The Mobile Workforce Podcast

In this episode, Mike Merrill interviews Cameron Cranford, the Director of Technology at BakerTriangle , an ENR Top 10 wall and ceiling company with a division specializing in a panelized, prefab approach to construction .  Mike and Cameron discuss prefab, the technology behind it, and why it is so important for construction. Cranford explains that Baker Triangle is a successful company because of...

Competition has changed forever due to improvements in communication and productivity. Nobody can hope to keep secrets or hide their processes from their competitors. Culture and the willingness to do things for the long haul will set leaders apart from the rest of the pack.  Our host, Mike Merrill , is joined by Keith Post and Steve Little from KPost for a second episode live in person to discuss...

Working and making a profit in a market plagued by shortages can be a challenging and almost insurmountable task. One of the key aspects of a company that helps them stand ahead of the crowd when the going is tough is the company's culture and its people.  Our host, Mike Merrill , is joined by Keith Post and Steve Little from KPost on today's episode live in person to discuss their company's cultu...

Ransomware is one of the most common forms of digital attack being used today against businesses. Even after paying the ransom 92% of businesses never get their data back and many of them end up having to close due to the loss.  Join us for part two of our special ransomware series with guest "Jimmy" who shares on this episode the top strategies for blocking and minimizing an attack. If you haven'...

Good business owners are always looking for the best process to get the job done with the most profit and efficiency. The best business owners look for the best practices for ever aspect of their business including the relationships in the office and on the job site. Family businesses in the construction industry are very common and the best family-run contractors have the best practices for keepi...

Taking over a family business can be a crazy process that is plagued by emotions, family expectations, undue stress and unexpected hurdles that the new owner has to manage. Make it double when the transition is unexpected and during an economic correction. It might seem like an impossible situation but our guests, Ethan and Brooke Redden owners at Redden Concrete, are going to walk us through thei...

It's not every day that you hit a major milestone. It's important that when you do you take a moment and process what it took to get that and what you have learned along the way. As we reach our 100th episode of the Mobile Workforce Podcast our Host Mike Merrill takes the time to reflect on the construction industry and what has changed over the years, for better or for worse. To make the episode...

Small and medium-sized contractors face a unique set of challenges when competing against larger companies. It seems like every issue the construction industry is facing today is magnified for smaller businesses when compared to their direct larger competitors. With labor and material shortages as well as inflation and price increases it can be easy to feel like you can't compete.  Fortunately, th...

A digital workforce has been a focus of the construction industry for years now. Removing paper from your workflow and processes is paramount to getting in front of your competition and increase your profits across the board. Rarely do digital forms come up in conversation and few contractors are able to wipe out their physical forms. The good news is digital forms exist, but how can they be used...

Most people would agree that our military veterans deserve our respect and honor but it can be confusing and intimidating to work with someone that has come out of years in the military into civilian life. The good news is Vets are hard-working, loyal and skilled employees who, when supported, can be your best workers. But how can you be the best support to your employees? In this episode of the M...

There has never been a better time in the construction industry to step out on your own and become the master of your own business and future. That doesn't mean becoming a solopreneur is an easy or risk-free venture. Quite the opposite in fact. Being mindful of the pitfalls that you will face and knowing the tools that will help along the way is a big step forward in ensuring your success.  In thi...

Project development in the construction industry is an extremely complex undertaking that requires a large breadth of skills to get right. Home building has some of the industry's most complicated moving parts and can be intimidating for those looking to get into home building and development. Instead of looking at it one piece at a time contractors can get lost in all of the requirements and dema...

Project development in the construction industry is an extremely complex undertaking that requires a large breadth of skills to get right. Home building has some of the most complicated moving parts in the industry and it can be intimidating for those looking to get into home building and development. Instead of looking at it one piece at a time contractors can get lost in all of the requirements...

Communication from the job site back to the office and to the customer can become a real bottleneck that impedes the speed at which a project move and it also can dramatically impact the happiness of the client, impacting future projects and referrals. The good news is that new trends are showing that increasing communication across all groups on a construction project can increase productivity bu...

Gamification in construction is a powerful tool that can drive the highest productivity out of your employees and subcontractors. But gamification can be a tricky and confusing process, and requires that the contract take on the role of head coach for their teams. But what does it mean to be the head coach and what does it take to gamify your job site and at the same time ensure you are keeping a...

Investment into construction technology is at an all time high. The question is how does that investment translate on the job site. Fortunately we had Dennis Stejskal, the director at Sage Construction and Real Estate, stick around for another episode. Dennis was originally on the show for episode #3 where he discussed the value of construction data and we also discussed the newest development sin...

Productivity in construction is a huge problem that economists and other business leaders point to as one of the reasons for the cost of homes has not kept up with the rest of the economy. Regularly technology and software is lifted up as the golden opportunity to increase productivity and drive construction to catch up and even overtake the historical loss in productivity. But not done correctly...

There is no doubt that construction can benefit from technology, but with margins as tight as they are, contractors are wise to take the time to understand how each option will affect their bottom line. Most of the time technology is there to alleviate risk and avoid unseen issues but with the right technology contractors can not only avoid losing profits but actually actively increase their margi...

Customer Experience (CX) is not new but has become one of the most important parts of any business's client development and retention strategy. And the numbers don't lie, 7% of your clients right now are actively looking for a new vendor, 2% in client retention is the same thing as reducing costs by 10% and it is four to five times more expensive to go and find a new client than it is to keep an e...

The economy isn't a stagnant thing and we all know that it flows from bull to bear over time. Thankfully over the past 200 years we have seen that every time the economy slows down it is a correction and it always comes back stronger and with more opportunities than before. The key is being able to ride the wave and survive the correction. Most businesses just flounder about and hope to survive, f...

No matter what market we are in, a healthy construction business is built on building a happy and consistent client list that will return for new projects, suggest new clients and give good endorsements. The question is how do you build that client list in today's crazy market?    This episode features Josh Edwards, the President of Expedition Contracting. Josh shares his secrets to successfully m...

Low tech construction is still functional in today's market but we all know that the days of analog processes and the contractors that stick to them are numbered. If we want to thrive in the future construction industry we need to now take the steps to digitize our processes and teams and drive productivity and transparency to new heights.   This episode features Craig Hurst , Director of Client S...

Driving digital adoption is a difficult process for any construction company and is impossible when done incorrectly. The good news is that no one needs to try to figure out the best practices for digital adoption, it has already been done.  This episode features Nate Fuller , founder and director of Placer Construction Solutions . Nate shares with our host Mike Merrill a technique to make sure th...

Being online and on the cloud is essential for today's construction industry leaders. The importance of having your information on hand and in a usable format for everyone to see is the only way to ensure that your business is functioning at the highest productivity possible while also protecting your bottom line. Knowing that you need to be up to date and ensuring that your software is functionin...