Life in Construction

Send us Fan Mail Meet our co-host Suzanne Lianopoulos, Senior Director of Marketing & Product Management for our Concrete division. Listen to learn about Suzanne's experience with the industry and get to know how she made her journey to Sika!

Send us Fan Mail Meet our co-host Rick Montani, Senior Advisor with 38 years at Sika. Listen to hear more about Rick's experience with the industry and learn what led him to Sika!

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Life in Construction podcast, host Suzanne  Lianopoulos is joined by co-host Rick Montani, Senior Advisor at Sika, to explore one of the most pressing challenges facing the construction sector today: attracting and retaining talent within the concrete industry with special guest Julie Garbini! The conversation dives into the ongoing labor shortage impacting...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Life in Construction , co-hosts Suzanne and Rick sit down with commercial roofing professionals Brian Whelan and Dan Murphy for an inside look at the current realities of the industry with the market developments, the people, the challenges, and the future opportunities. Looking back to 2025 and now forward into 2026, Brian and Dan discuss the key factors impact...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Life in Construction , new co-hosts Suzanne Lianopoulos and Rick Montani welcome industry leaders Peter Emmons (President/CEO/Founder of Structural Group Inc.) and David Whitmore (President and Chief Innovation Officer, Vector Corrosion Technologies) to introduce P+Ex — the Center of Excellence for the Preservation and Service Life Extension of Concrete Structur...

Send us Fan Mail For this special switch-around episode, Angela Echols is the guest host, and John Manning (ALIC's usual host) is in the hot seat. Angela asks John how he prepares for success in his role in technical services.  He talks about going to job sites and training contractors. A favorite phrase by John, "one is none and two is one," emphasizes the importance of having a ba...

Send us Fan Mail ALIC host John Manning meets with Watson Bowman Acme's, part of Sika Corporation, Jason Gray, Head Welder, Fitter and Supervisor and Colin Mason, Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) and Quality Control Supervisor. The trio talks about welding, inspections and fittings. They share their experience with welding as both a trade and an art form.

Send us Fan Mail Your host John Manning, returns with Watson Bowman Acme's, part of Sika Corporation, Jeremy Childers, in an interview with Mike Grey, Vice President & Chief Business Officer of United Infrastructure Group, a bridge and heavy highway builder of the Southeast. They talk in great detail about the planning and execution throughout the project life cycle of design-builds in co...

Send us Fan Mail ALIC host John Manning meets with Watson Bowman Acme's Jason Gray, Head Welder, Fitter and Supervisor and Colin Mason, Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) and Quality Control Supervisor. The trio talks about welding, inspections and fittings. They share their experience with welding as both a trade and an art form.

Send us Fan Mail Our host, John Manning and co-host Angela Echols interview our featured guest Katie Burbee,  Program Director, Horizon Health Services. Burbee talks about the importance of focusing on your mental health and how to talk about it and seek help if necessary. This is a special episode for May, Mental Health Awareness month.

Send us Fan Mail Our special Earth Month Special is about Sustainability. Our host, John Manning sat down with our Product Manager Heather Gifford and our featured guest Suzanne Lianopoulos, Architectural Marketing Manager for Master Builders Solutions. Lianopoulos talked about the importance of sustainability in the commercial construction industry and where she sees it heading in the future. 

Send us Fan Mail Hosts John Manning and Angela Echols welcome guest Stephanie Duncan, Owner of Crossroads Highway Products. They start season three off with an episode on Women in Construction. Duncan shares her unique perspective on having a woman-owned business and how we need to encourage other women into the construction community. This episode was originally recorded during World of Concrete...

Send us Fan Mail Your host John Manning is joined by Angela Echols and Randy Siegmann to interview Heather Gifford, Product Manager and newest addition to the WBA marketing team. They talk about product innovation,  and how new ideas must align with the market. The topic builds from Heather's 20 years in product management across several industries and her experience with pricing, market rese...

Send us Fan Mail For this special switch-around episode Angela Echols is the guest host and John Manning (ALIC's usual host) is in the hot seat. Angela asks John how he prepares for success in his role in technical services.  He talks about going to job sites and  training contractors. A favorite phrase by John, "one is none and two is one," emphasizes the importance of having a bac...

Send us Fan Mail Your host John Manning interviews Jeanne Asquith, Owner of 3rd Rock, LLC. 3rd Rock is a full service soil, aggregate and material testing laboratory accredited by AASHTO since 2001 for soil testing. They offer permeability, compressive strength, tensile strength and many other tests. 

Send us Fan Mail Your host John Manning and WBA's Nick Graziani interview Drew Storey,  Bridge and Structures Account Executive at The Kercher Group, Inc. a Mott MacDonald company. His company provides strategic infrastructure and transportation asset management services.  The funding given to infrastructure systems is growing. They discuss asset management, where you create a plan for how to...

Send us Fan Mail Your host John Manning returns with WBA's Jeremy Childers in an interview with Mike Grey, Vice President & Chief Business Officer of United Infrastructure Group, a bridge and heavy highway builder of the Southeast. They talk in great detail about the planning and execution throughout the project life cycle of design-builds in construction. This podcast was originally reco...

Send us Fan Mail This episode was originally recorded live from the tradeshow floor at World of Concrete conference (worldofconcrete.com) back in January. Join your host John Manning and WBA's Chris Smyth in an interview with Ty Conner, Owner of Austin Enterprise. His company has 30 years of experience with concrete cutting and joint sealing for highways, airports and waterways. They discuss...

Send us Fan Mail John Manning and Angela Echols interview Chad Bolton, Owner at DD Reconstruction.  They discuss the topic of cold weather construction work just as a snow storm rolls in off the mountains in Salt Lake City, UT. It is always going to get cold, especially in certain places. They discuss how to work all year long, and how to prepare your workers and equipment for the conditions.

Send us Fan Mail To kickoff Season Two of A Life In Construction, this is recorded LIVE from the ICRI booth at World of Concrete construction conference in Las Vegas, NV. Your host John Manning is back with WBA's Angela Echols and Master Builders Solutions Dan Wald to interview special guest David Fuller, Technical Director of ICRI. As proud members of the International Concrete Repair Instit...

Send us Fan Mail This roundtable discussion features WBA's John Manning, Angela Echols, Randy Siegmann and Chris Smyth. It focuses on training department of transportation (DoT) employees. By training at the source, we can help ensure the expansion joints are installed correctly. 

Send us Fan Mail WBA's John Manning and Angela Echols are joined by special guest Mark Morley, Owner of Express Logistics Solutions, Inc. There is a a reason that truck drivers should be appreciated. Morley talks about the challenges within the industry and emphasizes the importance of safety for truck drivers on the road.

Send us Fan Mail Watson Bowman Acme's John Manning and Angela Echols meet in Phoenix, AZ and interview Helen Madden-Weiss, President & CEO of NPW Contracting, Inc.  As a leader of a woman-owned construction company, Helen models how to carry yourself with confidence, even if you are the only woman in the room. The episode highlights various opportunities for women to be part of the constr...

Send us Fan Mail Live from Denver, CO host John Manning is joined by a panel of guests: Angela Echols (Watson Bowman Acme), David Flores (A+ Waterproofing and Sealants) and Kyle Marston (Smalley & Company). They discuss how effective training can improve the skills and knowledge of installers within the construction industry.

Send us Fan Mail In this episode host John Manning has a discussion with David Fuller, Technical Service Lead for Masters Builders Solutions about new technologies in the construction industry. This is part two of two.