Sarah Knehr, senior project manager at Quandel Construction group, is one of those professionals in the construction industry with so much drive and energy it's contagious. She's involved with the KCA's emerging leaders initiative and is a resource for anyone looking to get into the construction profession. There's a reason she was nominated as the top young leader by the KCA in 2021. She's so inspiring to young professionals we felt that her podcast was worth a replay. If you know a high school...
Feb 07, 2023•22 min
The saying "jack of all trades, master of none" does not apply to this podcast guest and the company he represents. Greg Heddaeus, vice president of Carl Walker Construction , shares the company's focus and area of expertise — building parking garages. We wanted to learn and share with our listeners how specializing benefits their business goals and mission. Heddaeus notes, "we know the importance of staying in our lane. Our main focus is building parking garages, but we recognize the economic c...
Jan 31, 2023•24 min•Season 4Ep. 1
In 2023 the Building PA Podcast will be bringing our listeners some podcasts worth a replay. Enjoy the October 2021 podcast with Kevin Trout on the benefits of a strong company culture. Original content - Join the Building PA Podcast to listen to Kevin Trout share his insights into the benefits a strong culture will have on your company. Kevin joins us as a former owner and CEO of a medical supply company and current Vistage chair and facilitator for CEO groups. In the discussion, Trout emphasiz...
Jan 24, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 3
This podcast replay was recorded in January 2022 with President, Pedro Rivera of Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. The podcast remains relevant in our current state of workforce development. Take another listen. Original Content - Listen as President Rivera shares insight into industry trends related to workforce development beyond traditional construction-related skills such as career counseling, heavy equipment training, and professional career paths that will have significant impact. It...
Jan 17, 2023•28 min•Season 4Ep. 4
The Building PA Podcast continues its quest in 2023, tackling some of the industry's most talked-about topics. In 2022, much of the construction industry was focused on worker shortage. In 2023, the conversation will likely continue to be a high-priority topic. In our continued effort to bring answers and solutions to our listeners, we reconnected with one of the nation's most popular high school programs, the ACE Mentor Program of America. Our guest, Northeast Regional Director, Darius Johnson,...
Jan 10, 2023•24 min•Season 4Ep. 2
During 2022 the Building PA Podcast has had the pleasure to interview some extraordinary individuals. Architects, engineers, economists, construction professionals, attorneys, legislators, state and local authorities, authors, insurance agents, CEOs, construction specialists and mental health and wellness experts, and association presidents. Of the 50-plus individuals we've interviewed, we want to recognize each one of them for their expertise and willingness to share their industry knowledge wi...
Jan 03, 2023•24 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Earlier this year, we asked Dr. Anirban Basu to join us on the podcast to share his economic forecast for 2022 and some insights related to the construction market. Undoubtedly, 2022 has been filled with its share of ups and downs and challenges for the construction industry. Workforce and supply chain issues continue to plague some parts of the market, and the economic climate as a whole remains in turmoil with talks of inflation and a looming recession. No one has a crystal ball, but we think ...
Dec 27, 2022•22 min•Season 3Ep. 2
State Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, shares his HOPE for PA initiative and how this 100-million-dollar one-time budget allotment will help serve individuals suffering from mental health issues. Schlossberg openly shares his battles with mental health and comments that he believes this money will go a long way in developing programs to give fellow Pennsylvanians a helping hand. Hope for PA is a collaborative proposal with input from mental health leaders, stakeholders, and staff. This plan buil...
Dec 20, 2022•23 min
The Building PA Podcast in partnership with Barry Isett and Associates brings you another podcast in the Healthy Work Environments Series. This episode is with PJ Dick - Trumbull - Lindy Group's Vice President of Human Resources, Lisa Nakamura. Nakamura expands on the high importance they place on their employees. She'll share details of how looking at the total employee helps guide them on the types of programs their company puts into place to assist with mental health and wellness initiatives....
Dec 13, 2022•23 min
Workforce development and the lack of skilled workers continue to plague the construction industry on both the local and state levels. Companies that work in the construction industry are realizing they need to look at different, or non-traditional ways of hiring. In an effort to keep our listeners informed we wanted to know more about how Philadelphia is giving a second chance to individuals who may not be given a second look on a job application. Rep. Jordan Harris, Democratic Whip in the Hous...
