BENSON, N.C. — As a commercial masonry contractor, Doug Burton prides himself on being exact.
He counts bricks to calculate estimates. He knows each of his laborers by first and last name. He has memorized exactly what he’ll owe in taxes if he takes on an additional worker and knows week to week whether he can afford it.
Burton strictly follows rules, and until 2009, he made a good living doing it.
As the economy faltered and he and his competitors fought for scarce projects, Burton lost his footing. Time and again, his company, Whitman Masonry, got beat on bids, often by a hefty margin.
As the end of 2010 neared, he had shed more than half his labor force. He couldn’t figure out what he was doing wrong.
“Finally, it just dawned on me,” Burton said. “My competitors were cheating.”
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