Build Me Up

Fraser is Minnesota's largest and most experienced provider of autism and early childhood mental health services. Rachel Gardner, Senior Director of Fraser's Autism Center of Excellence and Nancy Baldrica, Fraser's Chief Marketing & Development Officer join the Build Me Up podcast to discuss Fraser's mission, its innovative approach to healthcare, and how the built environment plays a role in designing spaces for those with sensory issues. They also discuss Fraser's newest location in Woodbury, Minnesota, which provides state-of-the-art care for its patients. You can listen to Fraser's podcast, FraserCast, to learn more.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of uncertainty and anxiety. Millions of Americans have made the transition to working from home, which can cause feelings of isolation. Essential workers in hospitals, grocery stores, manufacturing plants, and much more don't have that option. Kraus-Anderson Benefits and Wellness Specialist Bre Ostrom, and Maddy Bourgeois and Dawn Mansergh from HealthPartners' Employee Assistance Program discuss health and wellness tips to navigate through these uncertain times. 

Tom and Mary are joined by Regions Hospital Director of Nursing Rochelle Johnson, Kraus-Anderson Project Manager Rachael Oelke, and Reiling Construction President Brigid O'Malley. The three discuss the innovative new Regions Hospital Birth Center, opening this spring in Saint Paul. 

The Regions Birth Center features larger rooms and family-friendly amenities, hydrotherapy tubs, postpartum suites, and "couplet care" that allows mothers and their newborn babies to be treated in the same room. The innovative care model will help serve Regions' diverse patient demographic.

Rochelle explains the driving force behind the project, and Brigid and Rachael discuss what goes into constructing new healthcare models. Later, they continue the discussion on what it means to be a woman in construction and how the industry can continue to move forward.

The Build Me Up podcast is celebrating Women in Construction Week with Carol and Sarah Sende. Women make up just under 10 percent of the construction industry workforce across trades, sales and management positions. Throughout the month of March, KA’s Build Me Up podcast will be profiling women who have been innovators, change makers and trailblazers in the industry.

We kick things off with Carol and Sarah Sende. Project superintendent Carol Sende has been with Kraus-Anderson for nearly 35 years and has managed over 50 full-cycle projects, including over $50 million of housing projects. Carol’s daughter, Sarah Sende, is following in her footsteps. Sarah is currently working as a carpentry apprentice at KA, with aspirations to work her way up to be a superintendent.

We sat down with Carol and Sarah to talk about their careers, how they got into the industry, and what it’s like to be one of the only women on a jobsite.

Kraus-Anderson Real Estate and Development leaders Peter Diessner, Matt Alexander and Jeff Hildahl discuss the trends and outlook of the industry. The three sat down in our podcast studio to share the complicated process of development, how rising construction costs, online retail and the affordable housing challenge are shaping the future of development, and the strategy behind creating a sense of community within the built environment.

Kraus-Anderson Executive Vice President Rich Jacobson and FMI Corporation Managing Director of Research Jay Bowman discuss construction industry trends, challenges and outlook heading into 2020.

Topics of discussion include solutions to the affordable housing crisis, how companies are addressing the workforce shortage, and the future of modular construction and prefabrication.

The two leaders also share their insights on how the economy is affecting construction projects, emerging technological trends and the skills needed to keep up with them, and what market sectors will thrive in the coming years.

Part 2 of Kraus-Anderson COO Al Gerhardt and APi Group Inc. CEO Russ Becker's discussion of construction industry trends, technology and challenges. Gerhardt and Becker discuss solutions to the workforce shortage, an industry trend that takes their breath away, and get put on the hot seat for a speed round of questions.

Al Gerhardt is the President and COO of Kraus-Anderson Construction Company. Under Al's leadership, Kraus-Anderson has been consistently ranked in the top 50 Construction Management firms at Risk by Engineering News-Record. Russ Becker is the President of CEO of APi Group Inc., one of the largest specialty contractors in North America. APi Group is the parent company to over 40 independently managed life safety, energy, specialty construction and infrastructure companies in over 200 locations worldwide.

Gerhardt and Becker have a candid discussion about the issues the construction industry is facing, exciting innovations like modular construction, and how they empower their employees to become leaders.

Stay tuned for part two of their discussion, where Gerhardt and Becker discuss the workforce shortage, and get put on the hot seat with a speed round of questions!

Kraus-Anderson's BIM Manager Heather Kossila and POWER Engineers' Facilities BIM Coordinator Liberty Longalong discuss the constant evolution of the built marketplace. Building Information Modeling is offering high-tech advancements, from laser scanning to 3D modeling, and Heather and Liberty discuss how a growth mindset is the most important tool in keeping up with the age of technology. 

The new Delta Dental of Minnesota Operations Center in Bemidji provides a modern, open workspace for 150 employees. The final product is beautiful, but it was far from easy. Tamera Robinson, CFO of Delta Dental of Minnesota; Nate Enger, VP at ESG Architects; and Matt Stringfellow, Mechanical and Electrical Systems Manager at Kraus-Anderson join Mary and Tom to discuss the complex project. A tight schedule, firm budget, and complex owner needs led to some innovative solutions that turned an ordinary call center into a beautiful, amenity-rich workspace for Bemidji employees.