Texas Air Systems, which has done business with TDI for more than 30 years, recently completed "a very fast project, and it was a true partnership," Colborne says. "Once you were on the team, it was all about the team, and it wasn't about any individuals or any specific players. It was get the customer—TDI's customer— the best and fastest project delivery. We did it in a matter of weeks, and normally we spend a couple months doing those kinds of jobs."

Plan, Plan, Plan

Strong long-term planning has also played a role in helping TDI maintain its business.

"A very organized and disciplined strategic planning process across all of TDIndustries has been key to our success," Moore says. The process is an organized effort to look out three or four years and then look to the end of the decade, and really coordinate where the company is headed and what will be needed to get there, Moore explains.

TDI has a strategic plan to double the size of the company's revenue by 2020, and it's heading right along that path now, Richards adds.

"We have a planning process called MISOP—mentally install systems on paper—so we put a lot of effort on the planning side of our business," Richards explains. "At the same time, we try to keep up with all of the technologies that go along with better planning. We have an excellent safety record, and our repeat customers know they can get a well-planned project, very experienced people and a very safe company to work with."

TDI also has the benefit of operating in Texas, where the construction business is doing better than anywhere else in the country, MacDowell points out. Customers have even asked TDI to bring its services to the Rio Grande Valley, where the firm has recently opened an office.

"But capacity still exceeds demand. So it's a great time for owners to build," MacDowell points out. "We think it's still a pretty long, slow climb back out until the economy starts creating more jobs.

MacDowell says he's hopeful "that the market holds, barring something catastrophic economically, and we believe that it will, but I don't see a big uptick on the near horizon."