Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) December 31, 2012

Los Angeles, CA – December 29, 2012: As the owner of a rapidly expanding construction company, based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Keith Tillage has always maintained that one should always ‘expect the unexpected.’ But even while being awarded the PTAC HUBZone Business of the Year, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2012 Region VI Minority Small Business Person of the Year, and as a finalist for the 2012 Black Enterprise Small Business of the Year Award, Keith Tillage, the owner of Tillage Construction, was not expecting a call from The White House.

The call from a White House Secretary was an invitation for Tillage, also received by 14 other distinguished small business owners, to discuss fiscal cliff fears at a summit with President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden at The White House. “I was excited about meeting the President but more honored that I had been chosen to weigh in on this historic issue for our country” humbly divulged by Tillage.

The President, Vice President Biden, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett all listened keenly to the insights of all the entrepreneurs. While the prominent political leaders in the room listen so did the other entrepreneurs, gaining insight into the hardships faced by other industries. It was during the summit Tillage recognized that “As business owners we get tunnel vision of our own businesses but hearing from the other CEO’s in the room, each from various industries, gave me an holistic prospective of how catastrophic the fiscal cliff could be for the country as a whole.” Subsequent to the fated meeting, Tillage would go on to assert that “If you believe in the democracy of our country as I do, then you have to trust your elected officials and trust the fact that they understand this is not a democratic or republican issue but an American issue.“

Like President Obama, Tillage remains hopefully optimistic and acknowledges that “By expanding my business with a regional office in Dallas Texas, I gambled on this administration getting this issue resolved prior to the meeting and after actually speaking with the heads of government and business… I feel even more confident in not only their ability but willingness to get it done!”

ABOUT TILLAGE CONSTRUCTION: Since 2000, Tillage Construction has experienced significant growth as one of nation’s fastest-growing, 100% minority-owned construction companies. Tillage Constructions expertise ranges the full gamut of commercial construction services, with all employees dedicated to exceptional customer service from project acceptance to project completion.

Business Report: Why do you do what you do?

Keith Tillage: As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. From the day my father and I opened the doors, it was a burning desire to make the business a success. I still wake up with that same desire, even more so now! When I don’t, I’ll do something different.

BR: What is your greatest professional accomplishment?

KT: In retrospect, I honestly believe it was leaving the comfortable confines of corporate America to come home and follow my dream. It was the most important step of my entire journey because it was the first step.

BR: What was your first job?

KT: I was the head nail-setter and only other employee at my father’s cabinet company, Triple T cabinets.

BR: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

KT: Never take no for an answer from a person who doesn’t have the ability to tell you yes.

BR: If you could have any job other than your own, what would it be?

KT: I would love to be in public service in a capacity through which I could affect the lives of Louisianans.

BR: What is the greatest personal or professional obstacle you’ve overcome? 

KT: Professionally, I think it was the fear of entrepreneurship itself. It’s idealistic to want to be your own boss, but in actuality it’s like walking the tightrope without a net.

BR: If you started over, what would you do differently? 

KT: Absolutely nothing! Not that we didn’t make countless mistakes, but each one taught us invaluable lessons, and that learning process has been the cornerstone of our success.

BR: What is your prescription for life?

KT: Life is a train ride that we are all on eagerly anticipating the next stop to be the one that signifies that we have made it. Once we get there, we realize that the next stop will be the big one, and then the next, and so on. If you are lucky, you figure out that life is not about the stops at all; it’s really about the ride.

BR: What book are you currently reading?

KT: I’m currently rereading The Greatest Salesman in the World, by Og Mandino. Each time I do, I discover something new or something that seemed insignificant before but now applies to my life. It’s the ultimate motivational read for entrepreneurs.

BR: If you could have dinner with any three living people, who would they be?

KT: President Obama, so I could understand how he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders; Bono, to understand the humanitarianism in his heart; and my father, Ken Tillage, to help me make sense of it all, in order to follow in his footsteps and become a better man.

BR: Who would play you in a movie?

KT: Laurence Fishburne, because he is an incredible actor and would ensure the accent was authentic. I hate the way Hollywood depicts the way we [in south Louisiana] speak in movies.

BR: What do you do to unwind?

KT: I appreciate a nice cigar and great conversation.

BR: What is the most expensive purchase you’ve made for yourself?

KT: I’m a watch collector, so there you have it.

BR: What is your favorite weekend activity?

KT: I love to run the LSU lakes at dawn. It gives me an opportunity to be alone with my thoughts and reflect on the topic of the day.

