(FORTUNE Small Business) – THE MCSWINEY FAMILY StellarCon General Contractors

"Speed," "thrift," and "efficiency" are three words rarely associated with the construction business. But for Raleigh's StellarCon, that's precisely the challenge. The 18-month-old, 17-employee business is a family affair for (left to right) brother Terry, father Ben, and brothers Mike and Tim. Building hotels and other commercial structures takes manpower, but technology is StellarCon's key.

SEEING IS BELIEVING The biggest customer grievance, says Tim, is feeling out of the loop, with no way to get questions answered. So StellarCon creates a password-protected site for each project that preemptively fields most questions with daily schedules, detailed budgets, and live, remote-controlled Webcam views of each job site. A customer in India could watch his hotel being built in Wilmington, Del., without ever setting foot on a plane.

BEING FLEXIBLE On-site superintendents use laptops to post daily updates so that subcontractors know when workers and materials need to arrive and customers know how every dollar is spent.

THE SPEED OF INFORMATION The McSwineys have such faith in their system that they put financial incentives in their contracts, sharing the profits if they finish early. On course to earn $30 million in its first full year, StellarCon is getting repeat customers who appreciate not just quality but peace of mind. --Julie Sloane