March 10, 2025 • 23 mins
Kyu Jung is the co-founder and President of Procon Consulting, a nationwide construction management and technology solutions firm based in McLean, VA. Kyu has built a reputation as an industry thought leader, leveraging his passion for construction technology and innovation to transform the A/E/C industry.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
M and T Bank presents CEOs you should Know, powered
by iHeartMedia.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Let's meet you Jung. He is the co founder and
CEO for pro Con Consulting, a consulting firm that provides
project management, construction management, and other services. Before we talk
more about Q's company what they do and offer their
incredible clients, I first asked him to talk a little
bit about himself, where he's from and his origin story.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Well, my family is from South Korea. I was actually
born in American Samo. I don't know if you know that.
It's a little tighty.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I do.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yeah, A lot of great football players come out of there.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Football players, absolutely, And I spent my early childhood in
South Korea, eventually immigrating to the US and settling in Richmond,
Virginia in the eighties, actually where I spent most of
my childhood. Like a lot of the immigrant stories that
you hear, we started from scratch. Dad our first worked
(00:55):
at fast food Sixth Street marketplace in downtown Richmond. I
don't know any of your listeners who may be who
may know the city in Richmond that was kind of
a new, up and coming place. Mom was a seamstress
at Alan for another kind of staple manufacturing plant in
Richmond where they made mink firs and stuff min fur coats.
(01:20):
They worked incredibly hard, saved every penny where they were
eventually able to buy a small upholstery shop.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Actually in the Lakeside neighborhood. It was called Lakeside Upholstery.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
I know, original, right, But in any case, this little
business was everything to our family. Obviously, it provided a
roof over our head, supported me and my brothers and
pursuing our dreams.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
And I remember spending.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Many weekends there and I can personally say that my
time spending time helping my family out, it taught me
sort of the value of hard work in entrepreneurship. I
got this firsthand how to build something from nothing. I
think seeing my firsthand experience of my family sort of
(02:08):
overcoming a lot of the language barriers and the cultural
differences and challenges of being in a new country kind
of shaped the person that I am today. Actually, and
and some in many ways, actually Richmond has really really
shaped the person that I am today. It's where I
met my wife, high school sweetheart. I want to give
(02:29):
a shout out to the monk and high school, the
chiefs and also where I met my best friend.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Who's also my business partner, Mark Eilich.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
We were in the same homeown class at Providence Middle
School in Richmond.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
We both all three of us actually went to Virginia Tech.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Mark and I actually studied and got our degree in
civil engineering and later pursued a master's degree in building construction.
As I mentioned to you earlier, the Hockey blood runs
very deep in our family. My wife, my business partner,
and I we all share that bond, and then my
son who's recently going to be graduating from Virginia Tech
(03:07):
this year. Ultimately, I think Mark and I founded pro
Con Consulting sort of carrying the same working class values,
the entrepreneurship, hard work, dedication, the never give up type
of attitude, and I think it has shaped the person
who I am today and how I lead this company.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
So that's my story in a nutshell.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Well, I appreciate you sharing all that. I'm also in
a unique position because I talked to so many founders
and leaders in this program that they've had this incredible
resume and then they got to the company. We're talking
about them today. But you started this idea with your
co founder in college and I'm curious about how it percolated,
what you wanted to do, what you thought it was
(03:54):
going to be, and what it turned into. Give us
the origin story on that too. Q.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yeah, So Reck and I went to Virginia Tech. We
didn't know anything about studying companies first and foremost, but
when we did our master studies at underbuilding construction, we
got hooked up because we needed the money actually to
do a research program funded by the Virginia Department of Transportation.
(04:19):
It was called Virtual Site Inspection. It was a project
where we explored the ideal of or the technology wireless technology,
mobile computing, video conferencing, and the idea that you could
do inspection virtually in construction. This was also and I
(04:40):
don't want to date myself my age here, but it
was also during the dot com here, where you know,
fifty six K modem was the highest speed of her time,
a time of you know, rapid technological advances like much
of what we see today with AI. And it was
during the dot com era and we really saw for
(05:01):
the very first time how technology could change the construction industry.
