Commercial Concrete Finishers/Crew Leaders

Commercial Concrete Finishers/Crew Leaders

Love concrete and the fast paced, challenging commercial work but tired of traveling all over the state and country? We are looking for positive, motivated concrete professionals to join our team. We are a growing family owned business who values our employees.

Skills & Experience we are seeking:

·        Experience with commercial concrete flatwork, foundations and walls.

·        Experience in construction of retail, housing, offices and industrial facilities

·        Ability to understand and interpret drawings and specs

·        Ability to layout foundations, slabs, anchor bolts, walls, bollards, etc.

·        Experience in all aspects of commercial forming and finishing

·        Ability to operate skid steer, buggy, riding power trowel, walk behind power trowel, various screeds, bull floats, hand tools, etc.

·        Ability to interface in a respectful and professional manner with GCs, customers and other employees

We can offer you:

·        Paid time off

·        Simple IRA retirement with company match

·        Profit sharing

·        AFLAC supplemental benefits

·        Ongoing training

·        Other perks including employee of the month, work boot reimbursement, service awards, paid lunch & learns, opportunities for concrete conferences & travel

Must have:

·        Valid driver’s license & reliable transportation

·        Ability to pass a drug test

·        Positive attitude

·        Desire to learn

·        Team player

·        Hustle

      Does this sound like a good fit for you or someone you know? Call or stop by our office south of West Liberty for an application. We'd love to talk to you. Our office number is 937-465-1500 or email robertayoder@yoderconcrete.com. Have a blessed day!

Gearing up for Spring

Wow! It sure felt like spring yesterday, with temperatures near 60 degrees, reminding us that spring is right around the corner. We have spent the last few weeks cleaning and maintaining trucks and equipment so we are prepared when warmer weather sticks around. Here in the office, we have continued to bid projects keeping one crew busy working while many of our guys are resting up for another busy year.  

Did I mention we purchased a backhoe?  It's been on the wish list for a few years.  It will be a great time saver as we are digging more and more footers and trenches for customers, and we can self perform instead of relying on the schedule of an excavating contractor.  Let us know if we can help you.

With that being said, we are ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS for concrete finishers and laborers. There is also potential to lead a crew as we continue to grow and add trucks and equipment.  Experience in Commercial concrete, blue print reading and as an equipment operator or having a valid Class A CDL license are all helpful but not necessary. We offer paid sick and vacation time, retirement program, employee of the month and bonus incentives. We pride ourselves in offering training for our employees.  We have two crew members at the World of Concrete in Las Vegas as we speak!  They are having a great experience there.

If you are construction or concrete worker and looking to make a change into a positive and challenging environment, come see us.  We'd love to sit down and talk to see if there is a good fit with our company.  We would love to add you to our family!  Visit our office at 8874 N. US Hwy 68, just south of West Liberty for an application.

Well, it’s snowing again, so it confirms that it is still winter. But the groundhog says it'll be spring soon, right? We are ready!

2015 BBB Torch Award Recipient

Typically we are humble people. We prefer to work in the background and not be in the limelight. However, this is one time that I have to brag a little. Yoder Concrete Construction, LLC, the leaders and employees, have received an award, and I have to tell everyone about it!

In 1994 the Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio began honoring local business leaders who exemplified the BBB mission of demonstrating their commitment to highest standards of leadership character ethics. Since that first year, twenty years ago, more than 80 central Ohio businesses and nonprofit organizations have been recognized by receiving the Torch award, originally called the Business Integrity Award.

A few years ago I attended a workshop on how to prepare the application for this award.  I learned that there were six principles that needed to be demonstrated on how leaders intentionally work to increase manifestations of their own high character and enfold their employees, customers, vendors and the community within that framework. It was a little overwhelming and I wasn't sure we were ready to apply.  Busyness got in the way, and time passed.

In April of 2015 I ventured to Columbus, Ohio, again to attend the Torch Awards for Ethics Clinic. Along with approximately fifteen other company representatives, we learned about the history of the award, criteria used for eligibility and judging, and the principles that were being evaluated. The Principles make up the word TRUST!  - Principle #1 Transformation at the "Top;" Principle #2 Reinforce and Build the culture of high character ethics; Principle #3 Unite the Team; Principle #4 Steer Performance within your team; Principle #5 Treasure People; and Principle #6 Enthusiastically Reinvest! in your community.  This time I felt we were much more prepared to tackle this opportunity.  I was also informed that the application process was now online, which sounded so much easier than preparing a physical notebook!  I was thrilled. 

Part of the application process was asking others to prepare a testimonial to include in our submission.  I asked employees, customers, vendors and community leaders if they would be willing to write a letter that would state, in their words, our dedication to high ethics and commitment to people and the community.  I was overwhelmed at the response received.  It was very humbling to hear words of praise and encouragement from others. Instead of one letter for each category requested, I was able to send three letters for each because of the outpouring of our peers. I thank each one of them who took time out of their busy schedule to write letters on our behalf. 

