Business View Magazine - Dec 2023

continuing to look at that in the years ahead. The construction economy is still strong. The demand is good, and the landscape is good for growth.” Andy says he and Nicole constantly bear in mind when they are growing that they are able to service their clients at the best level. A FULL SCHEDULE Some builders in northern climates have to make adjustments for inclement weather. In Wisconsin, Canada and elsewhere, snow and cold can shorten a builder’s calendar by several months. Yet that doesn’t have the effect it used to. They maintain a year-round schedule despite the winter months. “It’s one of those things you get used to,” says Andy, “you know how to work with the weather. You know how unpredictable it is, so you have to plan ahead for it. I think it’s not much different than if we’re working down south and having to deal with and predict hurricanes or natural events like that. I can’t imagine what they go through to prepare for that!” One perfect storm of a non-meteorological kind was the COVID pandemic. Andy says that had a significant impact upon everyone. “I think COVID in general was just a business- changing event,” he stated, “whether good or bad. Everybody can look at it and see different aspects of it and have different views. For us, it definitely created a lot of work. A lot of people wanted to do a project then, from a remodel to new construction because ‘Hey, now’s the time to build a house, because we see prices are going high, and we want to get in before it gets too high.’ It definitely increased our business.” Keeping up with all those clients is crucial, of course.Whether by using Zoom or Teams for remote meetings with clients, or having software and technology in place. “We’ve learned to adapt quickly to those new business practices,” says Andy. 75 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 12 ALAI R HOMES GREEN BAY