The more we worked on the project, the more we
realized the.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Industry was lagging.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
I mean, the construction industry back in the nineties was
still on the facts machine. I wouldn't be surprised there
might be some out there that might still be on
the fax machine.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Hopefully not.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
But we saw the lagging in the technology adoption and
we saw this as a huge opportunity to bridge the gap.
And so we were kind of hooked right off the bat.
What started with a research project quickly turned into our passion,
and our passion obviously turned into an opportunity. In two thousand,
(05:44):
we took a leap of faith and we found it.
We co found it pro con consulting with the central
belief that we could change and modernize the industry. We
could drive innovation, we can just make construction more efficient,
you know that's the big word these days.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
And more effective. I mean, but we did this way
back in two thousand.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Well, thanks for sharing that.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
You know.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
The one thing that I really is almost comical times
when you hear these great stories about you and your
co founder, is that sometimes you don't realize it when
the ideas are percolating, that you're being innovative and you're disrupting,
and you don't even know you're doing it, but you
had a good idea and that takes us to ProCon
consulting about you know, when you started really getting down
(06:29):
knowing this was going to be a business. I want
to talk about that. I want to talk about your programs,
your capabilities, the clients that you work with, but overall,
what's your mission statement for everybody?
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Well, our mission statement is pretty simple. It's our team
of experts, leading industry and making our clients happy. I
think at the core of our mission statement is just
a very simple philosophy. You know, happy client, happy life.
And actually, when you think about the word client from
(06:59):
a more broader sense, everyone is your clients, the teammate
that support you, our teaming partners, and our customers. And
I think that the mindset that we've created, hopefully in
our culture, drives everything we do, drives the projects that
we execute, every interaction, every decision we make, and it
(07:23):
really drove the way we shaped our core values.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
I know you didn't ask this, but I'll share it.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Committing to our team, serving our customers, acting with integrity,
and embracing excellence. And so it's pretty basic, but very
hard to pull off.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yeah, no, I understand that, and it's all about leadership,
and then you mentioned culture. I'm going to circle back
to that because I want to finish up with your
leadership and I think that's important part of this series.
But if we were to do this, because there's going
to be a lot of new listeners are being introduced
to pro Con Consulting for the first time, Q, if
you were to give them a thirty thousand foot view
of what the company is, what would you tell them
that you do?
Speaker 3 (08:00):
We like, I always like to start as a consulting
firm that specializes in the AEC industry, and what that
stands for is architecture, engineering, and construction. We support owners
and so they're the people that own buildings and facilities.
We support architecture firms, we support engineering companies, we support
(08:22):
general contractors, and essentially to help successfully build, plan, manage projects.
And so our core expertise is our core bread and
butter is really construction and program management. We've been fortunate
to oversee some of the largest federal and commercial projects
in the local DMV area. A project that you might
(08:46):
recognize as the Lincoln Memorial for example.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Yes, we're on that project, by the way.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
That's super exciting and I'm a history guy, living in
the DMV for so many years of my life. I'm
just all into that. We'll talk about a little bit later,
but that that that must have been pretty cool to
be a part of that. You got that contract that
you could be put part.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Of history, and oh, it's an amazing I mean some
of the just like two years ago we were able
to we were given notice that we would be able
to participate in the Lincoln Memorial project. But around the
same time, we also got noticed that we would participate
in revitalizing MLK Birth Home in Atlanta, Georgia, as well
(09:28):
as Selma's Interpretive centered down in Selma, Alabama. So it
was we call it in our internal meetings like the trifecta,
and it was just an amazing opportunity for us to
just serve in a way to help these iconic historic
uh you know, figures and projects and it's a tremendous
(09:50):
honor to be part of that.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Just wonderful.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
So, but our work as far beyond the DC area,
as I mentioned, I mean, the way I like to
look at it is that we help shake communities, schools, hospitals, roads,
you name it. I think it's all about the things
that we do, and anytime I get an opportunity to
promote our industry, this is my way of promoting it.