BR: What’s your favorite spot in Baton Rouge?

KT: The AC Lewis YMCA, because it displays the best of Baton Rouge. It’s a melting pot of people from diverse backgrounds all working together. I grew up in that Y, and as much as it meant to me then, it means so much more now that my children are growing up there. Also, being on the board, I see the commitment to help and include less fortunate members of our community.

BR: How do you take your coffee/tea?

KT: Tall soy chai, 4 pumps, no water, no foam, extra hot.

BR: What is your favorite TV show?

KT: Any Law and Order series.

BR: What is your favorite gadget?

KT: I’m really not a gadget guy.

BR: What is something that you can’t live without?

KT: I love all genres of music; my iPod has 4,000 songs that range from Donny Hathaway to Maroon 5 to Rick Ross.

BR: What is your greatest hope for Baton Rouge?

KT: That we will realize the importance of diversity and inclusion, and how it directly affects the quality of life for everyone! Then we can take our place as one of America’s greatest cities.

BR: What is your greatest fear for Baton Rouge?

KT: That we never realize that there is no single solution to our city’s problems, and so fail to take a holistic approach that includes diversity and inclusion for everyone!

via The Business Report

Fort Worth, tx – Keith Tillage, co-owner of Tillage Construction LLC in Baton Rouge, La. has been named the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2012 Region VI Minority Small Business Person of the Year.  Tillage, along with other winners from 10 SBA Regional offices were honored during ceremonies at the National 8(a) Training, Business Matchmaking and Awards event at the Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C. Oct. 10, 2012.  SBA Deputy Administrator Marie Johns and Associate Administrator John Shoraka who oversees the Office of Government Contracting and Business Development, commemorated the award winners for their achievement.

Region VI serves Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.  Tillage was distinguished for this honor based on the company’s growth, response to adversities and obstacles, use of minority suppliers and participation in community projects.

“It is an honor to recognize Mr. Tillage with this prominent Regional honor,” said SBA Regional Administrator Yolanda Garcia Olivarez.  “He demonstrates the spirit of innovation and perseverance characteristic of prosperous entrepreneurs who see the importance of building successful businesses and boosting the economy of their community and the nation.”

Since its inception in 2000, Tillage Construction LLC has experienced steady growth becoming one of south Louisiana’s leading minority full-service commercial construction companies with 26 full-time employees.  The company has received several 8(a) contracts including a multi-year Job Order award worth $12 million at the Fort Polk Army Base in Louisiana.

“This has been a truly humbling experience,” said Tillage.  “There was no way I could have conceived that the path my father and I are on would involve me having one-on-one discussions at the White House with the country’s highest ranking business officials.  Our hope is that the story of Tillage Construction inspires others to take that step toward entrepreneurship, pursue their dreams, create jobs and strengthen the economy of our country.  Our main characteristics of success are hard work, perseverance and dedication.  With these ingredients, success is possible for everyone.”

Tillage Construction LLC has been featured in the New York Times, The Baton Rouge Business Report, Black Enterprise, The Morning Advocate and the international publication of Kauffman foundation’s thought book.  The company was a finalist for the Black Enterprise Small Business of the Year award and named the PTAC HUBZone Business of the Year.  They were honored with the United States Small Business Award for excellence, and were recognized in both 2011 and 2012 as one of the fastest growing private companies in America by Inc. 5000.

Tillage Construction LLC and its employees have continually demonstrated a strong commitment to serving the community. The company made a conscious effort to not only headquarter their office in a historically underutilized business zone but to hire and utilize as many subcontractors from that and other communities like it throughout Baton Rouge. Tillage Construction LLC continues support the north Baton Rouge community where Mr. Tillage grew up by sponsoring the local youth athletic association, providing scholarships through various church and social organizations, underwriting the Scotlandville secret Santa program and participating in the NBA New Orleans Hornets tickets for charity program.

Keith Tillage’s firm is working with over $20 million in federal contracts from the support of SBA’s programs

The U.S. Small Business Administration and U.S. Black Chamber Inc. have teamed up to help small minority businesses access guidance on federal contracting, face-to-face meetings, and match-making opportunities in teaming up with larger companies and graduates ofSBA’s 8(a) Business Development program. The new partnership recently gave way to a one-day freeNational 8(a) Training, Business Matchmaking and Awards Ceremony held at the Carnegie Library in Washington, DC on October 10.

