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CONNECTION July 2021
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How St. Joseph Found Its Groove P1’s St. Joseph Office Reaps the Seeds Sown During Challenging Times Pictured, from left: Shawn Conz, Jason White, Jeremy Miller, Erin Pearl, Bryce McClurg, Misty McConnell, Brad Weilmuenster, Heather Richards-St. Clair, Levi Rutherford
Over the past few years, the St. Joseph office staff and field personnel have worked hard to gain traction in the small community, and it hasn’t been without challenges. But recently, things have really begun to click. Heather Richards-St. Clair took over as General Manager of the branch in 2018, and noted that 2019 was a difficult year. “We had new team members. Everyone was trying to get into a groove with one another and work toward more efficient processes,” Heather said. COVID didn’t help matters in 2020, which started out slow. But toward the end of the year, business really picked up. The office did three quarters of their revenue in the last quarter of the year, rebounding from the slow start. It takes a village, and the cohesiveness of the entire office was beginning to
have a positive impact, with some specific highlights. One of those highlights was the addition of Senior Project Manager/ Sheet Metal, Bryce McClurg. Heather explained that winning contracts on HVAC replacements had been a sticking point in the St. Joseph area because P1 had to give sub quotes, and the General Contractors influence very competitive, low margin opportunities. The addition of Bryce brought sheet metal capabilities in house, and, with his 25+ years in the industry, it also brought many key relationships. This has already made a huge difference in acquiring jobs. “It has opened up a market that previously wasn’t available, and allowed us to move away from bidding through the GCs,” Heather said. “By branching into HVAC replacements with a total MEPS (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Service) package, we have increased our margins and now can often bid direct to the customer,” Heather added. “Now, we are specifically targeting large public HVAC projects that
“We had new team members. Everyone was trying to get into a groove with one another and work toward more efficient processes."
-Heather Richards-St. Clair
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