By its very nature, specialty contracting is a competitive business. This is true not only for contractors, but for owner's and their suppliers as well.

With an increasing trend toward a more global economy and the competition inherently keener than ever, contractors, owner and suppliers are seeing the advantages of entering into partnering relationships in place of traditional, albeit counterproductive independent relationships.

The very basics of the partnering relationship are echoed in Bierlein's own Mission Statement - "to serve our customers as a team of trained, skilled professionals, dedicated to safety, quality and dependability... Our guiding principles are continuous improvement, customer satisfaction... and teamwork..."

Above all, it is the key element - continuous improvement - that is at the heart of the owner/contractor partnering relationship. The "bottom line" for the owner is the expectation of its contractor community to offer a highly skilled, trained work force available upon demand, allowing the owner to reduce, or average staffing requirements without incurring the added expense of staffing for peak conditions; reduce overhead by contracting for services as needed, and anticipate stable, or preferably, declining contractor costs.

The "bottom line" for the contractor is the commitment from the owner to concentrate business with contractors who perform up to and above set standards.

This partnering is not an exclusive contract, but a recognition that a working relationship includes legal and explicit written contracts as well as spoken and implied covenants of good faith. While specific performance achievements may be expected, certain future business preferences may be anticipated.

Bierlein is focusing on continually improving our services to help customers lower their costs. Training and a focus on safety have always been top priorities of our company.

Bierlein can offer multi-craft disciplinary capability. For example, our demolition technicians receive training in asbestos abatement procedures; our asbestos abatement technicians receive training in environmental services. This allows Bierlein to meet the staffing demands of our customers quickly and with skilled personnel.

Safety on the job site and controlling worker compensation costs are key ingredients in the partnering process. Beginning with the top level of management and communicated throughout the organization by our full-time Director of Health and Safety, and Manager of Field Safety and Training, Bierlein is showing a continuous reduction in number of incidents. We believe zero incidents is a worth-while goal. With the help of our innovative Safety Incentive Bonus System and its intervention emphasis, safety is paying off for everyone involved in the partnering experience.

This partnering experience extends to our relationship with material and equipment suppliers. Bierlein has developed long-term relationships with our key suppliers allowing us to furnish supplies and materials at competitive costs to owner-direct prices. This ability to provide the best "just-in-time" delivery of materials is just as important as competitive pricing.

As the year 2010 approaches, specialty services that are cost-effective and readily available will play a major role in keeping companies successful. By furnishing skilled craftsmen, well-maintained equipment and the latest available technologies to meet owner's needs, Bierlein will be able to better manage owner's demolition, asbestos abatement, and environmental services needs, and allow our "partners" to devote their energies to managing their primary businesses.