Company Description:
In 1987, Lawrence Weinberg and Joshua E. Baker founded BOWA Builders, Inc. After attending the University of Virginia together, Larry worked as a CPA with Arthur Andersen in Atlanta, Georgia, and Josh became a chemist with Exxon Chemical in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They quickly became dissatisfied with corporate life and decided to form their own company. Josh, a native of the Washington, D.C. area, recognized the untapped growth in the construction market in this region. In the summer of 1987, both men relocated to Northern Virginia to work as laborers/carpenters on remodeling crews. In January 1988, BOWA Builders, Inc. was formed with a $5,000 investment from each. In the beginning, BOWA concentrated on small remodeling jobs such as decks, kitchens, bathrooms and small bump-outs. During this period, Larry and Josh shared both production and sales work. They spent days assisting in the field. Evenings and weekends were filled with sales and paperwork. By the end of the first year, BOWA had hired four people. The company had completed twenty-seven contracts and earned $309,732 in revenues. Bidding projects through a pool of local architects generated all of BOWA//s early leads. As the referral network grew, BOWA began to land some sizable remodeling projects in the early 1990//s. A whole house remodel in 1991 garnered BOWA a "Contractor of the Year" award from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). Around this time, BOWA made the decision to stop bidding projects and sell based on the design/build principle. BOWA hired architects as independent contractors to collaborate during the initial sales call and to design the projects. This process is still in effect today, with a pool of several excellent architects and designers. At the request of several clients, BOWA started building new homes in 1994. Similar to their remodeling roots, the new homes that the company builds are highly customized projects with an emphasis on service. Not only does the company manage the entire construction process, BOWA also helps find and evaluate the land, design the house, and facilitate the landscaping and the pool. The team approach to business continues to be emphasized at BOWA. BOWA is referred to as "Team BOWA", and every employee is encouraged to participate in all aspects of the company. For example, company wide quarterly meetings are held to discuss production, sales, financial reports and other pertinent topics. These meetings are especially informative to field personnel who might otherwise be unaware of various aspects of the company. Employee benefits have become a strong component of BOWA//s employee compensation package. A company wide profit sharing plan was established in 1991 to distribute 20% of the after-tax profits to all employees. Recently a 401-k retirement plan was established which includes a 20% company match. A compensatory time-off policy was also enacted for project managers and management staff. Today, BOWA Builders is a construction company that specializes in large-scale residential construction. The company currently has a number of product lines: large-scale residential remodeling, custom homes and condominium restoration. BOWA has won nearly every industry award available, including several National Contractor of the Year Awards and Finest for Family Living Awards. The company has been recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in America. BOWA currently employs over 80 people full time, and produces more than $30,000,000 of construction annually.
In 1987, Lawrence Weinberg and Joshua E. Baker founded BOWA Builders, Inc. After attending the University of Virginia together, Larry worked as a CPA with Arthur Andersen in Atlanta, Georgia, and Josh became a chemist with Exxon Chemical in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They quickly became dissatisfied with corporate life and decided to form their own company. Josh, a native of the Washington, D.C. area, recognized the untapped growth in the construction market in this region. In the summer of 1987, both men relocated to Northern Virginia to work as laborers/carpenters on remodeling crews. In January 1988, BOWA Builders, Inc. was formed with a $5,000 investment from each. In the beginning, BOWA concentrated on small remodeling jobs such as decks, kitchens, bathrooms and small bump-outs. During this period, Larry and Josh shared both production and sales work. They spent days assisting in the field. Evenings and weekends were filled with sales and paperwork. By the end of the first year, BOWA had hired four people. The company had completed twenty-seven contracts and earned $309,732 in revenues. Bidding projects through a pool of local architects generated all of BOWA//s early leads. As the referral network grew, BOWA began to land some sizable remodeling projects in the early 1990//s. A whole house remodel in 1991 garnered BOWA a "Contractor of the Year" award from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). Around this time, BOWA made the decision to stop bidding projects and sell based on the design/build principle. BOWA hired architects as independent contractors to collaborate during the initial sales call and to design the projects. This process is still in effect today, with a pool of several excellent architects and designers. At the request of several clients, BOWA started building new homes in 1994. Similar to their remodeling roots, the new homes that the company builds are highly customized projects with an emphasis on service. Not only does the company manage the entire construction process, BOWA also helps find and evaluate the land, design the house, and facilitate the landscaping and the pool. The team approach to business continues to be emphasized at BOWA. BOWA is referred to as "Team BOWA", and every employee is encouraged to participate in all aspects of the company. For example, company wide quarterly meetings are held to discuss production, sales, financial reports and other pertinent topics. These meetings are especially informative to field personnel who might otherwise be unaware of various aspects of the company. Employee benefits have become a strong component of BOWA//s employee compensation package. A company wide profit sharing plan was established in 1991 to distribute 20% of the after-tax profits to all employees. Recently a 401-k retirement plan was established which includes a 20% company match. A compensatory time-off policy was also enacted for project managers and management staff. Today, BOWA Builders is a construction company that specializes in large-scale residential construction. The company currently has a number of product lines: large-scale residential remodeling, custom homes and condominium restoration. BOWA has won nearly every industry award available, including several National Contractor of the Year Awards and Finest for Family Living Awards. The company has been recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in America. BOWA currently employs over 80 people full time, and produces more than $30,000,000 of construction annually.