It Happened On The Job

This episode's guest: Marc Revetta of Marc Revetta Construction. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Today, Brian is joined by Marc Revetta, President, Owner, and Founder of Marc Revetta Construction. Working for a gas station in high school, Marc went to work for his buddy's uncle in construction. Instantly falling in love with the idea of building and the freedom to work outside on a daily basis, he opted to leave everyone else's dream for him of being a firefighter and go into construction. Initially pulling nails out of wood, he was trained to be a framer. Coupling the pressure of getting projects done quickly and fighting a massive fear of heights, Marc had some decisions to make - to succumb to that fear or push forward with his new passion. Fast forward a few years later and after working for several companies, Marc finally stepped out on how own starting Marc Revetta Construction. If you've got the itch to jump into construction but aren't sure how to get started, this is your episode! Huge shoutout to Marc for joining the show!

This episode's guest: Margaret Totty of Los Angeles Housing Compliance. You can also find them on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Mike and Brian are joined by Margaret Totty, President of Los Angeles Housing Compliance. In Las Vegas at 20 years old, she went to work for a General Contractor specializing in restoration working as an administrative assistant and receptionist. Eventually making her way to Los Angeles, Margaret went to work for a large General Contractor and found a role that suited her perfectly - finding jobs for others. Now, as the founder and President of Los Angeles Housing Compliance, their mission is to do just that - foster hiring and job opportunities for those local to the job site by creating a bridge between the local community and the contractors coming in to do the work. Not only that, their job candidates are already coming from groups and schools that teach the trades as well as getting them physically fit for the contracting job they're training for. In essence, they're turning around entire communities and all within the construction space!

This episode's guest: Nadine Weiss of Complete Demolition, Inc. You can find them on LinkedIn and Facebook. You can also contact Nadine on her LinkedIn page. Mike and Brian are joined by Nadine Weiss, President of Complete Demolition, Inc. With a successful background in sales and business, Nadine was asked by her father to help an ailing demolition side business he had started years prior. Now, four years after she took the reins of the company, she's increased Complete Demolition's revenue tenfold... that's 1000% sales growth in four years! How did she do it? Well... here's a teaser - she put safety as the top priority. She learned the demolition trade, and she learned it well. She hired a competent and hardworking office staff. And so much more. This is the construction business version of Extreme Makeover!

This episode's guest: Kirk Page of KPS Alarms and KPS Fire Sprinklers. You can find them on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Yelp. Mike and Brian are joined by Kirk Page, President of KPS Alarms and KPS Fire Sprinklers. Talk about a seminar on leadership, if you're a contractor and you run a business, or you want to run a business, or you've been thinking about it... this is your episode. With the motto of "Love for Customers, Love for Team, Love for Profit", KPS has found a deeper calling beyond just installing alarms, home theaters, and fire sprinklers systems. They've tapped into a deeper desire to find purpose in the business, with their customers, and in their daily actions. Now with 200 concurrent projects and 3 locations in Southern and Northern California, that desire to tap into their deeper calling is translating to massive sales and profit. So, again, if you're looking for success, you're probably looking for the wrong thing. Focus on your purpose, lead others well with grace and truth, and the rest will follow.

This episode's guest: Steve Paxton of Astro Sheet Metal Co, Inc. You can also find them on Facebook and LinkedIn. Mike and Brian are joined by Steve Paxton, President of Astro Sheet Metal Co, Inc. Now president of the company, Steve is the grandson of the original founder, John Paxton, and grew up running the halls of the original building where they began in 1967. Now, leading the third generation, as well as a host of employees, Steve and their leadership team have made sure that Astro Sheet Metal is well positioned for the future with legacy in mind. Their focus as a company - custom metal fabrication for large commercial projects in the Dallas area. If you're interested in learning about building a legacy for future generations while doing what you love, this is for sure your episode!

This episode's guest: Serko Khatchadourian of Quadrant, Inc. Mike and Brian are joined by Serko Khatchadourian, President of Quadrant, Inc. Growing up in Lebanon, Serko was involved in construction because of his father - a career engineer. In Lebanon, unlike the US, engineers are involved throughout the entirety of the project and are the last line of defense in terms of quality. While he has a college background in engineering, Serko opted to be out in the field, got his contractor's license, and started Quadrant, Inc. - a contracting company that specializes in high end custom ground-up residential construction. And just like his father, that same attention to detail that he learned growing up in Lebanon is inherent in every one of his projects here in the US - from the very start to turning over the Certificate of Occupancy. And, every now and then, he'll subject his wife to a detour on the way to dinner to see his work and how it's creating memories for a new family.

