GREAT GROWTH IN AN EVOLVING INDUSTRY

DONAHUEFAVRET CONTRACTORS INC. has experienced a substantial 25 percent growth over the last three years – and its plan for continuing at that pace includes proactive communication with clients from project start to finish, analyzing and reacting appropriately to changes in the market, and doing an excellent job of pairing staff with the right projects. All those things have led to the bulk of DonahueFavret’s work coming from repeat clients, particularly healthcare and other institutional projects, says President and CEO John Donahue.

Recent Growth And Success

The Louisiana commercial contractor provides high-level expertise and experience to projects throughout Louisiana and the Gulf South. Its divisions include preconstruction services, construction, design/ build, CMAR and disaster recovery.

The business had a well thought out plan for steady and controlled organic growth over the last few years–it has grown from approximately $90 million in business in 2019 to $113 million this past year. Even though the economy may present additional challenges, the company has plans for additional growth this year. “We plan to do that based on repeat client business,” Donahue says. “There are a lot of talented people who work here, and they’re very good in their respective disciplines.”

Years ago, the leaders at DonahueFavret recognized a shift in the industry where general contractors were working more closely with designers and owners earlier in the construction process. DonahueFavret’s pre-construction department allows for increased and earlier collaboration among the DonahueFavret team, and business owners and architects. The result is a more efficient project delivery both within budget and schedule.

Moving Forward

DonahueFavret has done a great deal of work in the retail sector, but with the decline of brick-and-mortar retail projects, the company has shifted its focus to larger projects within the healthcare and education sectors, including major medical facilities and office buildings, academic buildings, and science labs. “We realized there was an increasing demand for those types of significant projects, and we adjusted accordingly,” Donahue says. “It’s been exciting for us because we excel at the larger and more complex projects.”

Donahue says his company’s culture is what sets it apart. Team members take on client problems and treat them as if they were solving the issues for themselves and spending their own money. They stay on top of costs and changes in the market and will develop the most effective systems based on the trends.

Donahue says his company does a great job of pairing up project managers and superintendents with the right jobs. “We evaluate the project and its challenges and match people who have strengths that fit well to overcome those challenges,” Donahue says. “The end product may look like it was easy to do, but it was because we had the right people in the right place doing the right thing.