Fosse Commercial Contractors LLC
Opportunity
Problem & Solution
Problem Worth Solving
Customers in the Houston area are in need of beautiful office buildings, warehouses, public works etc. The area is expanding rapidly and they need a company that can provide high quality work and materials to build the spaces that were needed.
Our Solution
Fosse Commercial Contractors LLC is a small construction company formed from the merger of Fosse Painting & General Construction and West General Contractors. The company has successfully operated in the Houston area for the past ten years working on both small and large scale construction, repair, and alteration projects focusing on residential contracting. With the business boom that is occuring in our local area and the desire to improve overall profit margins, the company is planning to shift its target market from residential clients to the larger commercial customers. This business plan will lay out our goals and tasks to make this transition successful and create enough market share to succeed in this highly competitive market.
Target Market
Market Size & Segments
Market Segmentation
At the moment our potential list of clients includes all the various businesses in the Houston area and its suburbs. According to the Texas Small Business Association there are 6,512 firms of all types and sizes in the surrounding area. We will concentrate on the customers that can provide us with the greatest margin, in other words those clients desiring office building construction. This is the fastest growing segment of all the commercial clients requiring our services. The other categories that we will serve include the restaurant segment, the special facilities segment, such as gas stations, and theaters, and a category which we will call "general", encompassing all other potential commercial clients.
Target Market
Since office building construction has the highest average profit margin, we will focus most of our marketing and servicing toward these customers. Usually these clients require the largest projects in scope, land use, and cost. In addition, they tend to be the most sensitive to completion times. Therefore, we plan to accommodate these clients through a well established and expeditious permitting program, strict cost accounting and supply management, and intensive and comprehensive project management capitalizing on Fosse’s experience in the field.
Competition
Current Alternatives
Currently we have three major competitors within the Houston area. These are TNT General Contractors, Texas Specialty Construction, and Polanski Construction. Each of these companies targets the same clients as Fosse and each has a fine reputation for customer satisfaction. However, the market in Houston is growing so fast that the demand is currently greater than supply. This is an excellent opportunity to gain market share and a defensible position in the industry.
One of the greatest limiting factors in this industry is its strong seasonality. During the winter months, contracts and production drop off sharply, increasing the company’s short-term risk of cash flow shortfall.
Our Advantages
In the construction industry the primary ways to compete are through low cost or better project management. One of the most important processes for winning a contract is the bid process. Fosse has a unique competitive edge over most of its competitors. Mr. David West, FCC’s General Projects Manager, is the nephew of Charles Nunn, who owns McHoughton’s Lumber, one of the Midwest’s major construction material suppliers. Through this relationship, Fosse has been able to gain a very advantageous supplier contract allowing Fosse to obtain its materials at a significant discount. With this edge the company can underbid its rivals and achieve a low cost leadership role.
Keys to Success
Keys to Success
The local commercial construction market is booming at the moment. In order to achieve a defendable position in this environment, Fosse must concentrate on the following tasks.
- Secure at least five large scale commercial contracts over the next three years.
- Expand our customer base through expansion into other geographic areas to retain a sufficient level of profitability.
- Increase marketing expenditures by 15%.
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