News Book - 2016www.Tri-TownConstruction.com
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Lic. General Contractor, CGC1512714 Lic. Roofing Contractor,
CCC1329614 Lic. Mold Assessor, MRSA729 Lic. Mold Remediator,
MRSR829 Lic. Home Inspector, HI3275
Marc Devisse, owner of Tri-Town Construction in Fort Myers, said
that for professional installers large retailers such as Tile
Outlets can offer a price advantage.
But smaller, more specialized dealers can provide expertise on
specific high-end tiles that they work with a lot, he said.
Issues can be esoteric, Devisse said: Can you butt them up very
close or do you need a larger grout line to hide the imperfections
of the tile? The smaller the grout line the more perfect the tile
needs to be cut.
Proceeds from the event go toward building structures in area
playgrounds that provide shade for youngsters and to educate the
public about sun safety and the benefits of early cancer
checking.
Marc Devisse, owner of Tri-Town Construction that serves both
Collier and Lee counties, had supported several organizations
including Make-A-Wish Foundation and Liberty Youth Ranch when he
met Tara and Jon and decided to focus his companys charitable
efforts on the annual golf event. The family puts so much into
this, he said, Theyre appreciative of the support and are so easy
to work with.
We talk to the construction businesses and those jobs are in
demand. Theyre looking for people, Wall said. And Marc Devisse is
one of them.
This will be our best year ever, said the Fort Myers
construction business owner. Weve got some really long-term
employees who have been with me a while and are growing with the
company.
Devisse, 32, is a 2005 graduate of FGCU, where he earned a
bachelors degree in marketing. He started Tri-Town Construction in
2006.
I was working for another construction development company in
Bonita when I was in college and when I graduated I worked full
time for him. I was a project manager at 22 years old. All of a
sudden it seemed like a switch shut off. During that time, I had
always expected to go out on my own, he said.
His office is off Alico Road, but 95 percent of his work is in
the Bonita Springs, Naples and Estero areas doing high-end custom
remodeling, maintenance of homes for property management companies
and roofing.He said he is able to negotiate from a strong position
and be selective with the jobs he takes because of the market
conditions.
The economy is just really good right now, he said. Were getting
leads and referrals every day.
When the sun beats down on a Tri-Town Construction project, you
can be sure the workers are trained to handle the heat and the
skin-damaging ultraviolet rays. Safety meetings are held regularly
to go over issues that can leave customers angry over damages and
sloppy work sites or that could lead to workplace injuries for its
employees.
We try to educate and prevent anyone from getting injured, owner
Marc Devisse said.
Devisses passion for safety carries over into the companys
philosophy of community involvement. Each May, Tri-Town sponsors a
golf tournament to raise money to build sun shelters on public
school playgrounds. The last tournament raised about $12,000.
This one event pays for one shelter, Devisse said. A lot of
people here in Florida are unaware of melanoma. Sunscreen is
important.Tri-Town and Devisse partner with Jon Parla, director of
the Passion Foundation to educate the public about the dangers of
melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer. Parla and his late wife,
Tara, started the foundation after she was diagnosed with
melanoma.
We had the foundation and Marc was a buddy of ours. We met and
he said 'What can we do to help out the foundation?', Parla said.
The shade structures we build block up to 97 percent of the UV rays
coming in, he said.
Tri-Town does more than act as a sponsor. Devisse can be found
working throughout the tournament, according to Parla. Theyve been
a team for six years, raising an estimated $10,000 to $15,000 per
tournament.Information about the foundation, including its Oct. 4
golf tournament and the Dec. 5 Taras Jingle Jog 5K run and
challenge with obstacles, can be found at
passion-foundation.org.
Continued from page 3: Construction Firm Stresses Safety,
Community Work
Tri-Town, which provides new and rehab construction services and
specialties such as kitchens, tiles and floors, was built with
perseverance, according to Devisse.
The company was launched in 2006, just before the Great
Recession. Devisse has been involved in construction for about 15
years, although he also has a marketing degree from FGCU and has
worked as a licensed real estate agent.
