May 21, 2012
“Keep On Keeping On”
I believe the hardest thing to do in our business and moreover in life is to simply “keep on keeping on.” That’s pretty much what we are doing here at Cooper Brothers – trying to keep on keeping on. Work for us, as for everyone in our industry, is tough to find and harder to get. It requires more effort and ingenuity to find business in these economic times. We have found that the past 2 years have seen the biggest downturn in our history in the construction business and we really don’t see any marked improvement in the near future. We can lament and complain and moan about how it hard and tough it is and wait for it to get better or we can take matters into our own hands and do something about it. We have chosen to do the latter.
Yes margins are down, bid lists are full of desperate bidders and viable projects are few and far between. Survival seems to be the name of the game and we are doing a pretty good job at that, all things considered. Someone asked me the other day what is “normal” and I told them that in this business now is always normal. And that will probably change tomorrow!
Construction is a challenging profession and one that requires a lot of creativity and the ability to meet the demands of the marketplace which are always changing. Now is really no different. It also requires dogged determination and the will to “keep on keeping on”. One has to find new approaches to old problems and develop new markets and find niches that you can develop and excel in while maintaining your operating capabilities.
As I tell my younger folks in our company this is the first “down cycle” you have experienced and it’s something that always occurs in this business – sometimes they are short and sometimes they are long. It’s all about consumer confidence and now about the world economies as well, as we are truly operating in a global environment. I believe the market will continue to be tough for us all until we can regain some form of sanity in the credit markets and the lenders can once again develop some faith and confidence in the fiscal policy at all levels. Until that happens we just have to continue to do what we do best and focus on our strengths and minimize our operating costs. Our people have responded well to the challenge and I am proud of all of them.
We continue to be blessed with loyal employees and customers who have sustained us during these difficult times. I am proud to say that we have experienced no layoffs or reduction of force and while that has been tough at times we feel like our company is a family and is made of people, good people. They were here with us through the good times and it’s our responsibility to be here through the bad times for them. We take that responsibility very seriously and frankly it makes good business sense. We have a team of seasoned professionals here at Cooper Brothers and it’s in our best interest to keep the team together and ready for the next project and the good times when they come again. And yes I do believe they will come again.
My mother had a saying that I have thought about a lot these past few years and it goes like this, “this too shall pass”. Sometimes we have to rely on our faith- our faith in ourselves, our fellow man and our Lord and now is one of those times. I firmly believe we will all look back on these times as a test, just another one of those life-challenges we all face and are strengthened by and those with the faith, the courage and the will to believe in themselves and what they are doing will survive. Those that do, will prosper and we choose to be one of those.
That being said – we here at Cooper Brothers are going to “keep on keeping on” and choose to succeed and prosper- in spite of the odds. And we will, of that, I have no doubt.
God has truly blessed this company and our “family” here and we will continue to work hard for our clients and the communities in which we serve going forward.
Tom Bolton
June 3,2011
Well it’s been over a year since I have updated this blog and it’s been a heckuva year. My baby daughter is now engaged and will be married in Charlottesville, Virginia in September at the chapel on the campus of her beloved alma mater University of Virginia. She is marrying a fine young man from Connecticut, Michael Baudinet and we are welcoming him into our extended family. Kaye and I went up in April and met the family and were very impressed and pleased with the new in-laws and their extended family.
They are more like us than we expected and share our values and beliefs. Michael is the eldest of 5 children and his parents Jenny and Charles are first class. Imagine if you can, Tom Bolton in Connecticut and you can begin to appreciate my wife and daughter’s concern and consternation in allowing me to visit, much less speak in that environment. I am pleased to report that I behaved myself, made a lot of new friends and am looking forward to the union of our families in the fall.
I may not survive all the drama but CWC (that’s "Central Wedding Command") has the deployment fully under control, there have been several recon trips and I am sure there will be more. Kaye (MOB- that’s Mother of the Bride) is a veteran and very experienced and has the SOB (that’s sister of the Bride) as her field general and chief lieutenant. Myself (FOB-Father of the Bride) I am supposed to be quiet, smile and keep the credit cards loaded. I know my place in this deal.
My grand daughter Emma Kate is flourishing and growing like a weed every day. Thank goodness she has her Mother’s and Grandmothers’ looks and IQ and she never ceases to amaze us with her antics and development. We have a wonderful family and for this I am truly blessed.
We have, I believe, survived the economic turndown as we have recently been awarded 2 major contracts and are busily mobilizing them and preparing to get back into full gear. It’s been indeed a tough down cycle- we were 2nd place bidders on 6 jobs in a row last year but we kept the faith and our people suffered no layoffs and of this we are proud. The world as we knew it has changed and all elements of our business are more challenging and difficult but I am indeed extremely proud of our staff and employees and the way they have buckled down and worked with us through these hard times.
