Last year, Barto Construction Company and Camp Consulting came together on a custom home project and realized that working together not only benefits the client, but each company as well. “Camp Consulting had all of the major project decisions completed
Last year, Barto Construction Company and Camp Consulting came together on a custom home project and realized that working together not only benefits the client, but each company as well.
“Camp Consulting had all of the major project decisions completed with the owners within the first few months of the project, including handing all specification sheets over to Barto Construction,” said Jean camp, the sole owner and operator of Camp Consulting.
“This allowed Barto to complete the project ahead of schedule, on budget, with little to no rework or changes orders and to the total satisfaction of the client,” she said.
The success of this one project led to a cooperative agreement between the owners of the two companies, Camp and Barry Toy, offering a one-stop-shop option of sorts for residential and light commercial clients.
“Our arrangement is informal in that we have jointly agreed to use each other’s services to supplement each of our company’s businesses,” Camp said. “It is formal in that we do have a contract in place.”
There is no minimum work element required, and no length specified in the contract.
“It will continue as long as it benefits our clients and both companies,” Camp said.
For client, the benefit is less parties to deal with, which boosts efficiency, which cuts timetables, which saves money.
“The financial benefit to customers is that decisions are made early and correctly, projects come in on or ahead of schedule and there is little rework or aggravation along the way,” she said.
And it’s just plain convenient.
“Clients will not have to worry about one of us being unavailable,” Camp said.
While Camp is licensed to build serious engineering projects like bridges, dams, roads and industrial plants, the duo wants to focus on residential and light commercial construction.
So far, Camp said they’ve been providing cost estimates to owners of several projects but are actively seeking more clients.
It isn’t the first time Camp and Toy have worked together, though. While working as project managers for Unlimited Construction, they shared an office for several months.
While Camp runs her Anahola-based outfit alone, Toy carries a staff of six full-time employees and is looking to add two experienced carpenters to the Kapa‘a-based Barto team.
Camp said there are no plans to merge the companies, and they will continue to operate independently outside of their joint ventures.
“But we hope to increase the percentage of shared work and business,” Camp said.
• Ford Gunter, associate editor, may be reached at fgunter@kauaipubco.com, or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
