manufacturing area boasts a spray booth for product pre-finishing and a woodworking shop with the latest computer-controlled equipment. Skilled craftspeople create needed materials by hand, and installers travel to sites all over the country to set the completed work in place.
Bud Bailey Construction has branch offices in Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Texas.
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