“I really don’t have time to be negative. Getting ahead is about staying positive. Business is starting to improve. We are seeing more activity this year than last.” – Dan Karcher
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Building His Business on Success
by Gretchen Cain Wells
Almost anyone who has lived in the Tampa Bay area since 1971 has seen evidence of Dan Karcher’s work. The impressive, newly- remodeled St. Jerome’s Catholic Church in Largo, which will be dedicated by Bishop Robert Lynch on Dec. 17, is a product of Dan Karcher Construction Inc., as are dozens of waterfront, high-end homes, six-story condos, and commercial buildings, such as Tech Data headquarters and Castle Supply Companies.
With glossy photo spreads of his homes featured in House Trends and Tampa Bay Metro trade magazines to his credit, Karcher’s reputation for exceptional and custom-designed “showpieces” precedes him; yet, Dan Karcher is a very grounded, humble individual. He has no illusions of grandeur and firmly believes there are no shortcuts to success.
Karcher doesn’t expect admiration for implementing various styles and techniques that demonstrate fine craftsmanship, or for seeing to literally hundreds of details involved in a project; however, it is gratifying to hear compliments about his work. Unless customers are in the construction business themselves, they generally are more than happy to let Karcher “have at it,” and later enjoy the finished product.
Joanne Leahey, a long-time parishioner of St. Jerome’s, recently said she expected, “Dan’s ears were burning,” because good things were being said about him. “We are so excited about the reconfiguration of the church’s interior. It is truly beautiful, and we can’t wait until it’s finished,” she said. More about the church and other projects can be seen at
www.dankarcherconstruction.com.
Karcher was born in Detroit, but is practically a Florida native. He grew up in the area and graduated from Bishop Barry High School, now called St. Petersburg Catholic. After a year of college, Karcher went to work with family members, quickly learning to perform exacting work and endure long hours. “It was a true ‘baptism by fire,’” he said.
“I was fortunate to have the benefit of on-the-job training from my uncles, because there is no substitute for firsthand experience,” said Karcher. Bob, Joe, Jim and Dennis, who comprised Karcher Bros. Masonry, laid the foundation for their apprentice nephew’s “experience,” teaching him the tools of the masonry and stucco trade. He learned not to complain and instead, to savor the wonderful feeling of satisfaction that comes with a project’s completion.
Karcher describes himself as an upbeat person. “I really don’t have time to be negative. Getting ahead is about staying positive. Business is starting to improve. We are seeing more activity this year than last,” he said. A challenge to the construction industry remains in licensing and permitting. “Regulation seems to be increasing. At times, it is important because rules and inspections weed out con artists and others who are not capable of doing the job, but there are costly delays,” he said.
As someone who is “capable of the job,” Karcher has had the experience of being approached by clients who were disappointed with other contractors. “The client had their hopes dashed after being led to believe their project could be built for a certain budget, only to find out after the bid process, they were well over budget.”
To combat this lack of communication, Karcher said his company developed close relationships with its subcontractors and architects and prefers to use the design/build approach. Before the process can begin, the client enters into a design/build construction management contract. This contract outlines the costs involved with developing the preliminary plans, producing the budget and establishing the fees to be paid to the contractor for constructing and managing the project.
“It’s not just cost that can cause a concern. If not handled correctly, there can be difficulties in the areas of manpower and materials,” Karcher said. “Companies staff fewer employees these days which can add weeks, or even months, to a project. Wind resistant and “green” materials, as well as standard materials such as wallboard, often aren’t kept in large supply by warehouses and have to be ordered. All this raises havoc with our timetables.”
A stickler for meeting deadlines, Karcher learned from family members about integrity and accountability. “The goal has always been to make a firm commitment to a job well done and satisfy the customer to the best of my ability,” Karcher’s said. These principles now have carried over to the next generation: three adult daughters, Angela, Liza and Miriah. Angela was the office manager for Karcher Construction Inc. for 5 years, Liza is employed
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