Eric Adams’ love of building started early. Even as a young child he loved tools and toys that allowed him to create and build. At the age of 8 Eric’s uncle, a contractor, brought him to job sites. He worked with his uncle through high school and then during the summers when he was home from college. The experience developed an early understanding of house construction – he learned by doing every phase.
In college Eric earned a degree in Biology. While that may seem unusual, the education fostered an appreciation for systems and processes – a key to success in any discipline. After college Eric took a desk job in business but quickly knew it wasn’t a fit. He left and travelled to Colorado for a year to build houses. When he returned, he opened Adams Custom Builders in 2004. By 2006 he had reconnected with a fellow schoolmate, Angus Beasley, and the two worked together on a large project. The experience would be the catalyst for creating Adams + Beasley Associates which today employs 47 people.
At Adams + Beasley, the key to success is the team. Everything they do is influenced by the human aspect – from the clients, to the employees, to the subs they work with. Eric notes that they are “a service company that incidentally produces products.” This philosophy of service speaks to the core values at the company and the culture they have created. They attract and maintain highly skilled and motivated people that are able to help a client at any stage of the construction process – from millwork, to design, to construction management, and carpentry.
When asked about the biggest challenges they are facing, Eric notes that they are constantly refining the process for balancing the flow of projects and the many “moving parts.” Their projects range in size and scope and include unique work like the recent relocation of a 200 year old barn and the excavation of a basement in Cambridge to create a modern living space. The Cambridge project was exceedingly complex – down to the addition of steel beams in the ceiling to eliminate columns in the space.
The same core values at Adams + Beasley are why Eric appreciates his work with NARI. He notes the “culture of teaching and learning” that the organization offers – where one can connect with peers, take from the program offerings, and give back. He strongly believes in the notion that a person should leave every contact better than they found it – and NARI offers ways to do that.
In thinking about the next few years, Eric believes that it’s important to plan for the “ups and downs” and identify the triggers that will allow a business to plan. True to Eric’s appreciation for systems and processes, Adams + Beasley has incorporated ways to look objectively at their business metrics and use that information to forecast. And, when asked what he would tell a contractor just starting in the business, Eric strongly encourages new business owners to understand the business processes early and always look for ways to learn more. His keys to success: “predictability, sustainability, and profitability.”