Dec 06, 2022•26 min
In an industry that often embraces a "race to the bottom" pricing mentality, we wanted to pivot the conversation slightly and focus on how construction companies can bring value to their clients. Our guest, John Hayden, has been in the construction industry for 37 years. Much of John's experience lives in the world of performance construction. The energy component Hayden uses to help his clients with cost savings does not take dollars off the bottom line at first, but provides long-term solution...
Nov 29, 2022•17 min
On the Building PA Podcast, we often talk about large, expansive projects and the orchestration of managing a 50 to 100-million-dollar project from the ground up. In this episode, we are swinging the pendulum and talking about small projects, and the unique challenges that come along with a project in the five million dollars or less category. Katie Walsh, project manager and architect with the SmithGroup in Pittsburgh, PA, shares what she has learned working on small projects. There are benefit...
Nov 22, 2022•21 min
Workforce issues aren't a new topic for the construction industry. COVID only enhanced the problem, which forced some companies to look for new ways to fill positions and help solve worker shortage. We have had many business owners and executives on the podcast share steps they are taking in their businesses to help minimize this problem. In this episode, we wanted to bring our listeners an individual who deals with finding solutions to this problem on a daily basis. Director of the Apprenticesh...
Nov 15, 2022•29 min
The Building PA Podcast has great respect for the men and women that have served and continue to serve to protect our country and freedom. To all of you, we thank you. In recognition of Veterans Day, November 11th, 2022, we are honored to interview Ralph Galati, a fellow Veteran that has dedicated his life to helping Veterans receive the benefits they deserve and find jobs they need. Galati's combined experience in the military, academics, and business are key components in helping vets find emp...
Nov 08, 2022•25 min
Everyone loves a good comeback story and there's no better story to tell than how the city of Pittsburgh turned from a depressed coal miner's town into a thriving city and suburb filled with environmentally conscious businesses and people. Lifelong Pittsburger, or "Yinzer," Nick Deiuliis, president and chief executive officer for CNX shares his view of watching the city change and now working on the Pittsburgh Airport renovation on its way to becoming the first self-sustaining airport in the Uni...
Nov 01, 2022•27 min
This Fall Pennsylvania will be a focal point for people across the country as they watch the very highly publicized race for Governor and Senate. In recognition of the upcoming November 8 election, we wanted to share with our listeners the importance of the election and the issues facing owners, and individuals that work in or with the construction industry. Our guest Steve Massaro, is the chairman of the General Contractors Association of Pennsylvania, GCAP, and president of Massaro Corporation...
Oct 25, 2022•19 min
Frank Howard from Howard Concrete Pumping, knows a thing or two about abandoned mine land reclamation. Their company has completed more mine reclamation projects than our competitors combined in the regions we serve. Howard has completed nearly 30,000 injection holes for over 2,000,000 feet of drilling and 1,100,00 cubic yards of grout in the past ten years. Abandoned Mine Land reclamation (AML), serves an important part in restoring the environment in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. Compan...
Oct 18, 2022•19 min
Oct 18, 2022•27 min
The dynamic podcast duo, Chris Martin and Jon O’Brien are on the road and will be appearing in person at the GOSH Conference, Monday, October 31 from 1:15 PM – 2:30 PM to speak about “New Methods for Delivering Safety Information.” COVID has forced many safety professionals to seek new communication methods or vehicles to tell the safety story. The advent of the remote worker has also placed strains on the importance of safety on the job. In this presentation, audience members will learn about n...
Oct 11, 2022•11 min
If you asked 100 construction professionals to define business development you would get 100 similar answers that sound something like this—When it comes to organizational growth, business development acts as the thread that ties together all of a company's functions or departments, helping a business expand and improve its sales, revenues, product offerings, talent, customer service, and brand awareness. But we weren't looking for the same old answers. We wanted a new and fresh perspective on b...