Perseverance and a willingness to take risks allowed the small
company -Devisse, a partner and one employee - to get through the
downturn in the economy, Devisse said. They worked initially from a
bedroom and garage in his home.
We didnt have a lot of money so we couldnt blow a lot of money
on an office, Devisse said. He still keeps his office costs low.
Tri-Town keeps a small office/warehouse off Alico Road where some
of the 20 employees can do desk work or get items they need for a
job. The process of meeting with clients and discussing project
details usually takes place at the clients location. This is more
for employee meetings, Devisse said.
Every year sales have grown. We were thinking we would hit $2.2
million this year but now it looks like $2.7 million, Devisse said.
Right now the market is good. Ive got about a three-week waiting
list to get on your job. I like to keep it around two weeks.
Tri-Town works in Lee and Collier counties, including the
municipalities. The building codes are standard, but each county
and city has its own procedures for getting permits. Hed like to
see that process standardized.It would greatly improve the
efficiency of government. They all need to get to the point where
we can submit a permit application online. That would save a lot of
paper, Devisse said.
Devisse also makes it a Tri-Town policy to use American made
materials whenever possible. Its more expensive, its limited and
theyre hard to find, he said. Im more about a community sense.
Businesses need to make money. But if you do the right thing the
profits will come.
Bonita Springs is riding a new wave of development as many
businesses look to expand between Naples and Fort Myers and flock
to revitalized retail centers which had become ghost towns during
the recession.
Following the successful rebuilding of The Promenade, the nearby
Bernwood properties are now on track to become a destination of
their own. When Ohio-based CRM Companies purchased the Bernwood
portfolio including the Shoppes, Design Center, Courtyard and Place
in March 2014, collective occupancy was about 30 percent, said Jeff
Manning, property manager for CRM subsidiary Bernwood, LLC.
Now we are 80 percent occupied, he said, noting this far
exceeded the companys expectations. We cant get people in quick
enough. People are wanting to come to Bonita Springs and Estero.He
anticipates 100 percent occupancy in 2016, a goal the company
initially set for three to five years.
The Bonita facility will include five treatment rooms for
injections, laser treatment, massages, scrubs and body contouring,
Smith said. The wine bar will feature a selection of international
and domestic vino. Smith also has plans to offer special welcome
packages to Hertz employees, as Hertz opens its world headquarters
a few miles to the north around the same time.
This is going to be the future, Shin said of Bernwood Shoppes,
with regained enthusiasm for a re-energized plaza. This is the most
beautiful building in Bonita Springs.
As a college student at Florida Gulf Coast University in the
mid-2000s, Marc Devisse, owner of Tri-Town Construction in Fort
Myers, knew he wanted to open a business one day, but wasnt sure
what kind.Enter Rich Galvano, a respected construction professional
who took Devisse under his wing and gave him his first construction
job on a large-scale project while Devisse completed his studies at
FGCU.
Rich took me in when I was young and in college and gave me a
great opportunity to work alongside some powerful people in the
construction industry, recalled Devisse, whose company specializes
in high-end residential remodeling projects. I used it as
on-the-job training, not only from the business and construction
sides of things, but I also modeled myself after Rich in the way he
puts deals together to make both sides happy. It really was a great
learning experience for me.
After working for Galvano for another year following his
graduation from FGCU in 2005, Devisse struck out on his own in
2006.
We started Tri-Town Construction with a $200 job, then gradually
worked our way up to $300, $400 and $500 jobs, he said. Then one
night I met a guy at the Ale House and ended up getting a $10,000
job from him. I was so happy that I called everyone I knew to tell
them about it really thought we were making it then. Ever since,
business has just been growing exponentially.
Today, Devisse said that exponential growth translates to around
$2.2 million in annual sales for Tri-Town Construction and its 15
employees.
