Much of the work that Haley Builders, Inc. completes is in or near Ashland, VA. The Ashland-Hanover Visitor’s Center was one such project.

Greg Haley balances contracting work with family life and spending time with his grandchildren.

Clients come first at Haley Builders, Inc. And although aspects of the Ashland, Virginia, general contracting firm’s business have changed in its 26-year history, that guiding principle has not. It’s that commitment to customer satisfaction that has kept clients coming back—and spreading the word to other prospective patrons.

“We put the concerns of the client above all else—always, period,” says President Greg Haley.

The firm offers a range of services, from preconstruction planning and complete design services to building construction and facilities management. The company owns all of its equipment and tools and can self-perform most project tasks, including site work, concrete and carpentry.

Twenty-five years ago, Haley Builders’ most important job was constructing a young man’s backyard treehouse. And two decades later, it was building a million-dollar home for the now-grown man.

“That house is right next to the treehouse we built years ago, and his kids are now playing in it,” Greg says.

“We have the resources to bring your project into fruition in a timely, cost-effective manner,” Greg says, adding that employees go out of their way to involve customers in the process and to listen to their input. “When completed, your facility will meet every expectation, and Haley Builders, Inc. will come away knowing that we have made yet another church congregation, business owner or valued client very happy.”

Haley Builders’ projects are pretty evenly split between commercial and residential endeavors, but in the early days of the company, the workload weighed more heavily toward commercial. After weathering economic downturns and cycles, crews began taking on smaller residential projects.

“Throughout our more than 25 years in business, we have handled a wide variety of project types,” Greg says. “Schools, churches, retail businesses and medical facilities make up some of the many projects we’ve successfully completed,” he says. Project values range from $1,000 to more than $12 million.

Currently, Greg and his team are focused on kitchen and primary bedroom suite additions for several homeowners and a number of upfit retail jobs, which means gutting and transforming an existing space for a new business. In this case, the new business is Crumbl Cookies.

Over the decades, Haley has established an impressive resume of construction projects. Among those are Trinity Baptist Church and Fluvanna County Courthouse, as well as the Sports Medicine Center at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Serving Ashland

Most of the work that Haley Builders has completed since Greg founded the company in May 1995 has been within a 50-mile radius of Ashland, Greg’s hometown.

Going about his day-to-day, Greg frequently drives by completed projects that his team helped make happen. His community and surrounding area are dotted with the firm’s work.

“We can see our projects all over the place,” he says. “We truly do enjoy both small and large projects, and being able to build buildings that are used in the communities we live in ourselves is gratifying.”

His team was behind the Virginia Sports Complex, today known as Legacy Park Sports in Ruther Glen, Virginia. “The site is centrally located between Richmond and Northern Virginia, which makes it easily accessible and convenient for all surrounding areas. It can host eight ballgames simultaneously, making it an ideal venue for baseball and softball tournaments,” Greg says.

When his three children were young, Greg said that his time at youth sports facilities didn’t end when his workday did. He volunteered as youth coach and his firm supported baseball, volleyball and softball teams. Now that his four grandchildren are getting ready to enter the realm of youth sports, Greg is looking forward to getting back in the stands. “I’m ready to be just a spectator,” he says, “but I’m sure I’ll find a way to be involved somehow.”

A Loyal Team

Greg leads a team of 20 employees, most of whom have been with the company for 20 years and a few who have been with Haley Builders since the very beginning. The secret to keeping his employees happy and loyal is no secret at all—it’s the same philosophy he embraces for customers: treat them right.

“We look out for our employees, treat them fair, offer competitive pay and do what’s right,” Greg says. Creating that kind of environment has meant that even when a colleague has struck out on their own but later decided to come back to Haley Builders, their returns have been anything but awkward.

“We have welcomed them back with open arms, no problem, and simply looked forward,” Greg says.

Staying on Track

Greg is perpetually looking forward and finding ways to move ahead. While stumbling blocks and setbacks are not uncommon in the construction industry, be it supply chain delays, labor issues or budgets, he is determined to find solutions and workarounds to keep projects rolling.

“Our ability to offer a full range of consulting, preconstruction, general contracting, design-build, construction management, contract maintenance and turnkey services helps us stand out from our competitors,” Greg says. “These in-house capabilities contribute to successful project outcomes.”

Those capabilities have helped the Haley Builders team continue to meet deadlines and clients’ expectations while dealing with the challenge of finding and securing subcontractors.

“Getting subcontractors to perform has been an issue,” Greg says. “But we’ve been adjusting by doing more of the work ourselves. We’ve taken on more site work, framing, concrete…you name it. We employ experienced construction personnel who possess expertise in all phases of construction. This gives us the distinct advantage of being able to self-perform many portions of the building project. With full control, we can assure absolute quality and save both time and money for our customers.

“But we don’t ever do more than we can handle.” That mantra keeps the business strong and the team busy. They may “do it all,” but they don’t bite off more than they can chew.