“SBA and U.S. Black Chamber are partners in a major effort to expand outreach and support to underserved minority business communities that have been hit harder by the economy than other sectors,” says SBA Deputy Administrator Marie C. Johns. The goal is to help participating companies leverage their assets and capabilities and to take businesses to a higher level.

Co-hosting this special event, “was an exceptional opportunity to partner with the SBA and provide a chance to recognize the firms who have worked diligently over the last year, despite harsh economic conditions, and managed to successfully grow their businesses,” adds Ron Busby, President and CEO of the U.S. Black Chamber Inc., the trade group supporting African American Chambers of Commerce and small business organizations nationwide.

During several scheduled forums, small businesses will learn how to market themselves to the federal government and go after federal contracting opportunities. The forum also will offer help with strategic alliances, joint venture opportunities, and mentor-protege arrangements within the 8(a) Program. The SBA encourages larger firms to team with a smaller firm to help with financing, management, and technical assistance

“The SBA does an incredible job of taking companies like mine and putting them together with companies that can enhance their business. They vet those particular companies and grow those companies that are part of 8(a),” says Keith Tillage, the co-owner of Tillage Construction LLC, an SBA assisted business based in Baton
Rouge, Louisiana. “I started with the 8(a) program in 2003. My company wouldn’t be where it is today without it.”

Tillage used the SBA’s help in developing a strategic business plan. The SBA also helped expand and increase the company’s contracting opportunities by linking the firm with federal agencies through the 8(a) program. The company’s first major client was the United States Department of Agriculture. Today, Tillage Construction is working federal contracts worth about $20 million.

Tillage Construction was a finalist for the 2012 Black Enterprise Small Business of the Year award and named the PTAC HUBZone Business of the Year.  It was recognized in 2012 as one of the fastest growing private companies in America by Inc. 5000.

The family business has evolved from a simple hobby of making cabinets started by Keith’s father, Ken Tillage, 20 years ago into a full-service commercial construction company. After leaving corporate America, Keith teamed up with his father in 2000 to form Tillage Construction, a general contracting business specializing in design build, renovation, new construction, and demolition for the government and the private sector. Tillage Construction grew revenues 285% from $2 million in 2007 to $7.7 million in 2010. Revenues for 2011 topped $18.3 million with a staff of 16 full-time employees.

Not only does Tillage hire many of the residents from the Baton Rouge community, but he also utilizes as many subcontractors located in the area as possible. Those subcontractors who do not have the capacity to work on projects with Tillage Construction are encouraged to use the company as a resource and mentor to assist in their growth and development.

Tillage is excited about the National 8(a) Training and Matchmaking forum, noting how critical SBA programs are in helping small disadvantaged businesses to grow and compete in the open market. “I started very small and built my company brick by brick,” says Tillage. “You have to build your own capacity so that you get to a point where you are a viable player, where you can really sit down at the negotiation table and become a joint venture partner.”

by Carolyn M. Brown

via Black Enterprise

“Now, more than ever, we depend on Inc.5000 companies to spur innovation, provide jobs, and drive the economy forward.  Growth companies, not large corporations, are where the action is,” says Inc. Editor Eric Schurenberg

via Inc. 5000

Learn from the Best

After Keith Tillage made the decision to leave corporate America and join forces with his father in the construction business, Tillage Construction has become one of Southern Louisiana’s fastest-growing, 100 percent minority-owned construction companies. Find out how a chance meeting on a plane changed his life forever.

Nicole: Tillage Construction was started in 1991 by your father, Ken. How and why did you get involved?

Keith: My father retired in 91, and when I graduated from Southern University and went to Dallas he started building cabinets full time. It evolved into residential contracting around 1998. He actually had a money dispute with clients that didn’t pay him after he completed building their house. He finally let me get involved in the dispute, and I brought in attorneys and got it settled. That was my first taste of the construction business – and I still came back!

The construction idea came about from a magazine article I read on a plane. I was consulting at the time and flying weekly. On a flight to Seattle, I read an article on a woman-owned construction firm in Nashville and how she lost and rebuilt her business. I was intrigued by the SBA (Small Business Administration) programs she mentioned specifically for minorities. That day, I got off the plane in Seattle and told my dad, “If you go commercial, I’ll come home.” He said, “If you come home, I’ll go commercial!”

Nicole: How did you get the courage to leave corporate America and join forces with your father?

Keith: I think it was a combination of things. Ignorance was a major part of my courage. Seriously, I had no idea how hard it would be and that it was a possibility I could fail.  My father is really responsible for that, he has always made me feel I could do anything!

