Construction Companies Focus on ‘Retooling for Growth’ at Dexter + Chaney’s 15th Annual Users’ Conference

More than 300 Spectrum Construction Software users combine learning, networking, fun

Seattle, May 19, 2011: More than 300 representatives from 153 construction companies throughout the United States gathered to learn and share growth strategies for their businesses at the 15th annual Dexter + Chaney (www.dexterchaney.com) users’ conference held recently at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center on the Seattle waterfront. Dexter + Chaney staff and industry experts shared advice and best practices focused on the theme of the event: “Retooling for Growth.”

The conference offered 53 unique courses across eight tracks of study, many of which gave users tips and advice about getting the most out of the current version of Dexter + Chaney’s Spectrum® Construction Software. The company also provided a preview of Spectrum version 14, which will provide users with unprecedented access to the complete functionality of Spectrum through a Web browser-based interface. With version 14, users will be able to access their Spectrum software anytime, anywhere, from any browser-capable device with no additional access software needed.

V.I.P speakers—including representatives of construction management consulting firm FMI Corporation and equipment-management expert Dr. Mike Vorster—shared their ideas about managing and growing a construction business. The opening session of the conference featured a video of three Dexter + Chaney customers explaining in their own words how their companies have succeeded in difficult times through innovation and making employees a core element of their business strategy.

“Our goal for the conference was to help users learn how to use Spectrum more effectively and to offer strategic advice from our V.I.P. speakers about managing and growing their businesses,” said John Chaney, Dexter + Chaney co-founder and president. “We were successful on both fronts: we added more courses on Spectrum than ever before and we received very good feedback from attendees about the advice they received from our guest speakers. It’s also very gratifying that conference attendance was greater than last year.”

Not All Work
As at previous conferences, attendees had the opportunity to share tips and advice with each other and meet face-to-face with Dexter + Chaney personnel with whom they often speak on the phone. They also enjoyed a welcoming reception the night before the opening of the two-day conference, an evening boat cruise on Puget Sound and a Seattle Mariners game at beautiful Safeco Field (the Mariners beat the Chicago White Sox 3-2). Throughout the three days, conference-goers also sampled a variety of terrific seafood and other specialties for which the Northwest is famous.

Undoubtedly, the happiest of the 300-plus conference-goers was Chuck Zitting, owner of All States Mechanical of Midvale, Utah. Zitting won $10,000 from Dexter + Chaney for a trip for two to Hawaii—or any other destination of Zitting’s choice—in Dexter + Chaney’s annual customer-referral contest. His name was chosen at random from among current Spectrum users who had referred customer prospects to Dexter + Chaney in 2010.

The conference also marked the 30th anniversary of the company’s founding by Chaney and partner Mark Dexter in a spare bedroom of Dexter’s Seattle apartment. Today, the company has more than 80 employees, most of whom work at the company-owned campus in Seattle; they serve over 1,000 construction companies across all 50 states and abroad.

About Dexter + Chaney
More than 1,000 construction companies throughout the United States use Dexter + Chaney’s Spectrum® Construction Software. Spectrum includes 28 integrated modules that work together to cover all aspects of construction business management, including job cost accounting, equipment management, human resources, project management, document imaging, service management, remote connectivity and much more. Spectrum is built using the latest technology, including a SQL Server database, and is developed with the most advanced tools available, including .NET technologies and the PRO-IV Rapid Application Development Framework.
 
Contractors who use Spectrum report they have improved profitability and cash flow, reduced overhead expenses and streamlined workflow across their organizations. For more information about Dexter + Chaney or Spectrum, contact Brad Mathews, Vice President of Marketing, Dexter + Chaney, 9700 Lake City Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98115-2347; phone: 800-875-1400 or 206-364-1400; fax: 206-367-9613; e-mail: info@dexterchaney.com; www.dexterchaney.com.

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