In 1998 I was invited by my father, David, to join him as the president of Friedler Construction Co., the company he had founded 10 years earlier. I had been an executive with Amli Realty Co. for 11 years, a lawyer for 3 years (after graduating from the University of Chicago Law School) and a professional tennis player for 4 years. At the time, I was excited by the potential of our business, by the opportunity to work on a daily basis with my father, and by the prospect of running a company.

 

I made the right decision on all three counts. In the 18 years since I joined the company, our annual revenues grew from $4.5 million in 1997 to an average of $30 million per year over the past three years; I got to spend at least part of almost every workday with my father for over three years, until his death in the summer of 2001; and I have had the privilege of running this company since my arrival.

 

I firmly believe that the values of a company are critical, both to its success as an enterprise and to its place in the community as a whole. For Friedler Construction, those values started with my father, were instilled in me (both as a son and partner) and have been passed on by both of us to all of our employees. Those values boil down to two words, “Be fair”. This means be honest, be accessible, and be respectful of others. It means we will build the project as it was designed; we will meet the price and schedule we promise; and we will level with you throughout the process. I sincerely believe that if we treat our clients, employees, and service providers fairly, we will receive the same in return. I am not sure that one can ask for more, or accept less, from anyone, in or outside of business.

 

Clearly, all general contractors “build”. However, I believe that the way “Friedler builds” is different and better for our clients, better for us and better for everyone involved in the process. I hope we have the opportunity to prove this to you.

 

 

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Eric Friedler

President