“This company is less than 10 years old, so it’s kind of the perfect storm with the company growing and PlanHub coming around to help increase our coverage.”  TJ Andrade, Bid Coordinator, Madewell Construction

Summary

Challenges

• Expand network and bid coverage
• Break through the local market and increase volume of out-of-state projects

Solution

• PlanHub Premier’s expanded suite of tools including Smart Coverage, offers the ability to review bid status, search for subs in or out-of-network, and easily invite subs to bid on your project.
• Out-of-Network Directory tool allows access to a network of over 350,000 subcontractors in 397 key trades. Connect with subcontractors and build a rolodex of dependable subcontractors and new relationships.

Results

• Madewell Construction completed over 20 commercial projects in 2022 and has built strong relationships with subcontractors jumping at the opportunity to join their projects.
• No longer stuck with just Texas-based projects, Madewell Construction have made plans to build and have completed projects in ten states.

Challenges

Lubbock, Texas-based general contractor company, Madewell Construction, focuses on both commercial and residential projects across ten states including, New York, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Wyoming. Since their inception just under 6 years ago, they have built an impressive portfolio of projects with clients including Chick-fil-A, Dollar General, Mavis Tires & Brakes and more.

Before joining PlanHub, Madewell Construction was trying to break through the local market and expand their reach out-of-state, according to TJ Andrade, Bid Coordinator at Madewell Construction.

“Before I started at the company, I noticed the majority of Madewell’s projects were Texas-based. They were very familiar and used to the market and subcontractor pricing in Texas.”

With ambitions to grow out of the familiar, Madewell Construction was seeking stronger bid coverage and to expand the radius of their service area.

TJ joined the team in September 2020, and since then has seen the effects of the pandemic on the market, even now, almost two and a half years later. Most notably, there has been a stark effect on bid coverage:

“Coverage has been tough between the pandemic and then supply issues. For example, plumbers in Florida are just doing service calls, not jumping on new construction projects.”

Luckily, PlanHub had just the right tools to solve Madewell’s pain points.

Solution

Low coverage is a thing of the past for the Madewell team as they consistently post projects and see optimal results when it comes to bid coverage. Even in a pinch, TJ is able to utilize the Smart Coverage tool to get a lay of the land when it comes to getting bids on short notice.

“I’m a heavy-user of the Smart Coverage tool to track bid status and activity. Trying to get coverage at the last minute, let’s say a week in advance, the tool allows me to get a headcount of who’s interested in the bid, who’s out, or where I might be short on bids.”

Smart Coverage allows users like TJ to access bid status, showing you which projects of yours have no bids, 1-2 bids, or 3+ bids. Conveniently, you can send one-click reminders and invitations to make sure your project gets the visibility needed to maximize coverage. It’s a quick and easy alternative to manual outreach and securing bids.

“Depending on the location/market, we can usually expect 10-15 bids per project in a large market and 5-10 bids per project in a smaller market.”

With the pedal slowly coming off of the gas within the construction industry, project pipelines are returning to a normal pace. In such a case, TJ’s consistent use of the Out-of-Network Directory has allowed him to make the connections needed to thrive as the market’s speed declines.

“While building is still going on at a high rate, things are starting to slow down in some areas. As they do wind down, I’m starting to get more and more phone calls with subcontractors interested in getting on our bid lists.”

Results

Bid coverage is no longer a major concern for Madewell Construction since joining PlanHub. With the use of Premier’s tool box, the team can now access not just more bids, but more of the right bids, relevant to their project. TJ explains:

“The use of PlanHub supports our bid coverage as we grow and has been indispensable. Being able to bid more projects on the platform means that in return, we are able to do more projects. They go hand-in-hand and make for increased productivity.”

PlanHub Premier’s suite of tools not only support the growth, coverage, and quality of bids that Madewell receives, but is simple to use and efficient for professionals at any point in their career within the industry.

“PlanHub is easy to use. Being so new to the industry I had to learn a lot of things, but as soon as I was able to talk with Nikki Verdier (PlanHub Rep) I started to pick up the program pretty quickly.”

In addition, TJ has now built a strong rolodex of subcontractors within his network that he can confidently rely on to bid or have interest in the projects that Madewell Construction has in the pipeline. With the Directory tool, it’s organic and easy to share your project with new prospects and find subs in over 397 key trades. This has been a key component for TJ and his team as they seek out new subcontractors in PlanHub.

“The ability to have access to the entire directory instead of just the regional coverage has been one of the most appealing features of PlanHub. I’m detail-oriented and organized, so I love that the Directory offers specific trade filters to find exactly who can do the job.”

With the new year in full swing, TJ along with his team have their focus on expansion, looking to add more commercial projects to the 28 already completed in 2022. With the continued use of PlanHub and the Premier tools available to the Madewell team, they are certainly on a trajectory for success.

“We did about 28 commercial projects last year and we’re looking to add to that number this year in order to increase productivity. That all starts with jobs to bid, bid coverage, and putting a quality proposal together. All of this is possible with the help of PlanHub.”

“If you’re not wanting to grow, then you’re not going to get any better. You’re going to stay the same, and the longer you stay the same, you’re going to regress, not progress.”

Follow Madewell Construction on Linkedin and visit their website for more information.