Then, we take the baton and walk through the next steps together. We take their pulse as time goes on – are we on the right track? – and make sure we’re satisfying their goals and objectives.
We don’t focus on market share for any products. We don’t really focus on any particular product at all. We’re just trying to stay customer-focused, and if we do that, the rest of it – the money, the margin, the accolades – hopefully comes naturally.
P&Q: How much of its projects does TCI handle in-house versus through partners?
Moylan: We don’t contract anything out. Everything is done in-house.
We do have a partner in Liberty Construction, a strategic alliance across the country. In addition to our normal design and build, it allows us to take on the installation, the concrete and the electrical, all the way through to the end performance of the system.
Customers don’t have to coordinate with multiple suppliers. They have one project manager. If they have a question on rebar in the concrete, it’s one person. An update on drawings? One person.
We’re trying to be the easiest company to do business with. There are a lot of companies I respect that are heavy-built and well-designed. Our focus is to continue with high quality but be the easiest company to work with. So when somebody calls, they know someone will pick up the phone.
P&Q: What are you seeing right now in terms of demand and market conditions?
Moylan: We know what we see based on the phone calls we take and the visits we’re making. The common thread is that folks are optimistic.
There’s obviously a lot going on globally that people don’t fully understand yet in terms of implications. But from a macro view, the IIJA is still there. Residential is still mediocre because of interest rates. We’re not seeing a lot of ‘booms’ there. Commercial seems at least moderate.
But when you get into industrial opportunities – data centers and things like that – it’s picking up in certain areas. We’re seeing real pockets of activity, and those producers are excited about doing strategic planning because they know what’s coming into their area.
P&Q: Beyond custom builds, what else is TCI focused on these days?
Moylan: We’re about relationships. We have the most excitement about projects where we can be a strategic partner to a producer – and not just a vendor.
When both sides see each other as partners, you end up rooting for each other and you get better results.
Producers are busier than ever. If we can step in and not just say, ‘we’ll do our scope and the rest is your problem,’ but instead understand their challenges and figure out how to best serve them, that’s where we want to be.
Our messaging is to continue to be – and get better at being – customer-focused. Because things tend to trickle down positively.
P&Q: Any final thoughts?
Moylan: We’re extremely optimistic right now. As much chaos as there is in the world, we’re optimistic in the American spirit and in the solutions our industry brings to the table.
Being part of a company that’s doing something unique and being focused on relationships is the most fun part of what we do. Our objective isn’t to hit a home run on any one project, but to do it well enough that we’re invited back for project No. 2 or 3. That’s the greatest compliment we can get – when a customer comes back.
We’re seeing a lot of returning customers, and we’re getting new faces because they’ve heard about those experiences. Good news travels. Bad news travels even faster. So we’re focused on serving people.
If you serve people, everything else follows.
Related: See what else you missed at ConExpo-Con/Agg
