Greater Reading Chamber Commerce Quarterly Summer 2017 - 12

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Has your company
seen more activity
in commercial,
residential, or
infrastructure
regionally? And
what are some of the
supply trends you're
seeing in Berks
and regionally?

Nick Stolzfus, President -
DESCCO Design & Construction, Inc.

Donald Moll,
President - B&G Glass

We are seeing most of the activity in our company revolving
around our commercial division. We are also seeing a trend
in pump station replacement and renovation which would
be the infrastructure sector. Residential construction and
renovation has significantly declined. Since we are not a
supplier, we can't speak specifically to the supply trends.

B&G Glass has experienced a 30% increase in
commercial demand - both renovation to existing
buildings and new commercial buildings. Also, a similar
30% increase in custom residential demand - primarily
custom frameless shower glass and fitness areas in homes.

Has there been a
resurgence in the
homebuilding/
renovation market
recently?

We are not seeing an increase in the homebuilding/renovation market from our vantage point. In fact, we have
seen that market significantly decline in the Berks County
area. At DESSCO, we do not do a lot of residential work,
and when we do, it is custom design-build homes.

B&G Glass has experienced strong growth in the
renovation market - it's clear that homeowners are
deciding to stay in their homes and update/renovate them.

Has skilled labor
shortage affected
your company's
success and/or
growth in Berks?
If so, what are
you doing to
address this?

Yes, we have seen a significant decrease in the skilled labor
force. It is very difficult to hire new, experienced employees
currently. Our company is very busy with work and in
need of more crew members, but it has been difficult to
find people who have the right skills and experience to
fill the open the positions. We are currently working on
radio ads, billboard campaigns, and attending job fairs
in an effort to fill some of the labor vacancies we are
experiencing currently.

Skilled labor is a challenge and has always been a
challenge. At B&G Glass, we work hard to maintain
superior 401(k), health insurance and benefits. Quality
staff is essential to B&G Glass, and we proud of the
many long-term, quality staff members that are part of
our team. We are convinced that they are essential to
our continued growth!

Have you embraced
new procedures
or made any local
partnerships to
maintain a high level
of sustainability/
waste reduction?

DESCCO collaborates with our vendors and customers
through relationship building. Our company's number
one source of leads is through referrals, and in order to
get referrals we work very hard to nurture the relationships we have and build new ones. We take care of our
customers, making sure the job is done right and to their
expectations. That keeps them coming back every time
they have a project to be done. We also have built strong
partnerships with other companies so that when new
jobs come up, we can refer each other if there is a good
fit. Partnerships and relationship building is an integral
part of the sustainability of our company.

Waste reduction and sustainable materials are a
priority. B&G Glass' new policies include the three R's
- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. The most effective way to
reduce waste is to not create it in the first place. As a
result, reduction and reuse are the most effective ways
you can save natural resources, protect the environment
and save money. B&G Glass recycles cut off aluminum
and plastics when possible - keeping the material out of
the landfills. Total is over 10 tons per year. Maintaining
an efficient and well maintained fleet of vehicles has
been a priority as it improves gas mileage and reduces
maintenance costs - a win/win.

Have you had
much success with
collaborative project
delivery methods/
integrated project
delivery in this
market as a supplier?

We are a general contractor and as such, we collaborate on
every job with both subcontractors and suppliers to get
materials and equipment delivered to a job site in a timely
and coordinated manner. We cannot speak specifically to
the methods mentioned above, as we are not a supplier.

B&G Glass works with our vendors to reduce the
number of deliveries to our location, reducing costs
and use of fuel. Quality and continued emphasis on
superior quality results in more satisfied customers,
reduced total time at each project, and less fuel expense
- another win/win.

12 COMMERCE QUARTERLY SUMMER 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Greater Reading Chamber Commerce Quarterly Summer 2017