This episode's guest: Todd Pearson of All Bay Paint. You can find them on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Mike and Brian are joined by Todd Pearson, President of All Bay Paint. Growing up with a father in construction, he was the youngest and smallest between him and his brother, and because of that, he was the one that was tasked with fitting in tight spaces. Fast forward to now, that unique skill of learning to be nimble and fit in tight spaces has helped him tremendously as the owner and president of All Bay Paint. At the beginning, Todd and his business partner, 10 years ago started All Bay Paint. But, with the departure of his partner last year, Todd has kept meticulous care of his employees, staying agile enough to acquire new jobs and new clients, while retaining a very high level of quality and craftsmanship. As a result, they've learned the right type of clients to work with that not only pay handsomely, but very quickly. Not a bad deal! Looking back, it seems that having a huge big brother was a blessing... minus the noogies of course!

This episode's guest: Pete Grant of Safesite. You can check out their sister company Foresight as well. Mike and Brian are joined by Pete Grant, CEO of Safesite. Growing up in Australia, Pete started working in construction as a laborer. But working on different jobsites afforded him some very unfortunate experiences - including seeing near miss accidents and a few deaths, even a good friend of his dying on the job. As a result, he started Safesite, a technology designed to monitor and perpetuate safety on the job and it's super easy to use. Add to the fact that you can have instant reports if OSHA decides to drop in on you on any particular day. Now with close to 4,000 clients regularly using the app on the jobsite, they've created a sister company, Foresight, that writes Workers' Compensation and utilizes Safesite to get money back to the clients that are actively using the app! And you can be rewarded, even with a checkered claims past. While it's not construction, it's definitely related and can revolutionize your business.

This episode's guest: Ivan Montano of Leading Edge Construction Services, Inc. You can find them on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. Mike and Brian are joined by Ivan Montano, Vice President of Operations of Leading Edge Construction Services, Inc. Graduating from high school, Ivan found a job as a laborer for a construction company and fell in love with the industry. Now, 10 years later, Ivan helps lead a construction company as VP of Operations. With as many as 65 projects happening at any one time, Leading Edge Construction Services uses cutting edge technology to do everything they can to keep everyone in the loop. And they're growing tremendously with projects all over the Bay Area. This is where the younger generation in construction shines!

This episode's guest: Tim Nobles of Nobles Construction Components. You can find them on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Mike and Brian are joined by Tim Nobles, Owner and President of Nobles Construction Components. As a motocross rider for 12 years, Tim needed a job that was flexible, would give him weekends off, and didn't mind if he came in on a Monday with a broken leg. Pair that with the fact that his dad was a carpenter, construction was the easy choice. But with the 2008 downturn that lasted several years, the company he worked for went under allowing him an opportunity to take a risk - to which he's no stranger to - and start his own custom prefabricated flooring company. Add a bit of luck (depending on who you're talking to... listen to the episode and you'll get it) and Nobles has taken off with facilities in Northern California that would easily dwarf most of their competitors combined! Now with close to 50 employees, Tim's company has more work than they could dream of!

This episode's guest: Russell Roberts of Rod Heisler Construction Mike and Brian are joined by Russell Roberts, General Superintendent of Rod Heisler Construction. Russell grew up destined for construction, it seems, with construction pumping through the veins of both sides of his family. As a young man, he joined the Navy, and upon finishing his service, made the move into construction as a Superintendent. Focusing on leadership and living by the motto of "Be better today than you were yesterday", Russell selflessly pours into his team at Rod Heisler Construction on a daily basis. If you're looking for an episode on leadership in construction and you're looking for a person to carry that mantle, Russell Roberts is your guy!

This episode's guest: Ophir Levin of 911 Restoration of Ventura, Santa Barbara, & San Luis Obispo   Mike and Brian are joined by Ophir Levin, Owner of 911 Restoration of Ventura, Santa Barbara, & San Luis Obispo. Starting his journey growing up in Israel, Ophir, like all Israelis, went to the military and served in the Special Forces, and after meeting him and seeing his willingness to take on any challenge at any time, you can quickly see where his training and mindset come from. His positivity and devotion to overcoming hurdles work perfectly with the fact that he owns a restoration business - where they come to address disasters and tragedies. On top of that, they're growing rapidly in just two and a half years in business. This one for sure is a keeper!

