How to Find the Right Cement Company For Your Next Project

You need to hire a cement company for your next project, but you don’t know where to begin. Well, there are a few basic things that every manufacturer should know before they hire someone to lay their next foundation, pour a side walk for them, or help extend the plant.

Competitive Pricing

One of the best things you can do is price research and company interviews. Accept proposals only from companies that know how to put together a bid. That might seem like common sense, but many companies don’t know how to do this – especially small contractors who basically do cement work "on the side" or sell it as a complement to other products.

Real professionals understand how to put in a bid for a project, are willing to wait it out while you review their past projects and contact references, and generally will be able to explain what they do in plain English.

More than that, the company will have competitive pricing. That doesn’t mean that the best company is the cheapest. It means that the company you choose understands how to deliver value. You may end up choosing the most expensive company, but that company will have the most to offer. Thus, given its value proposition, it has the most competitive pricing.

Having a Company On Your Side

Hire experienced professionals such as Charles Bouri to help you audit cement companies so that you get a better idea of which companies are actually working for your best interest. For example, many cement companies will tell you that they offer great service and that your project is very important to them.

But then, only after you sign a contract, do the late shipments and billing errors become apparent. A company that truly cares about you will minimize the hassles associated with shipping, will double-check billing and invoices before they go out, and will be proactive about any mistakes that do happen.

Choosing An Efficient Company

Ever worked with a company that promises to complete a project on time, yet ends up running over by several weeks or even months? It happens all the time with concrete and cement companies. It becomes even more apparent when you ask these companies to pour for you. Geological studies that should have been done three weeks ago are suddenly being done today, yet the cement company promised delivery over a month ago.

You’re left scrambling around, trying to coordinate the land studies you need with the cement company so that you can have your project poured in a timely manner. Cost overruns are not your friend.

Fortunately, it’s not too difficult to ferret out the efficient companies from the non-efficient ones. Ask for referrals before the work starts. Ask for specifics both in the bid and in the interview – yes, interview the company before you hire them.

If you get a lot of "uhmmm"s and "uhhhhh"s during the interview process, it’s a red flag. Maybe this company is promising more than it can actually deliver.

Anthony Jensen knows the construction industry. He often helps others know their options to maximize their projects’ potential.