Adding Capabilities-and Business
GROUND LEVEL
Trumping the Recession
When the going gets tough, the well-built Huff & Mitchell Inc. keeps working.
The Big Picture With a clear idea of the path to success, HMI has assembled the pieces of the puzzle, including: · A management team that provides various areas of expertise · Experienced employees who can be trusted to do the right thing · A fleet of high-quality Caterpillar equipment and the accompanying support from the local dealer, Mustang Cat The management team includes co-owners Jim Huff and Danny Mitchell; Crawford; and Shari Hughes, assistant vice president. Huff and Mitchell worked together at a different company for 12 years, Huff as a "If there is an emergency in Houston or a project estimator and manager, number of the surrounding municipalities Mitchell as an underground utility superintendent. They left to become -- a sink hole or main break -- we are limited partners with a second comthe first people they call." pany in 2000. They founded HMI in 2002 and --Glen Crawford, HMI brought aboard Hughes, another long"Houston officials have told us they time associate, to handle contract adminconsider Huff & Mitchell a resource, " istration, billing and legal compliance says Glen Crawford, company presiissues. The company started small, earndent. "If there is an emergency in ing $300,000 in revenue the first year. Houston or a number of the surroundBut HMI found a critical early suping municipalities -- a sink hole or a port. Mitchell recalls, "We didn't have a main break -- we are the first people lot of cash to get this company going, they call because we can respond and Mustang Cat was a key player in quickly. Our ability to respond is a direct getting us off the ground. They knew result of the people and equipment that Jim and me from our previous jobs, we've brought together. " and they knew we could make this venhile other contractors were suffering through the deep recession in 2009, Huff & Mitchell Inc. of Cypress, Texas, enjoyed its best year. Building on its widespread reputation for responsiveness and highquality work, the paving and utility construction firm was awarded projects from Beaumont in far eastern Texas to Laredo, near the state's southwestern border with Mexico. Representative of HMI's success is the trust the company has earned with officials for the nearby city of Houston, with which HMI has an annual service agreement for emergency repairs.
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