Jackson Dean Construction plows ahead in tough times - bizjournals:

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Not Jackson Dean, a Seattle-basedx general contractor that mainly does retail has stayed fairly busy despitethe recession, though it expected a downturn during the firstt quarter and overall for the year, said Miles Jackson, the company’s president and CEO. Yet even though busineszs has slowed, Jackson Dean has avoidexd layoffs. Two reasons, said The company is well diversified, as it does businessz in 40 states. And it plannedc for the slowdown by conserving cash so it would not have to let any of its 85employeezs 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 abou t 600 members across the not including the Spokane area. “Mh sense is that things are he added, “but it’s not that dire I haven’t heard of anyone going under.” Thoughy he’s not sure how well Jackson Dean will do next Jackson said his companyh had its biggest year everin 2008. Constructio revenue topped $100 up from $85 million in 2007. “And we did that without addingany employees,” he said.
Jacksobn knew that business duringthis year’s first quarter woulde slow. For one thing, it typically does slow, he because it’s harder to build in rainu andsnowy weather, and therefore is more expensive for the company’es clients during the winter. Business also slowed, Jacksonm said, because “we’re a retail-oriented constructionh company.” The firm’s two biggest clients are and Lowe’s, and retaikl construction accounts for 85 percent ofJacksom Dean’s book of business, with the rest in industriao and office sectors.
Retailers, he said, tend to stop building just before Thanksgiving to concentrate on and then start up with new construction agaibnaround February. Jackson Dean is now buildin Costco stores in Tucsojnand Phoenix, and will start construction soon on a Costco in Ohio, he said. It’ s also building a Lowe’s store in San Jose, Calif. Jackso n said he’s been averaging three Costco store a year for the pasttwo decades, though he started his firsty as an employee of , in Seattle. Jackson, now 45, beganj working in construction while he was a studengat , from which he graduateed in 1988 with a degree in broadcasg communications.
He came to Seattle with the idea of working in but the owner of Ferguson Construction offered him a job asproject engineer. “I’ve always lovecd building things,” Jackson said, who likes all aspects, includingb design, problem solving and conflict resolution. “Anythinf challenging to me is fun.” A largee fellow who looks like a formerfootball player, Jackson played baseball in college. For fun now, he competitivelgy drives vintagerace cars. Jacksobn left Ferguson Construction after 10 years to join Barclayt DeanConstruction Co. as vice president of California Hesaw “an ownership opportunity.” At the two partners owned Barclay Dean.
Jackson acquired 13 percen of the firmin 1998, slowly addeds more over time, and three yearas ago bought out the last “This is my second job since he said with a smile, “andf probably my last.” What lies ahead? “That’s the questionj of the day,” Jackson said.