Oct 04, 2022•29 min•Season 3Ep. 31
While the hazards faced in construction are in some ways similar to those in other industries, there are some unique issues that safety professionals and contractors must consider. In our ongoing pursuit to educate and inform professionals in the construction industry about safety on the job site and in the office we are hosting Risk Manager and Certified Safety Professional, Brent Gates with Strickler Agency. As the leader of the risk management program within his company, Gates works with clie...
Sep 27, 2022•24 min
If you are a professional working in a job that requires you to stay up to date on all things related to safety, then you need to listen to this podcast. Chris and Jon invited Paula Loht, corporate director of safety for Gannett Fleming and PA Governor’s Occupational Safety & Health Conference, GOSH, committee member to talk about this year's upcoming GOSH conference, October 31-November 1 at the Hershey Lodge. The GOSH conference is where safety, innovation, education, and best practices co...
Sep 21, 2022•23 min
This episode of the Building PA Podcast continues our commitment to talking about mental health and wellness and suicide prevention. September 4-11 marked the one week set aside to highlight suicide prevention on a national level however, it's a topic that needs to continue to be at the forefront of conversation among all professions, especially in the construction industry. This month we've thrown out a lot of statistics about suicide in the construction industry and the number of deaths by sui...
Sep 20, 2022•23 min
Today's podcast continues the conversation about suicide prevention and mental health and wellness in the construction workplace. Our guest, Mark St. Cyr, carpenter, union member, and construction superintendent openly shares his story of abuse and mental health issues that led him down a path of addiction at a very early age. St. Cyr is 15 years sober and has dedicated his life to helping men and women in construction struggling with substance abuse disorders. As a superintendent, he runs a job...
Sep 13, 2022•25 min
According to the CDC, men working in construction have one of the highest rates of suicide compared to all other industries. A shocking statistic, but one that can not be ignored. Today's podcast is all about shining a light on mental health and wellness in construction. We're kicking off this month with a candid conversation with the Director of Safety for the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Washington, Mandi Kime. Kime is an accomplished safety professional and leader within the constr...
Sep 06, 2022•29 min•Season 3Ep. 32
Workforce development is a topic that we've talked about a lot on the podcast and written about repeatedly in The Keystone Contractor. When we open up the topic for discussion, we're often left with more questions than answers. There's no doubt that the construction industry is facing significant worker shortages. So rather than talking about the same grim statistics, we want to share a story of positivity and hope through one business owner's eyes. Neal Rivers, executive vice president of Easle...
Aug 30, 2022•22 min
For 27 years, Pennsylvania has had the highest non-graduated tax in the United States. This tax rate of 9.9% has limited Pennsylvania's ability to be competitive in bringing new businesses to the Keystone state. With the corporate net income tax reduction, that's about to change. To talk more about the tax reduction bill we invited the President of The Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, Matt Smith to be our guest. Smith is part of a team of dedicated business leaders, state officials, and l...
Aug 19, 2022•26 min
On the Building PA Podcast, we've talked a lot about workforce development and realize there's more to add to this conversation. Many businesses, not just in construction, are faced with workforce issues daily. So we've asked the question, where are all of the workers? We decided to bring an expert to the show with knowledge about workforce issues and solutions for businesses that find themselves unable to solve this dilemma day in and day out. Jesse McCree, CEO of SCPa Works is bringing us some...
Aug 16, 2022•30 min•Season 3Ep. 23
On today's show, we invited the Co-Founder and CSO of Vertical, Aaron Priest to talk more about how technology can affect the bottom line for construction companies. Vertical is a software platform that solves problems around construction compliance and documentation. In other words, Vertical has found a way to get contractors paid FASTER. We started the conversation off by asking how Vertical is impacting their client's bottom line. Priest commented that Vertical's particular focus started with...
Aug 09, 2022•29 min•Season 3Ep. 22
We've all been there, you're in your car on your way to your annual family vacation destination or just making your daily trip to work, and you're stopped or slowed down because of traffic due to road construction. It seems like road construction and repair are everywhere, and you're right, it is! And whether you believe it or not, it's a good thing. With the recent Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, road construction and repair of bridges and highways are booming and making our infrastruct...
Aug 02, 2022•32 min
