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You can never tell what might become the inspiration for an innovative start-up company. Sometimes it's a new product or service; other times it may be a way to share a unique talent or skill or to fulfill a need that arises. Such is the case with Dave Mineer and his business, the Construction Monitor.
Dave was working as an architectural designer when he noticed a need for some type of publication showcasing new construction leads. He started publishing a list of new building permits for eight counties along the Wasatch Front. The list was so popular that it eventually grew to encompass the entire state and later, several other states as well. Today, Dave's thriving business is known as the Construction Monitor.
Now in its 20th year of business, the Construction Monitor is a weekly publication that provides a list of new building permits issued throughout the Western United States. The information is used as a marketing tool and lead source for industries related to the construction industry such as homebuilders, remodelers, cabinetmakers and loggers. Statistical information in the publication has also been useful for industry leaders in watching economic trends and planning new urban facilities.
The Cedar City-based publication boasts a subscriber base of over 4,000. Dave's clients love it and many have built their marketing plan around it. In fact, getting the word out has been tough because subscribers are reluctant to recommend it for fear a competitor may discover it. Increases in technology have made it possible for Construction Monitor to be delivered via e-mail. The company's Web site also provides a wealth of statistical and historical information about properties.
Dave thinks of the Construction Monitor as one of the best kept secrets of the construction industry. He has one last metropolitan area in the western United States he hopes to cover and then he wants to start expanding the publication into the Eastern United States.
