Culture Is The Bedrock Of Our Success

Culture is our invisible framework for success, binding generational pride with a commitment to excellence in the commercial construction industry.

In the world of commercial construction, where steel meets sky and architectural drawings become a concrete reality, there's an invisible force more powerful than any crane or excavator. The culture that pulses through the veins of family-owned construction businesses, driving execution and defining success. 

This blog shares the foundation that allows our family-owned business to survive and thrive in the fiercely competitive commercial construction industry.

The Foundation: Everything and Everyone at Stake

Imagine a business where your reputation is etched into every beam, every brick, and every handshake. That's the reality of family-owned construction companies. Here, winning a bid is not just about profit margins; it's about pride and legacy.

"In our business, every project carries our family name. It's not just a job; it's our reputation and future that is on the line each time." - Phillip Ratley, President & CEO, Sela Building Corporation.

Our Family Culture Is Our Invisible Framework For Success

✅ Strong Work Ethic: The Cornerstone

In family-owned construction, the alarm clock isn't just a wake-up call—it's a call to serve. From dawn to dusk, every family member and employee understands that their sweat equity is building more than structures; it's constructing a reputation that instills confidence and trust. 

✅ Generational Knowledge Transfer: The Blueprint of Success

Picture this: A father guiding his son to read blueprints and anticipate challenges. In our business, knowledge isn't just passed down—it's in the fabric of daily operations. It's the kind of education you can't get from textbooks. Lessons we learned in the past, still shape innovations today.

✅ Personal Accountability: The Load-Bearing Wall

There's no passing the buck when your name is on the line. Personal accountability isn't a corporate buzzword in family-owned construction businesses—it's a way of life. Each nail driven, each weld made, carries the weight of personal responsibility.

✅ Trust and Loyalty: The Mortar That Binds

Trust in Sela is earned, not given, and it is forged on job sites, through shared challenges and successful execution. This loyalty extends beyond family lines, creating a team that feels they are a part of the family.

✅ Weathering the Storm: Challenges and Triumphs

As a family-owned construction business, we face unique hurdles that test the strength of our cultural foundation:

  • Quickly adapting to Industry Changes: In a world of evolving technology and regulations, we must be quick, innovative, and flexible.

  • Maintaining Family Values While Pushing For Growth: As we expand, we ensure that we scale without losing the identity and culture that keeps us strong.

  • David vs. Goliath: Competing with larger corporations requires innovation, agility, and a hefty dose of family-driven determination.

  • The Family-Business Tightrope: Balancing family dynamics with business decisions is a daily high-wire act that we overcome with a culture of friendship, support, and focus on being the best. 

🚀 The 72-Day Challenge: How Culture Drove Success

We took on the impossible: completing the Hampden-Sydney College sports complex in just 72 days. For our family-owned construction business, accepting what seemed an unattainable task wasn't just a feat of operational excellence; it was a triumph of a culture with an uncompromising commitment to delivering on a promise.

Zev Asch