Episode 122: Third Generation General Contractor, Casey Cloward of Raykon Construction
Today Brad speaks with Casey Cloward, Founder of Raykon Construction. A third-generation general contractor, Casey has been soaking up valuable experience on job sites since childhood. In 2008, he founded Raykon literally with his own two hands as he began as a woodworker and cabinet builder.
Raykon has been featured in every Utah Valley Parade of Homes since 2012 and is continuing to establish themselves as one of the premier custom home builders in the valley. The Parade features specially chosen new homes and remodel projects across the state and is a priceless opportunity for all builders, architects, and designers involved.
Casey shares how he has had an unbroken streak being featured in his annual Parade of Homes, even amid the pandemic, and the valuable connections he has made through them all. He also discusses how he is able to encourage clients to publicly showcase their homes for these events.
He also speaks on a career life shaped by the fact that his grandfather and father were general contractors in their own right. Casey reflects on his journey and what finally nudged him into starting his own business, as well as what he learned during those first few hires once Raykon found early success.
Topics Discussed:
[03:35] The top challenge when a client is going through the process for the first time
[07:36] Setting expectations with clients early on
[13:23] Giving clients visual references to help them stay on the same page
[19:06] Navigating difficult conversations, especially around fluctuating resource prices
[26:00] How being featured in Parade of Homes benefitted Raykon
[33:25] About Parade of Homes
[40:17] Asking clients to showcase their homes
[52:27] Why Casey pushes his clients to go for the best in their projects together
[55:53] Hiring those first employees
[1:03:33] Casey’s journey and why he started Raykon
[1:09:14] What’s next for Casey
Connect with Casey:
Website: https://www.raykonconstruction.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raykon_construction/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaykonConst
Houzz: https://www.houzz.com/pro/raykonconstruction/raykon-construction
Connect with Brad Leavitt:
Website - https://www.aftconstructionpodcast.com/
Instagram - https://instagram.com/aft_construction
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aftconstruction
Houzz - https://www.houzz.com/pro/aft-construction/aft-construction
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.ph/AFT_CONSTRUCTION/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzB4R_DHPVV1SPh7RUfR5jg
Key Quotes by Casey:
What I establish from the very beginning is: “I’m on your side.” That’s the beauty of a contract with a cost-plus agreement. Our clients get a grasp and a feel that we’re on the same team. We’re giving them the most for their money; whereas, if we get into these hard bid contracts and we go over budget, we get in the area of, “Hey, I can cut this corner and we can save myself a little bit of money.” That’s not the way I build. That’s not the way I want to build.
As you’re building a company and a brand, it’s very, very rewarding not to have to be in every aspect of the sales position.
One of the challenges that we’re always going to have going forward is that we’re never going to have “arrived”. It’s about, “Where is the direction that we’re going?” We get to make that choice. And we love it.