We also have a number of opportunities in front of us- both in the construction arena as well as the development one and I am growing more encouraged by the day.
Tallassee is on track and progressing nicely and the community is coming together behind the vision and plan we have laid out for the projects.
Jackson is beginning to boom with the influx of industry related to the new Steel mill and we have already benefited from our presence in the area.
Our newest investment the, Hampton Inn-Jackson, went on line in June of last year and has exceeded our expectations to date. We are currently looking at several opportunities in the Clarke County area – one of which is bringing a first class restaurant to Jackson and are excited about the talent and potential we have found in our early stages of research. Stay tuned as this may be developing rapidly in the very near future.
Our largest project this year by far to date is the new steel processing plant for SET –Alabama Inc., a Michigan based company owned by a Marine veteran and this project brings with it an exciting opportunity for partnership and development in many areas across the Southeast. We are also looking at development projects in Tennessee and Louisiana which could be very substantial and ones in which we were invited to participate.
God has truly blessed this company and our “family” here and we will continue to work hard for our clients and the communities in which we serve going forward. I am excited again about our future and the team we have on board.
Thanks to you all who have been instrumental in our success and will continue to be in the future.
Tom
March 21, 2010
§ I recently joined forces with Tim McCollum and Robert Klinner in ownership of a vintage cotton mill site on the Tallapoosa River at Tallassee Alabama formerly known as Mount Vernon Mills. It is a 20 plus acre site encompassing some of the prettiest granite and heart pine structures one has ever seen.The current structures encompass over 1,000,000 square feet. It also fronts on the river and borders on Stone Creek in an absolutely gorgeous setting. We formed a new company Talisi/Tallapoosa Riverfront Development Group specifically for this project. We are going to develop it into a multi-million dollar Green development –Leeds Certified Eco-friendly planned community consisting of Condominiums, Loft Living and Retail/commercial space along with live-work units for an artisan community and Senior Living facilities focused on retirees and New Millennium family units-commuters if you like. The name of this project is The Old Mill Crossing at Talisi.
§ We are also working with the city on the development of the West Bank where there is currently the remains of another old mill and the only Confederate Armory not taken by the Union during the Civil War. It is a diamond in the rough and could be the source for great community development consisting of a Hotel and Conference Center, an outdoor Amphitheater and entertainment complex, a museum, nature trails and a bird aviary.
§ Tallassee has a spectacular heritage ranging from the home of the Creek Indians to the Civil War to the cradle of the Textile Industry to today’s involvement with cutting edge technology ranging from Aerospace to Automotive to Building Components and Water Meters. Truly a jewel of a small town and one of kind among communities of it’s size.
§ We have coined a name for this aspect of the project, it is Heritage Riverfront Park and it will be owned by a new quasi-governmental entity- the Tallassee Downtown Revitalization Authority. The opportunities are limitless and mind-boggling.
§ If we can be successful with these two projects it will involve millions of dollars in investment and at least 200-400 permanent jobs in just the East side Development. There will be another 40-50 jobs created on the West side in the new Park concept.
§ We have already met this week with the leaders and the community in a public town hall meeting that was attended by an overflow crowd of some 200 plus people. The community is excited and already buying into the concept.
§ We have assembled a team of investment bankers, architects, planners and members of the community and look forward to putting this project together in the coming weeks and months.
§ Elsewhere on our website you can see pictures of the current site and some of the architect’s renderings of what it may become.
§ We welcome feedback and response from everyone regarding our plans and your suggestions on how we can make it better.
§ While a complex and ambitious undertaking it is one that will involve historic restoration, and potentially could serve to revitalize this lovely old mill town. The location is prime and the timing is right. We can’t be more excited about this once in a lifetime opportunity.
§ We are proud of the fact that our reputation and experience has afforded us this special opportunity to be of service.
§ Please join us in praying for this development as it could mean a lot to central Alabama – particularly a very special little town with some wonderful people and a fantastic heritage.
March 12, 2010
Well it’s finally beginning to show signs of spring outside. It’s truly been a long, hard and dark winter and I know I am glad to see some sunshine and feel its warmth. The dogwood is going to be blooming before long and I can’t wait. It’s my favorite time of year and coincidentally the best time to go fishing which I intend on doing a lot of, I hope. I also hope I can take my granddaughter fishing with me this year and spend more time with her. She is truly an angel and she thinks the world of her “Pop-Pop”. He thinks the world of her too and he plans on spoiling the heck out of her as much as he can! I figure this is the Lords way of “payback” for my daughter and I am so looking forward to doing my part.
It’s been a particularly tough winter for us in that we lost our long time friend and colleague, Calvin Ross, and continue to mourn him. He was the last living connection to my original team here at Cooper Brothers and it made me stop and think about all of the many fine people I have had the privilege of working with here. It also makes you starkly aware of your own mortality and coming to grips with that is not fun.