Continued from page 6: Top SWFL Construction Firm Tri-Town
Construction Had Humble Beginnings
I think our success is based on solid business practices as far
as always treating people right and building a great team around me
that cares as much as I do about doing good business in the
community, said Devisse, a Bonita Springs resident who was born in
Chicago, moved to Southwest Florida at the age of 6 and graduated
from Charlotte High School in Punta Gorda.
Ive always tried my best to build a solid reputation as an
honest contractor, and word-of-mouth has always been our No. 1
source of new customers. Im always looking to grow good
relationships with our customers, subcontractors and vendors, and
Ive always valued our reputation over profit. For us, its people
over profit, always.Client Garry Mrozek, who hired Devise to do
some remodeling work on his condo at Pelican Bay in Naples, said he
couldnt have been happier with the experience.
My experience with contractors, both in Ohio and in Florida, has
been a little spotty, the Youngstown-area native said. But with
Marc, I didnt need to worry about that. Sometimes you put $50,000
into a project and you get $40,000 in value. But with Tri-Town
Construction, I actually got more value than I paid for. So I would
definitely recommend them to anyone who asked.
To ensure his clients stay happy, Devisse said his company
offers a three-year warranty on all its work.
The industry standard is usually one year, but if something goes
wrong a year or two years after a job has been completed, I want to
be there for my clients, he said. Im not going to nickel-and-dime
them to come fix it because I want them to be happy. I think the
three-year warranty shows that we stand behind our work and really
believe in what we do.
Running a licensed general contracting company was never in the
plans for Marc Devisse, but it seems like being a business owner
was destiny. Construction just fell to him naturally as a product
of time. While working as the project manager on a large-scale
construction job during college, Marc sparked the idea of starting
his own company.
It wasnt until the economic downturn and with the support and
guidance of his mentor, Rich Galvano, Tri-Town Construction was
born. Since its start in November 2006, Tri-Town has seen
exponential growth and successfully maneuvered through the housing
market declines that occurred in 2007-08.Galvanogave Marc his first
construction job while he was still attending FGCU to finish his
degree, and eventually was given the position of project manager
for the shear fact that, Devisse is dependable.
Rich now works within the development side of the industry, and
his most recent project is I-Hub, which is a research park
dedicated to sustainability and renewable energy research.
Marc bases his business practices off five pillars: quality,
ethics, environmental consciousness, teamwork as a family, and
supporting American made products. He understands that hisbusiness
is centered on trust and referrals, and that is one of the reasons
they are so successful. Tri-Town Construction also offers a
three-year Peace of Mind warranty to make an extra effort toward
ensuring that each and every customer remains satisfied.
Inaugural members gathered for the launch of the Kiwanis Club of
Bonita Springs last night at the Koi Lounge in Bonita Springs.
The clubis organized to serve children and youth using two
approaches. One aspect is to improve the quality of life directly
through activities promoting health, education, etc. The other
encourages leadership and service among youth. To start a club, a
minimum of ten members of the community must come together and
establish leadership roles, serviceevents, and bylaws to represent
the respective organization.
Kiwanians are typically an older demographic of members. This
club was started with adifferent intent.
Marc Devisse, electedpresident of the organization, started the
planning for the club in October of 2015. Knowing what a benefit
would be for children in the community to interact with young
professionals, he started to puttogether a list of
nextgenerationcommunityleaders to become members.
After working with the Floridas district office for Kiwanis, the
official launch and election of officers happened last night at the
Koi Lounge. The club plans to meet at various Bonita Springs
businessesonce per month. The goal? To help as many children in the
local community by beingrole models, raising money for youth
programs, and helping the children understand the importance of
becoming servants and leaders at an early age.
FGCUs emphasis on entrepreneurship in the Lutgert College of
Business continues to pay dividends for alumni as well as the local
workforce and economy. After graduating in 2005 with a bachelors
degreein marketing, Marc Devisse decided to launch his own company,
Tri-Town Construction of Fort Myers, starting in 2006 with small
remodeling jobs of a few hundred dollars. Despite the decline in
the local housing market in 2007 and 2008, Tri-Town achieved
exponential growth and has reached more than $2 million in annual
sales.
