At the direction of the Ames Board, a group of company leaders embarked on an intensive strategic business planning process. The output was a comprehensive and detailed five-year strategic business plan that positions Ames well into the future.
Strategic business planning is a habit that most large construction companies practice. Certainly Ames, with our multiple locations, multiple market sectors, and varied project delivery methods, is complex enough to justify solid planning once each year.
For more than 60 years, smart growth has been a hallmark at Ames. The Ames family has had an uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time. That’s not just good luck; it has required smart planning. Now, as an integrated leadership team, we have done more smart planning for growth. But this time, we did it offsite, as a group, in a structured retreat setting. The results are inspiring.
Where Is Ames Today and Where Are We Going?
What Is a Strategic Plan?
A strategic plan is a written document that acts like a roadmap for a company. It explains where the company is today, where it is going, how it is going to get there, and why that is important
Most strategic business plans are based on a strong situation assessment. Ames is no different. In our case, we commissioned Executive Vice President Curtis Bilow to lead the planning process. Curtis worked directly with our strategic advisor and retreat facilitator Tom Emison, an industry leader in construction strategic planning.
In their first phase of work, Curtis and Tom conducted a situation assessment. Curtis interviewed Ames leaders, Ames customers, and key industry association leaders. A comprehensive financial analysis was performed. This was all done to pinpoint Ames’ strategic position today. When that work was completed, it was placed in a Strategic Situation Assessment Report. Top management reviewed the report before the retreat.
The first order of business at the retreat was to talk about the number one priority in this entire strategic planning process: Retaining the Ames culture. Before any decisions were made to grow or diversify, the decision was made to perpetuate The Ames Way.
The leadership group at the retreat included myself, Tom Bessel, Tim Haycraft, Brent Wilber, Roger McBride, Jerry Miller, Tim Odell, Justin Gabrielson, Craig Sandeen, Butch Trebesch, Curtis Bilow, Nick Ruba, and Doug Eischens. I’d like to extend a huge thank you to each of these leaders for committing time above and beyond regular working hours to construct an outstanding shared vision!
Where Is Ames Today and Where Are We Going?
The group identified five strategic situations or opportunities for Ames:
- How we get work.
- How we deliver work.
- Our people and culture.
- Our financial performance.
- Our internal communication.
The group also selected the market position Ames prefers to occupy, the primary market sectors going forward, and our secondary market sectors. They established a vision for Ames to achieve by December 31, 2027, in four key areas. The vision is supported by 19 vision statements.
Here is just one vision statement as an example:
We will remain a full-service, self-performing, heavy civil and industrial general contractor, but we will be more specialized, expert, and vertically-integrated in our chosen market sectors.
We will patent The Ames Way, a proprietary project delivery process to grow solutions and deliver world-class projects with the best people in the industry.
The group also recommitted to our mission and core values:
Mission:
To provide construction solutions in harmony with nature so that our people, clients, partners, and communities flourish.
Core Values:
- People. Developing our greatest asset.
- Team. Working together for a common goal.
- Our Bond. Doing what we say we will do.
- Persistence. Striving for excellence.
- Vision. Taking your vision and making it a reality.
Perhaps the most important outcome of the strategic plan has been a renewed commitment to the Ames brand. We even got it down on paper:
Performance, not just promises.
Trust Ames to deliver brilliant solutions to your most complex problems. Our roots are deep and our culture is flourishing.
What Now?
In the coming weeks, you will learn more about our 2023-2027 Strategic Business Plan and how everyone plays an important role in our future. Ames excels when we collaborate across departments and locations seamlessly and when we stay focused on the job at hand.
The focus right now is for top management to finalize and communicate the strategic plan. It is hard work to perform their regular duties as leaders AND implement the strategic plan. But that is a commitment they have each made, and we look forward to more opportunities to involve everyone in the plan going forward.
video
One Ames 2023 Project Year in Review
Please enjoy a compilation video of recent Ames projects, from California to Kansas to Indiana to North Carolina and many points in between.