When we as individuals turn 40, we see it as a milestone that forces us to stop to take stock of where we’ve been and map out where we’d like to go. The same can be true for companies and Eberly & Associates, Inc. is turning 40. The past four decades have seen mileposts that include two seamless ownership transitions, consistent commitment to our mission, vision, and culture, and skillfully navigating the unique challenges and unexpected windfalls presented beginning in 2020.
Eberly & Associates, Inc. growth since March 2020 has been unprecedented in our company’s history. With increased revenues of 56% we have had to be nimble and creative in how we manage our expansion to ensure we maintain the exceptional level of quality results and client-focused service we are known for. COVID has been a painful disrupter to how we live our lives and conduct our business. It has also been a catalyst for rapid growth in ecommerce, industrial manufacturing, warehouse, and data center sectors. As metro Atlanta continues to grow, increases in population has fueled the multifamily housing market, which has also driven an increase in our business. To support this new business, our company has had to grow quickly and as a result, Eberly & Associates’ team has increased by 43%.
Hiring staff to manage expansion is a small part of why we have been successful – it isn’t just about adding bodies. At Eberly & Associates, Inc. it’s about 40 years of carefully curating our culture of training, from interns to company leadership, promoting from within, and remaining true to The Eberly Way. Our diverse staff is another ingredient of our success. For many organizations, diversity is newly important. At Eberly & Associates, Inc., diversity and employee longevity have been part of our culture from the beginning. We are, and always have been, better and more creative because of our diverse employee makeup, which has evolved organically over the years. Our mission is to ensure that as we grow over the next 40 years, we continue to cultivate our inclusive and diverse culture. The result of our longstanding commitment to intentionally and thoughtfully building our culture is that it has fostered consistency in processes, standards, and shared priorities – our people and our clients come first – our operational and cultural foundation is very strong and has positioned us to adapt quickly to this explosive growth. Are we busy? Yes. Do we get tired? Sure. Have we risen to the challenge? Absolutely!
One component of The Eberly Way is our focus on quality and a respect for the procedures that enable our team to deliver quality service and exceptional results to our clients. This has been a core element of our company for 40 years and will inform our management decisions for the decades to come. The checks and balances we have in place are systematic and measured. Our QA/QC program is based on quantified data that drive informed project management decisions. Each week the Eberly team meets to address Standard Operating Procedures and consider course corrections when necessary. Engaging subject matter experts to conduct design reviews who are not part of the project team – not once but twice during a project’s lifecycle – to put a vital set of “fresh eyes” on the project amplifies our ability to produce outstanding work.
Excellent work for our clients is a source of pride for our company and it is the “secret sauce” that energizes our culture. We are consummate professionals who believe in understanding our clients’ business goals and working to achieve them. At Eberly & Associates, Inc. we know when our clients succeed, we succeed, so it is easy to put them first. How do we achieve success for our clients? Our expertise and engagement during the very early development stages of a project make the difference. We are knowledgeable, our team has long-standing relationships in every metro Atlanta jurisdiction, and we understand the intricacies of how to design a site to maximize our clients’ pro formas. At Eberly we approach each project as if our own investment were at stake.
We also bring value to our clients by managing highly complex and challenging sites as prime real estate options become scarcer. The most desirable sites are being snapped up at a rapid pace leaving fewer and fewer desirable tracts available for development. Consequently, available greenfield sites offer more challenging topography and environmental constraints, while developed high-density, and sites resulting from assemblages, can present zoning, entitlement, permitting and infrastructure issues. At Eberly & Associates, Inc., our team of professional designers and engineers are highly skilled specialists who, through early engagement, guide clients through the very complex process of site assessment, can leverage longstanding jurisdictional relationships to facilitate permitting and zoning solutions, and conduct thorough due diligence to provide valuable information on which to base informed decisions to make a site work best for clients. When this process can consume nearly 50% of time invested in the land development phase of a project, Eberly’s team of specialists are essential to maximizing property investment. Navigating this process for our clients is one part of the equation. When a site is secured and a project is ready to move forward, we are poised and prepared to tackle the unexpected and devise creative solutions to unanticipated challenges, which is even more important in today’s volatile market.
If the past two years have taught us nothing else, they have taught us to be adaptable and nimble. At Eberly & Associates, Inc. we successfully address the range of rapidly shifting forces, including changing regulations, varying levels of client commitments to sustainable design and development, market forces that drive unpredictable expansions and contractions, supply chain challenges, and the impact COVID-driven work-life balance has had on development. Despite uncertain times, our team at Eberly & Associates, Inc. has a proven its ability to develop creative solutions when outside forces demand it. If a specified material is held up in a supply chain bottleneck, our team is nimble and able to quickly redesign a solution using alternatives. These experiences and solutions become part of our solutions-based approach and are available as pro-active suggestions on other projects when applicable. Our creativity and problem-solving skill are the foundation of our ability to deliver exceptional client service and support our clients’ success.
Our 40-year history has served us well in establishing a stable, reliable company poised to embrace the next 40 years. We have remained focused on our mission, management approach, and commitment to our employees and our clients, and our ability to thrive through the toughest of circumstances while more than doubling our revenues is a feat to celebrate. Forty years is an exciting milestone, and while we celebrate and honor our culture and history, we are focused on building on that legacy and amplifying our expertise for the benefit of our clients, our employees, and the company for the next 40 years.