Chief Strategist Brian Froning and Controller Peter Papageorge sat down with Jonas Construction Software to share how Bates Electric navigated rapid growth with disconnected processes. Their experience revealed how fragmented systems, heavy paperwork, and limited visibility made it increasingly difficult to manage costs, efficiency, and decision-making across the business. In discussing their journey, both leaders emphasized why adopting an integrated construction and service management platform with real-time accounting and reporting became essential to moving the company forward.
The Challenge
When Chief Strategist Brian Froning joined Bates Electric in 2008, the business was drowning in paperwork. Processes were manual, disconnected, and inefficient:
- They used to print out stacks upon stacks upon stacks of paper.
- The company relied on separate databases for purchase orders, construction operations, and service.
- Employees had to switch between a bunch of individual databases just to get work done.
This siloed workflow limited visibility, created unnecessary administrative work, and made accurate reporting nearly impossible.
Bates Electric needed a single system that unified the business, eliminated duplicate entry, and provided reliable real-time data.
The Solution: Moving to Jonas Construction Software
After vetting multiple companies, Bates Electric selected Jonas as the partner best aligned with its operational and reporting needs.
The Jonas platform replaced multiple disconnected databases with one integrated system, providing:
- Real-time reporting
- Enterprise-wide data consistency
- A single source of truth for construction, service, and purchasing
- Streamlined workflows and fewer manual processes
With Jonas, the team gained immediate access to live reports and accurate numbers—critical for both job-level decision-making and high-level strategic planning.
The Results
Significant Service Revenue and Profit Growth
After transitioning to Jonas, operational improvements contributed directly to Bates Electric’s financials:
- Service revenue grew from $6 million to over $10 million.
- Service profit margins increased from 6% to over 15%.
Supported by more efficient workflows and better visibility into performance.
Real-Time Reporting & Data Accuracy
Before Jonas, employees navigated multiple databases to complete tasks. Now, everything is consolidated:
- There are live reports that you can get to right away and see the numbers any time you want.
- The proper reports make staff more efficient at their job.
This visibility enabled faster, more confident operational decisions.
Operational Efficiency Across the Business
By eliminating siloed data and manual workflows, Jonas helped Bates Electric:
- Consolidate purchase orders, construction data, and service operations into one system.
- Reduce administrative burden caused by managing multiple databases.
These changes improved day-to-day productivity with accurate, immediately accessible data.
A Trusted Long-Term Partnership
After an extensive evaluation process, leadership is confident they chose the right partner:
“After that process, we settled on Jonas… and very happy we did.” — Brian Froning
Strong alignment between Bates Electric’s growth goals and Jonas’ capabilities continues to make Jonas a core pillar of their operational infrastructure.
About Jonas Construction Software
Jonas Construction Software offers integrated construction software solutions tailored to the needs of the construction industry, particularly mechanical and specialty contractors.
With a commitment to building software focused on accounting automation, enterprise efficiency, and superior cost reporting, Jonas’ comprehensive suite of solutions includes automated accounting and payroll, project management, service management, and supporting integrated operations. To learn more about how Jonas can help your service and construction business enhance cash flow predictability and maximize profits, request a demo today.
