Building PA Podcast

Our topic today, lowering OSHA recordables, may very well become the most popular download of the year. Why? Because we hear time and time again and have learned that the construction industry as a whole starts and ends the day with safety in mind.

It's one of the most talked about topics in construction. Companies strive for a good safety rating. They wear in like a badge of honor. 

Our guest, Greg Johnson, president and CEO of SRS Group in Mechanicsburg, PA offers 24/7 medical triage of work-related injuries. If you call you are guaranteed to talk to a registered nurse who can help facilitate next steps. In addition to lowering OSHA recordables this program can help lower medical and indemnity costs and expedite return to work.

This podcast is guaranteed to make you think about how you handle work-related injuries.

For more information on the SRS Group visit thesrsgroup.net

The construction industry is a dynamic industry and fiercely competitive.

Now more than ever, project presentation and how you sell and communicate your company's unique strengths to the owner, board, and decision-makers is critical.

Long gone are the days when you can win a job by simply selling safe, on time, and on budget. These things are expected by owners. It's time to take the next step in selling and start to sell by telling your story.

Every company has a story, or unique value proposition that sets them apart from the competition.

This podcast touches on the communication tools you need to break through the chatter and elevate your message so owners want to hear more and help you close the deal.

If you're in business development, marketing, or part of any pitch team this podcast is for you. Take a listen and give us your feedback at [email protected].

To learn more about how to craft your story, go to atlasstories.com

 

In recognition of National Work Zone Awareness Week, April 17-21, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to share a podcast replay with Rich Barcaskey of the Constructors Association of Western Pennsylvania (CAWP). He shares some great advice. As drivers, follow work zone signs, slow down, and save lives!

Take a listen to this podcast replay. It's a great reminder of the small things we can do to keep our highways safer.

Original Content:
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 infrastructure in PA better and safer.

We invited the Executive Director of CAWP (The Constructors of Western Pennsylvania), Rich Barcaskey to give us some insight into heavy highway repair, construction, and the importance of being a patient and responsible driver when you are driving through construction zones.

One of the most important, if not the most important concern for the CAWP is the safety of their workers. As drivers, we can do our part by obeying the speed limit, minimizing distractions, and staying alert while driving through construction areas.

This summer CAWP developed a new initiative to recognize the hard-working men and women working in heavy highway and construction. The program is called CAWP Cares and includes a bag packed with essentials for workers to help them take care of themselves— sunscreen, a cooling towel,  a tick-removal kit, and many more useful items to have on the job. CAWP has also included a printed brochure with daily tips to help them with their mental health and physical well-being.

To learn more about the Constructors of Western Pennsylvania check out CAWP.org.

For this episode, we invited our friends Mackenzie Carolan and Todd Zdunkewicz with Linbeck Construction to join the podcast and share their seller/doer model of success. 

Our seller is Mackenzie Carolan, vice president, of business development at Linbeck in Dallas, TX. Our doer is Todd Zdunkewicz,  project manager with Linbeck Construction in Houston, TX.

We know a lot of our listeners use this method of selling, but Linbeck gave us an interesting perspective on their approach. 

Learn why they believe seller/doer is a culture, not just a practice.

Well, it looks like prefabrication IS here to stay. It's been over a year since we aired this podcast and supply chain issues continue to remain a headache for the construction industry.

This podcast is worth another listen. Why? Because there are some great tips and stories of how prefabricated products are solving problems and helping to get jobs done without delay.

Original Content - 
Jim Gabriel, president of MODLOGIQ shed light on why prefabrication is trending across the construction industry. 

Owners, general contractors, designers, and architects are turning to modular construction for several reasons. One of the biggest reasons is that the world is changing. Gabriel speaks openly about the pandemic and how modular construction has helped contractors and projects continue to move ahead even when job sites are shut down. This is due in part, to 80% of modular construction being constructed off-site. When MODLOGIQ finishes a project, it’s set and ready to be shipped and installed without the headache of on-site construction. 

