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Published: July 2006
Success Magazine recently sat down with Bruce Tanski, CEO of the Bruce Tanski Construction and Development Company, L.L.C, and recent recipient of our Executive of the Month Award to discuss his life, his work and his views on success.
Success Magazine: What does success mean to you?
Bruce Tanski: Success to me means being able to get up and go to work on a daily basis, and to feel good about myself, and to be able to take care of my family and help other people.
SM: You have done well financially and have taken care of your family-but how do you, as an entrepreneur, take care of the people around you? How do you work with your business associates and your employees?
BT: About twelve years ago I had a major heart attack. It happened when I took one of my very few vacations. It opened my eyes to a lot of things, and now I try to treat everybody equally-because we all put our pants on the same way. I don't care where you come from or what you do, I try to treat everybody the way I want to be treated, and that's how I treat my employees. I'm tough with them, but I'm also good to them.
SM: Fair and tough is good, especially in a lot of the things you're doing. If you're not tough, they tend to take things the wrong way.
BT: I have had a lot of people that have been with me a long time, over 10 years, 12 years - they know exactly what I expect of them. If they take a few extra minutes on a coffee break I don't scream and holler at them because I know that they have my best interest at heart.
SM: That's good. Now as far as the history of you being an entrepreneur, what made you go into your business?
BT: Well, when I got out of college in 1970, I decided that I should work for myself because I couldn't stand being cooped up indoors and I guess I'm the kind of person that needed to be outside and constructive. I think I have a unique talent where I can see a piece of property and see a building on it completed before I even move a shovelful of dirt. Like this building you're sitting in now, I could see it done before I even started it and it turned out remarkably well.
SM: Yes, it's beautiful. Were you part of the whole design process with the cost itself?
BT: Yes I was. We had a small team which consisted of the architect, the excavator, my superintendent and myself. It was a majority decision based on money and everything else.
SM: Of course, there's always a budget. Now one of the crucial things of being a successful entrepreneur is to have vision, and as you said you can envision a building completed on a lot. Have you also been cited as a man of vision in the business world?
BT: When I started this golf course six years ago, everyone thought I was nuts. They said it would never go. And then when I said I wanted to build townhouses they thought I had really gone off my rocker because since the eighties no one had been building townhouses. So I had designed another par 3 course around the townhouses and they were so successful that we had to stop selling them twice. We were at one point fifteen months behind in construction.
SM: Because of the demand.
BT: Correct, and now everybody has jumped on the bandwagon for townhouses. If I didn't have the vision to do what I did then, we wouldn't be sitting in this beautiful building right now.
SM: What would make you build a golf course instead of just taking the land and putting in more townhouses?
BT: Well it's funny, there's a man who works for the town of Halfmoon, his name is Richard Lee. He is the assistant to the supervisor, and an avid golfer. I had always been building apartments, I own 750 apartments, and they were trying to direct me away from that to get into something else. And he said, "Why don't you build a golf course?" And I had this land tied up and I said you know what, let's look into it. And I went up and talked to Mike Dennis up at McGregor Country Club and he directed me and assisted me and the rest is history. I think up until recently it was the best kept secret in town. Now I think the secret is out.
SM: What are your plans for future development?
BT: I just started a 300 lot subdivision next door to the golf course. We just finished 150 townhouses with a par 3 course. We now have 70 homes completed out of the 300 lot subdivision contiguous to that. After that we're getting ready to start another 150 townhouses down the road.
SM: Now that's on top of the 150 you just finished, and you have a 300 unit subdivision. So you have 450 units ongoing at the moment?
BT: Correct, as well as 200 high-end apartments across the street. They will be in the $1000-$1300/month range. All of these apartments and townhouses will have 2 years free golfing on my course. So when you come here to buy a home, not only do you get a nice home at a realistic price, but you also get a two year membership to a premium course.
SM: What about your work with the golf course? I know that everybody thinks it's a great idea to own a golf course but it's a lot of work.
BT: A lot of work.
SM: Fairways at Halfmoon has been a very successful golf course, you have your own catering facility here as well.
BT: Yeah, we do a lot of weddings here and I think that if you're in the community at all you've heard about us. I think we have a tremendous reputation when it comes to weddings and golf outings. We pay close attention to everything. Every year this whole place gets painted, we just recently put new carpeting in after only five years. I mean we pay a lot of attention to detail.
SM: Do you believe that's true with everything you do?
BT: Without a doubt.
SM: There are some business people who do a hit-and-run, and they're always going to be putting out fires and being chased. You seem to have a different philosophy. Could you elaborate on exactly what that is?
BT: Paying attention to detail. If I had to single out one thing in my life that I've done, especially in the last ten years, is paying attention to detail. Let me give you an example. When I used to do utilities, we would dig the trench and put the utilities in, and then I would actually go down with a broom and sweep the dirt off of the resident's grass. We would have a two-foot trench there, and then a couple of days later you would never know we were there. That's the difference. I think paying attention to detail is what separates the success stories and everyone else. I firmly believe that.
SM: And that's important. Also, you always have projects going on so it's never a hit and run. There is always work available for your employees.
BT: Right, and I can call my people 24/7 and they respond to me. If we have a snowstorm, I can call them at 2:00 in the morning and they'll respond. Or I can call my manager at the golf course, and say we have a problem, she'll come down at 12:00 at night - she's done it before. So all my managers and workers are very reliable and are on call 24 hours a day. Everybody that works for me is on call 24 hour a day.
SM: They respect that, because you are available and take care of them 24/7 as well. So would you say that inspiring loyalty is also an important aspect of your success?
BT: Yes, yes I would.
SM: You have obviously earned their respect because you are hands on, and not at a distance. You're not the landlord who collects his rent and relaxes on his yacht. Today you're wearing construction boots; you definitely try to make them feel like you can be on their level. Do you think that's part of it? What do you think is the most critical thing towards gaining their loyalty?
BT: I think it's because they have gotten to know me and respect me, and I have gotten to know them and respect them. We have a pep talk once a year in here and I basically let them know that I may not do everything right but I'm the guy that pays the bills and this is how I want it done. I will also listen to them. If they have a better way of doing something then I'll try it. I give them a chance to think for themselves, I think that's another key.
SM: Sure. You obviously are very successful in a lot of things, tying in with that-you said you had a heart attack 12 years ago?
BT: Right.
SM: Now that you have successfully come back from that, what is important to you now?
BT: My health. I take time for myself every week. I feel very good about myself and what I do. I feel good about my family. I have an awesome daughter and an awesome wife, they do a great job. The thing of it is, now this is going to sound really corny, but if I get up in the morning and its rainy or cloudy I know I'm going to have a good day - but if I get up in the morning and the sun is shining, I know I'm going to have a great day. I start each day the same way. I get up in the morning and look forward to my day. You never realize how important that day may be until you go through a life threatening situation.
SM: And it could be your last, God forbid.
BT: Exactly, exactly.
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