On Tuesday, October 20th, Jeff and I attended the 20th Anniversary Celebration of BBB Torch Awards for Ethics.  It was held at The Ohio State University, Ohio Union in the Archie M Griffin Grand Ballroom.  Four businesses and two nonprofit organizations received the 2015 Torch Awards for Ethics, and ten high school students received the 2015 BBB Students of Integrity award. I would estimate that over 250 people were in attendance for this luncheon. A video that had been prepared by the BBB was shown for each organization receiving an award. (You can view all of the recipients' videos on the BBB website.) We invited guests to join us and were blessed to have four of our peers at our table to celebrate with us.  I want to especially thank Scott Duff from Ohio Ready Mix, Debbie Hill Grimes from Bryce Hill, Hugh Gibbs from White Cap and Todd Hanes from Adriel for taking time to be there.  We appreciate the relationships developed over the years. 

It has been a great journey working with my husband, Jeff Yoder, and building the company we have today. We look forward to continuing the legacy and impacting others through our faith, and will continue to strive for high character ethics in our personal lives and in the business. I love you, Honey!

~Roberta Yoder

Half way there 2014

I just read the opening lines to an article talking about us being halfway through the summer. As a mom, with school starting just a few weeks away, summer seems much further along than "half way."  But in the concrete business, we are only half way through the season. For us here in Ohio, the construction season typically starts around April 1st, depending on how Mother Nature treats us, and winds down around December 15th again depending on the weather. So we are just about half way.

So how is your year going? Now is the time, regardless of how busy you are, to take a look at your business and review how the first half of the year has been.  Are you on track to be profitable? What is your plan for the rest of the year to finish with a strong bottom line?  Here are some tips based on how we review our business this time of year that might be helpful.

Review your Profit & Loss Statement:  In the concrete construction business in Ohio, first quarter financials are never pretty. Winters can be a challenge in which to work, and if we do work, it takes longer and with more resources than it would in the summer. So while I look at the P&L for the first half, I also run it for each quarter and compare it to the previous year.  I review each line to see if there are any significant increases or decreases and then ascertain what caused the swings. For us this year, there has been a dramatic increase in fuel costs. While gas prices are high, they are not significantly higher than last year, but we have been working on projects much further away from our shop than usual, so I can justify it. Are there any other significant differences? If so, can you justify them, or is there something you need to investigate. I look at dollar changes, and also percent changes from last year. I look at each line as a percent of sales to see if there are trends over time. Now is the time to make adjustments for the second half of the year to move that bottom line to the black if not already there.

Review your Balance Sheet:  This is one report it took me a while to understand why I needed to review it. However, once I began to understand what it shows me, I found it to be a good tool to see a snapshot of the business. It will show you your bank balances, how much your customers owe you (accounts receivables,) and how much you owe others (liabilities.)  If you are having someone else do your books for you, make sure you request this report often and review it. It gives you a great overview of your business financials.

Sales: Compare your overall sales to the goals you set, or compare your numbers to last year. Are you growing? Are your sales people or estimators hitting their goals? Do you see a trend that you can build upon? Look at who your customers have been. Are they helping you grow your business?  You may find that you need to fire a customer if they are not helping you move forward.  We are also delving into each project type to determine where we are profitable. As our business evolves based on the demands of the market, we need to know where we can make money and where we fall short. It doesn't make sense as a for-profit business to continue to do work where it is not profitable.

Overhead:  Do you understand your overhead, where it comes from and how to manage it?  Your overhead includes any expenses that are not directly related to the project. If you can charge the expense to a job, it is not overhead but a Cost of Goods Sold (COGS.)  If the expense will be there regardless if you are working on a project, like your rent, phone and electric bills, etc.,  it is overhead. Talk to your accountant if you don't understand your overhead versus your job related expenses. George Headley also explains it well here.

Budget and Business Plan: Did you start your year with a budget and plan for your business?  If not, you can make one for the 2nd half of the year based on what you now know from reviewing your financials. And guess what? - a budget and business plan is a living document that will evolve and change just like your business!  They are not set in stone, so don't get too discouraged if your actual numbers don't match your budget. The budget will need to be adjusted from time to time. These plans are like road maps to success. Sometimes you need to alter your course, but at least you have direction to get where you want to go.

In thinking about being half way there, I am also reminded of someone who suggested that when you move into your late 40's, you still have half of your working life to obtain your goals. I have held on to that thought as I fit that category. The thinking was that you start your working career around age 25 to 30 and stop working around 65 or 70.  It was encouraging to me to think that I still have half of my working life to build my dream. I encourage you to dream big and set goals to make them come true. You may be, like me, only half way there.