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Newsletter News More news coming soon! Article in Construction Today - "Willing to go the Extra Mile" Don Burden & Associates says it grows cautiously and fosters a family atmosphere with employees. This approach has served it well for more than 30 years. By Joanna Miller Dallas commercial mechanical contractor Don Burden & Associates completes a range of projects and that flexibility has kept the company going for more than 30 years, says President Butch Burden. His father, Don Burden, founded the company in 1975 after working for another major mechanical contractor in the Dallas area. The comany concentrates on the Dallas metro area, traveling occasionally around the state as the market dictates. "We're probably one of the leaders in our market," Burden says. "We're not as big as some of the other guys in town, but we do a pretty good volume, and we're considered one of the major mechanical in town." Remaining on good terms with owners and general contractors is key, he notes. "We have a good relationship with all the engineers in town," Burden says. "I think we try to go the extra mile to make sure the owner is happy and satisfied at the end of a job so they would like to have us on teh next project." Don Burden & Associates recently completed the Frisco Medical Center in Frisco, Texas. The $8 million, 60,000 square foot project expands a hospital the company worked on in 2001. "We do a lot of large projects, but not all of them are that big," he says. "They usually range between $1 million and $10 million. "We follow what the market's doing," he adds. "In the late '90s, we were doing mostly office buildings and then some churches beginning in 2001. Lately, we've been doing a lot of healthcare. We don't specialize in any one industry because the market can change." Unique Project The company is working on 2000 McKinney Avenue, a 20-story office building project in downtown Dallas for Lincoln Properties. Burden's $5.5 million portion will be completed in September 2009. "This project is unique because we were able to negotiate it," Burden says. "Lincoln is a repeat client for us and we are very pleased to have been chosen to do their new headquarters building. They brought us in early, through the design phase of the project. It's an exciting project for us." Work on Park Lane Block C is also underway. "It's a massive development in Dallas," he says. "We've secured two of the three contracts that have been let; we're doing Parklane Block C and Block DF. It's a $5 million project combined that will be complete in late 2008." Family Culture Don Burden & Associates has a staff of 125 people whom the company thinks of as family, Burden notes. "We want people to like working here." he says. "We try to make it personal. We have an open-door policy, and the employees can come in and talk to management at any time." The company has grown by 10 percent every year for the past three years. "Three or four years ago, when the economy went down and volume went down, we took the opportunity to restructure by aligning people in new positions and increasing their job tasks," Burden says. "We don't want to grow really fast; we want to keep our company kind of small," he continues. "We don't want to be the biggest in town, but we try to grow with inflation." As the company continues its measured growth, finding qualified employees is the biggest challenge. "Manpower is probably the biggest issue we have these days; just trying to find qualified, skilled labor," Burden explains. "We do a lot of in-hour training to convert some unskilled labor to skilled." Don Burden & Associates also participates in programs through the Construction Education Foundation, a joint project from the Associated General Contractors (AGC) and Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). The company is a member of ABC, AGC, American Subcontractors Association, and American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Great Nucleus "We've got a great nucleus of people here, and we're excited about the future with the people we have in place and the management we have," Burden says. "As with any business, where we go from here depends on the people you surround yourself with. We consider our people a family; we all work together to make the wheel go 'round. We put a lot of faith in these guys; there is a lot of mutual respect and commitment. "The company, as with so many organizations, is only as good as the people you surround yourself with, and I am very proud of what we have accomplished," he continues. Burden says the values his father established remain part of the company culture today. "The company my dad developed is well-respected in the industry, and I hope to carry on the values that he set before us," Burden emphasizes. "If it wasn't for him, none of us would be here. He's still CEO of the company but he's not involved on a day-to-day basis. He's here if we need him. Don Burden & Associates, Inc. 10947 Alder Circle Dallas, Texas 75238 214-343-4093 214-341-8284 (fax) |