Key Findings
Boswell Construction Inc. is a small general contracting company based in Los Angeles County, California, founded by Jon Mut. With only 20-49 employees, Boswell would be categorized as a small business, though small businesses make up 99.8% of all California companies and employ nearly half the state’s workforce (Region Economic Assessment n.d). Despite its small size, Boswell takes on luxury residential and some commercial build and renovation projects, typically ranging from $5-30 million (Boswell, 2022). They highlight their full suite of construction services, including pre-construction planning, value engineering, permitting, and cost analysis, as well as their specialization in new builds and renovations for high-end custom homes (Boswell, 2022).
Specific project expertise includes hillside construction, subterranean basements, complex pools/water features, large skylights and glass walls, motor courts, and cantilevers. Geographically, Boswell serves upscale areas like Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, and Santa Barbara (Boswell, 2022). A dedicated team is assigned for each project, including a project manager, superintendent, coordinator, and accountant. Boswell prides itself on communication, transparency, and developing true client partnerships. This is enabled by robust software for tracking and updates (Anchanto, n.d.). The company also focuses on safety through inspections, meetings, and training.
So far, Boswell has won awards like LEED certification and awards from the AIA Los Angeles chapter for high-end projects like the Hedge House and Mirror House (Boswell, 2022). Reviews from past clients praise the quality of work, professionalism, attention to detail, and commitment to client needs (Houzz, n.d.). Overall, Boswell delivers specialized luxury home building and renovation services in Los Angeles while maintaining a small, communicative firm that clients appreciate.
Noteworthy Issues
When founder Jon Mut started Boswell Construction Inc., he initially struggled to break into the competitive high-end custom home building market in Los Angeles. However, by focusing on communication and client partnerships, he grew Boswell into an award-winning small firm taking on multi-million dollar projects. Still, the recession hit the construction industry hard, and like many companies (Bukszpan, 2012), Boswell had to “downsize” from a peak of 85 employees to its current 20-49.
With the market rebounds, Boswell is projecting strong growth over the next few years. Their business plan calls for expansion into additional upscale neighbourhoods while maintaining their hands-on, customer-centric approach. However, they face increasing competition from new entrants into the luxury home market enabled by technology (Leontie, 2022). Boswell plans to combat this by integrating the latest construction technology, such as virtual/augmented reality, 3D modelling, drones, and smart home automation (Shore, n.d). These tools will allow more client design customization, streamlined processes, and differentiation (Shore, n.d). The tech-savvy image may also attract millennial clients.
On the human side, attracting and retaining top-tier talent remains challenging (Mazlan & Jambulingam, 2023). Boswell continues to focus on culture and aims to provide superior compensation and opportunities for advancement to reward staff performance. The company is also developing more structured training and mentoring initiatives. Poonawala (2023) notes that companies can balance operations and meet client needs by blending technological advantages with human expertise. The market segment appears strong, but the company needs technology to stay competitive and continue its reputation for award-winning projects with high client satisfaction.
References
Anchanto. (n.d.). Why Providing Real-Time Tracking Information is an Important Aspect of Consumer Experience. Retrieved from https://www.anchanto.com/why-providing-real-time-tracking-information-is-an-important-aspect-of-consumer-experience/
Boswell (2022). Boswell Construction Available at https://boswell.com/
Bukszpan, D. (2012, June 1). Industries Hit Hardest by the Recession. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2012/06/01/Industries-Hit-Hardest-by-the-Recession.html
Houzz (n.d.).Boswell Construction-Project Photos and Reviews Available at https://www.houzz.com/professionals/home-builders/boswell-construction-pfvwus-pf~1350818291
Leontie, V. (2022). The competitive advantages in the construction industry theoretical approach. CES Working Papers, 14(3), 285–305. https://ceswp.uaic.ro/articles/CESWP2022_XIV3_LEO.pdf
Mazlan, M. R. M., & Jambulingam, M. (2023). Challenges of Talent Retention: A Review of Literature. Journal of Business and Management Review, 4(2), 078-091. Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/368973751_Challenges_of_Talent_Retention_A_Review_of_Literature
Poonawala, Y. (2023, July 14). Merging Advanced Technology And Human Expertise For Optimal Field Service. Zuper. Retrieved from https://www.zuper.co/uncategorized/optimal-field-service-technology
Region Economic Assessment (n.d). ORANGE COUNTY INLAND EMPIRE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER. Available at https://ajed.assembly.ca.gov/sites/ajed.assembly.ca.gov/files/Orange%20Riverside%20and%20San%20Bern%20County%20Regional%20Assessment.pdf
Shore, A. (n.d.). Cutting Edge Technologies to Differentiate Your Construction Business. Dronegenuity. Retrieved from https://www.dronegenuity.com/technologies-for-construction-business/
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