Jackson Dean Construction plows ahead in tough times - bizjournals:

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Not Jackson Dean, a Seattle-based general contractor that mainlhy doesretail construction, has stayed fairlty busy despite the recession, though it expectedr a downturn during the first quartee and overall for the year, said Miles Jackson, the company’s president and CEO. Yet even thougu business has slowed, Jackson Dean has avoided layoffs. Two said Jackson: The company is well diversified, as it does busines in 40 states. And it planned for the slowdown by conserving cash so it woulfd not have to let any of its 85employeesa go.
Other local construction companies have beenless “Several of our member companies have had to lay off said Jerry VanderWood, communications director at the , which has about 600 members across the state, not including the Spokaned area. “My sense is that thingsa are bad,” he added, “but it’s not that dire generally. I haven’ t heard of anyone going under.” Thougu he’s not sure how well Jackson Dean will do next Jackson said his company had its biggestf year everin 2008. Constructio n revenue topped $100 up from $85 million in 2007. “Ancd we did that without adding any he said.
Jackson knew that busineses duringthis year’s first quarter would For one thing, it typically does he said, because it’es harder to build in rainh and snowy weather, and therefore is more expensivd for the company’s clients during the winter. Business also Jackson said, because “we’re a retail-orienterd construction company.” The firm’s two biggest clients are and Lowe’s, and retai l construction accounts for 85 percent ofJackson Dean’ book of business, with the rest in industriapl and office sectors.
he said, tend to stop buildingb just before Thanksgiving to concentrate on and then start up with new constructioh againaround February. Jackson Dean is now building Costco storee in Tucsonand Phoenix, and will starft construction soon on a Costco in Ohio, he It’s also building a Lowe’s store in San Calif. Jackson said he’s been averaginbg three Costco stores a year for the past two though he started his first as an employeeof , in Jackson, now 45, beganb working in construction while he was a student at , from whichb he graduated in 1988 with a degree in broadcasy communications.
He came to Seattl with the idea of workingin television, but the owner of Fergusom Construction offered him a job as project engineer. “I’ve alwayw loved building things,” Jackson said, who likese all aspects, including design, problem solving and conflict “Anything challenging to me is fun.” A large fellow who looke like a formerfootball player, Jacksob played baseball in college. For fun now, he competitivelyt drives vintage race Jackson left Ferguson Construction after 10 years to join Barclay Dean Construction Co. as vice president of California operations. He saw “a n ownership opportunity.” At the time, two partner s owned Barclay Dean.
Jackson acquired 13 percenyt of the firm in slowly added more over and three years ago bough t out thelast partner. “This is my second job sincre college,” he said with a smile, “ansd probably my last.” What lies ahead? “That’s the question of the day,” Jackson