A Case for Prioritizing Human Capital
Happy Customers + Happy Employees = Success.
Isn’t it time we remember who we serve?
After 45 years of providing first-class custom modular buildings to the construction, healthcare, and education sectors, Nadler Modular has recently expanded into leasing, and it has been an exhilarating ride.
We decided to anchor our growth on the two values we have exemplified over the years: loyalty to our employees and unrivaled service/value to our customers.
As companies in our industry and beyond have grown, transitioning from “family run” to “corporate structure” usually represents trading service and employee satisfaction for process and profits.
A growth path lives where that trade-off is nonexistent, and we are excited to continue to pursue that and wow the expectations of our stakeholders, employees, and customers. To that end, Nadler has onboarded process and hospitality experts to create a formula for success that many have failed to realize.
One of our inspirations lies in the hospitality and service industry. An example is at the Ritz Carlton; employees of every level (bellboy to manager) are empowered to spend $2,000 per guest per day without approval to solve a customer complaint or make a customer happy. (Bacon and Pugh 2004)
We have empowered every employee in the Nadler family to do the same. We call it “The Nadler 1K,” whether it is a gift basket to say thank you or ordering a car service and pickup for a client when he tells you his car broke down - our employees do not need to ask any manager for approval.
Tom Bosack, our new VP of leasing, conveyed it best: “At the end of the day, the bread and butter are the relationships...that means ensuring as we grow, we do not fall into the trap of seeing value through the prism of a single transaction but instead by a long term relationship and reputation- the long term value of a customer and our market value proposition is worth significantly more than one rental or one sale.”
“We are committed to giving our Nadler family compensation, benefits, and opportunities that we would provide ourselves."
- Jeff Neeman, CEO, Nadler Modular
As part of our Nadler Advantage, we have committed to a single point of contact with our customers for all communication; we are working with leading process experts to ensure we stay true to that promise.
“This goes beyond net promoter scores and employee response times; data will still be the foundation to measure our success of all our efforts, but it is important to understand there is a human face tied to that data.”
Research has been unequivocal in the shared success happy employees make. (Oswald et al., 2015)
As with any growth, there have been growing pains, but we are working hard to ensure our employees are successful.
“We are committed to giving our Nadler family compensation, benefits, and opportunities that we would provide ourselves,” said Nadler’s CEO Jeff Neeman.
“At Nadler, we view every deal, regardless of value, equally. Our leadership team has flown all over the country to help our sales team win. We have and will continue to demonstrate a vested interest in ensuring the success of every one of our employees because, at the end of the day, their success is all of our success.”
CITATIONS:
Bacon, T. R., & Pugh, D. G. (2004). Ritz-Carlton and EMC: The gold standards in operational behavioral differentiation. Journal of Organizational Excellence, 23(2), 61–76. https://doi.org/10.1002/npr.20009
Oswald, A. J., Proto, E., & Sgroi, D. (2015). Happiness and productivity. Journal of Labor Economics, 33(4), 789–822. https://doi.org/10.1086/681096
More from Modular Advantage
Homes as Essential Infrastructure
The housing crisis is nothing new. Across the world, federal, state, and municipal governments of all sizes are struggling with how to provide more affordable housing—quickly—to those who need it. In Canada, Paul Halucha, Deputy Minister of Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Canada (HICC), argues that the federal role in housing has shifted from funding at arm’s length to actively shaping outcomes.
Building the Future, Offsite
In the face of a national housing crisis, England stands at a critical inflection point where innovation, scale, and public-private partnerships must converge to meet an urgent need: more homes, and fast. Homes England is helping reshape the housing market by actively supporting MMC through a strategic blend of land development, financing, and grants.
How POJI and MOKO Are Industrializing Modular Construction Through Automated Engineering Systems
Working with Scandinavian Industrialized Building System (SIBS), POJI and MOKO helped realize a modular city concept located in Järfälla municipality of Stockholm, Sweden, with 350 apartments, communal areas, restaurants, small shops, and a preschool in a pleasant mix with experiential architecture and greenery.
Inside Boutique Modern’s Mission to Make First Homes Affordable and Efficient in The U.K.
The U.K.-based firm has been in business for 12 years, manufacturing houses for both private clients and local government, with a large chunk of its business coming from “affordable” and social housing. Working in a 32,000 square-foot factory in Newhaven, Sussex, Boutique Modern is changing decades-old thinking about constructing houses, all through the use of modular.
BoulderMOD: Producing Affordable Modular Homes While Training the Workforce of the Future
Colorado has been hit with a double whammy—a decline in the number of skilled construction workers and an increased need for affordable housing. BoulderMOD, a partnership among the city of Boulder, Flatirons Habitat for Humanity, and Boulder Valley School District, is tackling both problems and helping others do the same.
Guerdon: Seeking the ‘Holy Grail’ of Modular Construction
Guerdon, a modular manufacturer in Boise, Idaho, recently won what Laurence (Lad) Dawson, CEO and Managing Partner, describes as the ‘holy grail’ for a modular manufacturer. The RFP calls for a pipeline of six projects, totaling approximately 570
units.
State of Modular in 2025: Facing Reality
The critical and urgent reality is that the modular industry needs to open the doors to collaboration across all sectors. The sooner we stare down these challenges, the sooner we can welcome a new reality where modular is the dominant way to deliver housing for better performance, quality and all at a lower cost.
Modular Multifamily Housing as a Scalable Solution to the Housing Crisis
GreenStaxx provides a real-world, scalable solution through its standardized library of modular-ready multifamily designs and its innovative triple-decker model. Together, these offerings address the industry’s two greatest needs: efficiency and adaptability. By focusing on quality, repeatability, and collaboration, GreenStaxx is helping move modular construction from niche to mainstream and offering a practical path toward solving the housing shortage.
Sealed for Success: The Role of Waterproofing in Modular Construction
Water is one of the biggest threats to any building, causing structural damage, mold growth, and costly repairs if not properly managed. Waterproofing is the first line of defense, ensuring durability and long-term performance. As construction methods evolve, so do waterproofing solutions – moving beyond traditional coatings to advanced, factory-ready systems.
From Volume to Velocity: Scaling Multi-Family Projects Without Losing Control
When projects grow too fast without the right systems, factories run into problems. They miss deadlines, crews burn out, and quality drops. Instead of steady progress, chaos takes over. Things slow down, even with more units going through. That’s because building more isn’t enough—you also need to build smarter. That means shifting focus from volume to velocity.