Community Contractor Finds Common Ground

By Maggie Barr

Following Katrina, brothers Randy and David Epperley of EPCO Construction called a family meeting. They were inspired to determine how best to use their 3rd generation family business to the benefit of their community. “The only people who can protect New Orleans are the people of New Orleans. There is so much rebuilding to be done that it’s possible to make money by doing the right things in the right way,” says brother Randy. After reaching consensus with friends, family and employees, EPCO began their search for community-based organizations taking initiative in the rebuilding process.

During a visit to the Lower 9th Ward, the pair met up with Malik Rahim, co founder of Common Ground Relief, an organization created in the immediate wake of Katrina to provide emergency staples and medical services to survivors. “Having a lot of experience with contractors operating in the area, we wanted to find out if EPCO was truly a quality company before starting to work with them to rebuild residents’ homes. There’s a lot of shoddy workmanship and shady deals going around right now, so we wanted to determine for ourselves whether or not EPCO was a company we could trust and recommend. We do trust them and highly recommend them,” explains Malik.

David and Randy understood his weariness. They’ve been working with customers since the storm to ensure they understand how to avoid scams and recognize sub-standard workmanship. “Right now, there are good contractors around, but the sad truth is that there are more bad ones than good ones,” says Randy. So, EPCO, a fully licensed LA construction company and longtime member of the Home Builders’ Association, set to work rebuilding 1800 Deslonde Street – one of the oldest homes in the Lower 9th Ward and future site of the Anita Roddick Advocacy Center, a service of Common Ground.

“They came in and completely redid the house in a matter of a month. We’re talking about a 2100 square foot, two-story home now. They replaced the siding and painted the exterior; they sheet rocked the interior and installed modern bathrooms; they checked the electrical work and did the finishing touches throughout the whole interior. I was very impressed because not only did they do a quality job, they did it in a timely fashion. It was very professional, and they did it for a rock-bottom price,” Malik explains. “We’ve been partners ever since, which is a wonderful thing,” he continues. “EPCO has set an important precedent here in New Orleans by being the first company to cross race lines and other traditional barriers in order to do the right thing for their city and their community.”

Recently, David and Randy have launched “Build a Home for a Child” – a contest with a prize award of up to $100,000 to rebuild one entire home for a family from the ground-up. But they didn’t want to take formal applications; they had a different vision. “We are very family oriented, and one thing that we’ve noticed is that every time you go to a meeting, it’s the adults talking. It’s the adults who are on tv; it’s the adults who are talking. We want to hear from the children and young people affected by the storm. We want to hear their stories.” So, they came up with the idea of an essay contest to determine the family. It will be open to all children affected by the storm, whether they are here in New Orleans or have relocated since the storm. “If the only thing that’s stopping a family from coming back home is their house, then we want to help them come back,” says Randy.
EPCO is currently accepting applications and the deadline for entry is May 31, 2008.

“We’re asking for financial support from anyone interested in helping this partnership grow,” says Randy. “It’s going to be hard to pick one essay,” he explained, “and we would like to see 2nd, 3rd and 4th place winners.”

Future partnership plans include creating internships for local residents and creating Saturday do-it-yourself workshops dealing with home construction that are open to all people on a drop-in basis.

If you or your company would like to contribute to the essay contest or if you are a construction agency interested in learning more about how to give back, contact
David and Randy through their website, www.epcoconstruction.com.
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The author, Maggie Barr can be reached at: mfbarr@hotmail.co.uk