We seem to be staying busy here on a day to day basis but our backlog continues to dwindle and we are wrapping up work on 2 major projects – the new High School @ Marbury and the Hampton Inn in Jackson. The hotel should be opening in May and we look forward to a great response from the public as we are already receiving and accepting reservations. We have begun hiring our new staff for the facility and hope to hire the majority of our staff from the community. The mayor and city government have been great to work with in Jackson and we really appreciate that.
We are actively our bidding and pursuing work in the public sector and the opportunities are few and increasingly competitive. The last job we bid was yesterday in Washington County and we placed 5th out of 17 bidders. Close but no cigars.
Our negotiated and private sector work has always been our forte and it continues to sustain us in these tough economic times. We are working with the City of Tallassee on 2 major developing projects there that if they are successful in proceeding we will be busy for a very long time. We have also been contacted by 3 other communities in the Black Belt asking us to come in and develop a plan like we did with Sunrise Selma here in town. It’s truly ironic that our failure here with Sunrise may ultimately lead to more and better opportunities in other communities. We continue to hold out hope for Selma and still hold property here that we are contemplating on developing depending on the course and direction we see Selma taking.
Our furniture making business endeavor – “Sweet T Architectural” is slowly getting formed as I have the time to devote to it- we have already fully equipped a commercial woodworking shop and are developing our prototypes here for production. Our work is going to be totally handmade of local materials by local artisans and we have signed an agreement with a Birmingham showroom to display our wares. If anyone is interested in seeing what we are about here I would welcome your phone call and you can come by and see first hand what we are going to be making right here in Selma.
We have learned that last year ended for us on a profitable note and that for our industry we were at the top in percentage return on investment. I attribute that solely to our people. We are nothing but a group of people with similar goals and values who really work well together. I am very proud of all of them and am honored to work alongside them.
The New Year is bringing all of us lots of new challenges and no one knows how it’s going to go. But then I believe that’s true about every year is it not?
I have faith and I have confidence that we are going to be alright and do well...as long as we keep our focus and maintain our emphasis on customer satisfaction and quality craftsmanship. I know we will. I hope and pray that it goes well for all of you too.
In closing I would ask you to please join me in remembering Calvin Ross and his wife Janet in your prayers. We all will miss him.
Peace
Tom
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December 24, 2009
Two days before Christmas we lost a friend and colleague. Calvin Ross Senior Superintendent for Cooper Brothers died suddenly and unexpectedly of apparently a massive heart attack. His sudden loss came as a shock to us all and really made for a tough Holiday Season for his family and all his many friends. In tribute to Calvin Ross –find below my eulogy given at Calvin’s funeral.
I am not going to stand up here today and cry and grieve for my dear friend and colleague Calvin Ross. If anything I am jealous- in so many ways.....Calvin, while having a short life here on this earth – lived a long and fruitful one in terms of his accomplishments. Calvin was a big man- larger than life and he knew those things in life we all seek and try to secure in our time on this earth.
§ He knew love- Love for his oh so special wife- Janet- they truly were one – and all of you who knew them – know it and saw it in their faces daily.
§ He loved others – and he wasn’t afraid to show it. His years of “Santa- Clausing” showed that to many of you here. Did you know that the last two nights of his life he was doing “Santa Claus” gigs – making children smile.
§ He loved his job and he was good at it. He grew in skill from a carpenter’s helper to a senior superintendent building multi-million dollar projects – many of which were schools – where he then served as Santa Claus at Christmas. He was proud of that and so was I – very proud of him.
§ He loved life...he loved just going out and being with others---whether it was at a Moose Lodge or on a jobsite or down at Fullers’- He was always the center of attention – he commanded your attention when he walked in. He was so human with all of its failings but he was also so god-like in all of his strengths...He didn’t talk it – He walked it...until the day he died.
§ He loved the Lord....Like so many of us -it was difficult at first for him to put that love into words....but it came easier at the latter stages of his life....go to the STJ website if you want to see Calvin and hear his testimony- Its very powerful. Truthfully Calvin knew and represented Love- He just did it better than any of us. I want to share with you a few thoughts and if I can about Calvin- they exemplify his life to me...... Calvin’s career with Cooper Brothers spanned over 25 years...He was one of those few that spent his entire career with one company. You just don’t see that any more. Calvin was loyal and he was proud of his company and we were proud of him.
The next story is about last Friday night- we had our annual Christmas Party and I recognized folks that had been with me since the beginning – Calvin was the only one left and we honored that. Then it was time to eat and honestly I forgot the blessing...until Calvin reminded me. I asked Calvin to return thanks and he did a beautiful job. The first time he had ever done that in 25 years.... I didn’t really know what that meant at the time but it has stuck with me since last Friday night....and now today I know. Calvin Ross’s life was a blessing – to me and to Janet and to his family and to his colleagues. He was one of a kind. His ministry was Santa Clausing and his beloved wife was caught up in that as well. He spread love and happiness wherever he went and he will be missed. Missed but never forgotten. Calvin Ross blessed our meal last Friday night ....and he blessed me all of the time I knew him. Calvin Ross was a blessing to us all and we will miss him.
