Garth Braun designs a reputation to build on

BOULDER – Garth Braun rates problem solving as one of the primary skills he brings to client projects. When it came to bringing his own company through the recession, the skill came in handy as well.

That and repeat business has kept Garth Braun Associates PC not only in business but continuously moving in the direction of success.

“Repeat work is what’s guided us through the growth process, especially during the recession,” said Braun, the company president. “We were actually so damaged by the recession that it’s not that hard to accomplish growth when digging out of a hole like that.”

As with a lot of companies, GBA cut its number of staff members to keep the doors open for business. Payroll has gone from a high of 13 employees to now just Braun.

“I do a lot of work with contractors, some of which are old employees,” he said. “Turnaround from the recession has been great but it’s also uncertain so I do a lot more myself.”

Diversifying in terms of which industries to target has been another safety Braun put in place to keep business coming in. The architectural firm’s work includes projects with resorts, charter schools, interior designs for law offices and film studios as well as private residences.

Then there’s the customer-service quotient that’s mixed into the equation.

To Braun, the way to satisfy clients is to aim for what he calls “optimum solutions” instead of simply looking for solutions.

“We work to expand their thinking in terms of design options that fit their needs,” he said.  Questions that open up possibilities include asking how the group operates, what kind of environment will support the kinds of processes the company needs to have in place and what are the growth requirements and vision for the future.

Combining design and construction expertise with budgets and schedules increases long-term customer satisfaction, a driving force for repeat business. Additionally, partnering with clients to balance all these concerns often leads to more efficient ways for clients to do their business in the long run.

The plan is paying off so far. Garth Braun Associates PC has increased annual revenue 138.739 percent, from $222,000 in 2011 to $530,000 in 2013, placing it No. 3 on the BizWest Mercury 100 list of fastest-growing companies in Boulder and Broomfield counties for companies reporting less than $2 million in annual revenue.

“We were fortunate over the past 20 years to have never had a slowdown, even during the recession in the ’80s,” Braun said. “We’ve survived this one by reducing staff to just me and to having the good fortune to having clients come back.

“Some of our smaller clients held us through 2009 and 2010, and in 2011 our bigger clients came back,” he said. “2013 was very strong, and 2014 is looking good, but we don’t have the crystal ball we used to have in this industry.”

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