I mean, our work in the construction industry. It touches
(10:17):
the human experience. It's the built environment, bringing important spaces
for everyday people in all walks of life. And so
that's what I like to promote. You know, it's not
just hammers and nails. Is everything right?
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Well? Listen, the company has been around for a quarter
of a century. And I always like to ask this
because I think this is important. I'm sure it is
to you too. I don't want to assume that there
are any other businesses that do exactly what you and
your team do. But with a competition out there and
the climate that we're in today, how do you differentiate
yourself from any kind of competition when it comes to
(10:51):
either pitching your business and when people come to you.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Well, you know, Mark and I start this company as
a new sort of twenty I think we were twenty
four or twenty five year old kids, and so a
lot of that has shaped who we are today. And
so first and foremost technology driven approach, I think we're
much ahead of the curve. I believe compared to our competition,
(11:19):
we continue to lead the way with like digital twin technology,
AI project controls. We are very quick to embrace innovation,
anything to improve efficiency, accuracy, and the outcomes for our client. Secondly,
I told you about our mission statement. We're extremely client centric.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Company.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
We prioritize our relationship over transactions. I think if you
look at our portfolio of opportunities that we have, you'll
notice that most of them are through repeat business, and
so we take a lot of pride in that. Thing
that I would add is that again, maybe it has
(12:04):
to do with this forward thinking and agility. You know,
we're not the gigantic firm, but we have the depth
and the experience, so we have a lot of agility
in the way we approach things. We move faster, we
don't have the bureaucracy. We're smarter than the traditional firms.
I feel like, quick to adapt to the changing landscape
(12:25):
of this industry, quick to leverage all the latest tools
out there to keep projects more efficient again cost effective
and really future ready.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Cute something I ask in this series, and it sounds
like things are going well. Via great culture, great customer service,
lots of projects going on, great team members and clients.
But in the industry in twenty twenty five, are there
currently any challenges that are really kind of keeping you
up at night?
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Oh my goodness, the list goes on. Let me just
put on the top of that list.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
We're not immune to the labor shortages that are across
the country, across all the different industries. I think we
can all say that finding skilled workers in this country,
doesn't matter what industry you're part of, is one of
the biggest challenges. The Baby boomers, which I am not
I'm a Generation X, but they're retiring and I don't
(13:22):
think that we are producing enough talent to fill the
people that are retiring out of the industry. And I
think that one of the things that I am motivated
and I'm inspired by is that I go back to
school and try to put them. As I mentioned to you,
I try to promote our industry. We need as many
people as we can get that can come into the
(13:43):
industry and support the labor shortage that we're coming across.
And maybe a segue from labor shortage is the inflation,
you know, with rising costs. I think we're you know,
construction as a people driven business and rising labor costs
only of exasperates this labor shortage issue and it impacts
(14:04):
everyone's bottom line. I talked to a lot of CEOs
across the country and we're all kind of in the
same boat as they say. The other thing that I
think and maybe challenges but also a huge opportunity, is
we all know that there is a growing demand for
infrastructure and energy. I think with all the advancements in AI,
(14:27):
data center, all these technology driven industries, there's a huge
demand for more modern infrastructure and energy solutions. And I
think overall the construction industry has a challenge to meet
the needs of this society, and so I think that
would consider that a challenge but also a huge opportunity
(14:48):
for us. The last thing that I can think of
is again, even though we found that this company centered
on technology, I still do think that the adoption of
technology and digital transformation and still lagging other industries. And
I do think that at pro Con, we are one
hundred percent committed in helping our clients integrate it with
(15:10):
the latest innovations on their projects. In praise digital transformation,
AI driven decision making and many more.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
One of the things I know you're very proud of
of going to Virginia Tech and being a hockey and
an alumni. Is that you're paying it forward and you're
going back a little bit. And I know that you
have a continued relationship with your school, and I think
that's important because not only are you paying it forward
and talking to the young people, but we're talking about
a school that produced two dynamic entrepreneurs where you've had
a lot of success. Can you talk about the relationship
(15:43):
with Virginia Tech.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Oh man, My relationship there is runs deep. I go
there to lecture often. I'm on the board at the
Myers Lasson School of Construction. I want to give a
shout out to the program. It's one of the top
programs across in the country. Mark and I just recently
gave a donation to the school in honor of we
(16:08):
were able to get a name called the Innovation Center
and handed Hall. You know, Mark and I just felt that,
you know, we pro con would not exist today if
it wasn't for the research project that we participated in,
all the time and energy that the professors and the
(16:28):
people well Virginia Tech put their energy into us. And
so we're so passionate about giving back to Virginia Tech
and to the very place where pro Con got started.