Today I challenge us all to be a blessing to others like Calvin Ross was to us. He would want that. The day after tomorrow is Christmas Day.....go from here with Calvin in your heart and do his bidding. Calvin would want you to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas – secure in the fact that he now is a part of that wonderful equation Christ birth and resurrection....Calvin Ross is with his mama and his Savior today....and is at peace.
May God bless us all.
November 23, 2009
Greetings:
Its Thanksgiving week here and I am really looking forward to the Holiday. My family is coming and that’s always special to have your family with you on the holidays. It’s a special time to both look back and also look forward and remember the times spent growing up as you see loved ones and reminisce about your family both present and those deceased. At these times I particularly miss my mama because of the the day and the cooking that she did on this special day. The smells come back to me more than anything and remind me of the unreserved (and undeserved) love that it represented. My mama, as yours, was the best one in the whole wide world and I will never forget her- I think of her every day. One of my greatest achievements in her eyes was my wife Kaye and she in so many ways reminds me of my mama as well- particularly in the cooking at Thanksgiving. While we have never served the Russian Red Army at my house- either growing up or even in recent years on the Ponderosa- we have always been prepared-just in case. If you don’t like left over’s and turkey sandwiches you are out of luck at my house until Monday of next week. Thank goodness I like them – actually love them and am really looking forward to the leftovers almost as much as the Thanksgiving meal.
We all seem to lose sight sometimes of the meaning of Thanksgiving, but this year seems a little different- Its been an up and down year in business with a lot of setbacks and disappointments but we will again achieve record volumes and were recognized for another year as one of Alabama’s top general contracting firms. We all have a lot to be thankful for- but especially me- I have my health, a wonderful wife and daughters and son-in-law as well as a princess of a granddaughter Emma Kate. She has graced these pages already and I just know that she continues to be the apple of her Pop-Pop’s eye. She is walking and talking now and we’re already making plans for some fishing time together next spring. She is indeed special. We have lost some very special members of our immediate family this year and it has been tough on Kaye and I – Sophie our poodle and Bonnie our Yorkie died this year-both well along in age and we really miss them as does our dachshund Jaycee. Its just not the same around our house but we are making do- still cant bring ourselves to bring in new ones- just not ready yet I guess- plus all of us are kind of set in our ways. We are also looking forward to picking up my baby daughter Moggie Wednesday at the airport and having her home for the holiday. It’s just comforting for all of your family to be home with you. A good reason to give thanks...to each other sure- but to God for all he has done for us. And He has done a lot for my family and we need to give Him the glory- because it’s all His.
Work is going ok- I wish we had more work- but we are busy now and for that I am grateful. We have a few things working for next year- one is a loft apartment project we are redeveloping on the river here in Selma. It will be named 27 ° Selma and I hope to get started on it first quarter of next year. The architects are about through with the preliminary plans- next step is financing and that is always a challenge in times like this. We are also working a large and extremely exciting preservation project in east Alabama and hope to have an announcement on that shortly. If we are successful in landing that one we will be in great shape for the new year- or at least as my Dad used to say...”The ducks will be on the pond!” Its up to us then to shoot em. In the midst of the worst recession we have all seen in our lifetime – I am proud to say we haven’t had to layoff a single person and don’t plan on it. Our folks are good hard workers and it’s a tribute to them. I don’t tell them enough but they do a really great job for us and I am thankful for them all.
And now on to the complaint department...I am still receiving a number of complaints about the lack of photographs on our website of Emma Kate. I must state again for the record-I am not responsible for the number of pictures of my granddaughter on my website. I know there are not enough of them and need to be a whole lot more. The person responsible for this is the webmaster, Emma Kate’s daddy and my son-in-law, Steven South. His office number is 334-874-8267. Call him repeatedly, often and at all hours of the day or night and voice your displeasure. I know I am. We are the world and we want more pictures of America’s Granddaughter! All of those pretty buildings are nice – but they don’t hold a candle to EK!
Seriously, we are so blessed and it’s great to have this uniquely American holiday to remember them. We are truly blessed to have work, to have good people to work with and a great family in good health. We are also blessed to live and work in this great country and to have the wonderful folks of our armed services defending our freedom overseas in far off and forbidden lands as we go about our daily lives. Thank you to all the men and women of our armed forces. Thank you to the families of those kids also- I have a new appreciation for what you are going through as well. May God bless and keep you all for what you do.