Also, I had a mentor who put everything he had into his work just to make partner. I saw for myself that it was true that, as a black man, he had to be two times better. He was. When he finally made partner, within a year he died from cancer. It made me realize how short life can really be and that you have to do it now, or there is a chance it may not happen.

Again on a plane, I met a man who honestly made me see working for someone in a totally different light. He had me afraid to have my fate in someone else’s hands. He gave me a book The Richest Man in Babylon, and I was forever changed!

Nicole: Was construction something that you had always been interested in?

Keith:  I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I wasn’t exactly sure what the business would be, but I just felt if I found a good product I could apply my business experience and make it successful. It [construction] was something that I honestly never considered. I saw construction, like most other minorities, from the labor side.  I thought it was hot, long hours and hard work. We never were exposed to the business side of it – not just from an ownership side, but the management side. People with construction management degrees start out at 50k and can easy be at six figures in four years. I’m working now to give kids, especially minorities, another outlook.

Nicole: Your company has expanded its market to Mississippi and Texas. What was the biggest challenge that you faced throughout that process?

Keith: Well, that was the easy part for me. Working big six (top accounting firms) I got the concept that whatever expertise was needed, just bring it in. Once you can cook a dozen cookies in your kitchen, you can cook it anywhere; you know what ingredients to get and equipment you need, so you don’t have to buy the same brand or from the same store.

Nicole: You have been involved with Tillage for around 12 years. What is the most important lesson you’ve learned?

Keith: Wow, there are so many. But if I had to choose one, it would be to never except ‘no’ from someone who doesn’t have the ability to tell you yes

Nicole: What do you feel is the biggest misconception people have about business owners?

Keith: The biggest misconception I had was that all successful people in business were the smartest and most talented, but what I’ve discovered is that it’s the ones who work the hardest. The ones that work without a net, the ones that their family’s livelihood depends on the product or service they provide.

Nicole: What is the one thing that you wish you had known when you first got involved in the business?

Keith: Nothing! If I had how hard it was going to be, I wouldn’t have dived in the way I did. If we hadn’t experienced the failures, we would have never grown from our mistakes – and we couldn’t appreciate how far we have come.

Nicole: What is your ultimate goal for Tillage Construction?

Keith: Wow, good question; but for me it’s a working document. It’s like riding a train; each stop is the stop until you get there.

Nicole: Tillage is 100 percent minority owned. Do you feel pressure from the community to continue your success?

Keith: No not really from the community, but from ourselves. We have heard the horror stories and just don’t plan on making the same mistakes

Nicole: There are other business owners that have not experienced the same level of success that you and your father have received. What makes you different? Why are you successful?

Keith: Honestly, I think many business owners don’t really understand the business part of their own business. An example will be the person we all know that cooks the best food, but can they really own a restaurant just because they can cook?  I see that a lot, especially in construction. The guy that was the best concrete finisher starts a business but has no idea about overhead cost, margin, controlling labor and cash flow.  So we were different. My dad understood construction, whereas I knew nothing about it. But I understood business. So it was that, along with determination. And of course luck is a friend of hard work!

Via The Express Mag

-Interview by Nicole Jocleen

NEW ORLEANS, The 2012 “District Minority Small Business Person of the Year” was awarded to Keith Tillage, Owner of Tillage Construction LLC.

Each year the winner of the SBA “District Minority Small Business Person of the Year” award is selected based on several criteria, including the company’s overall financial strength, sales and profit growth, growth in number of employees, demonstrated ability to overcome business obstacles, and dedicated involvement in community and charitable events. This year, in conjunction with Minority Enterprise Development Week, the Louisiana 8(a) business retreat was held in New Orleans where the award was presented.  With the theme of “Job Creation in America: Build it Here — Sell it Everywhere”, the retreat featured Mr. Tillage, who was also selected to serve on a panel leading discussions on motivation and empowerment to retreat participants.

“This award is truly an honor in recognition of our commitment to service, quality and a testament to hard work”; said Mr. Tillage but added “the true measure of success is never in acclaim or awards but in the contribution you make to society”. Tillage Construction LLC’s success has been widely lauded; having been named HUBZONE small business of the year in 2007, received the SBA excellence award in 2009, named one of America’s 5000 fastest-growing companies in 2011 by Inc. magazine, and was a finalist for the 2012 Black Enterprise Small Business of the Year award. “Mr. Tillage has proven himself to be an exceptional business leader and has developed his firm into an exceptional contracting services provider, becoming one of the SBA’s best success stories”; said Mike Ricks, District Director, SBA Louisiana District Office. The national SBA Deputy Associate Administrator, Eugene Cornelius, Jr. and the Louisiana District Supervisory Business Development Specialist, Jo Ann Lawrence were on hand to make the presentation at the award ceremony and to commemorate this achievement.

