BD+C: You’re a second-generation contractor, aren’t you?
Sundra L. Ryce: My dad is 66, and he’s owned W.C. Roberson Plumbing and Construction Corp. here in Buffalo for over 30 years. I started working for him as a teenager, learning basic business practices, especially about integrity. He taught me that if you say you’re going to do something, do it. He also had a very diverse company, and that has translated into our business. He’s my number one mentor.
BD+C: Right from the start, in 1996, you made a conscious decision to go into the commercial sector. Why?
SLR: I had a vision of growth, and I wanted to position the company to become a medium-size or larger firm. That’s the path we’ve taken. To date, our largest project, which is in excess of $16 million, is with the New York State Power Authority. So we are fulfilling our vision.
BD+C: How’s business?
SLR: We employ about 30 people, with revenues expected to exceed more than $25 million this year. About 10-15% of our work is CM, 20% is design-build, but our mainstay is general construction. We’ve been doing work for the Federal government for the last 12 years. We have worked with the Army Corps of Engineers, building their Military Entrance Processing Station at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, and, more recently, a renovation project for the Navy, in Erie, Pa. As far as design-build work goes, we see the Federal government moving more into that arena as well. They want you to bring the team to them and deliver the whole project—one-stop shopping.
BD+C: Your firm qualifies doubly as an MWBE, a business owned by a minority member or woman. Which is better for business, the M or the W?
SLR: The M helps me more, because in a lot of the projects, with the hiring goals that are set, there’s a greater capacity for minorities; for example, it may be 25% minority-owned, vs. 7% for woman-owned. Do I use it? Yes, especially for bidding on the larger projects. Fortunately, we have earned an excellent reputation for providing exceptional general construction services over the years. That is what we lead with when presenting ourselves, while highlighting that we are an MWBE after that.
BD+C: Your company is part of a consortium that’s doing $1 billion of work for the Buffalo Public Schools. What have you learned from that experience?
SLR: When you’re working with government entities, it’s really important to have a highly trained team with the skill sets to deal with the bureaucracy on all levels. Most agencies are meticulous about their paperwork, and that has been a stumbling block for many small or medium-size firms. At SLR Contracting, we quickly learned how to satisfy those requirements by providing all the appropriate documents necessary to complete those kinds of projects.
BD+C: During a recent radio interview you said you thought you were seeing light at the end of the economic tunnel. Enlighten us!
SLR: One of the things that has given us hope as a company is that in western New York, we are seeing projects come back to life. In Buffalo, the city is redeveloping the Erie Canal and the harbor, a $75 million project. And when you talk to the bankers, and looking at business trends, there is a small amount of growth. It’s a light, not a total recovery.
BD+C: You participated in a public forum in which you asked a question of President Obama. What did you ask him?
SLR: My question was about how to successfully run a small business. I specifically asked about the education programs offered to small business owners and how they should effectively negotiate contracts. I wanted to know what his administration is doing to implement new educational practices which support small business enterprises.
BD+C: And what did he say?
SLR: He answered for eight minutes. [Laughs.] He said they are looking at going into colleges and high schools to implement programs for entrepreneurial degrees, so that when people get to the point where they’re able to start a business, they have the tools.
BD+C: Are you feeling pressure from larger firms coming into your turf?
SLR: It’s kind of flipped around for us. Because of our growth, we’re moving into other markets, and it’s been a surprise to some businesses in those areas. For example, with the Erie Canal Harbor Development project, a larger firm [Hunt Construction] actually asked us to partner with them, and it’s been a great relationship for both of us.
BD+C: What’s your toughest challenge?
SLR: Balancing the opportunities that come to us. Once you get a name as a good contractor, you have to be really selective, to be fiscally responsible, to deliver those projects, get rave reviews and repeat customers. You’d love to take all the jobs, but you can’t. We want to grow smart instead of just growing fast.
Related Stories
| Aug 23, 2011
Acoustical design education model
Pass this exam and earn 1.0 AIA/CES Discovery learning units. You must go to www.BDCnetwork.com/EnhancedAcousticalDesign to take this exam.
| Aug 19, 2011
Thought Leader: Boyd R. Zoccola, chair and chief elected officer of BOMA International
Boyd R. Zoccola is Chair and Chief Elected Officer of BOMA International. A BOMA member since 1994, he has served on the Executive, Finance, Investment, and Medical/Healthcare Facilities Committees. An Indiana Real Estate Principal Broker and a board member of the Real Estate Round Table, he is Executive Vice President of Hokanson Companies, Inc., of Indianapolis, and has been involved in the development of $600 million worth of real estate. On a volunteer basis, Zoccola was president of Horizon House and a board member of Girls, Inc. He holds a BA in biology from Indiana University.
| Aug 19, 2011
How and why AEC professionals choose flooring systems
Design and construction professionals who completed our flooring survey had strong opinions about their preferred flooring type.
| Aug 19, 2011
Underfloor air distribution, how to get the details right
Our experts provide solid advice on the correct way to design and construct underfloor air distribution systems, to yield significant energy savings.
| Aug 19, 2011
Enhanced acoustical design
Ambient noise levels in some facility types are trending up and becoming a barrier to clear communication between building occupants.
| Jul 22, 2011
The Right Platform for IPD
Workstations for successful integrated project delivery, a white paper by Dell and BD+C.
| Jul 22, 2011
High-performance windows and doors
Learning objectives After reading this article, you should be able to: Understand issues of thermal performance and energy efficiency in relation to window and door systems; describe optimal detailing of the window-wall interface and how it contributes to building performance, sustainability, and occupant well-being; understand how durability contributes to sustainable windows/doors; and list sustainable O&M requirements for window and door systems.
| Jul 21, 2011
Falling Architecture Billings Index reflects decrease in design demands
This months Architecture Billings Index (ABI), provided by the American Institute of Architects, is almost a full point lower than last month’s reported score. June’s reading of 47.2 was short of the required 50 to achieve billings increases, making July’s reading of 46.3 an unwelcome sign of market tidings.