Tupelo businessman says construction business rings strong here
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – For the first time in several years, residential and commercial construction is steady throughout Northeast Mississippi.
The owner of one of the largest construction companies in the area has expanded a part of his business which caters to those customers.
For Colin Maloney, building a new headquarters for Maloney Glass and Overhead Door was necessary for future growth, and also to make the day-to-day operation more efficient.
“The old building was worn out. We had utilized two different locations with employees, but in location, we can serve customers better,” said Maloney.
The new, 14,000-square-foot building contains offices, frame and steel fabrication, hollow metal doors, and glass and overhead door fabrication space.
Maloney also owns Century Construction, which built the new headquarters. Maloney said it’s important to have skilled workers, so his company is taking matters into its own hands.
“Workers are always a challenge. We started our training center with a full-time trainer and a full-time recruiter. We have to catch these kids and get them interested in construction at an early age,” said Maloney.
Maloney said new residential and commercial construction is still brisk, after weathering a big slowdown a decade or so ago.
“Construction is still going well. It lags behind consumer products, as the economy is kind of going down we still run off our backlog,” said Maloney.
Jud Jernigan, vice president of Maloney Glass and Overhead Door, said the new headquarters is good not only for employees but also for clients.
“We have all our guys combined. We all join here in the mornings before being dispatched out. It helps all guys communicate. Guys can stay up to flow with what jobs need what, where we need more attention,” said Jernigan.
Although the national economy is sluggish, Maloney said he doesn’t expect retail or residential construction to slow down in Northeast Mississippi anytime soon.
Around 50 people work at the new Maloney Glass and Overhead Door Headquarters, right off Highway 45 in South Tupelo.