It may be a tough year for us when measured by our standards...but when measured by worldly standards...we have it easy and we need to recognize and appreciate it more. I know as I get older I sure do. As we all celebrate this Thanksgiving lets all remember to give thanks – thanks to others who make it possible and thanks to our Creator- who is responsible for all it and for all of us. Thank you God!
Peace
Tom
Caption:
Bella and Deuce enjoy the afternoon sun after a hard day's work.
August 3, 2009
Well it’s the first of August...its hot and humid. I believe they call this dog days here in the deep South. In looking back it’s been a few months since I last did this but then you have to understand I have been really busy. Ever heard that excuse before? I have and am just as guilty as the next person in using it. The simple truth is that we all seem to make time for that which is important to us. Then we make excuses for those things we feel like we should have done but either forgot or didn’t get around to it. That’s human I guess- but its real frustrating to me- not only when I hear it from others...but when I hear myself use it as well. I am going to try and quit using that as an excuse anymore....as soon as things ease up a little and I am not as busy as I now am...
Seriously things at CBCC seem to be going well. We have a fair amount of work and our projects are pretty much on track and schedule. We are going to need some additional work soon and we have already begun to look for some. There is a school in Brewton and one in Livingston as well as an intermodal facility in Montgomery we are considering pursuing.
We are very much involved in 27 ° Selma a new development company here in Selma and will be beginning a renovation project with them in the not so distant future. It is an exciting project-the old Safelite Building - one that will involve loft apartments and retail space- all beautifully located on the banks of the Alabama River right down from the Edmund Pettus Bridge. While not one of our larger projects it will be fun because it will be a historical rehab project and involve some beautiful old heart pine wood restoration as well as the challenges that come from working over the river’s edge. If successful this project, we hope, will spur additional growth and rehabilitation on the river and in the downtown area.
We are also making preparations to start up a new company – Sweet T Architectural – a company formed to deconstruct old non-historic buildings and salvage and recycle the antique and old building materials and architectural elements of these structures. We have purchased the old Dallas Compress Complex on Alabama Ave and are in the process of assessing the materials as well as completing the environmental testing requirements prior to beginning the actual deconstruction process. We anticipate the marketing of the old hand made brick as well as some beautiful heart pine beams and related products. We may quite possibly even set up a heart pine flooring operation where we will be manufacturing our own reclaimed antique flooring for export and for domestic sales. This business has a lot of potential for us as well as the potential to create between 50 and 100 new jobs for the community. We hope operations on site can begin within the next 60-90 days.
Personally I recently celebrated my 35th wedding anniversary with my bride Kaye and we plan on taking a trip to California to celebrate the time she has had to put up with me. Can you imagine? 35 years? Is there such a thing as a lady saint? Well if there is- I sure know one....her name is Kaye. My granddaughter is almost one and is almost walking as well. She has been driving for 6 months but Kaye says I am not supposed to tell that. She looks just like me and is a already a whole lot smarter. But then that’s not saying much is it? I am just hoping she starts looking more like her grandmother.....as a girl it would really help her get along in life...
And now on to the complaint department...i have received a number of complaints about one subject on this website and I need to address it once and for all. I am not responsible for the number of pictures of my granddaughter on my website. I know there are not enough of them and need to be a whole lot more. The person responsible for this is the webmaster, Emma Kate’s daddy and my son-in-law, Steven South. His office number is 334-874-8267. Call him repeatedly, often and at all hours of the day or night and voice your displeasure. I know I am. We are the world and we want more pictures of America’s Granddaughter! All of those pretty buildings are nice – but they don’t hold a candle to EK!
As one can tell there are no dull moments around here. We have many great opportunities before us and so much more in the way of blessings. We are truly blessed to have work, to have good people to work with and a great family in good health.
We all need to stop and, even during these tough times, give thanks to God for the many blessings we do have. Lord knows we don’t do it enough and need to.
Peace
Tom
2.12.09
A belated Happy New Year to you all. Its been a fast year so far with a lot going on around here. Trying to get the First Baptist Church Project started, wrapping up the Bibb County project and pushing the State for approval on the Hampton Inn drawings - its been fun but fast and furious. Our other projects are all going well and I am proud of all of our staff. I told them just the other day that we are now doing three times the volume we were doing - with almost half the staff. That's called productivity progress in spades. Great job guys and Pat.
We have also been spending a lot of time on a very large project here in Selma that we are all hoping and praying will come to fruition. I really can't say a whole lot more at this time; but suffice to say that if we are successful in pulling this deal together, it could have far reaching implications for our entire community. It is different that anything we have ever done, but we have partnered with some great people who really want to make a difference in this community and we are proud to have be asked to take a part in this effort. Stay tuned!
We just received notice late last year we were once again selected by Business Alabama magazine as one of the top General Contractors in Alabama. This makes for our 5th consecutive year and we are again once humbled and proud of the confidence placed in us by our clients and subcontractor partners. We are just a part of a very large team and we need to thank them all personally for our successes together. It is very nice to be recognized and we are most appreciative.