This episode's guest: Rich Rozycki of Crate Modular. You can find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Mike and Brian are joined by Rich Rozycki, CEO of Crate Modular. Coming from a family that generationally was involved in construction, Rich took a different path and became a lawyer... but he specialized in construction law. No longer a practicing attorney and now running a multi-million dollar modular construction company, that knowledge and expertise is key to the company and its growth. With all of that said, Crate Modular, like some of our guests in the past, is part of this new wave of innovation where technology and construction meet and work together to improve overall cost and significantly improve return on investment more quickly to the project owner.

This episode's guest: Carolina Alvarez of J&S Building Maintenance, Inc. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Yelp. Mike and Brian are joined by Carolina Alvarez, President of J&S Building Maintenance, Inc. Working for a large national janitorial company and traveling half the month, Carolina opted to start her own janitorial construction company and create her own destiny. And the life lessons in this one are golden - from realizing she needed to have a construction license at the start of the company to having the right people in place for executive and management positions, this episode should be saved and downloaded for future reference. Thank you Carolina for your pearls of wisdom!

This episode's guest: April Morse of Weber Company. You can find her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Mike and Brian are joined by April Morse, Owner of Weber Company. Immediately after graduating college, April began working towards her teaching credential with the hopes of becoming a teacher. But, growing up with a dad that owned a custom cabinetry shop and a mom that was retiring from doing the books, April found herself working at the family business - and loving it! Fast forward through the Great Recession of 2008, she's gathered a ton of lessons and applied those to the business (we call that Wisdom!) and is taking every day in faith and gratefulness. Talk about a rad boss and company to work with and for!

This episode's guest: Robert Cianciminio of Glazing Concepts, Inc. You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Mike and Brian are joined by Robert Cianciminio, COO of Glazing Concepts, Inc. Back in 1991, after Robert had been honorably discharged from the US Navy Reserves, he took an outside sales position in the automotive industry and he hated it. So, he took an estimating position for a glass company at $6 per hour - keep in mind he was married with two kids! Now 30 years later, he's the COO of Glazing Concepts, a rapidly growing glass company. No stranger to hard work, Robert starts every morning at 3 am, has his son now running all safety protocols within the company and thrives off of the challenges each new day presents in construction. Huge thanks to Robert for joining us!

This episode's guest: Clayton Rodrigues of Zothex Flooring, Inc. You can find him on LinkedIn and the company at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Yelp, and LinkedIn as well. Mike and Brian are joined by Clayton Rodrigues, CEO and Founder of Zothex Flooring, Inc. Originally from Brazil, Clayton came to the States to go to medical school, but through a series of events decided to go into flooring... and not just get into it, but open his own company. Now, six years later, he's got 50 employees, opening his 4th store with plans and goals to open 20 stores within the next 5 years! And the key to all of this - vision. Clayton's got vision pouring out his ears. He hires like-minded individuals from the beginning to aid in the mission of the company. He's looking for hungry people that want to work and do anything and everything they can for the cause because that's who he is. And it's working. If you're lacking that drive, if you feel stuck, then this is the episode for you! We promise you, you'll want to check this one out!

  This episode's guest: Kirk Lane of Direct Shades & Blinds, Inc. You can find Kirk on LinkedIn. You can find the company on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn as well. Mike and Brian are joined by Kirk Lane, President of Direct Shades & Blinds, Inc. With a 30 year background in the Event Technology industry, Kirk has a ton of crazy fun stories that led him to working for Direct Shades & Blinds - a contractor working all over the western US installing commercial window coverings. In fact, you'll quickly see that his 30 years of management, production, and sales outside the industry provides a rich new perspective to the business side of the construction industry.

This episode's guest: Ray Goldsboro of Bonanza Plumbing.   Mike and Brian are joined by Ray Goldsboro, President of Bonanza Plumbing. After one year of community college, Ray went to work for a plumbing company for the summer to make some spending money and that really started his love for the industry. He went back to school for a semester, but went right back to that same company in the winter asking if he could come back to work! Now, as the President of Bonanza Plumbing - a plumbing company that specializes in new residential plumbing installation, specifically new residential tract development, he gets into the specifics of running his company, having a strong team that's motivated to work together, growth, and new verticals to continue to grow the company. Please welcome Ray Goldsboro to our Podcast family!

