Following the money

By Chris Thompson

It's impossible to legitimately identify the best companies in the construction industry.

There's no set standard that reveals "best." Any term, any attempt at categorization, only proves futile in the face of a hundred other factors that demand equal billing.

Longevity seems like a good one. Maybe the oldest companies, through sheer stamina, deserve to be recognized as the best. Maybe not. Surely there are construction and architectural firms out there that have survived a century of business by the skin of their teeth, paddling in the tepid waters of Just OK.

Does size matter? Maybe volume of projects should be a criterion? How about customer satisfaction? That's a good measure, but in an industry so diverse, with a client base so widespread, there's simply no way to determine who leaves their clients most satisfied. And, really, who's to say that one client's idea of happiness is any more objective than another's?

But money, now that's something entirely different. It's a common thread throughout the industry, and the companies that have the most of it tend to grow larger, stay in business longer, take on more jobs and, at the very least, provide the resources necessary to rectify problems when clients aren't satisfied. Does it indicate "best"? No.

It casts a light in the general direction.

But even a seemingly cold, hard element like cash can get slippery sometimes. You can look at it from different angles to learn new things. For instance, after three years of basing our rankings in our annual A List on total revenue figures, we decided this year to ask only for money generated from Wisconsin projects. As you'll see, that change rearranged companies in the rankings. Some dropped dramatically, and others rose to the top.

So what do the rankings on The A List mean? They're a reflection of performance, a quick glance at the bottom line, a peek into someone else's boardroom, an interesting way to learn a little more about who's doing what and for what reward in your industry.

And as for who's the best, well, that's a debate best argued on your work sites.