Dan Clar has a trick for keeping his employees interested: his company’s very own woodworking shop.
“We are not production workers,” Clar explains. “Everything we do is pretty customized, [so it] keeps [the work] fresh and interesting.”
Clar Construction creates custom cabinetry for the kitchens it builds and also crafts built-ins, such as bookcases. Clar says that he feels his staff is most interested in the finish work, and getting to do that is what helps them push through the less-glamorous work of demolition.
Later this year, Clar plans to open an official office by taking over more of the building in which its woodshop is located. But don’t be fooled—the new space won’t be a showroom.
“It’s time to present our clients with a professional meeting space,” Clar says. He adds that the new office will help to showcase the woodworking shop. The move to build a new office is a step toward efficiency for Clar, as having clients come to his office for meetings will be a huge time-saver.
“It will help to bring prospective clients into our space to get a better understanding if they are a good fit into the way we do business and if we are the right fit for them” he says.
As he expands his company’s physical footprint, he’s also looking to expand his staff. Clar says that he plans to bring the lead carpenter into the pre-construction process so the carpenter is aware of what needs to be done for the project before it reaches construction. This way, “the [homeowners] can feel like they are in good hands as they transition from sales to production,” Clar explains. “And the carpenter won’t feel like he’s walking into a minefield.”