We are going to be introducing a new component to our website this year - Featured Subcontractor and we will feature outstanding subcontractors who are currently working with us and doing a good job. Being a part of our team, they deserve recognition from us - sometimes I think we do not thank them enough and this is a chance for us to do just that. Look for it soon. Valentines is coming up this weekend guys....I am celebrating my 35th this year with my bride and I would strongly encourage all of you gentlemen out there to not forget Saturday! Doing so could be hazardous to your health. May God bless us all and our country.
Peace.
11.6.08
Autumn....actually one of my favorite times of the year. The colors are gorgeous especially up in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We had an occasion to visit our youngest daughter Moggie in Washington D.C. and took time to drive up through the Shenandoah Mountains between Lexington and Washington and it was indeed breathtaking. Our Lord's splendor is awesome; especially at this time of year in the mountains. Our granddaughter is growing like a weed and looks more and more like her Daddy every day. Scary part is that he is starting to look like me! Oh No!
Well we have a new President in Barak Obama and we also seem to have a first class problem with our economy for him to tackle. I hope we can all unite and come together behind him and that he will be a great and wise leader.
Let's also hope he has better judgement and common sense than those that have preceded him over the past 25 years. They have sure made a mess out of things and here's hoping some common sense and judgement are restored in our decision making process. I am somewhat cynical but thats probably my age and nature talking....so I am going to pray for some wiser heads and true patriots in Washington......which would I know be an exception to the rule. I used to think I was a Republican, now really don't think much of either party. I am going to vote for those people who act more like Joe Lieberman and less like Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi. I will vote for Lieberman and those who are responsible and not afraid to do the right thing....regardless of polls and public opinion. One thing I do know.....best news of the week is not the results of the elections but the end of those damned political ads......Is it just me, or am I getting old? Or were they especially disgusting and numerous this year?
Our construction and development business continues to flourish in spite of the economy and for this we are thankful. Our projects at this time are pretty much on track and our people are all doing a good job. I am thankful for that. We broke ground in Jackson last week for the new Hampton Inn and received a overwhelming turnout and show of support from the community. We are moving dirt now and I am happy to finally be underway. It's been a long time coming.
We welcomed an old friend back this month in Kenny Fulford and we are tickled to have him back. He is going to take over the Marbury School project and free up Calvin to come back and handle some local projects we hope to begin soon. Calvin has been on the road for us for a long time and deserves a little home time we think.
While we are indeed in the midst of a recession and our country is at war on two fronts I still am thankful....Thankful for this country, Thankful for the opportunity we have to work here and get involved in our community and Thankful for all of these wonderful folks around me who make up this company we call Cooper Brothers. I am also thankful for my family and firends and most of all for our Lord who has blessed us all so abundantly. I know that I sure dont appreciate it enough and I need to work on that for sure.
So I hope that you all have a safe and happy Thanksgiving and that you get to go home again....wherever Home is. Thanksgiving is for families and for giving thanks.....somethings we all need to be more mindful of as we go about our day to day activities. And do me a little favor if you could....on Thanksgiving Day when you sit down with your family to that bountiful meal....take a minute and think about those families that have empty places at their table because of a loved one protecting our freedom overseas in a war zone. And give thanks for them because they are prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for us all. May God Bless America!
Peace.
8.26.08
Well last Saturday morning August 23rd in the height of a driving rainstorm, Emma Kathryn South was born to Merrill and Steven South. Weighing in @ 8lbs. 2 oz. she has a head full of hair and a healthy set of lungs. The spitting image of her grandpa(hey this is my blog) she is perfectly gorgeous and very well behaved. Mother and daughter are resting well and might even go home this afternoon.
Being the first grandchild this has been fun to watch as both sides are absolutely beside themselves with joy and excitement. Grandma Kaye has already brushed her hair and installed Emma Kate's first 30# bow and Grandma Susan is busy checking her out as any good nurse would.
Rumor has it that Grandpa Steve does'nt like to share his lap time with anyone and has been reluctant to give up his grandaughter when asked to share. Merrill and Steven both are hoping they get to hold her some when they get home.
Now Granpa Bolton has taken charge of the situation and presented EK(Emma Kathyrn) with her first real present - An official Barbie Fishing Pole. He was planning on taking her fishing this weekend until wiser heads prevailed. She was seen last nite practicing her casting on the fourth floor in the hall though. She seems a natural.
Seriously we are all humbled by this experience and give thanks to our Lord for the beautiful blessing he has bestowed upon us. We hope we can live up to the responsibility that accompanies this wonderful child. We ask God to bless her and keep her and give her peace...throughout her life.
