Business consultant Nicholas B. Martorano sees opportunity in discord. He has launched a Web-based service for general contractors to help them and their subs get along.

Targeting GCs with jobs in the $1-million range and larger, Melrose, Mass.-based Martorano hopes to systematically collect detailed appraisals of a contractor’s business performance from their subs as work goes along. He wants to help his clients correct their anti-productive, self-defeating ways.

"I am a marriage counselor," he admits. "My goal is to bring the GCs and subs together in harmony. I love the construction industry, but the subs and GCs have been complaining about each other forever on every topic....So instead of focusing on the problem, maybe this will help us focus on the solution." More information is at www.gradeallreports.com.