Weaver & Jacobs Constructors Leads Local Growth on the Coastal Bend
Sponsored by: Weaver & Jacobs Constructors, Inc.
Nearly 25 years ago, Mike Weaver and Brant Jacobs combined their marketing and business expertise to launch a small construction company in Cuero, TX.
From the start, they were committed to improving their community through outstanding projects while building Weaver & Jacobs Constructors (WJC) into a great place to work. Now, with more than 70 employees at three locations in Cuero, Corpus Christi and Hutto, WJC continues to serve as a major player in the vibrant growth of the Coastal Bend region and throughout Texas.
The company’s original niche – K-12 school construction and renovations, along with other public projects like city halls, animal shelters, park improvements, and fire stations – still makes up the bulk of WJC’s business. The remaining 15% comprises private clients such as banks, religious facilities, retail and manufacturing. Projects run the gamut, from brand-new facilities to minor upgrades or complete interior and exterior renovations that “turn it into a brand-new facility,” says Vice President Chris Brzozowski. “We want schools to be places where students, teachers and administrators want to be, and where they are happy.”
The economic impact is significant too. Most public projects are funded through bonds, creating buy-in from residents who enjoy using the facilities made possible by their tax dollars. WJC also provides local subcontractors with steady work, donates nearly $250,000 a year to partnering school districts in support of their many academic and athletic programs, and contributes an additional $100,000 annually to students participating in 4-H and FFA programs.
“We are a company that gives back,” Brzozowski says. “We’re here to take care of the folks that put us to work.”
None of this, of course, could happen without strong employees. WJC strives to recruit and retain the best with competitive salaries and benefits, as well as performance incentives, mentoring, a team atmosphere, an open-door policy and career advancement, sometimes through new positions created to match their talents and interests. Staff members undergo routine safety training, site visits, certifications and regular meetings with the leadership team to assist in problem-solving and overall development, routinely winning annual Diamond awards – the highest ranking available from the Associated Builders and Contractors’ Safety Training and Evaluation Process (ABC-STEP).
Above all, says Brzozowski, who joined WJC in 2011, the company seeks quality employees with good attitudes, who take pride in their work and who communicate well. “If they have those three attributes, then we know we can make them successful.”
Not surprisingly, the retention rate is high. In fact, the very first hire still works at WJC, as do others who started soon after the company opened in 2002.
“I’ve heard from many people, not just our own employees, ‘You guys are the best. We’d rather work for you than anybody else.’ We hear that time and again,” Brzozowski says. “It’s a reflection of the culture we’ve built, and the pride our team takes in every project.”
For more information about Weaver & Jacobs Constructors, visit weaverandjacobs.com.