Running a licensed general contracting company was never part of
the plan for Devisse, but being a business owner seemed to be his
destiny. While studying at FGCU, he worked as a project manager on
a large-scale construction job under Fort Myers developer Rich
Galvano, whom he says became a mentor. Part of Tri-Towns success
could be credited to business practices that Devisse learned while
at FGCU, he says. Quality, ethics, environmental consciousness,
teamwork and supporting American-made products are pillars of his
company, he says. I understand that this business is centered on
trust and referrals, Devisse says.
He hopes to put his business experience to work for the greater
good, too. Devisse recently announced plans to run for the Bonita
Springs City Council in District 1. The election is in March.
I know its going to be a lot of work, but I feel that I am a
great fit for the position, he said on Facebook. Running my own
business for the past 10 years has taught me many things that will
make me successful if given the opportunity. Giving back to the
community is another value instilled at FGCU. Devisse has served on
the Alumni Association Board of Directors and is the founding
president of Bonita Kiwanis.
Devisse began building his own business shortly after graduating
with a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Florida Gulf
Coast University. A fallen economy made it difficult for Devisse to
find work in the contracting and building industry, so in 2006, at
the ripe old age of 23, he took matters into his own hands.
Tri-Town Construction started as a one-truck, one-man operation
and in less than a decade has grown to more than 15 employees and
six trucks running out of an office in Fort Myers.
Devisse started the company at a low point in the economy. We
learned to keep overhead down and grow with the market. Many
companies failed and closed during those times, but through
perseverance we prevailed, he says.
Today, Tri-Town is regarded as a high-end and environmentally
conscious company. It also supports Made in the USA
products.Devisse is involved in charitable organizations such as
Liberty Youth Ranch, Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Passion Foundation
and Habitat for Humanity. He also started a charity golf tournament
six years ago. He and his 6-year-old son like to keep up with local
sports.
Marc Devisse and Zachary Eaton, 05
Issue Date: November 2012
Marc Devisse (Marketing), and Zachary Eaton (Management), have
opened a new Jimmy Johns on University Drive near FGCU. Devisse is
the owner of Tri-Town Construction, which is building the new
location. Eaton is the owner of Jimmy Johns.
The Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals
events and group as a whole are fantastic. Ive met many great
people and have been able to grow some long lasting relationships
through the group. I would highly recommend anybody who would like
to meet some great people to become active and come join a few
events. Everybody involved is a true professional! Marc Devisse,
Tri-Town Construction
Tip 9. Philanthropy
I am a huge believer of giving back to the community -- not only
with money but time. In my eyes, what better way than giving money
toward something beneficial to the community which also counts as a
tax write-off? Even taking it a step further you can start your own
philanthropy to offer other businesses the chance to donate and use
it as a write-off. Marc Devisse, Tri-Town Construction
Tip 3.
You'll finally have someone who isn't afraid of correcting
you.Every great team has a coach. Think of the best NFL and NBA
teams, which all have coaches. A coach is someone who's not afraid
to confront you and tell you when you're doing something
incorrectly. They have a proven method to success and can help you
take your business to the next level. --Marc Devisse, Tri-Town
Construction
Tip 6. Be a Family
Treat each person in your business the same: regardless of their
age, they are an asset to the team. Do not have a lopsided
environment to the point where it favors one demographic, and be
sure to cater to everyones needs. Marc Devisse,Tri-Town
Construction
Customers will be able to give feedback"The new Facebook search
will allow customers to write feedback and interact easily. This
means your brand management is crucial. As we all know, one bad
review ruins ten good ones." --Marc Devisse, Tri-Town
Construction
Not Acting Entitled
Many days the newest college graduates assume that with little
research and a degree, they deserve an $80,000 job right out of
college. I think working hard and completing your tasks is really
all it takes to impress a younger boss. The promotions and salary
increases will come to those who continue to work hard. Marc
Devisse, Tri-Town Construction
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