Finding its place in the industry
Form Works' leading roll in safety is just its most recent development in creating one of the leading commercial concrete construction companies in the country. When the ownership group bought out its previous owners and incorporated Form Works in 1988, they expanded its services from only formwork to offering customers a complete structural shell and everything in between, such as excavation for foundations, formwork, reinforcement labor and materials, concrete labor and materials, craning, and concrete pumping.

The expanded service offerings allowed Form Works to accomplish another goal of dramatically increasing its annual sales. By adding $3 million in sales a year for several years, it went from a company that never did more than $10 million in business to a $65 million per year outfit.

In-house business management processes, such as the addition of more project management personnel to track job records and help ensure on-time delivers for all product and materials needed, have allowed Form Works to become more efficient and profitable. One practice it has found beneficial is maintaining a slim equipment inventory. "We rent most things, so we don't own a lot of equipment. We don't want to worry about the upkeep," Marks explains. "It also gives us the flexibility to utilize the right piece of equipment on a job, instead of forcing the use of a piece of equipment we own that might not be appropriate."

Marks adds that advancements in the industry have helped Form Works become more productive on the job too. "Continuous advancement in forming systems has made our jobs easier. In general, we've seen better engineering in the products so less qualified labor is required to use them. One example is the addition of panelized slab systems," he says, "which offered a big boost in our productivity on certain jobs."

Despite the size and efficiencies in the company, Form Works still faces many of the challenges that companies of all sizes face across the country. "Getting good, qualified employees is tough. We try to find people who are willing to work hard and learn, and we can train them as we go," Marks explains.