Optimism, teamwork succeed

Ozzy Naweli built his general contracting company with his personal savings. It has grown from a home office to its current 2,500-square-foot location. “I have a real live office!” he said, smiling. “What is really fun for us is that we have grown a lot in such a short time. It happened by making sure we know what our clients want and delivering a home that they like, and that they will enjoy for years to come.”

Naweli focuses on major construction projects, mostly demo rebuilds. The company has completed several projects across Oahu.

Ozzy’s Construction Inc.’s 20 employees include general office workers, laborers, carpenters, truck drivers and a mechanic. “We have been fortunate to hire people who are very good at what they do,” said Naweli. “Many employees have come aboard not knowing anything, and today I am proud to say that we are all in the learning process and all about gaining knowledge.”

Naweli said he often has to work more than 50 hours a week. “My role is always changing. Sometimes I am helping with estimates and talking directly to homeowners, and other times I am dealing with internal employees.

“We update the homeowner of the status of the project — the schedule, submittals and open questions,” said Naweli. “It seems pretty simple, but many companies don’t provide that. We do it because I want owners to be informed. I want them to know where they are in the process. The most difficult situation can be when they are told at the end that the construction will not be on time or the cost is going to increase. We make adjustments as we go and communicate those changes, and it’s a whole lot easier to deal with.”

Naweli said that his hallmark is building a culture of respect. “The culture of who we are and what we stand for is a big reason why people like to do business with us,” he said.

Today, when you ask him how he survived the challenging times, Naweli will point to three things: his faith, his family and his undying optimism. No matter what conditions one may be in, Naweli said, there is never reason to lose hope. It is amazing where hard work, dedication and a good bit of appreciation and encouragement can take you.

Growing his company from a two-person operation to one with more than 20 employees is a large accomplishment, Naweli acknowledged. Nevertheless, an even greater feat is that even during an economic downturn, Ozzy’s Construction remains strong.

OZZY’S CONSTRUCTION INC.
contact // 259-9859 • 368-1789
address // 905 Kalanianaole Hwy., Ste. 2503
web // ozzysconstruction.com
email // ozzysconstruction@gmail.com