Quest Builders Group Finds the Sweet Spot as a Mid-Size General Contractor
Sometimes the middle is a great place to be; in fact, the principals of Quest Builders Group say being a mid-sized general contracting firm gives them the best of both worlds. Its principals are committed to offering the capabilities of a large general contracting firm, the personalized services of a boutique, and a youthful commitment to treating their clients like family.
“We see this business personally, rather than looking at a spreadsheet. We try to treat our clients like family,” Principal Eric Derector said. “It’s a personal philosophy we’re trying to embrace.”’
Derector and his fellow Principal Patrick Fitzpatrick both came from a large New York City-based global construction company, but wanted to bring a new sensibility to the industry, Derector explains.
“We were all entrepreneurial in spirit, and we had our own ideas about how to change and bring a refreshing edge to the business,” Derector said. “We saw a bit of a void in the market for firms of our size—there were companies that were too big for small jobs, and certain firms were too small for big jobs. We can fill that role.”
The firm, founded in 2001, then brought in Pat Clancy as a third partner. Together they divide responsibilities, with Fitzpatrick overseeing estimating and purchasing, Clancy maintaining operations, and Derector liaising between the two, with a focus on closeout and MEP support.
Today, Quest has 30 staff members in the office and 20 in the field. The firm is licensed in nine states, with several more pending. “As a mid-sized general contractor, we’re large enough to have corporate controls, policies, and procedures in place, but small enough that you’ll get a principal involved on all of our projects. We’re actively involved in all projects, from conception through completion,” Derector noted.
That combination allows them to serve a cross section of clients including major Fortune 500 companies, small tech, media, and advertising firms, hospitality, retail, and even a small amount of residential, with a sweet spot of projects between $500,000 and $5 million.
Its smaller size allows Quest greater flexibility and creativity in solving problems.
“What we learned from our time working for large companies is being brought to a smaller firm. The basics of a job are similar whether the general contractor is large or small,” Fitzpatrick said. “We excel because our fingers are constantly on the pulse of each job.”
Large corporations almost can’t stop from becoming institutionalized, the two say, to the point where their people and clients just become numbers.
“Everything can become like turning a battleship with multiple layers of bureaucracy needed to sign off on something as simple as getting a pencil,” Derector said. “We can see issues quickly, get everyone in a room together, and make decisions faster. We’re just a bit more nimble, akin to a special ops group rather than the infantry. That gives us an advantage.”
As a result, clients have become close personal friends. This is especially unusual for young men in an industry that has been dominated by a previous generation. “We really value the friendships that have evolved. It’s more than a business and a niche, it’s more of a personal philosophy here,” Derector said. “We’re going to have to deal with everyone for a really long time.”
“The relationships you take away are really important,” Fitzpatrick added. “We have a family at home and a family here at work.”
It can mean sacrificing some profit to keep a client happy, and holding strong relationships with their subcontractors. The company works with a wide variety of subs, both union and non-union, from sole proprietors to 200-person shops. All are extensively vetted, and Quest is careful to use the best sub for each aspect of a job, even if it requires bringing on an extra person. The goal is to set up each of their vendors for success, Fitzpatrick says.
“You’re only as good as your name,” Fitzpatrick said. “And we treat our subcontractors the same way we treat our clients. We know we’re only as good as our subs, just as our clients know their spaces are only as good as their contractors. We all have to work together.”
That philosophy applies to all of their projects around the country, with Quest using web-based software technology that can be accessed by smartphones, desktop computers, and tablets to give real-time data on each project. That data can range from on-site photos, to shop drawings to daily logs, and can be shared with everyone on each team, even as traveling supervisors visit each project. “It’s like we’re all working the job together,” Derector said.
Many of the projects around the country are from repeat clients, Fitzpatrick noted, and often have design teams in New York, also smoothing the process.
Safety is paramount, both note. The firm holds regular updates and meetings with its team, and is constantly reviewing new policies.
“We take it to the nth degree, because it’s a changing environment out there as to how projects are being built, even down to the types of ladders being used,” Fitzpatrick said. “You have to go with the flow of the business.”
What differentiates Quest is its level of service and openness with its clients, and commitment to its clients’ best interests. It’s not unusual for the company to offer free pre-construction overviews to save costs. For one project, which had been more than $2 million over budget, Quest came in and found 10 practical solutions that saved the client $1.6 million.
“[Fitzpatrick] is the best in the city at figuring out the conditions, the goal, and how to bridge the gap in between. It’s not just about saving money, it’s about achieving the client’s goal,” Derector said. “We’re good, honest, relationship-based people who enjoy working with good, honest, relationship-based clients. It’s a two-way street. And we believe there is a circle of good people who want to work with each other, work with good subs, and good contractors. It’s up to us to let these people know that there are good GCs and good subs who want to give them a really good job.”
Eric Derector and Patrick Fitzpatrick
Co-Founders, Quest Builders Group
242 West 30th Street, 5th Floor
New York, New York 10001
646-473-1980
ederector@qbginc.net
pfitzpatrick@qbginc.net
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