At The Top - December 2003

Building Off a Name

Target General Becomes CORE Construction

by Carol Patton

In hopes of adding commercial customers in the private sector to its long list of public-sector clients, Target General Inc. of Nevada (TGI) changed its name to CORE Construction on November 3. The company believes the name change will eliminate the confusion revolving around TGI’s relationship with its five sister companies, and should lead to more private commercial opportunities.

The company, whose gross revenues are expected to reach $75 million next year, launched a six-figure marketing campaign this past fall that included print, radio and direct mail, said Gary Siroky, president of the four-year-old, Las Vegas-based construction firm now located in the Las Vegas Tech Center II.

TGI was originally launched as a masonry business by a German immigrant, Otto Baum, in 1937. Over the years, generations of Baums grew the business by creating a group of construction companies across the U.S., one of them being TGI of Nevada. Although these firms are owned by the same holding company – Combined Construction Group – they act independently from each other, use different names and operate in five different states: Florida, Illinois, Texas, Arizona and Nevada.

"No one has ever really been aware of this relationship, so we’re bringing it to the forefront," said Siroky, adding that all six companies are now using the same name. "The idea is to create a seamless relationship among the companies."

When TGI first came to Las Vegas in 1999, it primarily focused on the public sector. Since then, its clients have included numerous schools throughout the state, such as: Charles Arthur Hughes Middle School, a 92,000-square-foot facility in Mesquite that reflects the natural topography of the adjacent Virgin River and features translucent ceiling panels that provide diffused daylight; Judge Myron Leavitt Middle School, a single-story, 148,300-square-foot building in Las Vegas that includes learning and special program centers; Coronado High School, a 260,000-square-foot facility in Henderson that features computer and science labs, administrative offices and full recreational facilities; Pahrump High Tech Center, a one-story, 33,000-square-foot-building in Pahrump that acts as a high-tech computer facility for the local community college; and Boulder City High School, a $16.5 million modernization and new-construction project that will be completed next year.

However, CORE Construction is now shifting gears and plans on developing an equal mix of public and private commercial business. Siroky began positioning the firm nearly two years ago by hiring staff with diverse experience, and his own background is in the private sector. Besides attracting customers in office, retail, healthcare and other industries, he’s optimistic the new name will also transform the firm’s image from a local construction firm to one that caters to the Nevada marketplace, but is supported by national resources and expertise.

The company’s new name is also a play on words, focusing on the "core" of the company’s business, which is general construction, and the founder’s last name, which means "tree" in German, Siroky said. He explained that the core of a tree features a series of rings. The older the tree, the more rings it has. He said CORE Construction has numerous rings, referring to the sister companies.

At this time, the firm has no plans to expand its 35-person staff or the number of office locations. Its goal isn’t to be the biggest construction firm in Las Vegas, just the best, said Siroky. "This industry has evolved year after year, whether it’s a new delivery method or a new technology being used," he said. "This name change will help us stay one step ahead of that evolution, because now we can draw resources, expertise and experience from all our other locations."