February is a traditionally slow time in the termite business. Tradition doesn’t stop me from panicking about the bottom line, though. A few years ago while in this panic mode, I was calling all my past contacts, hoping for some scraps. My guys have families to feed!
By chance a contractor I worked with in the past told me he had something right up my alley. Fungus damaged decks. We met to look at these five decks amongst 220 apartment units. We agreed on a price and BPC got to work.
During the work I learned that two other contractors were dismissed from the project for one reason or another, but this work was right up our alley. We were putting right along when the owner of the apartments approached me and asked if BPC wanted to replace all the fungus, termite, and weather damaged wood on the project. (Rafter tails, fascia, siding, decks, fences, and doors on 220 units.) I told the owner we would but it would take me a month to bid the job. He replied – I don’t want you to bid it; we’ll work out a deal, time and material.
We did and fifteen months and $945,000 later we went on to other projects this fellow had. Big or small, we can take care of your structural pest control problems!
I guess sometimes it pays to panic.
