DAYTON INNOVATION: HOW THIS LOCAL BUILDER SAVES CITIES, SCHOOLS MONEY
Business Name: Brentwood Builders Inc.
Location: 100 Parkview Lane in Cedarville
Owner’s name: Joe Harkleroad
Years in operation: Opened in 1979 (41 years)
Describe what your business does: Brentwood Builders is a full-service, design-build contractor offering remodeling, additions, and new construction services for commercial and residential customers.
What inspired you to start this business? Our designbuild and construction management philosophies are different from the standard “go out and bid work” process. With these approaches, we can go in and work with clients from the beginning, understand their needs, their schedules and their budgets. It gives everyone an opportunity to weigh-in, to consult and to create a relationship with the client. Our company goal is to delight the client with the construction process as well as the finished product.
How has your business embraced innovation? First, Brentwood has constructed pre-engineered metal buildings for years. But in 2016 we entered a relationship with Butler Manufacturing to become a supplier and erector of Butler steel buildings. We now design the buildings in house and buy them direct from the manufacturer.
Second, we have introduced and executed cooperative purchasing contracts to government agencies and K-12 schools, giving them the opportunity to buy commercial design-build services that satisfies the competitive bid process for them and streamlines the design-build process.
What’s your biggest challenge right now? Understanding and planning for the industry changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
What’s your biggest opportunity right now? To be Ohio’s leading expert for municipalities, K-12 and higher education, and nonprofits in utilizing cooperative purchasing to buy commercial design-build services. The cooperative purchasing solution satisfies the competitive bid process, saves them time and money, and streamlines the process by giving them a single source of contact from start to finish.
What do you want readers to know about your business today? Brentwood Builders has been in business since 1979 because God has wanted us to be in business. He has blessed us with a high-performance team that has a singular focus, to provide God-honoring design-build services by delighting the client with the construction process, as well as the finished product.