Investing in People to Build Success

by James J. Dolente, Sr., Chairman of the Board, Madison Concrete Construction 

Madison Concrete is proud to have just celebrated its 45th year in business. When my brother and I started it in 1969, we decided our business was our golden goose- where we would put our focus and energy.

James J. Dolente Sr. Chairman of the Board, Madison Concrete Construction

James J. Dolente, Sr.
Chairman of the Board, Madison Concrete Construction

We realized the importance of investing in people and equipment. As we grew, we sought the best talent in the area. Priding ourselves on the caliber of all our employees, from in-the-field craftsmen to management and office staff, we haven’t been afraid to acquire, invest in and adequately compensate talent for their value. This has allowed us to attract well-qualified people and provide them with the proper tools and best equipment to do their job.

We also believe it is important to empower our employees to make decisions – and know that we’ll support those decisions without second-guessing them unless it’s absolutely necessary. We all make decisions and learn from them, but we don’t need to be framed by them. It’s all part of the learning process. We have found that instead of micromanaging our people, we have had success in being available for help or to bounce ideas off if necessary instead of telling them what to do.

A construction superintendent may make more than 100 decisions in one day that directly affect profit. Compare that to a foreman on a vehicle assembly line, who may make less than a dozen per day. Since we’ve invested in the best talent, we know our employees understand their jobs. We want them to do what they need to do to get the job done. By letting them do what they do best, they are empowering themselves. Our job is then to give our employees the tools and knowledge in an environment where they are encouraged to grow their skills.

Hiring really good people who have the expertise to make quality decisions on field productivity has given us the leverage to succeed. It’s often said that the company you keep says a lot about you. We hope this speaks to our customers, vendors and colleagues about Madison and its experience and people. We look forward to working with you.

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