This episode's guest: Mike Echelmeier of Echelmeier Consulting and Constructability Review. You can reach him at me.eccr [at] att.net.   Mike and Brian are joined by Mike Echelmeier, Owner and Founder of Echelmeier Consulting and Constructability Review. Growing up, Mike's dad, a bridge engineer, worked with contractors all over the world building bridges - and that afforded them opportunities to live for some time all over southeast Asia. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree and Mike, the only child in his family to get the construction bug, went to work for a whole list of contractors and construction management companies, including an opportunity to work for some time in Saudi Arabia building a hospital for the King. Now, marrying his construction experience and his affinity for detail, Mike heads a company that specializes in constructability review - reviewing architectural drawings and plans before construction to ensure everything is spelled out correctly for the contractor to keep projects from getting sidelined because of incomplete plans and hammered with unnecessary change orders. If you're looking for experience and stories, not only will you be thoroughly entertained, but you'll be able to bookmark this episode for future reference and knowledge checks! Huge shoutout to Mike for jumping on the show!

This episode's guest: Gregg Cantor of Murray Lampert Design, Build, Remodel   Mike and Brian are joined by Gregg Cantor, President and CEO of Murray Lampert Design, Build, Remodel. A fixture in the San Diego community, Murray Lampert Design, Build, Remodel was founded by Gregg's grandfather - the actual Murray Lampert. The company, still in the family, is centered ON family and, while consistently growing as a business, they've made it a habit to be the forerunner in terms of marketing - especially in today's digital world. Add to the fact that they’re regularly featured on San Diego’s ABC 10 News and you’ll quickly see how they’re able to sell by educating the consumer.

This episode's guest: Jon Archer of Destination West Builders. You can reach Jon on LinkedIn as well. Mike and Brian are joined by Jon Archer, President and CEO of Destination West Builders. After an ACL tear in his senior year of high school, his college football hopes were dashed. And though his football dreams were gone, the two things he was able to carry with him were teamwork and hard work. And those two themes carried him through college, where he studied Construction Management, and the myriad of jobs he worked on before starting Destination West Builders. Now with a growing team, and an insatiable tenacity to never stop, Destination West Builders is growing at a rapid pace and Jon is the reason for it. Jon, a natural leader, shows what grit, tenacity, and teamwork can easily do when starting your own company.

This episode's guest: Sean Yahn of American Window Concepts. You can find them on Facebook and Instagram. Mike and Brian are joined by Sean Yahn, CEO of American Window Concepts. Prior to American Window Concepts, Sean worked for a window manufacturer and toured the state of California working on warranty claims. The thing he learned... a great window with a bad installation by a fly-by-night subcontractor equals a terrible product. So, when American Window Concepts was launched, he put his OCD to work ensuring that every window is meticulously measured, manufactured and installed correctly the first time. That same attention to detail has been handed down to his employees to the point, now, that his meticulous methodology is replicating itself within each install, the culture, and the very fabric of the company. The people there are like family, and that's very intentional. You'll love the energy and the passion that Sean brings to his craft, we guarantee it!

This episode's guest: Elizabeth May of LAC Flooring and Ellie May, Inc. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Mike and Brian are joined by Elizabeth May, CFO of LAC Flooring and Founder at Ellie May, Inc. Elizabeth fell in love with construction in high school when she signed up for a home building program. Fast forward a few years later, after moving to Los Angeles, she went to work for a CPA, started a family, and eventually started her own bookkeeping company where she met LAC Flooring. She was brought in to clean up the finances, and easily demonstrated her value creating her own position there as the CFO. Ellie May, Inc. started soon after, taking that same idea of helping contractors and small businesses, not only with their finances, but also with their HR, marketing, social media management, and vision and business plan. Huge shoutout to Elizabeth for joining us on the show!

This episode's guest: Paul Hansen of SouthWest Landscape, Inc. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Mike and Brian are joined by Paul Hansen, Director of Client Services at SouthWest Landscape, Inc. Growing up as a son of a contractor, Paul went right to work for his dad's company after college only to leave and work for a competitor soon after. Developing some unique tools and a new skill set while away, Paul came back to SouthWest and immediately implemented them. With some strong pricing and client renewal strategies, not to mention hiring practices in the midst of a pandemic and labor shortage, you'll want to put this one on repeat!