And so any way that I can promote our school
and more importantly, our Meyer's loss in School of Construction,
I do it any day.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
It's very cool. Thanks for sharing. You did talk about
some future projects that are coming on, ones you're currently
working on. I know that people like you always looking forward,
whether it's two, five, even ten years. I know we
can't predict the future and how the industry is going
to go and what might come to your table. But
what that said, what are you looking forward to in
the near future as far as programs, projects or what
(17:09):
the industry will be offering.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
I think I'm looking for participating in the energy infrastructure
projects that I know is we need. I think a
lot of the manufacturing that are coming in. I think
we need to rebuild our infrastructure, whether it be bridge, roads, airports,
high speed rail, all of that. I mean, we're in
(17:33):
some exciting times. I'm an optimistic person in general, and
so I just love this industry. I love the fact
that we get to participate in bringing our quality of life.
At the end of the day, we're impacting our quality
of life. So those are the type of projects that
I'm looking forward to.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Well, I appreciate that. I know that you're very busy,
But when you do have an opportunity, whether it's with
a company or personally with yourself and your family, philanthropic
and charity work, what do you like to be part of.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Well, on a personal level, I am philanthropic. Charitable organizations
are mostly in alignment with my Christian faith. From a
company standpoint, I think Mark and I love to get
back to places like Virginia Tech, places where we know
(18:27):
we're going to inspire the next generation of leaders in
our industry, like the Innovation Center, to raise awareness on
how great this industry is and the opportunities as available.
It doesn't matter where you're from, which industry, we could
use all.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
The help we can get.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
And so anything that's related to mentorship and young people
is an area that we try to focus our philanthropic efforts.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
From a company.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Standpoint, outderstanding, I promise that I would circle back to
to a leadership and I do want to talk to
you about this because we do have You know you
were speaking by young people. There's a lot of young entrepreneurs,
people that are thinking of starting their own business. I
understand that your journey is very specific to you and
Mark and your company, but just overall, when it comes
to culture what you mentioned a couple times, when it
(19:17):
comes to leadership and working with so many diverse people
and a lot of moving parts in your industry, what
kind of advice would you impart on people.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
I think like, for me personally, make every opportunity to count,
no matter how small, it always leads to something big.
I think when I think about all the different successes
that I've encountered in life, I never focused on the
big achievements. I think, you know, I mean, I know
(19:48):
it's a cliche. Life is a journey, not a destination,
but really I think if you focus on the things
that you can control, and you do it with exceptional
reson results, exceptional attention to detail, developing strong relationship, I
think those things lead to big success. And I think
(20:08):
that you know, you have to be present, you know.
I I think of like, uh, the you know, I
have a built I have a podcast that I started.
I had zero experience in doing that, and I didn't
know what the podcast would would turn into, but I
knew that I just wanted to have real conversations with
(20:29):
real people sharing real knowledge, and uh, and I got
so much out of it.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
I didn't.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
It blew my mind the moment I started interviewing people
and I was like, I was getting more out of
it than I thought I was going to produce for
the people in my audiences. And so I think you'd
be so surprised. Just focus on what's in front of you.
