But there also is another side to that scenario. “It could also be that larger contractors are being more selective,” Goeller says.

With strong construction starts in the New York region, Goeller says Hatzel & Buehler is being more selective because there is more work available and “there are limits on our resources. We don’t want to spread ourselves too thin.”

Looking ahead, Goeller sees “an abundance of bid- ding opportunities over the next two to three years. He says Hatzel & Buehler is focusing on the health care sector and, in New Jersey, on work for the pharmaceutical industry.

The company is also focusing on communications, specifically on work for corporate clients such as AT&T, Verizon and Ericsson, which are still growing and laying down cable. “We like doing business with corporations, if we can,” Goeller says. For one thing, he says, they tend to pay promptly.

On the other hand, Goeller says the company has made a decision not to pursue more work in the transportation sector because it ties up too much capital. “There are better opportunities elsewhere.”

A large transit project can take three or four years to complete, tying up a lot of capital and resources, he explains, while a 12- or 18-month job allows a company to get in, get out and get paid.