This episode's guest: Jon and Peggy Premo of Tri County Painting and TNK Manufacturing Mike and Brian are joined by Jon and Peggy Premo, CEO and COO, respectively, of Tri County Painting and TNK Manufacturing. Starting at 15 years old working for his grandfather's wallpaper hanging company in New York, Jon took care of all things painting. Eventually starting Tri County Painting with his wife, Peggy, they made the move to California and brought the company with them. Fast forward a decade or so, while on a large job in California, Jon thought of an innovative new product idea and they founded TNK Manufacturing. TNK now manufactures the newly patented Boom Shade product - a unique product that attaches to a boom lift to provide shade and protection for contractors on the jobsite while working! Ingenious! Shoutout to Jon and Peggy for joining us on the show today!

This episode's guest: Lance Smith of Smith & Son Construction, Inc. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Mike and Brian are joined by Lance Smith, CEO of Smith & Son Construction, Inc. Growing up with a roofer as a father, he learned the value of grit and hard work very early in his life. So excited to go to work at 17, he lied about his age on a job application so he could get started, until of course, the company found out and had to let him go! But it's this determination to move forward despite the obstacles that has propelled Smith & Son Construction forward despite the current pandemic. Learning to pivot in the midst of Covid, not only are they rapidly growing, they now have huge opportunities on the horizon that will help them to continue their meteoric rise! If you're interested in learning from someone with hunger and a determination to get the job done right, this is your man. Thank you Lance for joining us!

This episode's guest: Kaitlin Frank of Dome Construction and eMOD. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn as well. Mike and Brian are joined by Kaitlin Frank, Superintendent of Dome Construction and Co-Founder of eMOD by BuildSafely, LLC. Kaitlin grew up on the jobsite in Boston while her dad worked. He'd toss Pepsi cans off the roof and it was her job to get rid of them. That love of construction carried her through college with her Masters in Construction Management and eventually to the warmer climates of California working with Dome Construction as a young female Superintendent - not an easy role to fill, but leading with positivity and a quick "Thank you" to her contractors on the jobsite has changed the day-to-day environment. Add to the fact that she's spearheading the creation and utilization of eMOD, software created for Dome employees and eventually the construction world, which has transformed the way construction safety is managed. Her daily goal, like Rick Fisher, to have a place to work that is enjoyable and positive and, most importantly, to ensure her people go home to their families that night.

This episode's guest: Chris Golden and Patrick Sheerin of Rye Company. You can also reach them at careers@ryecompany.com. Mike and Brian are joined by Chris Golden and Patrick Sheerin, CEO and Director of Recruiting, respectively, of Rye Company. Chris grew up in construction with his dad working as a bridge carpenter, ended up going to USC (Fight On!) and then went to work for his father-in-law's electrical contracting company. Eventually going out on his own, he started Rye Company, an electrical contracting company. Seeing huge gaps in efficiencies, they're in the process of creating their own software to improve the day-to-day within the company - contractors creating contracting software for other contractors. So simple it's brilliant! Huge shoutout to Chris and Patrick for joining us!

This episode's guest: Darren Keefe of Drumcree Designs and HGTV's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. You can also find him on Instagram (@darrenkeefe).Mike and Brian are joined by Darren Keefe, Instagram's new dancing carpenter sensation, founder and owner of Drumcree Designs and designer with HGTV's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Born in Northern Ireland, he and his family moved to Ohio as a child and fell in love with drawing and design. Pursuing his love of acting, he moved to Los Angeles in 1998, and like most aspiring young actors, started a survival job - but his was in construction working for a local General Contractor. Coupling construction and his love of design, he opened Drumcree Designs and in 2019, the two passions came together with HGTV's revamp of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. He loves people, loves helping those in need, has an eye for space and design, and has a talent for bringing joy to others. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did making it!

This episode's guest: Anthony Graves of Graves Construction. You can find them on LinkedIn as well.Mike and Brian are joined by Anthony Graves, President of Graves Construction. Coming from a construction family growing up, it only made sense to build log cabins during the summers while in college in Northern California. That love for building and a degree in Construction Management led him to managing large capital projects as a Construction Manager and then, in 2015, setting out on his own with his wife, Jasmine, to start Graves Construction. Listening to the episode, you'll see and hear Jasmine's and his methodic approach to starting the business in 2015 and how they cleared $5 million in their first year! Now with a goal, just 6 years later, of $50 million in annual revenue, Graves Construction is still intentionally and methodically making those same moves they made to hit the ground running in 2015.

