Smyth: Supply chain issues, labor shortage still a challenge for Mesa contractors

Ask any contractor in the Valley and they will tell you finding good workers and finding the right supplies continues to be a challenge. Every contractor in Mesa is dealing with this issue and it is not going away anytime soon. Supply chain and labor issues mean the cost of doing business continues to increase, meaning that the main brunt of those increased costs are being taken by contracting companies and in a worst-case scenario by the customers.

These issues are putting Mesa contractors such as roofers, home builders and smart tech installers in a uniquely challenging position on multiple fronts. Our roofing business Overson Roofing is not immune to these issues. It is hard to hire experienced contractors right now with “89% of firms having a hard time finding craft workers,” according to a survey by Associated General Contractors of America in 2021. The survey went on to say that “88% of firms are experiencing project delays and 93% are affected by rising material costs.”

Supply chain issues have regularly affected the cost and availability of products such as wood battens, concrete tiles and every possible shingle you can think of. This means instead of buying these products when we need them we have to buy in bulk and plan farther ahead, predicting what types of jobs we might have in the future. This is not the most efficient or cost-effective way to do things, but any contractor would prefer to have too many materials they don’t need than need materials and not have them.

Mesa contractors in other industries are dealing with supply chain issues as well.

Wayne Funk, owner of home development company Bellago Homes, said a lumber shortage continues to have a big effect on the housing market.

“We have been dealing with a lumber shortage for a little over a year and it has caused the cost of building a home to go up and that means homebuyers are spending more to purchase a home,” Funk said.

Micheal Kiser, the purchaser for Mesa smart home automation installer Automated Environments, said supply chain issues have delayed some installations for the company.

“Supply chain issues means it has taken longer for us to complete multiple jobs from home theater installation to home security systems,” Kiser said. “If manufacturers don’t have the parts to build and ship these systems to us then we can’t install them.”

Kiser went on to say that they have had to delay bigger installations by more than a month.

These issues cannot be fixed by local contractors but they can take proactive steps to get ahead of these issues by staying in constant contact with suppliers, purchasing essential materials ahead of time and educating clients ahead on realistic timelines to complete a job. Most clients are understanding of the challenges contractors face provided you give them realistic timeframes to complete a project and meet those expectations.

In a market where finding new and competent workers is a challenge, it is of vital importance that contractors strive to retain their current employees. Show your current team that they are a valued part of your team by giving them opportunities for pay raises, benefits and education. Our roofing company has had very little turnover due to the fact that we have grown our company from within. Our roofers grow and eventually become supervisors, who then become managers of those supervisors. If you do need to hire new people then trust your team to recommend people they think can do the job. If you hired talented people then trust them to find workers that fit with your companies culture.

Mesa contractors have dealt with many unique challenges over the last year from a pandemic to supply chain issues to a labor shortage. Throughout all of these challenges, contractors have risen to the challenge and continued to grow their companies and provide amazing service to their clients. If Mesa contractors have faith in their processes and their team they will continue to grow.

Editor’s note: Mike Smyth is the general manager at Overson Roofing, a roofing contractor in Mesa that has served its clientele for more than 30 years. The company won the Better Business Bureau Blue Torch Award for ethics in 2016.