Tillage Construction LLC and its employees have continually demonstrated a strong commitment to serving the community. The company made a conscious effort to not only headquarter their office in a historically underutilized business zone but to hire and utilize as many subcontractors from that and other communities like it throughout Baton Rouge. Tillage Construction LLC continues support the north Baton Rouge community where Mr. Tillage grew up by sponsoring the local youth athletic association, providing scholarships through various church and social organizations, underwriting the Scotlandville secret Santa program and participating in the NBA New Orleans Hornets tickets for charity program.

About Tillage Construction LLC

Tillage Construction LLC is a 100% minority-owned commercial construction company that offers full-service comprehensive packages to the Federal Government, private and public sectors. The Company specializes in Job Order Contracting (JOC), Design Build, New Construction, Commercial Renovation, Interior build-out construction and facilities maintenance.

President Barack Obama’s plan to give a boost to businesses looking to expand and a college’s desire to build a comprehensive small-business training center are merging at Southern University.

When fall classes start, Southern students looking to be entrepreneurs should be able to make use of a new Small Business Development Center currently under construction in what used to be an old bookstore.

The Southern University Foundation bought the building for about $300,000 about five years ago.

In the future, a long-abandoned post office next door on Harding Boulevard is slated to become a small business incubator, offering management and leadership training for startups, said Ernie Hughes, the foundation’s vice president for advancement.

A portion of the project’s financing is coming from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The agency has granted funding to its local partner, the Louisiana Small Business Development Center, or SBDC.

Tuesday at Southern, SBA Deputy Administrator Marie Johns walked through the concrete and drywall shell of the old bookstore looking at space where entrepreneurs will get help with planning, starting and managing small businesses.

Although Congress has largely ignored Obama’s so-called “to-do” list of economic initiatives that he says would create jobs, Johns said the agency is still putting some of the president’s ideas to work.

Obama, she said, recognizes that small businesses are responsible for most of the country’s new jobs, and young entrepreneurs often come up with the innovative ideas that turn into successful small businesses.

“Congress needs to act. The president is proposing tax breaks for businesses adding employees and buying new equipment, and giving raises and all of the different things that support economic growth,” Johns said. “This business development center will help entrepreneurs grow and thrive. Small business is where all the jobs are coming from.”

Southern’s Small Business Development Center will include intensive training and guidance from experienced consultants, said Leighton Bryant, senior business consultant with the SBDC.

Donald Andrews, dean of Southern’s College of Business, said the adjacent business incubator will house the principals of a dozen or more startups.

“The purpose is to reduce the odds of their business failing. We will teach them how to walk, how to run and then how to win marathons,” Andrews said.

The two roughly 2,000-square-foot buildings were designed by students at Southern’s School of Architecture.

Jason Lockhart, an assistant professor, said they should be fairly similar brick structures with arched openings, an outdoor patio and a glass entryway connecting the two.

Construction for the two buildings is being handled by Tillage Construction, a Baton Rouge firm co-owned by Southern alumnus Keith Tillage.

“We came in on the front end to help develop this project,” he said. “I went to this school, I grew up two minutes from here. The big deal is to make this project work.”

-by Koran Addo

via TheAdvocate.com

There is no one given industry or type of business that will render any entrepreneur riches beyond his or her wildest dreams. However, there are niches to be found throughout any market and during any cycle of the economy. The annual Black Enterprise Small Business Awards recognize those entrepreneurs who have found their niche, possessing the right strategy and skill to eventually grow their small enterprises into sizable entities within their industries. The winners of the 2012 Small Business Awards will be announced at the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo hosted by Nationwide, May 23 to 26 in Chicago.

This year we broadened our Innovator of the Year criteria to include early stage emerging companies that have been in business at least two years and have at least $250,000 in revenues. Our nominees run the gamut from entrepreneurs who are high-tech innovators to those running age-old businesses with a modern twist to entrepreneurs with socially conscious enterprises.

