Summer at PAVERART: Growth, Grit & a Grill
- Mark Olivito
- 6 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Summer has always been a challenging season at PAVERART. I can't stand the heat-but our crew prefers it to the bitter cold, so this is their time to shine.
Each summer presents a couple of key challenges:
1) Peak Production - Especially with our school client base who want installations finished before students return.
2) New talent - Whether it's high school interns or Dominic coming off the bench we are always adding fresh hands.
But this summer feels a bit lighter, for a couple of reasons:
PAVERART Team Growth: A Familiar Face Joins The Squad
We are picking up a "veteran" - Dominic - who's worked with us 5+ summers and throughout the year on projects. In fact, way back in 2020 I still smile at the pics of Dom and Brian cracking the code on our design process and other shenanigans profiled in: Summertime: Improving Key Capabilities At PAVERART
This time however we don't lose Dom in September. It's nice having a "new" recruit who knows the team and business.
Nice to see Grandpa (note the PAVERART shirt) with the assist to Dom. Sooner or later ties will be outlawed!
Pictures Always Tell A Story
After I spend some time building the photo collages below I tend to breathe easier seeing all that's being accomplished.
A full shop of PAVERART designs is always a good sign. At any point, the floor can show off multiple homeowner designs, school logos, or town seals. The past few weeks had them all.
Growing Pains & Opportunity: Our Third Expansion
One day I got the call:
"Hey guys, the unit next door is opening up in a month. Interested?"
These decisions are never black and white. More space always helps, but making it functional means investing real dollars - in access, in utilities, in risk. If the business doesn't grow to meet those costs, you've added pressure, not smart growth.
We first needed to create access, cutting out an entrance-way, but conforming to town regulations as it relates to Fire Safety (costly!).
Once access is solved, onto electrical upgrades to power more output. Adding electrical capacity is not for the faint of heart.
As Brad Pitt says in Moneyball: DO WE BELIEVE IN THIS THING, OR NOT?
Since I've been here (2018), my answer is always Let's Go!
A lucky thing happened though........our largest diameter (55') compass rose intersection project began right when we took possession, consuming 90% of the new space. I'll take luck and good fortune over grand plans any day of the week!
The $250 Investment That Matters Most
Funny thing? Of all the investments this season - electrical upgrades, new entrance, expanded footprint - one stands apart:
A $250 Grill
Why? Because bringing the team together on Fridays to share a few laughs is ROI that does not show up in a spreadsheet. But it matters more than more cut-and-dry line items.
Install Photos: The Final Mile
Clients sending in their install photos is always a highlight of our week. It's the final mile of the PAVERART journey- seeing a design come to life at its destination. Whether it's a school, church, or home, watching our work transform a space never gets old!
Small But Mighty: The Engraving Crew
Our Engraving crew is shaping up to be small, but mighty.
Our PAVERART ENGRAVING shop works with customers of all types, from Municipalities, churches, Schools, First Responders, and Veteran Organizations. VFWs. We engrave concrete and natural stone with our eco-fill technology and also Laser engrave CLAY products. We've come a long way in our engraving business!
From Fires to Fryers: Measuring Progress
A few summers ago, I recall breathing a sigh of relief right after Labor Day. We did a podcast on how brutal the summer was and recounted a "sad and funny story" of a teenager training with us who managed to start a small fire in the shop. He lolly-gagged over to Brian to inform him but did not show any urgency over extinguishing it.
Things like teenagers shuffling their feet while showing no urgency to put out their own fire consumed our mental energy.
Now I've created a new problem. Friday Hot Dogs & Hamburgers gets repetitive. That's a higher-quality problem to deal with.
Progress in a small business can be measured by comparing your problems and see if you like them more than past problems.
At PAVERART, boring grilling menus beat employees who don't feel the need to put out their own fire - any day of the week.
