Remember the A List

The deadline is July 13.

That means, assuming you’re reading this column on its June 29 publication date, you still have two weeks to sign up for Wisconsin Builder’s annual A List issue.

Here’s what you need to do: Go here to link you to the 2007 A List survey. Once you’re there, it should be pretty easy to follow, although you can call 608-260-9790 or e-mail with any questions.

Here’s what will happen once you submit the information: It’ll get e-mailed directly to me, and I’ll compile a set of lists that rank companies based, essentially, on the money they billed or the value of projects they constructed in 2006. I’ll break the lists into categories that reflect different aspects of the state’s construction industry — architects, engineers, general contractors, developers and a variety of smaller categories for the different types of subcontractors. Those lists will appear in the September issue of Wisconsin Builder.

This year’s A List marks the seventh time we’ve compiled this company information and ranked firms throughout the state. Every year, we tweak our request just a little to make sure we put together the most accurate lists we can.

And every year, after the A List comes out in September, we hear from people in the industry who wonder why they didn’t know about it and how they can be sure of getting on the next list. Why do these people go out of their way to get on the list? Because they see the benefits of inclusion.

Yes, we ask you revenue-type questions that you might not initially want to share. And yes, once we get that information we put it out there for the world to see, and we rank you based on those numbers against your industry peers.

But there’s a trade-off. We also ask you for your areas of specialization, your top projects in the last year, your contact information and the names of your company leaders. If you get ranked near or at the top of your list, you’ll most likely end up as a subject in the stories we run with the lists.

In an industry as competitive as construction, why wouldn’t you take advantage of every opportunity to promote your company?

— Chris Thompson, Editor