Evolution of a Contractor: Think Bigger
Las Vegas Review Journal
by Nick Haley

Bob Potter returned to Las Vegas in the mid-1980s to remodel homes under a general contractor's license. The operation was modest: his office was his bedroom; his ad campaign was a seldom-used spot in a phone book; and for the first few years, his typical project was a room addition on a single-family home.

Beginning in the late '80s, Potter took some chances. He left the residential business behind and began bidding aggressively on commercial projects -- ambitious ones for a company his size, but "doable." He took on payroll beyond his own family.

His company, Affordable Concepts Inc., has grown significantly since then, becoming a multi-project commercial contractor with an eclectic résumé of completed structures. Company contracts exceeded $13 million last year and are expected to approach $20 million this year. The company has 12 active projects and five completed earlier this year. Staff has swelled to about two dozen.

Affordable Concepts keeps a low profile and bears a rather nondescript name, but its work has not gone unnoticed. Last year, the company received the ultimate recognition, winning "contractor of the year" honors from its peers at the Associated General Contractors, an industry organization.

Potter, somewhat understated, refers to his approach toward growth as "cautious." He cited a record for reliability, a well-rounded staff and "opportunity, opportunity, opportunity" for having allowed his company to expand about 15 percent to 20 percent per year over the past decade.

"My bank is good counsel and my bonding company are good counsel," Potter said. "They have a good grasp for how much we are ready to handle."

Internally, Potter's staff, which includes his brother, Irl, a superintendent, and son-in-law, project manager Scott Weisheim, make decisions collectively and "everybody helps everybody else." Combined, they have been involved in myriad urban construction projects.

"That lets us look at different jobs," Potter said. "We come together in our `war room' when we see a job up for bid, we'll see who has experience and say `that job's for them.' And if that staff member says we can do it, we'll bid."

The company has shown little timidity in trying new projects. Its accomplishments literally span the whole valley and run the gamut of Las Vegas life: a sewage treatment plant near the Las Vegas Wash; several discreet eateries within Summerlin; a new microbrewery in northwest Las Vegas, added to the remodeled Chicago Cactus Club; an electrical training center and office in the southwestern valley; six (soon to be seven) Auto Zone outlets; and medical facilities built to detailed specifications. Each job, seemingly, prepares the company for the next.

"You learn something with every job. We help one another, especially our new superintendents. You build confidence with every job," said Nelson Cumana, a project manager whose experience proved valuable in winning the company one of its first public works jobs. "It's actually been very gradual. We've taken it along gently."

The company's leap to the big time came when McCarran International Airport awarded ACI the contract for one of its additions, a 19,000-square-foot, free-standing day-care center. Weisheim said the project taught them how larger contractors work and how to work with them.

"Bechtel is basically like the military. They require reams and reams of paperwork," Weisheim said. "That was the quantum leap for us. Ever since that project, our attitude has been bring it on. After that, nothing seems too hard."

The company's "can do" approach has opened a lot of doors, according to Potter, citing another example: an expansion project at Valley Hospital, labs requiring exact measurements.

"They wanted tolerances of 5,000ths (of an inch). And we did it. That kind of thing drives a lot of people away," he said.

The company's constant growth mode has kept most of the staff busy, most working 65-70 hours, often six days a week to meet ever-tightening deadlines.

"This is construction. It's required in this industry," Potter said. "Schedules have shortened. You have to do more in less time. I'd say over the years that every job (schedule) has been reduced by 20 percent and some by a third. You work Saturdays because you have these tight schedules."

Even when Potter isn't working, he's doing something work-related: getting out in the community, schmoozing with potential clients or honing his skills. Last year, he earned a law degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Potter pointed out that keeping the business growing requires chasing opportunities.

"You can have all the resources, but if someone doesn't give you the opportunity, you can't perform."