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What's the differrence between a good contactor and an exceptional one?
Here's a hint: It's two words and the 1st one is "Project" and the second is "Management" and for those words to triumph, EVERYTHING has to happen without bumps, hiccups, chirps, squeaks or fuzz balls! How important is PROJECT MANAGEMENT? It's simple; as a Contractor, if we do it right (AND WE DO IT RIGHT!), it has a very significant meaning - like Food, Clothing, College Tuition, Braces for 12 year olds and maybe even getting my wife a new bathing suit (although I don't know why, she hasn't worn out the knees on the one I got her awhile back). So what's it mean . . . Survival! That's how serious we take the entire concept of Project Management at Master Craft Carpets.
What are the KEY INGREDIENTS of Project Management?

STAYING ON TOP OF IT!
Every project starts out with great intentions. But the only way "Great Intentions" migrate to a finished project thay all parties are proud to be a part of, is to never assume that anything will magically take a natural course; never assume someone else will be there when you're not available; in fact, we believe assuming ANYTHING is a quick step to a project's death spiral. All of our Professional Project Managers are connected with their respective clients. We have made a significant investment to link our locations and employees 24/7 to company intranet and dedicated servers - client details, billing, project progress and status is available immediately. Our entire staff carries media phones and actually use them very proficiently. In fact, we worked very hard to make certain if a client needs to reach us, we avoid all the usual excuses. (And now for a little humor . . . Top EXCUSES rumored in our industry)
PLANNING
Ask 10 people to explain what "planning" means and you just may get 10 very different answers. When we share our knowledge gleaned over many years of experience by our Project Managers (250 years and growing), the answer is very to the above questions has a simple answer: Planning is different for every client - you have to start with the client and their needs and work backword. OK, there's always similarities . . . but they're more generic than they are unique. We know your circumstances are unique to your project. We also have learned that unless identify them, all of them, early on . . . the whole concept of Planning goes right out the window!
COMMUNICATE
As creatures who normally walk upright, we have been "communicating" for quite along time. To the surprize of many not completely familar with the construction industry, communicating has actually matured from hand-and-arm signals, snorts, grunts and language we might not use around our grandmother. This is a rapidly changing world and the construction industry has not been left behind. At Master Craft Flooring, our office is the front seat of our vehicle. Our administrative assistant rings or can be placed on a vibrate mode during a meeting. Why do we continue to embrace technological advancements? Simply put, we just don't feel we can service our clients with 2 soup cans and a string.
BEING RESPONSIBLE STEWARDS
You've heard it before, carpet continues to be one of the greatest contributors to our landfills - like taking a giant diaper and burying it . . . scary! We have partnered with our suppliers to use products with a significant content of recycled material and to recommend products that can be recycled or reused instead of . . . yep, back to the diaper analogy. We're always searching for products that are bio based instead petroleum based. We aggessively pursue LEED accredited projects and support specification criteria. Most importantly, we are fortunate to have an in-house sustainable flooring expert, Kim Sansone.
EVERY PROJECT - SAFETY FIRST!
Our Project Managers and Installation Staff follow the model of continuing education for safety. And, the proof is in the results: minimal claims over the last 38 years and very competitive insurance and bonding rates.
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