IA/IL QUAD-CITIES - Bush Construction, Davenport, Iowa, has been named as a winner of the 2014 Iowa Better Business Bureau (BBB) Integrity Award. For A.J. Loss, President of Bush Construction, this award represents a victory against the questionable ethics that can sometimes be found in the commercial construction industry.
"A few folks in our industry will engage in unfair practices," Loss said. "Their numbers may be small, but their efforts taint the image of contractors throughout the community. When we started Bush Construction six years ago, one of our goals was to create a construction company that would always maintain the highest ethical standards. Our unprecedented success during a challenging economic period is evidence that our unique approach to ethics was welcomed and necessary. We are grateful for this recognition and hope it will inspire others in the construction industry."
BBB Integrity Award events will be held in Rock Island, IL, and Des Moines, IA. The Quad-Cities Event will be held at a luncheon on April 10 at Jumer's Casino & Hotel, 777 Jumer Dr., Rock Island. The Des Moines Event will be held at a luncheon on April 24 at the Downtown Marriott, 700 Grand Ave., Des Moines.
Established in 1993, the BBB Integrity Awards recognize businesses and organizations for their outstanding commitment to fair, honest and ethical marketplace practices. An independent panel of volunteer community leaders selects the recipients.
To qualify, applicants must be in business for at least three years, be in good standing with the BBB, and be located within the BBB service area for Greater Iowa, Quad Cities and the Siouxland Region. Organizations that have been the subject of major lawsuits or government actions, as well as previous winners within the past 10 years, may not apply.
Taking the Moral High Road
According to Loss, Bush Construction defines business ethics and integrity as taking the moral high road. "We have defined policies that guide us as a team, ensuring that we remain honest and respectful in our daily interactions with clients and subcontractors," he said.
Loss noted that general contractors who manage projects efficiently, are fair to subcontractors, and pay subcontractors on time will receive the best subcontractor pricing. "Our ethical treatment of subcontractors allows us to receive excellent pricing in the local market," he said, "resulting in substantial project cost savings for our clients."
To help maintain ethical standards, Bush Construction has implemented a best-in class process to be followed when receiving and evaluating subcontractor proposals. "It helps us maintain consistency with the information we share and do not share. It is our 'guiding light' to ensure bid shopping does not occur," Loss said. "Bid shopping is the practice of obtaining lower bids by revealing prices to competing subcontractors. With each project, we keep all bid information confidential to give each subcontractor a fair chance. Although bid shopping may result in a short-term advantage for a general contractor, it leads to poor relationships with subcontractors and therefore, long-term disadvantages."
Bush Construction also upholds a Payment Application Management policy. "We have proactively implemented steps to ensure timely payments to subcontractors and suppliers," Loss said.
Community Involvement
The Bush Construction team believes it is important to give back to the community. All members of the Bush Construction management team are involved with community groups and projects.
In 2013, Bush Construction helped the Casa de los Niños Early Childhood Learning Center in Davenport by building an access ramp for their new bilingual pre-school. Bush Construction donated the labor and professional management for the project. Also in 2013, Bush Construction built the Rotary Club of Davenport's Centennial Pavilion, donating their fee and professional management services.
Bush Construction was a sponsor for the Mr./Ms. Habitat Pageant, Habitat for Humanity of the Quad Cities' annual signature fundraiser, in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2013, and was the event sponsor for 2011 and 2012. Also, Bush Construction proudly supports the HAVLife Memorial Foundation and has been the presenting sponsor for the HAVLife Martini Shake Off for the past three years, and will again sponsor the event next year. This organization helps to fund athletic programs, music opportunities and other extra-curricular activities for students who normally would not be able to participate.
Empowered Employees
Bush Construction maintains open channels of communications with employees, holding regular company gatherings to update employees on the status of projects and other company news. To maintain excellence, Bush Construction actively encourages continuing education.
"We strive to keep educating ourselves," Loss said. "We are in the process of implementing Bush University, which awards credits to participating employees for taking courses in safety, estimating, scheduling, quality control and other industry-specific education areas."
Loss stated that while Bush Construction has achieved much in six years, they aren't about to rest on their laurels - the best is yet to come. He looks forward to seeing what the future will bring. "We will always do what is best for our employees, our subcontractors, our clients, and the community," he said. "Our decision is simple. Do the right thing."
The public is invited to attend the Iowa 2014 BBB Integrity Award events. For ticket or event information, call
515-243-8137 or email
info@dm.bbb.org.