This episode's guest: Rick Fisher of Robins & Morton. You can find him on LinkedIn as well.Mike and Brian are joined by Rick Fisher, Senior Superintendent of Robins & Morton. If you've listened to the show in any capacity, you've probably heard Mike mention this ethereal uncle out in Florida that builds hospitals and other ginormous capital projects. Today, you're in for a special treat because we finally have him as a guest on the show! Rick runs huge jobs, including a current hospital project in Miami to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. But, you'll see and hear very quickly, his management style and how they get these projects done, and even more importantly, his love for his people and his concern for their well-being - especially their safety on the job. Check out his story of the iron worker and his wife around the 26:30 section of the episode... the example is so simple, it's brilliant. In fact, check out the whole episode. It's so chock-full of stories and wisdom, you'll want to put this one on repeat.

This episode's guest: Jeff Colton of Jensen Landscape - A Monarch Company. You can find them on Facebook and LinkedIn.Mike and Brian are joined by Jeff Colton, President of Jensen Landscape - A Monarch Company. Jeff grew up working in the family landscaping business that quickly grew to be one of the largest in California. With his prior experience at Valley Crest running the Northern California operations and after the company sold in 2016, he was recruited to lead Jensen Landscape as President - one of the largest landscaping companies in Northern California. With a measured method of controlled growth, they've adopted the famous coach Marv Levy's way of thinking - "Plan your work, work your plan" and that will lead to success.

This episode's guest: Charlie Evans of California Rock CrushersMike and Brian are joined by Charlie Evans, President of California Rock Crushers. Starting as a kid working for his dad's company, Charlie and his brother were the default rock crushers simply because his dad hated it! That small task became a company and an obsession in 2000 and now with 12 different plants, and revolutionizing the industry by bringing rock crushing to the jobsite, not only are they more efficient, but they're actually helping the environment. In fact, you could say they're crushing it! Sorry... we couldn't resist. But seriously, check out Charlie's episode and learn how hard work, faith, and integrity changed the course of Charlie's business!

This episode's guest: Shawna Alvarado and Rob Fischer of O'Donnell Plastering, Inc. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.Mike and Brian are joined by Shawna Alvarado and Rob Fischer of O'Donnell Plastering, Inc. Both coming from construction prior to joining O'Donnell Plastering, they highlight the history of the company, starting with Shawna's parents as the founders to the generational shift with technology - and how it helps and presents new challenges daily. Not to mention, working in a specialty trade like plastering, how they're teeming with business - booked out until 2022! Huge thanks to both Shawna and Rob for joining us on the show!

This episode's guest: Allen Hahn of UVETS and the Apache Warrior Foundation Mike and Brian are joined by Allen Hahn, COO of UVETS and President and Founder of the Apache Warrior Foundation. It's no secret that Mike and Brian highly respect the military and those that have served, and this one’s a special one with Allen - a retired Lieutenant Colonel with the United States Army who flew the AH-64 Apache helicopter for close to 25 years. And while we speak on the business of contracting for the first half, we get into the deeper and more fulfilling part of the discussion with the mission of the Apache Warrior Foundation. Their mission: "To support the AH-64 Attack Helicopter community by giving Honor to our brotherhood forged in blood, Heal ourselves and our families and Educate the public of the skill sacrifice that keeps our country free." We're going to say it again... this one's a special one. Enjoy!

This episode's guest: David Hopkins of PrimeCo. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. You can also find David on LinkedIn as well.Mike and Brian are joined by David Hopkins, CEO of PrimeCo. Starting out working for his dad, a carpenter by trade, he eventually added plumbing, remediation, painting, and waterproofing to his tool belt (no pun intended) while working out in the field. Now, the CEO of PrimeCo, a painting contractor, he and his COO, Josh, have created new systems to increase productivity and establish transparency with the goal of being as accurate as possible in the bidding process and in how they manage their skilled laborers out in the field. As a result, they've been able to increase their bottom line, make more money, and keep their employees doing what they're actually skilled at doing. Huge shoutout to David for joining us!

This episode's guest: Farrel Stevins of TIS Construction Services, Inc.Mike and Brian are joined by Farrel Stevins, CEO of TIS Construction Services, Inc. Starting out as a young man selling tax shelters, Farrel made a hard turn and went to work for a large construction company. A few years later in 1987, after being used and abused, and working more hours without any increase in pay, he made the decision to start TIS. A self-proclaimed "kind workaholic", Farrel created TIS with a clear vision of a company that would give employees the confidence to have a voice and a place to call home with very low turnover. Now 34 years later, TIS is a mainstay in the commercial space.

