Imperial Construction Inc.

Since 2000, Imperial Construction Inc. has been a leader in the industry. Based out of Weatherford, Texas, Imperial Construction is a general contracting firm with a reputation for taking on the toughest, most complex construction projects, completing them on time and within budget. With a portfolio ranging from medical facilities to religious institutions, Imperial Construction has completed projects in many different sectors all across the United States.

Jon Jones, executive vice president, founded Imperial Construction in 2000 with his brother Jeff Jones and lifetime acquaintance Holger Kelley. Despite the advice the three men received regarding business partnerships with friends and family, Jones says the venture has worked out great. “People kept telling us that these types of partnerships don’t work,” says Jones. “Here we are 15 years later and we’re still going strong.”

With more than 25 years of experience in the construction industry, Jones has served in various leadership roles with Imperial Construction. Titles have included project manager, sales manager, preconstruction operations manager and executive vice president.

Jones believes the most important part of his job is to build relationships with his clients. “What sets this company apart from others is, as owners we are often present at the jobsite,” says Jones. “With a lot of companies, once the owners get to a certain level, their involvement in the business becomes very minimal. My partners and I are heavily involved and very accessible to our clients.”

Jones’ started in the construction industry at age seven when his father David Jones owned a general contracting firm. He says he received his work ethic from the elder Jones. “Through middle school he would have us out there working on weekends, holidays and through the summers,” explains Jones. “Now I look back and I’m so glad he did it because he taught me that work ethic.”

Accepting a challenge

Imperial Construction was not unlike thousands of other construction companies when the recession hit the U.S. in 2008. Jones says that concentrating on new development is one way the company weathered the economic downturn. “We worked really hard to go out and cultivate new clients,” says Jones. “For so long we were very fortunate and didn’t really have to do that because we had so many clients. Now we have such a strong presence in Texas that we’re looking to branch out even further.”

Diversification has also been a key factor in Imperial Construction’s success. “We have a very large resume,” notes Jones. “We have a wide variety of markets.”  While Imperial Construction completes many projects in the health care, oil and gas, and religion markets, Jones says that the telecommunications industry has played a big role in the company’s diversification process.

“During the recession, most of the typical markets we work in were not producing much work,” says Jones. “We were fortunate because at that time we began doing a lot of national work for Sprint, Verizon and CenturyLink.” Imperial Construction recently completed a project for Verizon, which consisted of more than 100 construction remodeling projects over a three-month period. The project took place across seven states in the central Northeast.

Currently, Imperial Construction is in the process of completing an elementary school in Mineral Wells, Texas. The 100,000-square-foot project has a budget of $18 million. Jones says the project has presented many challenges to the company, primarily in the groundwork of the foundation. “The soil has a lot of clay and unfortunately when the moisture comes in it starts swelling and contracting,” says Jones. “We’ve had to do a lot of different things as far as bringing in a lot of select fill and hauling off the clay. We’ve definitely had some hurdles to overcome but overall it’s been a great project.”

“We’re also doing a project in San Antonio for a drilling company out of Tulsa, Oklahoma,” says Jones. “The project is a $19 million regional office site. It’s on a 120-acre site, there’s going to be maintenance, administration and equipment buildings for all their facilities.” The project began construction in November 2014 and has a projected completion date of November 2015.

Setting goals

Looking into the future, Jones has ambitious goals for Imperial Construction. Currently a licensed general contractor in 37 states, the company is looking to expand its market throughout the country. “We’re looking at some opportunities in Denver, Colorado,” says Jones. “We’re planning to put together a business plan to work with some people on a few telecommunications projects.”

Jones has set his sights high for Imperial Construction “I just want to make it as big as I can,” says Jones. “I set really big goals for myself because I have a lot of people that depend on me.” Jones has a seven-year-old son who he says is a big motivation for him to build his company. “It’s important for him to be proud of me. When he’s older I want him to be able to look back and be proud of what I accomplished, just like I’m proud of my dad.”

The company will celebrate 15 years in business this year. The anniversary comes as Imperial Construction plans to open a new corporate headquarters. Jones says the company plans on throwing a big celebration for its employees complete with a live concert by a well-known country singer.

Imperial Construction Inc. has the experience, flexibility, resources and tools to deliver on a national scale and see a project through from start to finish. The company’s commitment to providing services that ensure a cost-effective and on-time project is an integral aspect of what makes Imperial Construction Inc. so successful.