Ep 149: Randy Blount - How financial projections can boost your business’ profitability (and keep it alive…)

CONEXPO – CON/AGG Podcast: Construction Business Insights For Contractors

This week, Taylor is joined by legendary leader of Blount Contracting and BuildWitt CFO, Randy Blount, who shares his inspiring journey of taking his family business to simply incredible heights of success. Together, they also dive into such essential themes as leadership, accurate job costing, and the intricacies of managing overhead costs, providing invaluable insights for professionals aiming to enhance the construction industry.

Throughout this engaging episode, Randy shares his wealth of expertise, offering listeners some of the tools and knowledge they need to navigate the financial intricacies of the industry effectively. Emphasizing the importance of distinguishing true overhead from indirect expenses, Randy notes that misclassification can impact project profitability assessments. He also delves into the complexities of equipment-related costs, offers practical insights into accurate financial reporting, and introduces the concept of using "revenue per employee" - a strategic metric for construction companies to enable effective growth planning and proactive business management. Randy’s insights, as shared here today, into making informed decisions, optimizing costs, and planning for sustainable growth, ultimately contribute to the entire construction industry's ongoing improvement. You do not want to miss this opportunity to access the wisdom of this giant in the construction field that can absolutely transform your construction business and the very industry itself.

Topics:

• Transitioning into leadership roles and shaping a business's future
• The impact of job costing complexities on profitability
• Distinguishing between indirect and administrative overhead costs
• Accurate project estimation and long-term cost management
• Challenges, opportunities, and the need for continuous improvement in construction
• Harnessing financial insights and effective management for growth and success
• Key financial management topics, including true overhead, equipment expenses, revenue per employee, and growth planning

Quotes:

"I tell people all the time, “Some people say I'm smart. I'm not sure if I'm smart, I think I'm just too dumb to quit."”

"You learn by your mistakes.”

"It doesn't matter how good your operational team is, if you get a bad estimate, it is really, really hard to overcome a bad estimate."

"Sometimes it's having the confidence to hold your position when maybe everyone else around you is not."

"We also did a five-year plan for our growth. And five-year plans are really like a plan, you know? Who knows if it's actually going to happen. But it's helped us put into perspective like, hey, we wanna grow this much over five years."

"Take care of the business, and the business will take care of you."

"Use the numbers, but then also weigh some of that experience.”

"Don't be afraid to reach out to somebody who, you know, isn't in your region but does something similar, and just be like, “Hey man, I'm trying to understand some construction finance stuff. This is what I'm struggling with. Do you have any insight?"”

As always, thank you to our good friends over at Komatsu for sponsoring this podcast: https://www.komatsu.com/

Links:

• Taylor White on LinkedIn
• To see highlights from the 2023 show, go to: https://www.conexpoconagg.com/show-experience/show-highlights
• Komatsu: https://www.komatsu.com/
• Randy’s LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randy-blount-04a895a/