Mark Shovelin, left, and Michael
Wintle look at some plans.
Company: Pascack Builders Inc.
Owner: Mark Shovlin
Founded: 1987
Location: Scrabbletown Road, North Kingstown
Type of business: Commercial Builder
Employees: 25
Annual revenues: $20 million
For 12 years Mark Shovlin, owner of Pascack Builders in North Kingstown has literally been building his dream.
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Soon after starting his commercial building company in 1987, an economic recession forced him to put most of efforts into residential building. But over the last five years, riding an economic wave of success, Shovlin has been able to return to his commercial roots and grow his company from between $6 million and $7 million in annual sales to $20 million.
Shovlin attributes much of his company’s success to diversification and good timing.
Five years ago, when an economic boom appeared to be on the horizon, Shovlin put a new business plan into action — a plan that called for more commercial and less residential building and included larger, repeat-business clients.
“We always had two divisions,” he said. “But over the last few years commercial has really come out and we don’t do any residential anymore. Commercial is my background and that’s always where I wanted to focus.”
But Shovlin isn’t necessarily looking for individual projects. Instead, what he would like is to “develop relationships with quality clients,” so the company can enjoy repeat business. An example, Shovlin said, is Borders Books & Music. Already Pascack has built two stores for the nationwide chain in Rhode Island and plans are in the works for the company to work on two additional stores in Massachusetts.
“When you work on projects like these, you learn what they need and what they want,” he said. “You get to know their program better than they do which makes you almost as good if not better than one of their own employees because you know everything.”
Working in surrounding states is something Shovlin is familiar with. From the first day of the company’s operation, he realized that Rhode Island alone would not be large enough to support his dream.
“Rhode Island has limitations,” he said. “And this is a cyclical business. If we don’t diversify with the type of work we do and the geography in which we do it, we couldn’t be as successful as we are.”
For example, Shovlin said, when the Rhode Island market is experiencing a “down,” or a slow building period, often time Massachusetts is on an “up,” or a busy building period.
What makes so easy for Pascack to do business in other states, Shovlin said, is its North Kingstown location. Though he initially opened the business in North Kingstown because he was living there, Shovlin said it has never really crossed his mind to leave.
“We are right on the highway,” he said. “This is a great spot because we are 45 minutes away from Connecticut and a little over an hour from Boston.”
Shovlin said though he tries to keep most of the company’s work within an hour and a half of North Kingstown, advances in technology have made it easier to go farther.
“With cell phones and the ability to bring lap top computers to a job site, it has gotten easier to go farther,” he said. “What makes it difficult is that as we go farther, the economics change. We are often dealing with people that we don’t know well and that can be a challenge.”
And when deadlines loom almost every day, Shovlin said finding the right people to get the job done is very important.
“Deadlines are one of the most critical elements of this job,” he said. “Not only are there financial penalties for not meeting deadlines, but you run the risk of hurting your relationship with clients. In this business word of mouth is very important.”
To make his company more attractive to clients, Shovlin also offers the service of “project management” to his clients.
“This kind of program allows us to grow as a couple,” he said. “Instead of the client having to deal with every aspect of a project, we do it for them, and keep them informed.”
It’s a service Shovlin said more clients, both large and small, are looking for.
And though the company’s largest client is a retail chain, Shovlin is reluctant to put all of his efforts in one area.
“We have to diversify to maintain the level that we are now,” he said. “We do retail, industrial, office, and urban renovations. We are definitely not just one thing.”
As the company has grown in revenue, so too has it grown in staff. Shovlin said one of the first people he hired was a chief estimator.
“We probably estimate five times as many projects as we do,” he said. “And having someone who does just that has been really good for the company.”
In addition, Shovlin said he hired a part-time marketing specialist who knew the construction business.
“Before I was doing all the marketing,” he said. “And I would go out and get a few projects, work on those and lose track of marketing. There was no continuity, so we made the decision that we needed someone to help.”
Letting go of responsibilities that he solely controlled has been quite an adjustment for Shovlin. And trading in his work boots for a tie and seat behind his wooden desk has been an even greater adjustment.
“The more we grow, the less I am out in the field,” he said. “It has been very difficult letting people take over. But I have put in place stringent policies and procedures that the staff and I created. Everybody knows that they have to work within these guidelines and as I have become more comfortable that people understand these procedures I find I can keep in touch without spending too much time in one place.”
For Shovlin the job remains his passion, and watching a project from start finish still gives him the same sense of accomplishment.
“I think that’s why people are in the business,” he said. “I love it.”