In preparation for the Small Business Awards, BlackEnterprise.com is giving you the chance to weigh in on this fierce competition by voting online for who should win in each of the four categories (Innovator of the Year, Family Business of the Year, BE Next Award and Teenpreneur Award). Scroll through the next few pages to see who our 2012 nominees are and cast your ballot to decide who the People’s Choice winners are. Your choices will be celebrated at the Black Enterprise Small Business Awards Luncheon hosted by Ariel Investments on May 24 at the Hilton Chicago. The power is in your hands. —Carolyn M. Brown

via BlackEnterprise.com

The “aha” moment

When Keith Tillage worked for a major consulting firm in Dallas, he had a mentor, a black man who was 10 years his senior. Tillage watched as the man worked long hours, only to be repeatedly passed over for promotions. The mentor, who assured Tillage that his hard work would pay off, eventually made partner. Six months later, however, he was diagnosed with colon cancer, and six months after that he was dead. Tillage had always wanted to be an entrepreneur, and his friend’s death made him realize the time was now. Tillage’s father, Ken, already owned a residential contracting business in Baton Rouge. Tillage called his father and said, “If we go commercial, I’ll come home and we’ll build the business together.” Ken said yes, and in 2000 the new company was born.

R&D
The federal government typically requires 30% of its contractors to be woman-or minority-owned, Tillage says, and he felt there was an opening for a minority commercial contractor in Baton Rouge who could go after government work. A profile of a female contractor in an in-flight magazine spurred the idea. Tillage reached out to successful local contractors, including CSRS and Cajun Industries, for work and guidance. Through advice and hard experience during the early, lean years, he learned the importance of slow growth, taking on jobs he knew he could handle and delivering what he said he would deliver.

Hitting the market
After Hurricane Katrina, companies pursuing recovery work called Tillage Construction in hopes of finding a local partner. They weren’t really looking for a true partner, however; they wanted a minority front man. Tillage insisted on being deeply involved in any project so that his company could grow and be better prepared for the next job. Instead of pursuing work in New Orleans, Tillage went to Stoneville, Miss., to visit a U.S. Department of Agriculture contracting officer with whom he previously had worked. After the brief meeting, Tillage struck up a conversation with another man in the restroom; he turned out to be a top regional USDA official. The chance meeting led to a $500,000 contract, Tillage’s largest job up to that point.

Tillage says:
“We manage expectations. If I think it’s going to be done in three days, I’m going to tell you three days or four. I’m not going to tell you two. What people want is professionalism. They want to know that they can believe what you tell them.”

-by David Jacobs

Photography © Copyright 2011 by Louisiana Business Incorporated. All rights reserved by LBI.

via Business Report

In every life, there are landmark moments: marriage, birth of a child, first real job. For Keith Tillage, a story in a magazine also makes the list. Eleven years ago, Tillage was a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers overseeing SAP business management software installations at major corporations. On a flight from Seattle to Dallas,Tillage was thumbing through a magazine when he saw an article about a Nashville, Tenn., woman who owned a commercial construction company. She had overcome some bad luck to become successful.

While that made a nice story, what really caught Tillage’s eye were the numbers that showed the size of the commercial construction market. “I saw limitless potential and an opportunity to work with one of my favorite people of all time, my dad, and come back and actually grow this business,” Tillage said. Tillage got off the plane, whipped out his cellphone and called his father, who owned a residential construction company in Baton Rouge. “I said, ‘Dad, listen. If you go commercial, I’ll come home, and we’ll run the business,’” Tillage said. “He said, ‘Well if you come home, I’ll go commercial.’ And the plan started from there.” The plan, 11 years out, landed Tillage Construction on Inc. magazine’s list of the 5,000 fastest-growing companies from 2007-2010 at 1,032. The company’s 2010 revenue of $7.7 million was 294 percent higher than in 2007. Tillage Construction provides design-build, new construction, renovation and demolition services to the public sector. The company concentrates on work in Louisiana and Mississippi. Brian Turmail, a spokesman for the Associated General Contractors, said while Tillage’s path to commercial construction was a bit unusual, it will probably become less so. “The nature of being a general contractor is evolving, and certainly, even more so than probably 10 years ago, the ability to use technology and to put in sophisticated business management practices is crucial,” Turmail said.

