Construction Genius

Peter Tateishi, CEO of Associated General Contractors of California (AGC of California) joins me to discuss "Build California", a new initiative of the association Eric for a fascinating exploration of the mission of his organization.  From the Build California website:  Only 9 percent of Generation Z is interested in a future in construction. So where's the disconnect? The construction industry h...

"Morale is a state of mind. It is that intangible force which will move a whole group of men to give their last ounce to achieve something, without counting the cost to themselves; that makes them feel they are part of something greater than themselves." Defeat into Victory, Battling Japan in Burma and India, 1942-1945 Field-Marshall Viscount Bill Slim  In today's episode, I explore the topic of m...

Doug Reitz, President of Mark Wilson Construction returns to the show to discuss the project selection process he and his team use to procure profitable work.  Throughout Doug's career in the construction industry, he has been fortunate to have worked in positions that span from Project Clerk to President. He has completed or provided oversight through all delivery methods in projects related to t...

In my garage I have an orange tool box that an old friend, Stan gave me. Stan was a great guy. A self-made first-generation immigrant to the United States. He owned an apartment building in Berkeley, and did the vast majority of the maintenance work himself. He gave me the tool box as a gift, and as a bit of a hint to me. A hint to use the hammer, wrench, screwdrivers to take care of the handyman...

Jean Bjork is the President and Owner of Bjork Construction , a general contractor based in Fremont, CA.  In our wide-ranging conversation, we cover:  Jean starting off as a welder in her parent's business Valuable lessons her mom taught her about running a business Getting married to a carpenter and starting a construction business Continually learning about the Construction Industry as her compa...

Listen to this episode and gain insight into why construction projects fail, how to analyze the causes and how to avoid failure in the future.  In this episode of Construction Genius I explore the failed Burma Campaign of 1942 through the eyes of the British commander on the ground, Field-Marshall Viscount William Slim, who was defeated by the Japanese. I read from his book Defeat into Victory: Ba...

I welcome back to the show Scott Gable, CEO of CityLift Parking, a company that is revolutionizing the way buildings are built in the United States, particularly in urban, land constrained environments. CityLift Parking designs, installs, and services automated parking systems that reduce the footprint needed for parking and can typically be done at a lower cost per space than conventional parking...

From April 2006 through January 2011, nearly 2.3 million construction jobs were wiped out in the United States Ever since then, the construction industry has not been able to make up for this loss of skilled labor.  There is not only a labor shortage in the field, there's also a leadership gap in the field and in the office.  Case in point is a message I received on LinkedIn from Sina Bahmani a yo...

Steve McGough is the president and chief financial officer of HCSS , a Texas based company that since 1986 has specialized in developing software to help heavy, highway and utility construction industry companies streamline their business operations.  HCSS's mission is driven by a desire to help its customers "dramatically improve their business through our innovative, high-quality software and ex...

Overcome Your Toughest Obstacles: A 3 Step Innovation Process  "I was the worst guy in our school, the worst guy in our conference, and probably the worst guy in the State of Oregon".  Dick Fosbury, innovator of the Fosbury Flop, and 1968 high-jump Olympic gold medalist.  Your construction company has a variety of limitations. You also face a constantly changing environment. And you have familiar...

Dirk Elsperman is the EVP & COO of Tarlton Corporation , a third-generation company that has been in business since 1946. With 29 years of experience at Tarlton, Dirk has worked in all aspects of the company's operations including apprenticing as a carpenter, estimating, project engineering & management, and executive management. As EVP & COO at Tarlton, Dirk is ultimately responsible for the succ...

What does the NFL and the Construction Industry share in common? The NFL is an ultra-competitive, sophisticated, high-pressure team orientated environment. So is Construction. To get your FREE e-book version of this podcast, click this link . In an April 2017 article published in the Ringer , Michael Lombardi (a former NFL General Manager) detailed what NFL teams look for when drafting a quarterba...

