Hayward Builders LLC

Well before he staked his claim in the construction industry as owner of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based general contractor Hayward Builders LLC, Robert “Bob” Edgar planted his flag. But not in the way one might expect.

“I started working as a flag person on highway construction,” recalls Edgar, who has been working within the construction industry his entire life. “I’ve owned an engineering company in Canada doing water treatment facilities, and I worked for some of the bigger construction companies in the United States.”

Amassing experience in every aspect of construction and development – from the field to the office – Edgar established himself as the managing member of Hayward Builders in 2002, establishing it as a construction management company with a reputation for providing “a unique construction service to our clients based on listening to their needs, and creatively developing a system for their specific project that is compatible with their corporate culture and that exceeds their expectations.”

This comprehensive approach to customer satisfaction has lead Hayward Builders to continued success, even during trying economic times, through a presence that extends from Arizona to Missouri, Wyoming, California, Louisiana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Maryland, Texas, Illinois, Virginia, New York, Florida, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, and even the Bahamas and Jamaica. Operating with a core staff of 10, Hayward Builders averages between $10 million and $13 million in annual revenue.

Never Trading Quality for Quantity

Hayward Builders started out doing smaller, negotiated jobs, such as tenant improvements for specific retailers including Nike and the El Super Store hispanic grocery chain, but the company quickly establishing itself and moving to larger, bonded ground-up projects. Helping this progression has been an approach that supports client sovereignty and adding value to the development process. The company supports both the project-personalized design-build delivery method, resulting in such projects as a Vans skate park, and a more corporate operating procedure that has assisted in streamlined projects for Walmart, Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bank of America, WAMU/Chase and Wachovia, among others. The goal, according to the company’s mission statement, is that Hayward Builders “strives to leave the client with the feeling that Hayward Builders didn’t just build it … They provided the highest quality services from initial development, design and pre-construction phases on through construction, and post-construction.”

Several components contribute to this capability. Hayward Builders can work to manage a client’s pre-selected subcontractors, but the company has a total personal understanding of pairing the right subs and superintendents for a job, as well as coordinating architects, engineers and mechanical/electrical. This selection process begins with extensive pre-construction/permitting/procurement services, which proactively establish a design that best reflects the project budget, schedule and final end use for a client. And on top of its assembled trades and means of external cost management, the company does its own glass work, glazing, fixtures, some framing, as well as doors and hardware.

Hayward Builders’ efforts are aided by an associated, but unadvertised glass company that is part of the Hayward Builders family, and that allows for increased efficient on projects such as car dealership renovations that require a lot of naturally lit space/entrance enhancements and interior finishes such as glass enclosures/sales booths/customer kiosks, which go nicely to showcase Hayward Builders’ work on tile floors, custom metal, monument signage and accent lighting.

All manner of advanced project management methods are available to clients through Hayward Builders in order to minimize schedule disruption and cost increase. However, one aspect is not sacrificed no matter how the refining process gets underway, and that is a dedication to doing the job right from the start. “We haven’t been lowering our margins to compete with the guys who are taking the work for nothing,” explains Edgar. “We don’t go out and find the cheapest subs all the time … if we can’t do the quality work we won’t do the job.”

Developing Endeavors

Hayward Builders’ commitment to quality has lead to a steady slate of recent projects, including more big box conversions/sub-space remodels for El Super Stores, a ground-up Quick Trip gas station, plus enhancement work on Pinnacle Nissan and Infiniti of Scottsdale, among other sites. Never one to rest on one sector, however, Hayward Builders has also been working to establish itself in the pre-engineered metal building market, doing site work, erecting structures and completing interior finishes for Arizona’s Ajo Ambulance, among others. Edgar has also been in talks with waste management companies, roofing companies and Asarco Mines in Arizona, discussing the potential of these steel buildings for projects such as pump mechanism protection, tool storage and upcoming mine reopenings. Further talks have taken place with the U.S. government for projects such as aircraft hangers.

With retail still feeling the effects of a depressed economy, and a lot of sub-standard vendors crowding  an already volatile market, Edgar is wisely looking at all options to maintain Hayward Builders’ bottom line, all within physically safe work zones. “I’m hoping down the road that I can eventually turn the company over to the employees, so we’re going to keep on a prudent route as we try getting into new areas,” says Edgar. “But ultimately we’re working at managing our resources wisely to keep the staff and clients we have completely satisfied as we always have.”

With an attitude that puts precedence on assisting the total project team, client to contractor, Hayward Builders LLC holds what’s needed to navigate and effectively integrate all the facets and variations that will result in continued construction management success. Edgar continues to fly that quality-counts flag high.