What Is Fundamental To Operating Such A Complex Business At That Scale Successfully Over A Period Of Time?

The following Q&A was completed as part of our conversational Commercial Real Estate FAQ Interview Series, we hope you find it helpful.

One of the keys to operating a complex business at a large scale over time is the talent that you hire and the talent that you keep. An organization is only as successful as the team as a whole, and cultivating a positive and driven culture is key to sustainable success in real estate development. If you want a proactive business, employ proactive talent. 

Richard Wilson: So I know, Chad, I know Moss Construction your family’s firm has a track record of getting big projects done on time, even during the pandemic, and you do over $1 billion a year on projects so what’s fundamental to operating such a complex business of that scale successfully over such a long period of time? Like what are the pillars of Moss that allows you to execute so consistently? 

Chad Moss: You know it’s hiring the right people and retaining them. And with that is a big stroke on culture; we hire culture and we feel like we can teach the technical things we want to see at the project level. But hiring the best people and letting them do what they do well and giving them all of the tools and support to do those things – that’s critical. 

Richard: Right. And because at so many investment events people always say team is most important, it’s all about the team, et cetera, you zeroed in on culture. So what is it about your culture that’s critical? Like what’s a key part of your culture that’s driven a lot of your success? 

Chad: You know, a lot of these people are generally self-starters that we hire, and they’re not reactionary they’re proactive. It’s the entrepreneurial spirit that resonates throughout the entire organization. Honoring relationships, I know some of these things seem kind of simple but a lot of people talk about them but they don’t do them or execute. And it’s really seeing a project all the way through to the end, taking each task seriously because, you know, a critical element to the overall project. 

Richard: Right.