Member Spotlight: The Chas E. Phipps Company

Name 

Ben Brown 

Job Title

President

Company Name

The Chas E. Phipps Company

What does your company do?

We are a distributor of specialty construction products and equipment primarily focused on concrete and masonry substrates. Phipps also has a rental fleet of specialized equipment that helps improve jobsite productivity. More than anything, we work as a team to find solutions that will help contractors be successful. We invest a lot in inventory to have products in stock and invest in our employees' development and training to be a trusted resource with the products and equipment we sell.

What is your favorite part of your job and why?

We are fortunate to work with a wide variety of contractors that play a critical role in the building and maintenance of schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, water treatment plants, etc. The construction supply chain is complex and global. It is rewarding to be a trusted partner to the men and women who build America.

What is the key to your company's success?

There are many factors that help us succeed, and the key is having great people at Phipps that are committed to the success of the contractor. We don't pay commissions because we want everyone working together to be focused on providing the best solutions to our customers. Our mission is to help contractors put work in place correctly and profitably by supplying high quality products and equipment, technical expertise, and trusted service.

What important changes/initiatives are you working on right now?

We have many initiatives in the works currently. One worth highlighting is our evolving inventory strategies given the challenges in the global supply chain. With less certainty on lead times and material and equipment availability, we have to adjust our buying strategies and communicate more effectively with manufacturers and customers. These issues are impacting everyone in construction, and it's caused major changes in our processes from where they were two years ago.

How does your company find and retain talent?

We have been fortunate with employee retention throughout my career. Our average tenure has held steady between 12 - 14 years even as we've grown in headcount. We continually strive to provide a fulfilling work experience for our employees and help them develop personally and professionally. Finding employees is always challenging, and many times we get referrals from existing employees and people in the industry. The construction industry as a whole need to work together to attract talent. This is a rewarding industry, and we all need to actively promote the benefits of careers in construction.

What advice would you give to somebody just starting their career in construction?

I am a big believer in finding mentors or advisors that can help you develop. Construction is rewarding and also challenging. Reach out to others for guidance to increase the speed to get acclimated to your position. Understand what success looks like and put a plan in place to reach your targets.

What CEA initiatives have you been involved with?

Phipps is an affiliate member of CEA because we are a supplier and not a contractor. We support CEA causes financially or with our people and time when possible. I also joined CAA last year.