Construction companies essentially have the same labor, equipment and materials costs, Turmail said. What sets one firm apart from another is being more efficient at doing the work; for example, finding a way to build a foundation in five days instead of seven. Companies are also using “building information modeling” technology and “lean construction” principles, production management techniques designed to increase efficiency, to compete for work, he added. People with strong technology and business backgrounds are going to see an opportunity in construction and probably have the skill set to take advantage, Turmail said. Tillage’s friends questioned his decision. The economy was booming. Tillage was making “a considerable amount of money” at Pricewaterhouse, one of the Big Six accounting firms, and traveling all over the world. “They were like, ‘Well, Keith, do you think this will work?’ And my answer was, ‘It has to,’” Tillage said, laughing. “There was no other choice. Simple as that.”  Tillage put together a detailed plan. For example, he bought a fourplex, living in one unit while renting out the others to minimize his living expenses and to generate some income. He bought an office building, which he and his father renovated. Tillage Construction occupied the first floor, with the second floor available for rent. That’s not to say everything went smoothly. While the company was able to secure contracts the first couple of years, it didn’t begin turning a small profit until 2003 and 2004. Tillage supported the company’s operations using his savings, and his father concentrated on building cabinets to generate some revenue. But his business plan didn’t call for him and his father to forgo a salary for years or for the company’s first big break, a 2002 contract valued at $1 million, to turn into a dispute with the owner that nearly killed Tillage Construction.

Tillage Construction eventually prevailed in court, Tillage said. A settlement agreement prohibits him from discussing the details, but the experience proved invaluable. “That actually taught us more about the business than anything, not for what went right in it, but for what went wrong,” Tillage said. Tillage said he and his father learned they needed to better define their business strategy and processes before moving forward. The company shifted its focus from small commercial projects and single-family developments to government projects. “It gave us the best possible mechanism for return. It gave us the opportunity to grow our bidding and bonding capacities and to actually find out the entire business process,” Tillage said. Turmail said federal construction work, by and large, has been the only growth area for commercial construction during the last three years. Tillage said the company got its next big break in 2005, just after Hurricane Katrina.

Tillage Construction had gotten a $100,000 contract from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to install a chain link fence in Houma. The job wasn’t anything extraordinary, Tillage said. The company just did the work as promised, but he did build a rapport with the Agriculture people. That relationship proved important. In the post-Katrina chaos, Tillage Construction entertained a number of offers for work from major contractors, Tillage said. But the numbers weren’t right.  Meanwhile, contractors were flooding the New Orleans area hoping to get work. So Tillage decided to do what everyone else wasn’t. He drove 3 hours to Stoneville, Miss., and called the USDA official he’d only talked to over the phone and through email. Tillage told the official he was in the area and asked if he could drop by and talk. “It was a 15-minute meeting, and from that we got a $500,000 deal that at that point we thought was huge,” Tillage said. “That kind of catapulted us to where we are because we built on that relationship.”  Tillage used the USDA experience in bidding for work at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City and continued to grow the business, he said. Tillage Construction’s portfolio includes nine Air Force projects valued at more than $10 million and more than $3 million worth of work for the USDA. With those projects under his belt, Tillage can joke that he expected the company to reach its current level five years ago. “Now, seriously, coming into it, I really had no idea how hard it was. I really didn’t. I kind of learned as I went along,” Tillage said. “Right now, we’re extremely happy for where we are. It’s been a lot of hard work. It hasn’t been all good times, as you can imagine. But I’m even more excited about where we’re headed.” Tillage said he’s never second-guessed his decision to leave Pricewaterhouse. He knew he had made the right decision after losing bids for projects he thought Tillage Construction absolutely had to have. Before the bid awards, Tillage would tell himself, if his company didn’t get the project, he would have to find something else to do. “And when I didn’t get it, it would be like, ‘Eh, maybe the next one will be the one,’” Tillage said. Even after failures, Tillage said he still had the same zeal to get up every day, come in and go to work. “There’s never a boring day. People say that, it’s a cliché, but there’s never been one,” Tillage said. In five years, Tillage said he expects the company will be doing a mixture of government and private sector work. “I anticipate pushing revenues far above where they are now. I see us pushing into Texas,” Tillage said.

-by Ted Griggs

Photography: ARTHUR D. LAUCK

via The Advocate

Ken Tillage, chief executive officer of Tillage Construction LLC, has never written a book but if he did, it might be titled “How to Become an Entrepreneur and Raise One Yourself.”

The subtitle might be “The Path Isn’t a Straight Line.”

Before his current gig, running one of the country’s fastest-growing companies with his son, Tillage had been a teacher, a coach, a liquor store owner, head of the city-parish’s juvenile detention program, a cabinet maker and a homebuilder.

