What is your company's average production schedule? week to week, month to month, etc

Darren@Partners

What's a real bite is that the big outfits have decided to go after each other here and alomg with the hacks, have sucked the price down to cost. I, personally, could just hold out 'til the dust settles, but am sure I'd lose the best workers I've ever had by then. I do get some work on reputation alone and can command a decent price on it, but really, really need some "production" jobs to keep the $ flowing and the men working. It's a bad situation.
What we may find is that this may drive the good amigos home and the skilled locals into factory or regular jobs. The other side of this downturn may find us without any (or very few) skilled workers at all. We then will be forced to retrain a new work force.
In the meantime, I'll keep scrambling around to find fill remodels and basements, jobs 2 hours away, etc. All the stuff that the big boys can't or won't do. That is, if hyper-inflation doesn't strike a death blow to the entire economy. In which case, we all have to raise prices to numbers we'd have never dreamed of.

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Stormy_Ny

Very Well said ....Darren. It is the scramble for sure. I live in a very rural area. Binghamton is 45 mins away ...Syracuse an hour and 10 -15 depending on the season. 2 hr drives are a way of life for me ...... A large DD and a couple of puffs ....Fox news on Sirus and away we go

Whitey97

Is he talking about boobs or drugs?

Darren@Partners

Not drugs Whitey, he listens to Fox news

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Stormy_Ny

HA HA ....... I have been staring at walls for a long time ...... Got to do something to stop the monotony of it all

Custom Drywall Svc.

i agree with u both, stormy and stilts...

'mexican companies' setting prices.....yea, i know exactly how that goes. all this mess, i call irresponsible pricing...because it is.

stilts is exactly right as well, you set the price.

i myself, will never compete with the 'hacks' that are charging cost (or what honest companies would deem as 'cost')

all i can do, is live off a great reputation, which my company is blessed to have...and quality............and of course, those two go hand in hand.

i tell potential customers straight out now, 'hey....im not going to be the cheapest bid, i can guarantee u that now....if thats what you are looking for, than no offense, but we cant work together'......'our competitive advantage is quality, not pricing'

you guys have heard me say this before, and yes its my mantra. so far, its been prett succesful, as in my little 'spiel' to every new potential customer....

successful as in, i secured and was awarded 3 of the 5 recent jobs i bid.....i THINK its working at least, being bluntly honest to the customer.

overall, this whole situation sucks, bottomline. no other way to say it.

my company survives on production homes, week to week...other than that, if i dont have anything on the 'side'...im close to dead.

how competitive it has gotten lately is ridiculous.....all i know is i can bid 20 jobs, and feel 'good' if i get awarded 1............

before, i could bid 20 jobs, and get at least 12 - 13 of those...times have just changed.

the 'mexican companies / hacks'...whatever u wanna call em, i feel is just not educated enough. not that theyre just plain 'stupid' but not educated in a business sense. because they should know the pricing practices they keep up, will have them out within 1-2 years.........which is exactly whats happend.

which....is good. but in the same talk, WE i.e., honest drywall businesses, have to sit thru this duration, and suffer while these companies slowly wane themselves out of business.......

Darren@Partners

Hindu flipper called for an estimate today and almost hung up twice, repeating pretty much what Custom just posted on quality, reliability and price. Worse yet this job is in the hood, shouldn't even waste my time but set a 10am for tomorrow. A great salesman taught never to prejudge a lead, but there was ever one to start, this would be it.

Anybody else see the employment recovery forecast today? If you didn't, don't. It's enough to make you wanna slit yer wrists.

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Stormy_Ny

Amen Brothers ...... I just got the call ... Start tomorrow 7am ......Have no idea what I am getting a unit ...really doesn't matter ....It's the only game in town till the schools close.

He says we do a Level 5 finish ....and I pay a lot for it. Hummmmmm wonder what a lot means.

I ask a true level 5 you are skimming the walls ? No no no he says ..... so we will see ......it could be work for the rest of the summer.

Custom Drywall Svc.

good for you man....

maybe hes spraying the walls....?

i dont do it the same all the time......just depends.

lotta commercial jobs, i spray on Hamilton prep coat, and spot touch-up afterwards with a light.

(oh, and btw, if you dont mind, tell us how much he as paying......im looking forward to know what a 'lot' is as well)

A+ Texture LLC

Hmm, I don't know stormy, but that sounds like a lot. Hopefully his version and your version are similar.

Darren@Partners

Even a blind pig finds an acorn once in awhile. That Hindu flipper, Not flipping but he and his local wife ( whose father is a trim carpenter) actually know the value of a quality bid and are on a schedule to complete the total remodel. And a decent neighborhood after all. A $10k + job.

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Custom Drywall Svc.

good to hear man.

hindus (no offense to anyone), are very shrewd when it comes to business. my experience, goes both ways, but the extremes.

ive experienced some that build 5000 sf houses, yet specifically tell me to bid 'the cheapest items and specs possible'........and when i present them a proposal, try to cut THAT in half.


and of course, like darren said, the ones who want / know quality work.....and will pay nearly any amnt of money for the most high-end work.

go figure.....

Whitey97

I haven't had that pleasure yet. With my current luck, I'm sure I'll get one next.

Stormy_Ny

I hit the jackpot boys...... Working out to 30 cents a sqft, 6500 to 7000 sqft each depending on the unit. Mesh with durabond first coat flats ..... 9ft ceilings ... Seems like a great guy to work with. All in all I would say a grand slam for the time and place.

And he has 35 more units to go. Durabond is the only downer ...... mixing that **** is an art in it self and working by yourself is a lot of mixing. Plus it is a bitch to pull all day.

I also got my Black Widow sander in the mail today .... Props to you guys for the link.

I am also looking for a Porter Cable Sander ....Just the sander unit.... If anyone knows of one used or reconditioned let me know.

A+ Texture LLC

Congrats dude and welcome to the site. Just to let you know you can get hot mud up like 220 minute. I used to use it on triple wide modulars before. I think you can even get higher than that. Might help you mix a little less. It's always good to hear when one of us score a sweet job. Always stay positive, and spread the good vibe around a little. We can all use it here and there.

Whitey97

GET IT IN WRITING! or you will have to deal with the type of people that I've been dealing with lately. Don't get me started

Custom Drywall Svc.

yea, i second that.


hate to see you get hurt.

especially 'times like now'....everything must be in writing.

rebel20

We got a good deal going on here got some bigwig buying up warehouses and making storage units out of them. Each 8'x12' puttin up walls no finishing has about 150 a month for us. Other than that patch jobs but we are in and out in 4 hours they got a great mud here fast setting 45 min 2 coats no taping and you can start painting in 3 hours. Just finished up a 850sqft the other day in 2 hours ready for paint. Guy's got family in the states in the construction business know how your feeling. If I here anything I will make sure to post it on here. Always willing to help the fellow drywaller.

Rebel
Originally from Michigan

Custom Drywall Svc.

Rebel,

No taping??

i dont know.....sounds too fast for its own good. painting in 3 hours.....wow...hahahhah.

rebel20

quote=Custom Drywall Svc.;5364]Rebel,

No taping??

i dont know.....sounds too fast for its own good. painting in 3 hours.....wow...hahahhah.[/quote]

It was hard for me to believe it also when I first heard about it. Told the guy who talked to me about it he was nuts....muddin no tape duh? Until I tried it now I won't use nothin else because if I have to tape use fibreglass and still 2 coats over top and ready to paint in 3 hrs.