Charles Kibby
Website URL: www.preservationarts.net
E-mail : ckibby@preservationarts.net
Year Founded : 2001
Number of Employees : 8
What does your company do? Consulting and contracting in Historic Preservation and Adaptive Re-use, with a specialty in masonry-related issues.
Was there a specific turning point when you realized your business was moving to the next level? The Great Recession
What processes or procedures have you implemented that have helped grow your company? No more public works projects, no more prevailing wage structures, private clients only, with 25% deposits and bi-weekly payment schedules. No more Contracting As Usual
What is most rewarding about running your business? The hands-on management and technical stuff
What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them? We have stopped borrowing money at exorbitant rates to finance some other guy’s dream.
If you were starting over today, what would you do differently? Avoid Public Works projects and focus on a different funding mechanism to get the projects completed.
What advice do you have for other business owners? I can only advise on the contracting domain, and I strongly advise that you do not have to be a bank for some other entity in order to build your business.