The high point of his coaching career came in 1977, when he took over as coach of Southern University’s football team at midseason. The low point came at the end of the season, when the school encouraged him to leave.

“I had a lot of opportunities to go and still coach other places, but I decided to stay here. The family was stable. My wife had a job. So if I get a job we keep on eating,” Tillage said.

Tillage decided to put down roots in Baton Rouge. Still, he never forgot what it felt like to be fired.

“When they sent me away from coaching, I said, ‘Well, you know, I don’t need to depend on nobody else for a living. I need to depend on myself,’” Tillage said.

Although Tillage ended up taking other jobs, he never shook the entrepreneurial urge.

And he brought his son, Keith, with him everywhere, whether it was renovating the liquor store or building cabinets.

Those experiences provided Keith with a couple of key advantages in starting the commercial construction business, Tillage said.

Having seen all the failures his father experienced in residential construction, Keith could only go up from there, Tillage said. Keith also learned not to be afraid of making a mistake.

“If you break your neck, you break your neck, but at least next time you’ll know a whole lot better,” Tillage said. “But if I hold your hand you learn nothing.”

Tillage said he still offers his son advice, but the final decision remains Keith’s. Sometimes that has worked out badly. On a few occasions, Tillage has asked his son where he found a subcontractor who didn’t work out. But in most cases, things have worked out well.

These days Tillage concentrates on the construction company’s jobs in Baton Rouge, occasionally traveling to other sites when needed.

His advice to entrepreneurs or those thinking about going into business: “Every day is not sunshine. Tomorrow is not promised. You got to work hard for what you see in front of you, and you can’t give up on it,” Tillage said. “You got to get up every morning with the attitude that you’re going to make it work, and you got to work at making it work.”

Many times people sit still and complain that they can’t do anything about a situation, Tillage said. But their problem is that they’re sitting still.

-by Ted Griggs

Photographer: ARTHUR D. LAUCK

via The Advocate

In a stagnant economic environment, median growth rate of 2011 Inc. 500|5000 companies remains an impressive 94 percent. The companies on this year’s list report having created 350,000 jobs in the past three years, and aggregate revenue among the honorees reached $366 billion, up 14 percent from last year.

Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/5000.

“Now, more than ever, we depend on Inc. 500/5000 companies to spur innovation, provide jobs, and drive the economy forward.  Growth companies, not large corporations, are where the action is,” says Inc. magazine Editor Jane Berentson.

via PRLog.org

What began as a hobby for Ken Tillage turned into a sole proprietorship building custom cabinets in 1982. After experiencing a few years of success and discovering a strong need for his services, Ken founded Ken Tillage Construction Company in 1991.

Ken’s son Keith Tillage graduated from Southern University in Baton Rouge with a computer science degree and moved to Dallas after graduating to start his corporate career. His corporate experience was highlighted by a life changing event that he witnessed firsthand with his mentor. Keith Tillage’s mentor worked his whole life to move up the corporate ladder to make partner and when he finally did he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and died soon after, at the age of 40. Keith said “My mentor’s triumph and tragedy showed me two things; Dreams are only realized through hard work and determination, and you have to act now because tomorrow is not promised.” Keith made up his mind to purse his dreams of owning his own business and decided to start Tillage Construction L.L.C in 2000 with his father Ken.

Tillage Construction L.L.C. was financed with the Tillage’s own investment and the help of friends and family along the way. The company’s first large scale contracting job taught Keith and Ken a lot of valuable lessons, none more obvious than the fact that they needed to refine their business processes. With the help of the SBA they developed a strategic business plan, and targeted jobs that fit directly into the plan. Tillage Construction L.L.C. first major client was the USDA, which began with a 20k job at the local level.

The company successfully finished the job, although it was interrupted by Hurricane Katrina. Keith was then offered a 500k job with the USDA. Keith stated “I understood that this was a pivotal point in our company and we approached this opportunity as we would come to approach every opportunity in the future, as if my company’s very existence depends on it.” After successfully completing the project Keith used the skills the SBA introduced him to in order to refine his business processes and expand to additional clients. “As a direct result of that one job we have experienced continued growth in, bonding capacity, employees and revenue” said Keith. Tillage Construction L.L.C currently has 20 million dollars in federal construction contracts, a strong management team, and strategic plans for expansion into the Florida and Texas markets. The future is very bright for Tillage Construction L.L.C.

-by Michael W. Ricks

via U.S. Small Business Administration