Tom Ford , Partner and Director of Operations of MarketOne Builders a general contractor based in Sacramento, California is my guest.  He launched MarketOne Builders in 1997 with his partner James Fitzgerald, focusing on providing Owners, Architects, Planners, Tenants and other shareholders the comfort of knowing their GC is driving the project to meet all of their expectations, especially cost co...

Sean Cook, President of Cook Engineering , is my guest on today's show.  Cook Engineering is a general engineering company based in Rancho Cordova, California. Sean and his wife Shellie started the business in 2003. They've grown the business to $30m in revenue by taking care of their customers, and providing their employees with a supportive environment.  Our interview focuses on how Sean has lev...

Four Leadership Lessons from the Finest Soldier of the Twentieth Century Display Cheerful Optimism  Be Selfless  Practice Loyal Demonstrate Determination This podcast was inspired by a letter on leadership that George C. Marshall wrote in 1920. To download the letter, click this link. George C. Marshall (1880 – 1959) was the Chief of Staff of the US Army from Sep. 1, 1939 – Nov. 18, 1945  Henry L....

Shifting Ownership of a Construction Company to the Next Generation Doug Reitz and his partner are currently 2 years into a 5-year process, purchasing Mark Wilson Construction from the founder.  In this episode of Construction Genius, we discuss Doug's successes, challenges, and lessons learned as he's embarked on the process of becoming a partner in a successful construction company.  Throughout...

Saving time and money is essential on every construction project.  In an urban environment, maximizing the use of space is critical also. What if there was a way to reduce the space required for parking by 40-60%, save money by eliminating the floors of concrete needed for a traditional parking structure, and cut 30-90 days off the project schedule? All of this is achievable, and on today's show y...

According to a recent Bloomberg article: "Last year was a tough one for the Swedish construction giant, with operating income hit by project writedowns, goodwill impairments and restructuring charges totaling 3.1 billion kronor ($327 million)." To put it another way, they took on projects that they couldn't execute profitably. This damaged their reputation, and caused them to take a hard look at t...

Tim Hogan is the President of Bayside Interiors, an $80m subcontractor in Northern California that specializes in: - Metal stud framing - Dry wall - Taping - Strut Work - Clean Rooms - CAB Design - Architectural Specialties - Access Floors - Acoustical Ceilings - Painting Projects include: San Francisco 49ers stadium, the first Apple store in Manhattan, and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland i...

This episode covers: Why people get demoted The emotional cost of demotion How to help someone who has been demoted recover, and make a contribution to your company   Why does someone get demoted? Incompetent Poor Decisions Lack of Compatibility   The Emotional Cost of Demotion Shame Resentment Fear How to help someone who has been demoted recover, and make a contribution to your company Set clear...

"Business has only two functions — marketing and innovation." Peter Drucker Marketing is about creating and keeping customers Innovation concentrates on creating new levels of performance in one of three areas: people, product, and processes. Innovation is hard because it requires change and doesn't always work; therefore it gets resisted. Angie Simon, President of Western Allied Mechanical, Inc....

The benefits of planning: Think about what you are going to do, in advance, so that when you act you may act more effectively. Tap into the collective intelligence and wisdom of your team. Minimize risk and maximize the possibility of success. Take into account, and maximize the use of your resources and capabilities. Consider past activity and bringing forward lessons learned into the present pla...

I welcome Jeff Hoopes , Chairman and CEO of Swinerton Builders , back to the show to discuss his approach to leading a multi-billion dollar ESOP company, why the structure of his executive team encourages healthy conflict, and how Jeff is striving to leave a legacy of teaching his employees how to make money, build wealth, and be part of a wonderful company. Click the link to listen to our first i...

In this episode we cover three things. The Wisdom Silos The Danger of Silos How to Use Teamwork to Win the Battle Against Silos Inspiration for this episode comes from Chapter Five, "Cover and Move", of   "Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALS Lead and Win",  by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin . Check out Jocko's Podcast What is a silo? An isolated grouping, department or team that functions apart f...