President
Thayer Design Build
Corvallis, Ore.
Projected 2023 Revenue: $2 million
Moving to design build: Our best business innovation has been our design and planning process. We’ve taken the time to iterate and refine our approach, and it’s paying off. When I first started this company, originally we were doing handyman work. There’s very little planning that’s necessary for that. And then we started taking on larger projects, like remodels. I hadn’t worked with a designer before. But I recognized I needed to be able to specify what we’re doing in a really clear way, so that there’s not misunderstandings with the clients. I need to have good designs so that I can build this well.
Technology: Being younger, it’s more natural for us to embody [technology]. It can be a differentiator in some ways, but ultimately, everything still has to be done by people. If we don’t have the people, then nobody’s going to be able to utilize the technology. Slack is amazing for team communication. It replaced email for everything internal and that’s been a game changer. Trainual came about when we had unexpected staffing turnover. It became really apparent we need to document processes so whoever comes next can pick it up and run with it. They have an online platform to upload the processes to have someone get trained.
Community: Another proud moment was during 2022 when we donated $16,000 to the community. We believe in giving back to our community, and we’re passionate about supporting local organizations and causes that make a difference in people’s lives.
