What’s in a name?

The name 2717 is taken from a biblical proverb that says: As Iron Sharpens Iron, So One Man, Sharpens Another (Proverbs 27:17).

2717 Group’s focus is to sharpen (strengthen) clients through its  Corporate Performance Improvement, Corporate Finance (M&A) and Strategic advisory.

Background (grab a drink and a snack, this is a little long)

I’m Alan Schlotzhauer, Founder of 2717 Group, an advisory firm focused on providing C-level services to companies that design, construct, service and repair buildings / facilities.  I work with CEOs, business owners, and their teams.

Yes, I am a consultant and have consulted with construction and building services groups for years on Strategic, Financial, and Operational initiatives.

But I developed this passion for helping companies in the industry working inside construction and building services companies. Hree’s an my background in the following functional areas:

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

This is the backbone or foundation of what I do. It’s also an area where I have had some of my most challenging engagements working with contractors whose businesses were stalled or under-performing. Whether I am looking over a set of financials of a potential acquisition for a client or preparing cash and sales forecasts for a company wanting to build a stronger financial game plan, I lean heavily on my financial management training and experience to provide a quality solution for my clients.  

OPERATIONS

Working inside a large public MEP company, I gained valuable operational experience as part of a regional management team focused on performance improvement, project management training, and integrating best practices within our operations.  I was eventually promoted to a Regional Vice President role where I led a region of 13 Construction, Service, and Building Automation companies.

I have also served as a Chief Operating Officer for a regional MEP contractor. That role evolved out of a performance improvement consulting engagement. I had the privilege to lead operations for Construction, Service, Building Automation, and Performance Contracting divisions. I worked alongside great people and am very thankful for the experience

Today, I work with companies on strengthening their operational performance and processes to gain more consistent results.

STRATEGY

Strategy forms the basis of how I approach most engagements. Unfortunately, it is one of the most misunderstood concepts and is often confused with strategic planning. (see comments here) While I have developed strategic plans for contractors and have spoken on the topic to industry groups, I help contractors use strategy, and not so much strategic planning, to achieve their long-range plans.

In working with clients on strategy, I base my approach on two well known Strategy books:

“Playing to Win”, by Roger L. Martin and A.G. Lafley (P&G)

and

“The Crux”, by Richard P. Rumelt

Both books are invaluable guides on the strategy process and should be read by every business leader.

M&A

I started my journey in the construction industry working as Director of Acquisitions for a large public mechanical construction and service company (Comfort Systems USA) that rolled up (acquired) privately owned construction, mechanical service, and building automation companies across the U.S. I was part of a great team that grew the business through acquisitions to over $1 billion in annual revenue in under 3 years.

Today, I primarily focus on construction and building service companies that want to grow through acquisitions while also working with business owners who want to position their companies to sell in the future.

Personal:

 I am a graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in Accounting. But most importantly, I am a Christian. I have an amazing wife and we have four wonderful daughters.