Adams Contractors Adding Workers

Two years ago, Adams Building Contractors employed 30 and had an annual sales volume of about $4 million.

Today, it has 130 employees and sales approaching $40 million.

The Jackson-based builder hopes to add 70 more workers in 2010 as it continues to expand its business here and out of state.

In the past year the company had projects in 16 states; it recently opened offices in Pennsylvania and Indiana.

It twice has added on to its headquarters at 3300 Yukon Drive since moving there in 2002, and is in the midst of a third, 4,000-square-foot addition to expand office space.

"Every employee here has contributed to our growth," said Toby Jones, director of marketing.

Company President David Adams said the company does its best to create a family atmosphere where people enjoy coming to work. With each hire, the company's leaders look for intelligent, capable people they can trust to make decisions.

"You're only as good as the people you surround yourself with," Adams said.

To showcase the team atmosphere, Vice President Gary Adams moved his office into one of the two temporary trailers set up at the headquarters while work is done.

Technology has also helped the company grow, David Adams said. On the second floor of the office, a few engineers and employees design 3-D renderings of all projects.

"This is more helpful for the customer," he said. "It's more work, but we see the value is there."

Because the company designs the projects, and serves as the construction manager and general contractor, it employs a range of employees from general laborers and carpenters to crane operators and engineers.

Doing it all, Adams said, improves quality control and ensures deadlines are met.

Project managers often juggle 30 projects, Adams said. Projects have included school additions, ethanol plants, slip silos, and several municipal and industrial projects.

Jones said the company supports local businesses when they can, going so far as to bring local subcontractors with them recently to a job in Wyoming.

He said they would like to do more work locally.

"If we can do projects out of state, we can do them here," he said.

Jones said the company's ability to not only stay in business but continue to grow is because it didn't choose to specialize in any one sector. It actively seeks out work across the country and often gets repeat business from clients.

"We're ready for anything that comes around," Adams said.