5 years ago, Tom Raveret left his role as Senior Vice President at a competing construction firm to start Corporate Office Construction. Here is a little bit more about Tom and the company.
What is your background?
I have over 25 years of experience working as a general contractor doing commercial office interiors. I am a licensed architect with 2 Bachelor degrees from Iowa State University. I worked for the first 4 years of my career as an architect, then 4 years working for a real estate developer, and the last 25 as an interior general contractor.
How did your background help you in your current role?
By experiencing all sides of the table (Architect, Developer/Landlord, and contractor) I have a much better understanding of the different views and concerns of our clients. My background helps me anticipate and solve many potential problems before they occur.
Why did you decide to start your own Corporate Office Construction?
This company was created with the principal purpose of being more agile, collaborative, customer-centric, and honest. I am passionate about our clients and I felt by starting my own firm I could better serve them.
What makes your company unique?
Our reputation has made us successful. We have built our reputation one project at a time. We are not interested in the “one and done” mentality which is so prevalent in the industry. We want to build all our clients’ future projects, and the only way to do that is to be fair, honest, and professional.
What does the future look like for COC?
The future looks promising. We have managed to double in size year after year for the past 5 years. We attribute this growth to our singular focus on commercial interiors, emphasis on honest and lasting relationships with our clients, and our experienced team of Project Managers, Superintendents, Carpenters, and Labors.