Message from LeDuc & Dexter

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Fire Sprinklers Systems	RESIDENTIAL

LeDuc & Dexter have installed fire sprinkler systems in the first 15 custom homes being built at Renaissance, a community located at Stone Creek Golf Club at Black Point in Novato. Davidon Homes, Inc. plan to build a total of 53 custom homes in Renaissance.

Residential plumbing, like most business sectors, is extremely competitive. Bidding is a fine science that can make or break a plumbing contractor. Then there are fire sprinklers. The installation of the fire sprinkler system can be included in addition to the work a plumbing contractor does on a residential project or a separate fire sprinkler contractor may install it if it goes to bid and they are low bidder.

The plumbing contractor must be licensed to install fire sprinklers and in many cases have the best bid to acquire the fire sprinkler contract. LeDuc & Dexter is licensed and in the position to acquire the residential fire sprinkler contract along with the residential plumbing contracts it gets. LeDuc & Dexter is also able to bid and win fire sprinkler contracts on projects that have been plumbed by another contractor.

Todd McCoy oversees the fire sprinkler department under Jim Kempers in the residential department. He bids on tract homes and custom homes that are usually in the range of 2500 to 4000 square feet in size. The market area includes the Counties of Sonoma, Napa, Solano and Marin. Aside from bidding on projects built by General Contractors, LeDuc & Dexter also works directly with homeowners.

LeDuc & Dexter are currently engaged with Davidon Homes, Inc. of Walnut Creek on the Stone Tree Golf Club custom home project called Renaissance located at Black Point in Novato. LeDuc & Dexter have installed the fire sprinkler systems for the first 15 homes built so far. A total of 53 homes are planned for the community. The homes in Renaissance range from 1.3 to 1.7 million dollars in price.

Project Manager Randy Hensley says that a key factor in selecting LeDuc & Dexter aside from the best bid was their familiarity with the fire codes of Novato. "This is the first project we have done in Novato and in cases like this we check with the Fire Marshal to see if they are familiar with the fire sprinkler contractors. They were familiar with LeDuc & Dexter since they had previously worked in Novato. LeDuc & Dexter have the expertise to interpret the code requirements."
 

Serifem Building - Fitting In and Standing Out	COMMERCIAL

If ever there was a new building in Sonoma County that blended into its surroundings while standing out for its unique style and beauty it would have to be the Serifem Building in downtown Healdsburg. "The exterior of the Serifem Building is being painted as if it were two structures, Building A is being painted grey and Building B is being painted grey-green," explains Brian Howlett, Project Manager for Geary F. Rea & Associates, Inc., the General Contractor. "This breaks up the structure visually and helps to it fit in with the smaller buildings in the area." The building also features parapets that are similar to adjacent structures. The parapets on the Serifem Building have copper flashing that give an elegant look to the three-story building.

The Serifem Building, built by Geary F. Rea & Associates, has had its color scheme changed since this rendering was drawn. The exterior design blends the building into the existing neighborhood in the Square in Healdsburg.

Moving Up From Within, Part 2 – Residential & Purchasing	EDUCATION

Residential Department – Kevin Delong

A valued employee may be given the opportunity to advance within a company, but this is only half of the equation. That employee must make the commitment to a higher level of responsibility and skill level that is necessary to succeed.

Kevin Delong, Residential Superintendent, and Tammy Townsend, Purchasing Agent, have advanced within the company to their new positions with training provided by LeDuc & Dexter, Inc.

In LeDuc & Dexter's residential department Kevin Delong has taken on the challenging positions of estimator and superintendent. Four months ago Art Dexter and Jim Kempers approached Delong about this opportunity and he accepted. "Jim Kempers is training me and we work together as a team," explains Delong. Years of experience in the field as a plumber have given Delong the background for estimating the labor requirements of residential projects. Material take-offs are another responsibility of estimating and Delong knows the efficiency of the field employees is partly dependent on his ability to deliver what is needed. "When I was working in the field I was asking, 'where is it?' now I have to find it and get it to them."

The biggest adjustment for Delong has been his recent promotion to residential superintendent. "It's a different world. I'm in contact with our customers everyday. Everyone has different needs. The relationships we have with our customers are really important. Over the years I have worked one-on-one with many of our customers in the field so I already had good relationships with them."

Purchasing – Tammy Townsend

Tammy Townsend manages the purchasing department at LeDuc & Dexter. Her journey within the company started almost five years ago with accounts payable duties. Next she assumed responsibilities as network administrator overseeing Internet functions such as company e-mail and trouble shooting Internet viruses as they related to the company network. Townsend still maintains that position along with her new duties as Purchasing Agent.

Townsend has honed her skills in purchasing under the tutelage of Jim Kempers, Residential Manager for LeDuc & Dexter. "For the first few months I listened closely to how Jim dealt with the vendors, that was a real learning experience." Gradually Kempers gave Townsend more responsibility, "Jim showed me the ins and outs of selecting the right vendor for each situation. Townsend also understands the importance of relationships with vendors, "It's extremely important to keep the relationships that Jim has worked so hard to form. I love challenges and as Jim threw more my way he also allowed me to figure things out myself. That kind of training is perfect for me. Now I want to make this position mine - in my own style."

Recently LeDuc & Dexter hired a purchasing consultant to work with Townsend, "That has helped so much, having someone come in from outside the company, thinking outside of the box. It helps you stretch and grow." A few months ago Townsend hired an assistant, Vera Gozali.