Black Diamond Group Inc., is completing plans to purchase a nine-acre site in an industrial area of Oak Creek. Deb Teglia, president of the paving company, said Black Diamond needs a larger office and outside storage area.
Black Diamond’s current location at 1024 E. Rawson Ave., Oak Creek, is a bustling retail area and is inconvenient for a paving company. Teglia said another reason for the move is that the City of Oak Creek seeks continued growth in restaurants and stores and has already rezoned Black Diamond’s property for retail use.
"We need a larger and more efficient space and are currently in negotiations to buy a large parcel of land in Oak Creek," Teglia said. "We are looking to develop land into an area where we can lease out office and outside storage space for contractors."
Teglia’s father, Raymond, founded the company in 1959, mostly doing paving at residential properties. Today, Black Diamond has grown to more than 40 employees serving more than seven counties and specializing in commercial, industrial and municipal construction.
The growth of the company over the last 45 years has made workspace tight at the Rawson Avenue location. The 7,000 square-foot building has slowed the workflow for the sales and accounting staff, according to Teglia, and Black Diamond plans to move west down Rawson Avenue to Oak Creek’s industrial area within the next two years.
Teglia would not release the exact location of the new site, but said it would be on South 6th Street just north of Rawson Avenue. On the new site, Teglia plans to build a 15,000-square-foot facility with outdoor storage space for equipment, vehicles and contractor supplies.
"We just received a conditional use approval from the city of Oak Creek for outside storage and are still looking at environmental issues," Teglia said. "We hope to close on the sale sometime this fall."
Black Diamond intends to use 10,000 square feet of the facility and would lease office space to contractors in the remaining 5,000 square feet until the company needs the additional office space.
Black Diamond also would lease outside storage space to other contractors, and long-term plans for the site would include multiple buildings, according to Teglia.
"I see the economy changing and feel it is going to continue to improve," Teglia said. "Many of our industrial and commercial customers are seeing their business improving. As they grow, they need more parking space or they may have the need to improve the look and efficiency of their current parking areas and roadways. That’s where we come in to help them. After all, the parking lot is the front doormat."
The recipe for asphalt has not changed much since Black Diamond joined the industry, and probably was rarely tweaked before then, according to Teglia. To compete in a market that is based more on service and price than the product itself, Black Diamond has tried to build a reputation for doing business well, he said.
"The vision of our company is to be the easiest to do business with," Teglia said. "In our industry, contractors in general are often difficult to work with. We make sure that isn’t true when a customer hires Black Diamond. We hire solution-focused, positive people with the right behavior who will treat customers the way they should be treated. This way, the customer has a favorable experience."
Teglia said a parking lot project is not the most desirable improvement for a company because of its expense and disruption. Because of this, Teglia said Black Diamond tries to understand the needs of its customers and the sales staff provides detailed proposals for the client.
The proposals include which area of the parking lot the contractors will work on at certain times, and in some cases Black Diamond has paved a parking lot in sections so cars could still park, keeping the disturbance during the construction process to a minimum.
"We provide the most detailed proposals in the industry," Teglia said. "Coupled with our written performance assurances (start and end date of construction, as well as phased construction), weather is the only factor that would prevent us from holding those promises."
Teglia said there is no need for a negative relationship between the customer and the contractors.
"As we’ve grown, we have found ‘A’ players and the key to our success has been in our people," Teglia said. "Our employees understand what is required, are solution-focused and people with positive minds. Once we find them they find a home in us and it makes working together fun."
Teglia said she has relied on customer referrals and positive relationships to be successful in the market. Producing its own hot mix, through Ramix Asphalt Products in Franklin, has allowed Black Diamond to keep prices competitive and have an extra source of income.
Teglia said she is glad Black Diamond will be able to stay in Oak Creek. She said the city was helpful in assisting the company with finding land and zoning that will accommodate Black Diamond’s needs.
INFOBOX
COMPANY: Black Diamond Group, Inc.
LOCATION: 124 E. Rawson Ave., Oak Creek
OWNERS: Deb Teglia, president; Joe Teglia, vice president
FOUNDED: 1959
PRODUCT: Professional paving company and producers of asphalt
EMPLOYEES: 40+
WEB SITE: www.blackdiamondgrp.com
