Unit company: its secret is to combine commitment with quality, and a proven ability to perform.

• Author: Martin, Gary L.
• Position: ABM's Pick for Contractor of the Year

A recipe for success in any business is difficult to find, especially in the construction industry. Competition among contractors is about as fierce as a couple of hungry grizzly bears vying for 10 pounds of prime rib.

Unit Company, named the 2003 Construction Company of the Year by Alaska Business Monthly, has found its elusive formula for success. It has, over the years, combined commitment with a superior quality of work while enjoying a reputation for fulfilling its responsibilities to the customer.

That has worked for the organization since 1977, when Derald Schoon, the company's founder, first opened his doors for business in Anchorage.

Now there are three partners: Schoon, the president; Bill Puckett, vice president and chief estimator; and Mike Fall, vice president of field operations.

Fall, who has lived in Alaska for most of his life, became a partner in 1993. He said that Unit Company really came into its own in the late '70s when it started building for Larry Carr, thunder of the grocery chain, and Barny Gottstein, a titan in Alaska's warehousing industry.

"Carr and Gottstein formed the largest grocery chain and the largest warehousing operation possibly in the entire state," said Fall. "And, Unit Company was fortunate enough to build an alliance with them to do a lot of their construction; each of the companies grew and matured together."

The term "construction business" has a broad connotation, anything from repairing streets and building homes to constructing commercial buildings and putting up oil rigs. As for Unit Company, Fall said that they do not specializes in residential homebuilding but will consider projects like a large residential retirement facility or an extensive apartment complex with 200 or more units.

The company's primary target markets are both large-scale public and private ventures, such as commercial, industrial and retail facilities. They have worked for major corporations, school districts, health care organizations and various local, state and federal government agencies.

"When you do private work," Fall said, "you work one-on-one with the owner. For example, if Larry Carr needs a grocery store, there might not be a set of plans or even a complete concept of the overall project.

"But, since we're a contractor, and we know how to build stuff, and the owner has a basic idea of what he wants, we have to work together. So, we'll bring in an architect, and the three of us will form a partnership and hammer...