Associated Drywall Partners is a drywall contracting company that performs commercial, multi family, and single family residential drywall work in over 22 states throughout the United States. They have been in the drywall business since 1992 serving the hospitality industry, the residential markets and commercial customers. Since their inception they have done a significant number of hotels, apartments, condominiums, student housing, assisted living projects and residential homes for both production builders and custom builders.

In addition, they perform a significant number of commercial projects including office buildings, medical facilities, storage facilities, tenant buildouts and other retail. These projects have taken Associated Drywall to Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, New York, Connecticut, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. That’s a strong stance that spans from the Midwest, to the Northeast to the South in just 25 years.

Now headquartered in Indianapolis, the company’s President and Chief Operating Officer Edwin (“Lin”) Saville Jr. is from the South. Whereas most companies that perform at this size and with its U.S. footprint, a large part of Associated Drywall’s business comes from single family house construction. According to Saville, the company has 75 regular employees and several hundred associate contractors. 

Overall, business is booming in what seems every market the company operates. 

“Over the past two years we have doubled in size with internal growth and expansion into other markets,” says Saville. “The market is perfect for companies that are quality focused.”

In particular, he says the Southeast is expanding at record paces, likewise in the Midwest.

“Given we are in the fourth quarter of 2017, our outlook is solid for the remainder of the year.

We have quite a bit of commercial and multi-family work committed for 2018 and our residential outlook is excellent for 2018, as well,” says Saville. “ADP has substantial growth plans in the next five years that will involve internal growth, as well as acquisitions/partnerships with other drywall contractors throughout certain areas of the U.S.

These are heavy and substantial plans for the contractor. And yet it shouldn’t surprise Walls & Ceilings readers that the company made our Top 50 roster this year (see August issue). Saville was ecstatic about making this list when we spoke this autumn.

Sweet Home Alabama

Saville, whose roots are tied to Birmingham, is a gregarious individual who enjoys his line of the work, travelling, meeting of new people, but finds the northern winters stifling and longs to be back in Alabama someday (he lives most of the time in Indianapolis). Yet his goal and plan to grow the company and its locations makes his stay up north more or less content and he says he enjoys visiting new places and especially securing new markets. As mentioned earlier, his plans for growth will eventually be in acquisitions and it’s clear he finds the Midwest a fine prospect. While situated in Indy, this gives him somewhat of a central locale to these states yet not too distant from the South and Mid-Atlantic. 

Yet his business goals aren’t all business-related: Saville genuinely does seem to care for his employees and wants to see them prosper also. In his words, he says laying off his workers is not an option.

ADP places major emphasis on its employees and associate contractors. By providing a safe work environment, this is a top tier component to any company’s critical success. With strong compensation and benefits, as well as making each employee feel as much a part of the team as possible, all of these create success. He adds that training is key to junior (and senior) staff as well.  

“It is a major goal of our company to provide exceptional benefits and opportunities for our employees (associates). I want to ensure their happiness and financial success,” Saville says, who interestingly knows and shows a great interest and knowledge on kinesiology. “We feel we make this happen. Always want to be on the cutting edge.”

Keeping on this edge means staying current on new trends and products. Saville cites that those he is most impressed with are Continental Building Products’ joint compound, CertainTeed Gypsum and JN Linrose Steel Framing Products. He has a great relationship with distributors Foundation Building Materials, L&W Supply, GMS and REW Materials. 

“Our processes and systems set us apart,” he says. “In many cases combining technology with tracking/sharing and acting with our people allows ADP to perform projects at an elevated level.”