A question I am often asked when talking about my book, CONTRACTORS: Doing it Right Not Just Getting it Done, is "Why did you target construction companies? What was it about their cultures that led you to research them, profile them, write about them?"

Want to know how I answer?

The people in this industry are very interesting-in a good way! They have a hands-on approach to learning and solving problems and they are the foundation to our economic success. Without this industry, we as a society can't grow. They also have a deep roots in tradition. It is interesting to see and be apart of how these elements come together.

The other thing that is really interesting about construction is they don’t really fit into either category of product-based business or service-based business. Yes when they are done you are left with something tangible (most of which you cannot see), but what really sells a construction company is the experience of working with them for so long—many of the companies described their relationships with their clients as a marriage.