Mike and Brian are joined by Tony Molnar, President of M3 Mechanical. Tony came from the Financial Services industry to join his dad’s HVAC company in 2000 with his brother. Looking back over the last 20 years, they’ve averaged 20% year-over-year steady growth and that’s attributed to their intentionality on marketing and growth. What’s even crazier… they’ve been able to sustain that growth without a website, outbound sales, and social media until now with their new website launching and making calculated steps into the social media world! But, they’re known for their work and their name precedes them wherever they go. Integrity, character, and careful and purposeful moves have propelled them to where they’re at today.

This episode's guest: Aaron Gianni of Larratt Bros. Plumbing and Plunjr. You can also find them on Facebook and LinkedIn.Mike and Brian are joined by Aaron Gianni of Larratt Bros. Plumbing and Plunjr. Aaron comes from a long line of entrepreneurs and while that business owner spirit has come in handy as of late - graduating from high school and being one of the few in his circle to not go to college and pursue bio-tech was pretty embarrassing for him. Now the proud owner of Larratt Bros. Plumbing - a $15 million dollar company (originally $1.5 million when he took over) and Plunjr - an app that gets the residential customer connected directly with a licensed plumber to handle the easier plumbing to-do's, they're actively and intentionally growing exponentially year-over-year. Perhaps some of his bio-tech buddies should come work for him!

This episode's guest: Johnny Panjarjian of Vinyl Pro Fence. You can also find them on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.Mike and Brian are joined by Johnny Panjarjian, Owner of Vinyl Pro Fence. Johnny started out in corporate America before quickly realizing he wanted to start his own company. His brother-in-law pointed him in the direction of a large vinyl fencing company in Orange County, California and Johnny went to work for them. Super honest and upfront, he told them his plans to start his own vinyl fencing company in a different demographic and his goal to learn all he could in a short amount of time there. His honesty paid off and now runs his own fencing company with a new exclusive partnership with Home Depot in San Diego! Checkered with amazing stories in between, you'll definitely enjoy Johnny's story!

 This episode's guest: Mark Pitman of California WatersMike and Brian are joined by Mark Pitman, President and Owner of California Waters. Mark's entry into contracting was on the business side and not as a family member of a contractor. He owned a few laundromats in Los Angeles and, with his business partner, found that California Waters was up for sale. They quickly acquired the company and, in their first year (2009), brought in $600,000 in revenue. In 2019, $14 million! You'll hear Mark's visionary approach to growing the business and the very intentional steps they've created to find talent, foster their culture, and train their staff the California Waters way. If you're looking to grow intentionally and be forward thinking in your growth, this is for sure your episode.

This episode's guest: Jenna and Vince Free of FREEZ ConstructionMike and Brian are joined by Jenna and Vince Free, COO and President/CEO respectively of FREEZ Construction. Version 2.0 of our conversation with Vince with the addition of his wife and partner, and let's be honest, the brains of the operation! This episode covers not only some of what was discussed in Episode 22, but also goes into Jenna's history and her unique perspective on the beginning of FREEZ Construction, their meteoric rise (already at 198% year over year for 2021 and it's January!), and some fun banter. With all of that going on, she's getting her Marriage and Family Therapist license... like we said, the brains behind the operation! Huge thanks to Jenna and Vince for joining us again... and for the swag and Tequila! 

It Happened On The Job with Mike and Brian are joining forces with The Buildsters - a tight knit crew of the most talented, committed professionals around in the construction industry. Check out Mike and Brian's announcement and thoughts on what's to come on future episodes!Find The Buildsters on all platforms @thebuildsters and their website www.thebuildsters.comCheck out our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ithappenedonthejob/

This episode's guest: Nick Young of The BC Team. You can also find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Houzz, Yelp, YouTube, and LinkedIn.Mike and Brian are joined by Nick Young, Owner and General Contractor of the BC Team. Growing up, Nick told himself while working on jobsites with his dad that he would never get into construction. In 2009, Nick left his small home town in Texas and moved out to the Phoenix area. But in that space of time, he found himself with tons of opportunity in construction to fix up foreclosed homes for different banks during the Great Recession. Fast forward a few years later, his brothers recruited him to run the construction side of their real estate investment and property management company, the BC Team. Very much a family business, the BC Team is growing like crazy building 30 to 40 custom homes per year while remodeling an additional 10 to 20 homes to flip every year. To say they have plenty of work is an understatement! Check out their philosophy on how the manage and pay subcontractors and why they've been working with them continuously for years. To quote Nick's dad, "You expect what you inspect" and that's become one of their company mottos and is a huge reason for their success.

