The single effort we’ve undertaken that has gotten the most response from readers – positive and negative – was the Top 100 Contractor lists we published until 2003. Contractors who made the lists loved them (mostly). Contractors who didn’t claimed some people who qualified misrepresented themselves. So, because we want to be both accurate and fair, we stopped the lists. But we’re bringing them back because we have found a way to verify the most important element of the list: Annual Gross Sales.
Our hope with this survey is to develop verifiable Top Contractor listings in each of four industry segments: Paving, Sealcoating, Striping and Sweeping. To do that we need to know:
- Gross Sales Volume for your fiscal year 2012 (regardless of the date that fiscal year ended)
- A breakdown by percentage of the type of work that generated those 2012 sales
- Third-party verification of that sales total (this is new!)
To determine whether a company qualifies for one (or more) of our four lists we will multiply your total 2012 sales dollars by the percentage of work done in each industry segment. For example, if a contractor reports $1 million in 2012 sales and generated 20% of those sales from pavement marking, the number used to determine qualification for the Striping Top Contractor List would be $200,000 ($1 million x 20%).
It’s important to emphasize that no sales figures will be reported or published; sales figures will be used only internally for determining each list.
SALES VOLUME VERIFICATION
To qualify to have your Top Contractor application considered for the Top Contractor lists third-party verification of your FY 2102 Gross Sales Volume is required from your company’s CPA, an independent CPA or your accounting firm. Verification must be on the CPA’s or accounting firm’s letterhead (no photocopies) and must include a statement to the effect that “I have reviewed the company’s Top Contractor application, and the FY 2012 gross sales response to question Number 1 is accurate to the best of my knowledge.” The letter must be signed and dated and include the person’s name, title and telephone number. No contractor will be eligible for the Top Contractor lists without third party verification of your FY 2012 Gross Sales Volume.
So we urge you to take the time to complete it, either online (http://topcontractor.questionpro.com) or via print and snail mail (see page 8). Deadline is April 1, 2013. We’ll publish results along with honorable mention contractors in the June/July issue of Pavement.