Kudos must go to the fourth floor nurses and staff at the Vaughan Hospital. They did an outstanding job and I could have not been more impressed with their care and concern as well as their competence and their patience which was not easy at times with my family I am sure. They sure did make this old granpa's experience a great one and kept him in the loop and at least thinking like he was important. We all know better though. They are, on all shifts, a great team and should be commended. Great Job!!
Baby Emma Kathryn South
7/25/08
It's my distinct pleasure today to welcome a new employee to Cooper Brothers. Sue Nichols has joined us here in the office and will be responsible for tracking our project costs and keeping us on track financially. She has already made quite an impression on the boys in the back and even earned a nickname in her first week. We are a close-knit group here at CBCC and it's hard to find the right person who will fit in and be able to make a contribution. I think we did very well in Sue's selection and I am excited about what she brings to our company by way of talent and personality. Rumor has it she and her husband are avid bikers and we are all waiting for her to ride her "Hawg" to work. Please join me in welcoming Sue Nichols to our family here @ Cooper Brothers.
6/30/08
It’s a Monday evening in late June and I am virtually speechless at the events of these past few weeks. I am also feeling both a lot blessed and a little anxious. You see...we were low bidder on a big school project in Autauga County ($12,000,000.00). The job is large (approx 92,000 sq. feet) and the time frame is fast (1 year). And we were low by only $18,000.00. That’s almost unbelievably tight bidding and I could not be prouder of my boys. We are working on a plan and schedule and we will succeed. We currently have either under contract or in backlog over $23,000,000.00 in construction. For a small town contractor I think that’s pretty good and I am so proud of my entire staff.
I am also a little anxious....you see I am going to be a grand daddy here in about 6 weeks and I haven’t found the instructions or the “Granddaddy for Dummies” book at Barnes and Noble. If any of you have a copy – please send it my way. I am going to have a granddaughter and her name is Emma Kathryn South. And as we all know girls are best and so I am looking very forward to meeting and spoiling the heck of my new little girl. And when she comes I will be posting a picture of the Dallas County Junior Miss of 2025 – just like her mama and her aunt. If I sound a little too proud I am sorry but I am and I am not going to apologize for it. My wife and my daughters are very, very special and its my job to let the world know just how much. And just think now I am going to have another one...one I can send home when she gets fussy. It can’t get any better than that.
The heat continues to build and the temperatures are rising, just like fuel prices and just about everything else. These times are challenging and we are changing and adapting our operations to them as I write. We are “greening” our operation – making it more efficient and productive. We are looking at our building designs and making any changes we can to make them more efficient and cost effective for our clients. Success nowadays is about good management and being capable of adapting to changing conditions. We continue to change our operation to better serve our clients and our employees. If one isn’t prepared to change in today’s environment, then one could get left behind and ultimately fall by the wayside.
We remain excited about the future and what it holds for our company, our family and our country. We still believe steadfastly that we live and work in the greatest country in the world – we are going to celebrate its independence this Friday and we encourage all of you to do the same. May God bless you and keep you safe over the upcoming holiday weekend and always. And may God bless America!
5/21/08
It's a beautiful spring day here, we're pouring concrete and hanging steel in Bibb County at the new High School and have a final inspection scheduled for Clarke County High School this afternoon. We are meeting with the First Baptist Church Selma this afternoon and finalizing their plans for an upcoming renovation. The Selma Interpretative Center has been released for constructionand we are preparing to begin onsite on Broad street in the next few weeks. The Hampton Inn and Suites project in Jackson is in the final drawings phase and we hope to be able to get underway in late summer.
It really doesnt get much better than this in the construction business and it is times like this that we find ourselves being humbled by our good fortune and giving thanks for all of our blessings. We are blessed with wonderful people who love what they do and do it very well. They are our friends as well as our co-workers and thats what makes this job a whole lot easier to deal with sometimes. We are also blessed with good clients and it is indeed a pleasure to work for them.
At times like this it makes us even more sensitive to the less fortunate of the world and even down the street. We see the news with the earthquakes in China and the Typhoon in Burma and we realize but for the grace of God that could well be us here in our community. We would encourage everyone to give a donation of money or time to help these people and any others who might just need a little help and some hope to get back on their feet.
If not for others helping and encouraging us in our earlier years we might not even be here. One of my favorite things to do is what some have called a "random act of kindness". Not any big deal - but little things like holding a door open for someone or letting them go ahead of you in a line at Walmart. Or not raising your fist or cussing someone in front of you on the Interstate who drives like an idiot...but waving and smiling at them.It's kind of neat to see that look on their face - first of stark disbelief and possibly even a little cynicism, then real appreciation and thanks when they realize there are no strings attached. I obviously don't do it enough because I have had some people even turn around and look back as if they weren't real sure what I was up to!
Try it sometimes...It will probably earn you a smile and it will also make you feel good inside.
