ForConstructionPros.com

By Gini McKain

Colony Construction Inc. of Powhatan, VA, is in the enviable position of growing about 30% every year for the past eight years. This progression is due to a strong commitment to quality paving work and a determined commitment to become more profitable - all the while maintaining commitments from its early years to follow safety, quality, and service as its guiding principals.

"We had a residential customer base when my father-in-law, Earl Pryor, started and had the company from 1989 to about 2003 when he retired along with his wife, Carol," says Scott Claud, president. "Due to his company's growth, I came on board in 2000 to help with the operations along with my wife, Kathy."

At the time Colony had a PF-150 Blaw-Knox paver, soon adding a PF-161 in 1999, which the contractor still uses today.

"Our work consisted of residential driveways and small commercial businesses or light industrial projects," Claud says. "We also did earthwork construction, which is how the company started. Paul Wright was the first employee and still works with us. Harry King was Earl's right hand man and is now vice-president.

Shift to Larger Jobs
"It was during those ensuing years that we made another commitment to get larger, maintain our quality work that established our reputation, and go into commercial work in a bigger way, as in commercial work and Virginia DOT projects only," he says.