Geffers Construction owner living a general’s life

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From interviewing his customers to working from home, Jason Geffers has learned to do business on his own terms.

“There are guys who work 120 hours a week and call it success,” said Geffers, owner and president of JJ Geffers Construction, a four-man general contractor in Neenah. “I wanted to define how much I work and determine how much I could make in that time. It’s hard because there is always work to do, there’s always something out there that will take your time. But if you hold that goal out there in front of you as a reminder, you say, ‘Wait, this is my personal philosophy,’ you can value the choice you make.”

His choices trace back to when he was about 16, setting his sights on life as a carpenter and entrepreneur.

“I liked the independence, being able to control my own resources, mainly managing my own time without someone else dictating my hours.”

But, Geffers knew he had a lot to learn. He spent 10 years working with other companies, doing flatwork, masonry, carpentry, whatever was required, in union and non-union shops.

In April 1996, on Tax Day to be exact, Geffers launched JJ Geffers Construction, casting a wide net with commercial and residential building and remodeling.

“I think when you start, you’re desperate, you’re in survival mode, so pretty much anything and everything that comes your way, you go after. And when you have a couple of sticking points with people, you deviate from that.

“Now, I interview my customers as much as they interview me, and I have said, ‘no.’”

He also draws the line on working weekends and spending evenings at his desk away from his family. In fact, if Geffers is ever working at night, he’s usually doing it at his kitchen table, where he can sit with his children as they do their homework.

“I have never had my office at any of my shops. I had an office there just to do quick bookwork, but I’ve always kept my office at home to be available,” said Geffers, a father of four, ages 11 to 20, who has been married 25 years. “When I quit my job and started on my own, it was to support my wife. You might think it’s an oxymoron. You think you should work to support your wife, but when times are hard and the kids are little, you need to be there.”

He still needs to be there. And, more importantly, he wants to be there.

So, he’s structured his business to make sure he is.

“My work consists of wearing my pouch 45 hours a week and then saying ‘no’ to weekends for the guys. Otherwise, it frustrates their families. They have bad relationships with their wives and kids because they’re mortgaging time from one to the other and because they have a new diesel truck they think they’re successful.”

That’s not success, Geffers said.

“A pastor once said, ‘If you’re heading to a board meeting and your son has a baseball game, you’re going to the wrong place.’”

Being able to support his family and still make the game – that’s success.

The Daily Reporter: What surprises you most about your work?
Jason Geffers: It surprises me the subcontractors I have to work with and their limited range of abilities. You’ll have a heating guy who will only do forced air systems, but no boilers, or a painter who will only do spray-outs but won’t do trim or stain. They don’t realize the value of being broader. I understand the value of being specialized, but some of them are far too specialized. You see opportunities for other guys to be more profitable, but they don’t rise to it. And it’s a recipe for early failure.

TDR: What would you change about the construction industry?
Geffers: I guess it would be an attempt to educate customers. I’d love to maybe teach a class on how customers should interact with contractors. They’re already maybe positioning themselves for a higher price because they don’t know how to honor them, respect them, trust them. And, if a contractor or subcontractor isn’t feeling that, the price they get will reflect that or the work they get will reflect that. There’s nothing better for a trades guy than the feeling that people want them there, they believe in them and they trust them. (I’d also talk about) how you recognize when you need to fire your contractor. It’s a fine line.

TDR: What other job did you consider trying?
Geffers: At one point I was looking at being an EMT; my dad was a firefighter. I thought I would try that. It’s not something I have the sensitivity for because if I lost somebody on the table — it’s not like cutting a new block of wood. That wouldn’t work well for me. I looked at home inspections for a bit, but as I ran numbers there was nothing that could touch the numbers of a general contractor as far as profitability. I also do ministry, whether its mission work or men’s ministry.

TDR: What profession would you not like to explore?
Geffers: I do a lot of dirty jobs, so if you’re doing something other people won’t do there’s more value for you. You tend to be a bottom-feeder, but bottom-feeders tend to have a lot more to feed on. Jobs I would not want to do? Doctor, lawyer, high-demand jobs where it’s emotionally and mentally draining. The amount of hours doctors put in — they’re constantly on call. They’re self-employed but they don’t have that control.

TDR: What’s the last movie you saw?
Geffers: ‘The Chronicles of Narnia.’ I just watched the whole series of those with my daughter. I’ll do a whole series with the kids. And she was reading the books at school.

TDR: What would you never wear?
Geffers: Oh dear. I love shopping. I love going with my daughters shopping, going to Kohl’s, picking out dresses. That’s the best! For myself, I find myself going to the Buckle. I like things that are edgy. I’m not that polo and tie guy. I like things that are worn and tattered and says who I am. That’s more my identity.

TDR: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Geffers: Well, I never wanted to be older than I was. But as I’m getting older, I’m relishing the thought of being younger again. That would be every person’s dream to be young and stay there. But change about myself? I guess I would say ‘or have changed.’ Have changed — and it’s a work in progress — that’s to not be so hard on myself. I set a very high standard and, sometimes, that gets draining. And I see my kids having that same tendency. So, because I’ve made that awareness for myself, I’m continually saying to them, ‘You don’t have to impress anyone. Challenge yourself, but be happy. Smell the roses along the way.’

TDR: What would your colleagues be surprised to find out about you?
Geffers: I think they would probably be surprised to know that I lead a men’s ministry within my church. I don’t wear that on the front of me, but they’d be surprised to know I’m a counselor within my church, and I counsel an awful lot of guys. Business-wise, I think colleagues would be surprised to know I was on national television for one of my projects. I was on the ‘CBS Early Show.’ And I was voted Best Builder two years in a row in Winnebago County.

