Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/389791
rarely have to be given specifi c in- structions, his staff is fi ercely loyal. Lorin, who works out all the crew assignments, conducts the morning review for the four crews, as well as running one crew himself. Having superior workers with a healthy work ethic helped Lar- man handle a growth period that started at the end of 2012. Warren Johnson of Fall Creek Gardens, a design-build fi rm that specializes in large-scale site and planting design, says that Larman and his work- ers go above and beyond. "I've been doing business with him for 20 years, and he has consistently grown," he says. "He's always been a super honest, polite guy, and you can depend on what he says. It seems to be the whole way down the line in his organization. I know there have been times on my jobs where he's done things for me that he wasn't specifi cally asked to do, but that have certainly made my work easier." Going above and beyond ensures Larman maintains excellent relation- ships with his clients. He says while it's easy to get caught up in prob- lems on the jobsite, you have to look at the big picture. "I remember a piece of advice a mentor gave me many years ago – 'get on it and get off it.' He impressed upon me that it was important to make a decision and move on," he says. "I take the attitude that if anything has gone wrong, it was probably us. It makes things easier. However, our guys are really careful. It's a testament to them that we receive almost no complaints." The vast majority of the feedback on the guys in the fi eld is highly complimentary, says Windy Boren, Larman's offi ce manager since 2007. "Clients call me frequently to report on the great work our guys do for them," she says. "It's because they're so good at what they do, and most of them have been here forever." Boren handles accounting, scheduling, and reception duties. Karen, Vern's wife, handles payroll, pool demolition contacts, human resources, insurance and worker's comp. Although Karen, a psycholo- gy major, was immersed in a fulfi ll- ing career as a program director for Court Appointed Special Advocates, Vern asked her to work with the company on a full-time basis. "I had always helped out, but didn't have an active role in the day-to-day op- eration of the company," she says. "I really do love human resources, though, because I love working with our employees." Karen says the position allows her to still be involved with CASA on occasion, a group of commu- nity volunteers appointed by local judges to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children. Her passion for the organization has affected her husband as well, who has also volunteered with CASA as a child advocate. October 2014 | EquipmentWorld.com 48 contractor of the year | continued Crew leader Patricio Rangel tackles a residential demolition project.