United Construction is known for its high-quality, concrete tilt-up work.

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Since United Construction ’s inception in 1978, the firm has been known for constructing high-quality, concrete tilt-up distribution centers. Although this market remains a primary focus for the company today, when President and CEO Craig Willcut joined the firm in 1999, he had a goal to further diversify United’s product line and expertise, he explains.

“We had always been active in the distribution center market, but part of my goal when I took over was to diversify our market share,” Willcut asserts. “We’ve been very successful in our diversification, but distribution centers are still approximately 30 percent of our business.”

United Construction has seen many trends come and go, Willcut says. Today, the company’s biggest focus, along with many of its peers, is work force development. “We’re constantly adapting to these issues,” he says. “Ensuring that our team is made up of innovative, qualified members is a huge concern to us, because we’ve seen a shortage of skilled workers both in the field and professionally. This must be true for many other industries as well, as baby boomers begin to retire.”

However, the company refuses to fall victim to these changes in the market. “We have many plans in the works to find different ways to do things,” Willcut says. “To keep up in the future, we need to adapt the way we do things, but not by putting in more hours, but by working smarter in general. We initiated policies and procedures including incorporating the use of technology and revamping the approvals process in order to streamline the process and ensure that we are meeting client goals.”

The Employer of Choice
United Construction’s biggest goal in the future is to become known as an employer of choice. “We’re pushing hard right now to get there,” Willcut says. “Part of our plan is to be in the right place to recruit those professionals, and I believe we’re well on our way.”

The company is working hard to get its name into the public eye. “Even though we’ve been in the community for 30 years, we have been under the radar for much of that time,” Willcut says. “We haven’t gone after many high-profile projects, but we want people to get to know who we are.”