1-5 Years in Operation Finalist: Q & Co. LLC

Q & Co. LLC is not out to make a name for itself in the hard-bid market of large public projects. Instead, President Richard Quint seeks to differentiate his company by its attention to detail and focus on the individual client behind each project.

“The work we do usually represents the biggest investment decision a person will make in their business lifetime,” he says. “In my opinion, you want someone who’s looking out only for your best interests all the way through the process.”

Now in its third year, Q & Co. was formed by Quint, who spent 16 years managing Walton Construction until it sold in 2009. After a year off following the death of his father, he says he was approached by former associates who described a hole in the market – the service-oriented approach formerly filled by Quint’s tight-knit team at Walton.

It is a niche Quint says is in demand. After earning more than $200,000 during its first three months of operation during the fourth quarter of 2010, revenues jumped markedly with 2011 numbers closing at nearly $7 million and 2012 figures showing a 46 percent increase to $10.2 million.

Another key carry-over from his Walton days is Quint’s long-term volunteer involvement with the construction management program at Missouri State University. The relationship paid multifaceted dividends in 2012 when Q & Co. won the bid for John Deere Reman’s 278,000-square-foot $14 million Core Center in Strafford.

With a team of eight construction management majors that included a retired military veteran and a single mother, Q & Co. dug into every aspect of the project. Quint says somewhat surprisingly, John Deere was fine with the unusual staffing arrangements for the project.

“They said ‘If we contract with you, we trust you to decide how to get it done,’” he says.

The students spent 10-hour days at hard labor on the job site, often finishing coated in a mixture of engine oil and dirt. Quint says they all lost weight and gained muscle mass, but emerged from their summer break with unique real-world experience to supplement the theoretical knowledge gained in the classroom.

“There were times when I stepped back and let them determine the best way to work around this problem or that obstacle in the process,” Quint says. “Each of them were able to find their individual strengths and then seek out a way to apply those particular talents. It’s an important skill for a career in this industry.”

The unorthodox approach drew favorable attention from John Deere officials, known for their strict safety and process guidelines. The project was finished two months ahead of schedule, and is the only John Deere remanufacturing facility in North America.

Other such projects on Q & Co’s two-year-old resume include the purchase and renovations of the 230,000-square-foot Solo Cup plant. The team did everything from assisting with the purchase details, to rezoning and replatting the property, to the physical renovations. The resulting facility allowed Springfield Remanufacturing Corp. subsidiary NewStream Enterprises to consolidate five separate locations and double its number of workstations.

Quint says his company’s focus on multifaceted projects comes down to facilitating teamwork.

“That’s why I like living here,” he says. “When the going gets tough and something needs to get done, everybody just says ‘hand me a shovel and a sandbag, let’s figure out how to stop the water.’”[[In-content Ad]]