A Peek Behind the Curtain: How Source Keeps Company Culture Intact During High Growth
Written By: JoAnne Tobias
In 2019, Source experienced record growth. “We’ve been expanding, both footprint and headcount,” said Sam Perry, Principal. “Last year we saw $20 million in revenue growth and took on 16 new hires- as many as the previous two years combined.”
With so many new investments in the Bay Area, there’s a boom in commercial construction. But, many construction companies find manning projects challenging. According to a recent report, 62% of construction firms reported few or no qualified applicants and 46% cited the shortage of qualified labor as their top business problem.
“We’ve been able to grow a quality, loyal workforce because we treat our people with the same integrity that we offer our clients,” said Perry. “The people we hire are looking to be leaders, not just workers. As we grow, we’re mindful of creating the type of foundation that allows us to keep the culture of quality.”
Personal and Professional Growth: Good for Employees, Good for Source
By any measure, this growth of 31% counts as a record year. But even as Source scales, its focus is on more than reaching higher levels: Source actively encourages collaboration among team members, whether sharing information or helping people achieve professional and personal growth.
“We’ve grown a lot, but Source still has a small company feel,” said Andy Fullerton, a Project Manager hired at the beginning of Source’s recent year-long growth spurt. “It’s not a bureaucratic type system, we all help each other out a ton. As soon as I got here, they fostered the idea of sharing information. I was struck by how it’s not the competitive type of spirit I’d seen at other firms. Here we’re part of the same team, people know if they look good, Source looks good and vice versa.”
“It’s a whole different world, a respectful environment,” agreed Tom Stavropoulos, Project Manager. “The partners have strategic growth plans. It’s very realistic, they’re not being greedy.”
Part of this high-level strategy is keeping the quality of Source, even as they take on more and bigger projects. “You’ll definitely notice the closeness,” said Brett Pemberton, a Project Manager at Source. “A lot of the people here started the company and they are still here.”
Making Work Feel Like Family
You don’t have to install ping-pong tables to make it fun to come to work. Feeling good happens naturally when people enjoy working together, spending time sharing banter and solving challenges. Source installed a long table in the kitchen and encourages all kinds of community building, whether informal long lunches or setting up summer picnics with extended family.
“It was such a pleasure working on the sub side for Source so when one of the Executives approached me to work directly with Source, I took the leap - even though that meant doing a daily 4-hour commute from Tracy to SF and back. But in my 15 years working commercial construction”, said Tom, “this was the best career move I ever made.”
“When I first got here everyone was eating lunch together, everyone was super friendly, and an office dog ran up to me, said Stavropoulos. “I thought, ‘I can get on board with this.
Teams that Eat Together, Grow Together
“I’ve seen the new hires embrace that family feeling,” said Stavropoulos. “Just go into the kitchen anytime between 11:30-1:30. You can find groups of people sitting at the long table eating together, sharing. It feels like a family. You feel like you're part of something, you’re part of the growth.”
Source Planning & Construction does high-end tenant improvements and is well known among Bay Area businesses and architects for incorporating sophisticated design elements into commercial structures. Contact us about your next project!