We also will put to rest some of the myths about modular construction and prefabrication. The perception is that modular construction is cheaper. Gabriel comments, “it’s not cheaper, it provides more cost certainty for their clients and helps reduce cost escalation.” 

You’ll also hear more about the unique ways modular construction is being used. Gabriel talks about “pushing the envelope” in their industry. Prefabrication and modularization are pushing to do more than just affordable housing or single-family homes. MODLOGIQ is trying to bring their business up to standards that designers and owners expect from traditional builds. 

We know our listeners always want to hear the take on safety as it relates to our topics. We asked Gabriel how prefabrication translates to a safer job site. He shares his thoughts, insights, and more in this next episode of the Building PA Podcast. 

The podcast has had the privilege of interviewing many prominent architects in Pennsylvania. But today's guest is a different kind of architect. He's not building buildings, he's building and inspiring wellness.

David Whitesock is the founder of Commonly Well and the architect of Recovery Capital Index®. RCI provides a comprehensive picture of a person's whole being using an online automated survey. The RCI is person-centered. The program is scientifically validated to reliably measure addiction wellness.

Unfortunately, substance abuse and addiction have skyrocketed post-COVID. According to the CDC, construction workers are the highest mortality rates for drug overdose and death.

Whitesock shares his personal story and what helped him stay on a path to recovery and what inspired him to give back. 

This podcast is bursting with truth, honesty, and humility. It's a podcast story to share with your friends, coworkers, and industry professionals. 

In honor of Women's History Month, we thought we would entertain our audiences with one of our most interesting and popular podcast interviews with a female guest. Tonya Byrd, business development manager for Gilbane Building Company, shares her insights on construction business development, building relationships, and life in general.

This podcast replay is guaranteed to make you think a little bit about strategies for growing your business and building relationships...for life.

Original Content -
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 business development which is why we invited Business Development Manager for Gilbane Building Company, Tonya Byrd to share her definition of business development her way.

Byrd has been in the space of business development for 18 years and believes there are three keys that bring success to her role in the industry, one, you must love people, two, you must love problem-solving and three you must love people. You'll learn why Byrd lists one and three as the same.

This is an episode that is filled with wit, humor, insight, and reality. Download this episode to listen to Byrd's candid messaging and learn why her LinkedIn profile reads, "Building relationships is my jam." 

Take our word for it. This is a 30-minute podcast you won't want to miss!

Our special guest, Executive Training Director at Eastern Atlantic States Technical College, and long-time Carpenter, Rob Smith, took some time to talk about recruitment efforts specifically in the underserved communities in Pennsylvania.

Smith expanded on the statewide Carpenters Apprentice Ready Program  (CARP). CARP is a Pennsylvania state-certified pre-apprentice initiative designed to open doors for people who may not have been exposed to the trades in the past. The goal is to create opportunities and pathways for their future.

Check out CARP and learn more about this growing program and how it can help advance young adults looking to get into the trades. 

This podcast replay focuses on the groundbreaking technology and work that CNX is doing and features one of the most down-to-earth environmentally-conscious "Yinzers" in the business, Nick Deiuliis.

Read all the details in this news release on the Pittsburgh Airport project.

Original Content:
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 United States. 

Deiuliis shares details about the project and the innovation behind the work being done. He also talks about the strategies to reduce emissions and costs for transportation and other industries. 

For our listeners who want to hear a story of innovation, technology, and how a project of this size will help reduce carbon footprint, this podcast is for you. 

Download now and share with your co-workers and colleagues. 

In this episode of the Building PA Podcast, we talked with Joe Bucci, counsel at JacksonKelly PLLC who shares his unique education and career path - from trades to attorney. 

Bucci starts college, switches into the trades, goes back to college, earns his law degree, and is now an attorney for JacksonKelly PLLC practicing construction law.

This podcast sheds light on the positive aspects of two very different paths for high school students - college or trades. Bucci contributes his ability to connect with his construction clients to his experience as a laborer and apprentice steamfitter who worked in the field and office, learning all aspects of the construction business.

This podcast is great for high school students deciding on their path for the future.