Heading out for my third real "Family Vacation" Saturday - taking the whole family including my new son-in-law. I know how Chevy Chase feels. Really excited about the destination - the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone...but not looking forward to the whole luggage thing with all these women. If you have never traveled with a bunch of women you really don't know what you are missing. It is an experience in space and matter and pretty much like trying to squeeze a size 14 foot in a pair of size 8 shoes......But it's also just our 3rd or 4th vacation together as a family for a whole week and the older I get the more I realize how valuable time like this together is for us all. As my very wise, youthful and extremely attractive wife (how's that for kissing up and making brownie points) often says..."we're making memories!" So I am going to go make some memories this week with my wonderful family and I hope all of you get the chance to do the same. I hope you all have a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend. Peace
4/17/08
Well tax time has passed and we are still here. I hope all of you survived and are doing well. The Bolton family is excited about a new addition and deduction coming to our family soon in August of this year. We have just learned that we are going to be blessed with a granddaughter from our daughter and son-in-law Merrill and Steven. Grandmama is beside herself and Grandpappy is hanging in there. I told them both when they announced it that life as they now knew it was fixing to change...drastically. I think the best comment i have heard about being a grandparent is that you can spoil them and then give'em back. That sounds like a good plan to me.
The construction business continues to go well and prove challenging at the same time. Prices are really sensitive with these fuel cost increases and its difficult to try and be profitable and reasonable in an economy such as this. Thankfully we have good suppliers and subcontractors and they are proving their worth in this environment. A hats off to all of them - we appreciate what you do to try and help us keep these projects on schedule and budget.
With a slowing economy comes tightened money supply and we are seeing a slowing in payments from many of the governmental entities which serves as a bottleneck for us and our subs and suppliers. We continue to try and stay on top of this situation and keep our folks paid in a timely manner. Please bear with us if we do not seem as punctual as normal- we are doing all we can.
It's really interesting to me that these banks....many of which made loans to people that cannot afford to pay them now are now reluctant to make loans to people and companies that are fully capable of paying them back. It seems as if those of us who have done right and been conservative are now having to suffer for the poor judgement of others in the past...namely bankers. Thats probably an oversimplification but just a thought from someone in the business world. It seems extremely shortsighted to me. But then banking as a whole is nothing like it used to be when a man's character and reputation stood for and meant something in a banking equation. It doesnt seem to matter that much if at all anymore. That's truly a shame.
While the economy is obviously slowing on a national and even international level, for once I don't think its going to have that big of an impact on our business here in Alabama. With the school bond issue and the TK plant in South AL, plus the future Airbus contract and continued activity in the automotive industry, we see plenty of work and opportunities out there. Our biggest challenge is going to be containing costs and managing risk for our clients. We are blessed in this area to have a good solid slate of repeat and referral customers and they have served us well in good times and bad. For this we give thanks daily. Peace.
3/22/08
Hello my name is Tom Bolton and I am President of Cooper Brothers. I wanted this space to share my thoughts and ideas with our clients and employees and anyone who is interested in learning more about our company.
First I would like to thank Steven South my associate and son-in-law for all the work he has done in making this website a reality. Its something we have needed to do for a number of years and he was tasked with this responsibility. Steven you have done well and I am proud of you. This is Steven's first year with Cooper Brothers and I have been tough on him. He is handling it well and has come a long way. His people skills and his positive attitude have been a real plus for our company and we are proud to have him. He has a lot to learn about the business but he has a great attitude and that will take him far.
At a staff meeting last week I told our employees that we are now doing twice the volume with less personnel than we were 10 years ago. That is a tribute to our people who not only work here - they are part of our family. Many have been here for over twenty years and all are fiercely loyal to Cooper Brothers. In turn I am very loyal to them as well.
I like to think we are building something special here together and i believe we are. In the last several years we have added some youngsters to our family and they bring an enthusiasm and technological ability to our company that we all need and appreciate. These young people represent our future and that is important to me as we continue to grow in all areas. The combination of new blood and old seasoned hands seems to be standing us in good stead and for that I am eternally grateful.
We are currently working in Bibb County, Clarke County and Dallas County and have good prospects for more work in these and additional areas.
We are preparing now to open another office in Clarke County in the community of Jackson and are very excited about the prospects of new business development particularly in southwest Alabama. We have been blessed with a number of projects and opportunities in the area and developed relationships with a number of fine people and officials. More on this later.
As the national economy seems to be sliding towards a recession we give thanks daily for the business we have and the opportunities we have in the marketplace. Business has never been better and we are going to try and maintain the level of excellence our clients have come to expect.
Please know that we take our business very seriously - especially that trust relationship that must exist between a building contractor and his client and we will always endeavor to see that we earn it not take it for granted.
The two most important elements of our business are our clients and our employees and we are blessed with great ones in both categories.
In the days to come I will be sharing my views and thoughts on any number of things with you our clients, employees and friends and i welcome your input and feedback. Thank you for visiting with us and we look forward to working with you in the future.
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