From interviewing his customers to working from home, Jason Geffers has learned to do business on his own terms.

“There are guys who work 120 hours a week and call it success,” said Geffers, owner and president of JJ Geffers Construction, a four-man general contractor in Neenah. “I wanted to define how much I work and determine how much I could make in that time. It’s hard because there is always work to do, there’s always something out there that will take your time. But if you hold that goal out there in front of you as a reminder, you say, ‘Wait, this is my personal philosophy,’ you can value the choice you make.”

His choices trace back to when he was about 16, setting his sights on life as a carpenter and entrepreneur.

“I liked the independence, being able to control my own resources, mainly managing my own time without someone else dictating my hours.”

But, Geffers knew he had a lot to learn. He spent 10 years working with other companies, doing flatwork, masonry, carpentry, whatever was required, in union and non-union shops.

In April 1996, on Tax Day to be exact, Geffers launched JJ Geffers Construction, casting a wide net with commercial and residential building and remodeling.

“I think when you start, you’re desperate, you’re in survival mode, so pretty much anything and everything that comes your way, you go after. And when you have a couple of sticking points with people, you deviate from that.

“Now, I interview my customers as much as they interview me, and I have said, ‘no.’”

He also draws the line on working weekends and spending evenings at his desk away from his family. In fact, if Geffers is ever working at night, he’s usually doing it at his kitchen table, where he can sit with his children as they do their homework.

“I have never had my office at any of my shops. I had an office there just to do quick bookwork, but I’ve always kept my office at home to be available,” said Geffers, a father of four, ages 11 to 20, who has been married 25 years. “When I quit my job and started on my own, it was to support my wife. You might think it’s an oxymoron. You think you should work to support your wife, but when times are hard and the kids are little, you need to be there.”

He still needs to be there. And, more importantly, he wants to be there.

So, he’s structured his business to make sure he is.

“My work consists of wearing my pouch 45 hours a week and then saying ‘no’ to weekends for the guys. Otherwise, it frustrates their families. They have bad relationships with their wives and kids because they’re mortgaging time from one to the other and because they have a new diesel truck they think they’re successful.”

That’s not success, Geffers said.

“A pastor once said, ‘If you’re heading to a board meeting and your son has a baseball game, you’re going to the wrong place.’”

Being able to support his family and still make the game – that’s success.

The Daily Reporter: What surprises you most about your work?

Jason Geffers: It surprises me the subcontractors I have to work with and their limited range of abilities. You’ll have a heating guy who will only do forced air systems, but no boilers, or a painter who will only do spray-outs but won’t do trim or stain. They don’t realize the value of being broader. I understand the value of being specialized, but some of them are far too specialized. You see opportunities for other guys to be more profitable, but they don’t rise to it. And it’s a recipe for early failure.

TDR: What would you change about the construction industry?

Geffers: I guess it would be an attempt to educate customers. I’d love to maybe teach a class on how customers should interact with contractors. They’re already maybe positioning themselves for a higher price because they don’t know how to honor them, respect them, trust them. And, if a contractor or subcontractor isn’t feeling that, the price they get will reflect that or the work they get will reflect that. There’s nothing better for a trades guy than the feeling that people want them there, they believe in them and they trust them. (I’d also talk about) how you recognize when you need to fire your contractor. It’s a fine line.

TDR: What other job did you consider trying?

Geffers: At one point I was looking at being an EMT; my dad was a firefighter. I thought I would try that. It’s not something I have the sensitivity for because if I lost somebody on the table — it’s not like cutting a new block of wood. That wouldn’t work well for me. I looked at home inspections for a bit, but as I ran numbers there was nothing that could touch the numbers of a general contractor as far as profitability. I also do ministry, whether its mission work or men’s ministry.

TDR: What profession would you not like to explore?

Geffers: I do a lot of dirty jobs, so if you’re doing something other people won’t do there’s more value for you. You tend to be a bottom-feeder, but bottom-feeders tend to have a lot more to feed on. Jobs I would not want to do? Doctor, lawyer, high-demand jobs where it’s emotionally and mentally draining. The amount of hours doctors put in — they’re constantly on call. They’re self-employed but they don’t have that control.

TDR: What’s the last movie you saw?

Geffers: ‘The Chronicles of Narnia.’ I just watched the whole series of those with my daughter. I’ll do a whole series with the kids. And she was reading the books at school.

TDR: What would you never wear?

Geffers: Oh dear. I love shopping. I love going with my daughters shopping, going to Kohl’s, picking out dresses. That’s the best! For myself, I find myself going to the Buckle. I like things that are edgy. I’m not that polo and tie guy. I like things that are worn and tattered and says who I am. That’s more my identity.

TDR: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Geffers: Well, I never wanted to be older than I was. But as I’m getting older, I’m relishing the thought of being younger again. That would be every person’s dream to be young and stay there. But change about myself? I guess I would say ‘or have changed.’ Have changed — and it’s a work in progress — that’s to not be so hard on myself. I set a very high standard and, sometimes, that gets draining. And I see my kids having that same tendency. So, because I’ve made that awareness for myself, I’m continually saying to them, ‘You don’t have to impress anyone. Challenge yourself, but be happy. Smell the roses along the way.’

TDR: What would your colleagues be surprised to find out about you?

Geffers: I think they would probably be surprised to know that I lead a men’s ministry within my church. I don’t wear that on the front of me, but they’d be surprised to know I’m a counselor within my church, and I counsel an awful lot of guys. Business-wise, I think colleagues would be surprised to know I was on national television for one of my projects. I was on the ‘CBS Early Show.’ And I was voted Best Builder two years in a row in Winnebago County.