Tribble & Stephens has constructed more than 2,700 projects in excess of $2.5 billion throughout the southern United States.

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Maintaining a leadership position – let alone expanding market capabilities – in the cyclical construction industry takes experience, attention to quality on the jobsite and the ability to adapt. For Houston-based Tribble & Stephens Constructors Ltd. , a general contractor and construction manager for commercial markets, 40 years in the industry has given the company all three attributes.

“Forty years in business puts us, probably, in the top five of the oldest of continuous operating construction companies in Houston,” Co-chairman Jay Tribble says. “Several Houston companies claim longevity but, in fact, are different companies with different ownership. This demonstrates to our clients, subcontractors and suppliers a trust that we are solid, stable and dependable for the long haul.”

Despite the benefits of longevity in the marketplace, the firm is not content to rest on its laurels. “We must constantly search for the most efficient way to satisfy our customers’ functional goals within their financial budgets,” Tribble notes. “And at the same time continue to use the most effective techniques to manage our projects as efficiently as possible and train our associates in new, innovative procedures.”

The firm’s founders, Tribble and James Stephens, met while majoring in architectural engineering at the University of Texas – Tribble’s interest was field operations and Stephens’ was in estimating and construction management.

After gaining experience by working for prominent contractors in the Houston area, in 1968 Tribble founded the company and James Stephens joined him in 1972.

Since it was founded, Tribble says, the company has never wavered from the operating philosophy that made it an initial success: To earn the respect of its clients by providing integrity, responsibility and skill with its construction services and be just as well-respected by its employees, subcontractors and suppliers.

Marketing and Business Development Manager Monica Heike Bohannon says the company has made it clear to its clients that it “is the premier partnership builder. Each project begins with a team, including the owner, architect and subcontractors. We encourage each member to be a vital part of the partnership from beginning to end. Tribble & Stephens has an open-book policy where we discuss all items with the development team. This builds trust and knowledge that have been developed into a partnership – one that we plan to continue with for the next 40 years.”

Building on Tradition
Despite the reported economic downturn, Tribble & Stephens has had little struggle in finding work. Because the company is experienced in all sectors of the commercial building market, it continues to thrive in the marketplace. “We’re seeing some slowdown, but that has produced subcontractors and suppliers being more competitive and responsive,” Tribble maintains.        “That’s not all bad considering how crazy the market has been for the last couple of years.”

Tribble & Stephens has constructed more than 2,700 projects in excess of $2.5 billion throughout the southeastern United States. The company has worked in 15 states, specializing in the retail, hospitality, commercial office, multifamily, mixed-use, assisted living and entertainment sectors. “Our target market is the private developer and company build-to-suit clients,” Tribble notes. “They expect us to provide them with the most efficient and up-to-date construction means and methods to achieve their functional and financial goals.”

Design/build and construction management at-risk with a guaranteed maximum price are the primary delivery systems utilized by the company. In addition, from time to time, it self-performs concrete, carpentry and finish carpentry work on projects.

In November 2007, Wulfe & Co. awarded Tribble & Stephens a unique mixed-use development named BLVD Place. Located in the galleria area of Houston, this upscale mixed-use development will include 500,000 square feet of high-end retail and restaurant space, 500,000 square feet of office space and more than one million square feet of parking. Designed by DMJM Design, the layout of BLVD Place promotes a pedestrian-friendly environment. Valued at around $250 million for Tribble & Stephens, the project will involve about 60 subcontractors with close to 300 tradesmen on-site at the project’s peak construction.

In addition, the company has completed the Henriksen Jet Center located at Houston Executive Airport and is building the Valencia Hotel as part of the CityCentre mixed-use development in West Houston.

Organized Effort
Managing large projects requires Tribble & Stephens to be efficient internally. “We are organized into business unit teams headed by a project director who, with his or her teammates, manages a portion of the work,” Tribble explains. “Each unit reports on the progress of his work and takes responsibility for the results. Each unit is viewed on the quality of performance and customer satisfaction to assure that the forecasted profit is earned, not just posted.”

Managing a safe work environment while delivering quality construction projects are top priorities at the firm. The company created the BuildWell program to give structure to the process. The program includes peer reviews that assure the constructability of the drawing; consultant reviews that check for the water and air tightness of the envelope; the development of mock-ups to test and demonstrate with; the training of the installers under its consultants; and the supervision and inspection of the installations.

The BuildWell concept ensures performance of contractual obligations between the architect and the engineer, quality of construction, correct operation of all functions, environmental quality and energy-efficient operation, the company says. In the late 1970s, Tribble & Stephens also pioneered an “owners manual” concept, which includes complete, as-built, operation and maintenance information to the operating staff.

Safety is a primary part of the process. “Safety is very important to Tribble & Stephens, and we take it very seriously,” Heike Bohannon says. “There are safety meetings and continued training for all team members, as well as routine in-house and third party safety reviews.”

Tribble & Stephens also maintains close working relationships with its subcontractors to keep costs and schedules in check. “We work very hard to develop and maintain the best relationships with our subcontractors and suppliers,” Tribble asserts. “They are our lifeblood and perform most of the work on our projects. Construction is a team business.  Almost every project is a group of companies and people from different cultures and policies working with materials brought in from all parts of the world. They battle the elements under time and financial constraints to build a first-of-a-kind, one-of-a-kind building that they were the low bidder on. It’s an exciting, never dull business of many risks for minimal fees.”

Encouraging Employee Growth
Knowledge management is critical to the continued success of leading construction firms. Recognizing this, Tribble & Stephens has developed a unique knowledge-sharing platform known as T&S University. “We offer and encourage all of our employees to practice personal growth in courses that might be offered outside the company,” Tribble says.