Key team members at CMR Construction, LLC include Larry Rhoads and Don Koedyker (front row, far left and far right, respectively), who have known Mike Roberts since the time they worked with his dad years ago. Other team members are (front row, left to right) Jacci Barreras, Cari Yescas, Melissa Cruz; (middle row, left to right) Bob Steiner, Dave Garcia, Dennis Willis, Tony Oliver; (back row, left to right) Mike Garcia, Hector Cierol and Mike Roberts.

Mike Roberts and Korey Dunbar, both of CMR Construction, LLC, take a break while checking progress on an active construction site.

Like any 9-year-old boy, Mike Roberts wanted to be in the great outdoors. He did that—and learned a lot—as he traveled the foothills of Tucson with his dad, who was selling lumber to custom home builders. That childhood experience was the beginning of a lifelong career in construction for Mike, who is the Founder and Manager Member of CMR Construction, LLC, a full-service framing company serving all of Arizona from its Tucson headquarters.

“I love the outdoors and being outside was one of the nicest things about my dad’s business, and now ours today. He had a lumber business, and I became a framer. I loved meeting my dad’s friends and they all got to know me. When you work with someone older you want to absorb all that they’ve learned. I did that and as I gained more experience and when they began reaching retirement, those relationships were the entry point for my business. Two of those gentlemen still work with me part time,” says Mike.

He describes CMR Construction as a company that takes the hassle out of roof construction for commercial buildings. “With the help of our engineered wood product suppliers and our design-to-finish project managers, we can take a building footprint from design to construction. We also have a reputation of being a fair and open-minded subcontractor,” he says.

CMR Construction was established as an Arizona corporation in 1999. Later, Mike also set up interests in a statewide heavy equipment towing and transport business, and a truss plant that fabricates 4 x 2 trusses for commercial roof systems as well as some wall panels. Since it began, CMR Construction has grown from revenues of $2.8 million to projecting more than $15 million in 2017 with 180 full-time staff members.

Its service area has expanded from Tucson and southern Arizona to include all areas of the state. The team has worked in commercial, industrial and residential markets and has built banks, churches, medical offices, nursing homes, restaurants, retail centers, schools and custom residences, such as those in Tucson’s Rancho Vistoso, Stone Canyon and Dove Mountain subdivisions. Right now, nursing homes constitute a significant part of the business.

A Balanced Business Approach

Working with his dad, Mike mastered both field techniques and business expertise. He also learned about staying positive. “Being persistent and optimistic were my dad’s main traits and those have also helped me. He told me to never give up and to continue to plow forward. This philosophy set the tone for where I was headed the rest of my life. I don’t believe in borrowing money from banks, so I’ve made our company cash-sufficient. Our property is paid for and we own our equipment,” he says.

This business approach has helped Mike ride the tide during down times. “We stayed busy while others were crushed by the recession. We not only survived, we continued to grow,” he recalls. “Our customers were loyal and we kept bidding and working. We financed our own jobs, hunkered down, lowered costs and continued to bid on work. We bounced along the bottom and survived because I didn’t have a lender hovering over me.”

Two other factors continue to keep CMR Construction ahead of the pack: competitive pricing and clear communication. “We strive to put out the best price through job costing, and using vendors with specialty products. It’s also our obligation to pull the gray out of a plan and make it black and white, so a customer knows exactly what we’re bidding on and doing. This removes any chaos on a job site. I firmly believe that customers pay attention to what you do out in the field, not what you say in the office. In today’s world, you need to take a hands-on approach to work the project and incorporate any changes needed on a daily basis,” he says.

Having a truss plant under its wing differentiates Mike’s company from other commercial contactors. “We can start with a developer at the beginning of the process and talk about what wall and roof systems they want to go with for a building’s design. This allows the developer to choose which truss products are best for the project needs.”

Mike has also turned management of the field work over to CMR Construction’s General Superintendent, Hector Cierol. “It’s really improved productivity and efficiency by having someone run the field so I can focus on other things like bidding, safety and general management,” notes Mike.

Emphasis on Safety and Training

Besides maintaining a financial safety net, Mike feels that safe work conditions are critical to a successful business. Each of his employees undergoes rigorous training about the hazards in commercial construction before stepping into the field. CMR Construction has an in-house HR person who handles training on fall protection, ladders, small tools and forklift safety. The staff also participates in weekly safety meetings and attends regular training sessions on various topics. Other training and testing is done with the help of Sharon Powers, an independent, third-party safety officer. Also, Cierol and the foremen walk the jobs consistently and take care of any safety complaints right away. According to Mike, this emphasis on safety has earned CMR Construction a current Experience Modification Rate (EMR) of .73. (An EMR is an evaluation factor for safety and incidents and affects a company’s insurance rate; a number over 1.0 means a higher premium rate and below 1.0 reduces the premium, according to the National Council on Compensation Insurance, Inc.)

Staying Visible

CMR Construction uses a combination of techniques from building good, old-fashioned personal relationships to modern technology to keep its business at the top of customers’ minds.

“Certainly many of our customers got to know me through their relationships with my dad. He also encouraged me to list in The Blue Book Network. So now a lot of business comes to us by way of the internet, mostly through The Blue Book site. It gives us a nationwide presence.

Maintaining the Family Philosophy

The inclusive tradition that Mike learned from his father is the philosophy through which his company works. “It’s like a family here,” says Mike. “We have a very low turnover rate in management. Most of our team members are autonomous and service their particular customers while adding new ones. They review the plans, schedule the labor and choose components for the projects. Sometimes they will ask for my help, but overall, Hector and the project managers handle the bulk of the work. They’ve taken a tremendous load off me and they have done it well.”

Now with a thriving business, Mike Roberts can still enjoy the outdoors knowing he’s laid the foundation for his staff to benefit from using their talents to work in an environment they love.