This episode's guest: Jade Nunes of SDB Contracting Services. You can also find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Also, you can find Jade on Instagram and LinkedIn as well.Mike and Brian are joined by Jade Nunes, Business Development Manager, Ultra-Networker and Darth Jader (you gotta listen to know what we mean) of SDB Contracting Services! After graduating from the University of Arizona with a degree in Journalism, she could not find a job in media, so she took a job with Habitat for Humanity. She was on a jobsite for 2 years, building homes, sporting her PPE and hardhat! Now with SDB Contracting Services, she's ushering in a new way of business development and marketing. Be sure to check out her Seven Touches concept on branding and networking. Huge shoutout to Jade for joining us!

This episode's guest: Greg Fricks of The Fricks Company. You can also find them on LinkedIn.Mike and Brian are joined by Greg Fricks, Owner and Partner of The Fricks Company based out of Fort Worth, Texas. A third generation contractor, Greg and his brother started working for Fricks, the family business, as concrete finishers, laborers, and operators and everything in between. After college, Greg and his brother moved into the office and started learning the business side of things before buying their dad's share and taking over in 2004. Starting small in 1979, the Fricks Company is now a recognized national leader in industrial concrete flooring construction with clients, past and present, spanning the continent from the Pacific to the Atlantic.

This episode's guest: Blair Keaton of S&B Services. You can find them on LinkedIn as well.Mike and Brian are joined by Blair Keaton, Managing Director of S&B Services. With a background in finance and program project management, Blair was working on a project with a retired Brigadier General from the Army, and realized while working together on this $1 Billion job that they should strike out on their own and start a company together. That company, S&B Services, eventually met with the Department of Energy and those construction projects helped bring on more commercial projects, jobs with the VA, and State Parks. But where they shine is on the technical side and that's the secret to their success - finding complex and technical jobs with less competition and more financial upside. And while Blair will quietly say from time to time that they've been lucky, you'll quickly see that their preparation, organization, and creativity has benefited them with high paying jobs and opportunities.

This episode’s guest: Tim Zacharias of Cougar USA. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.Mike and Brian are joined by Tim Zacharias, President of Cougar USA. Graduating from Texas A&M with a degree in finance, he went to work for Cisco Foods doing internal audits. Not realizing it at the time, he was learning manufacturing and distribution business processes that he would eventually use in his next step in his career. After a year at Cisco Foods, he had a casual conversation with his father and decided to leave Cisco and go to work for the family business - Cougar USA. In terms of what they do, if it has to do with the flow of water for high rises, hotels, or stadiums in the Houston area, they most likely have a system in place to help control the water pressure, temperature, flow and quality. They represent specific pump and valve manufacturers and Cougar manufactures the control panels to complement what they source on the distribution side. In addition, they have specific hiring practices put in place to ensure that their new employees are a fit for the Cougar culture. Huge thanks goes to Tim for joining us on the show and congratulations on the new position as President of Cougar USA!

This episode's guest: Mike Fiorenza of Bundren Painting. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You can also check out their podcast - The Chromatic Podcast with Craig Bundren.Mike and Brian are joined by Mike Fiorenza, COO of Bundren Painting. Starting as a kid straightening nails on the jobsite for his grandfather's residential framing company, Mike became a carpenter by trade in New Jersey. Leaving for Texas in 2009, he moved up the ladder into project management and estimating and eventually joined Bundren Painting. Now as COO, they utilize software to forecast cash flow and to identify job gaps so they can go out and fill them. With past projects like Reliant Stadium in Houston and an Art Blocks installation in downtown Houston for the Final Four and Super Bowl, you'll quickly see why Mike and I had a blast with Mike Fiorenza.

This episode's guest: Andy Boggeri of AB Construction. You can reach them at (925) 708-2491.Mike and Brian are joined by Andy Boggeri, Owner of AB Construction. Growing up, his father was involved in construction which caused him, at a young age, to start working with an electrician and a plumber doing side jobs in the summer. By the time he was a high school senior, he had started his first construction company building fences and a large deck for his school and really it went from there - calls for work started rolling in and AB Construction was in business! With a sweet spot in residential remodels, especially now in the midst of COVID-19, the bulk of their business comes mostly from referrals and local Realtors. They've also been able to give back to the community protecting local businesses during the riots by donating plywood and boarding up retail stores in their area.