Family Album

Building Better Communities
By: Mike Bolen

Those of you who have been around McCarthy for many years, and maybe have more than a few family moves under your belt, may be a bit surprised to learn that perhaps the most important strategy for the company's future revolves around the notion of McCarthy as a true “Community Based Builder.”

It's certainly not a new idea, but i t has become increasingly more important as the company has expanded around the country and the cultures of our new offices have matured. McCarthy's modern history actually began as a local St. Louis family-owned contractor who was (and is) closely connected to, and deeply involved in all aspects of the community. It's all about long-term employees at every level, who all have solid ties to St. Louis area businesses, schools, churches, charities, the arts, local government. In short, we've been great neighbors for many generations.

That was the company's culture when Mike McCarthy tossed us on that fast moving train called National Healthcare Construction Management (McBro), and McCarthy quickly transitioned into a “National Builder.” Over time the company developed a much sought after expertise, and we would go just about anywhere to deliver it to our customers.

During the 70's and 80's McCarthy worked in 38 states and 5 foreign countries, usually going into a strange town or city to do the big hospital job that the local contractors weren't specialists at. Our project management teams would go somewhere for two years, do a job, pack up their families and move hundreds or thousands of miles to a new job, and do it all again. The home office staff in St. Louis spent countless hours racking up frequent flier miles in support of the existing jobs and finding new ones. In fact, at one time Roger Burnet was TWA's all-time leading mile flier. All necessary, but very tough work.

Looking back on all that, I believe that one of the real keys to the company's success in those wild years was that McCarthy always approached our “National” work with a focus on the value of our family culture, trying to act like good neighbors — wherever we happened to be. One of the great hidden benefits of working in all those far flung places was that McCarthy's people had a chance to see and live in some wonderful parts of the country and the company got a unique opportunity to evaluate many new locations as possible future permanent offices to support our long-term growth strategy.

Over a more than 20 year period the strategy worked and, one market at a time, McCarthy became an established “Local Builder” in some of the most vibrant growth areas in the country: St. Louis, Phoenix, Orange County, Sacramento, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas, Dallas, and Houston. Our key people have systematically become long-term fixtures in these communities. McCarthy's mix of work and expertise has broadened to more closely match the programs of our local competition in these areas — PLUS McCarthy can routinely handle the big jobs when they come along. What follows is the power of the strategy.

The local hospital no longer needs to bring in the “Pro from Dover” to do the “Big Job” — McCarthy is already there, remodeling the emergency room. And by the way, our Project Manager pitches batting practice at night for the local little league team. McCarthy is also building the new office building and garage for the first baseman's dad, and remodeling the laboratory where the catcher's mom is a research scientist. And the builder on that new elementary school where the team will play next year? You guessed it, McCarthy.

Powerful stuff, but there's more. Our emergency remodel Project Manager's husband coaches the little league team (by the way, the team is named the McDudes, after it's sponsor), and our Project Superintendent's wife runs the Ladies Auxiliary at the hospital, and our Division President chairs the fundraising committee for the local children's home (Dudehouse). Get the picture?

Not only is this business model an unbeatable strategy to win new work — it's the right thing to do. It gives our people a shot at a full rich life that is more than just work. It also helps make McCarthy a responsible corporate citizen — truly a Community Based Builder, building better communities.

So, what are you doing to pull your weight in your community? The company is behind you, go find something worthwhile that you can get excited about and, like they say on T.V., JUST DO IT! You will certainly be the better for it, so will McCarthy, and so will your community. Everybody wins.