Focus on, obviously, if you have if you have a
desire to start your own company, you know, baby steps,
(20:57):
one at a time. Be good at what you're doing
today and it will lead you to incredible success in
the future.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
So I a cliche, but no, it's really good advice
and I'm glad you shared all that. Let's give a
shout out to the podcast too, because you actually, I
don't want to them bear to you do a very
nice job. You can watch it and you can listen
to it. What's the name of the podcast and where
can everybody find.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
It's It's called The build Up. You can search the
channel on YouTube. I believe we're on Spotify and Apple,
and I think you can get to it from our
website as wellww Dotroconconsulting dot com.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Yeah, so as you can. Hecuse in the business that
i'm and he's interviewing people and he does a real
nice job. So I do want to give you some
final thoughts. I've really enjoyed this conversation. Just maybe recap
what we've talked about to our listeners. And you know,
once again, there are future CEOs and entrepreneurs. There are
a lot of CEOs that have been around for a
very long time that listen to this really cool series
and have had a chance to meet you for the
(21:57):
first time. Just want to give the floor to you
one final time, sir.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
So I really appreciate you having me on your show,
and I would just say, you know, like I said,
construction as an industry of diverse people, and I would
just encourage anyone who's interested in being part of helping
shape the people that that that impact the daily lives
(22:23):
in the built environment. If you're interested, check us check
it out. If you're a young person that's interested in
going into pursuing the career in construction, go check out
the Meyers loss In School of Construction, and there are
other great programs across the country. Obviously, if you can't
make Virginia Tech happen, and so yeah, I think that
(22:44):
you know some last that's sort of my lasting remarks there.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Well, I appreciate that. And uh, if you are hiring,
I know people want to hear about that. And let's
give the website one more time www.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Dot Proconconsulting dot com to explore opportunities and we have
a lot of position and open right now outstanding.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Hey, Q, I can't tell you how much I appreciate
your time. Continue success to you, your mark and your
team along with what you're doing. It's an extraordinary story
and I really thank you for joining us on CEOs.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
You should know. Thanks Dennis.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
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Speaker 2 (00:05):
Let's meet you Jung. He is the co founder and
CEO for pro Con Consulting, a consulting firm that provides
project management, construction management, and other services. Before we talk
more about Q's company what they do and offer their
incredible clients, I first asked him to talk a little
bit about himself, where he's from and his origin story.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Well, my family is from South Korea. I was actually
born in American Samo. I don't know if you know that.
It's a little tighty.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I do.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Yeah, A lot of great football players come out of there.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Football players, absolutely, And I spent my early childhood in
South Korea, eventually immigrating to the US and settling in Richmond,
Virginia in the eighties, actually where I spent most of
my childhood. Like a lot of the immigrant stories that
you hear, we started from scratch. Dad our first worked
(00:55):
at fast food Sixth Street marketplace in downtown Richmond. I
don't know any of your listeners who may be who
may know the city in Richmond that was kind of
a new, up and coming place. Mom was a seamstress
at Alan for another kind of staple manufacturing plant in
Richmond where they made mink firs and stuff min fur coats.
(01:20):
They worked incredibly hard, saved every penny where they were
eventually able to buy a small upholstery shop.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Actually in the Lakeside neighborhood. It was called Lakeside Upholstery.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
I know, original, right, But in any case, this little
business was everything to our family. Obviously, it provided a
roof over our head, supported me and my brothers and
pursuing our dreams.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
And I remember spending.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Many weekends there and I can personally say that my
time spending time helping my family out, it taught me
sort of the value of hard work in entrepreneurship. I
got this firsthand how to build something from nothing. I
think seeing my firsthand experience of my family sort of
(02:08):
overcoming a lot of the language barriers and the cultural
differences and challenges of being in a new country kind
of shaped the person that I am today. Actually, and
and some in many ways, actually Richmond has really really
shaped the person that I am today. It's where I
met my wife, high school sweetheart. I want to give
(02:29):
a shout out to the monk and high school, the
chiefs and also where I met my best friend.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Who's also my business partner, Mark Eilich.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
We were in the same homeown class at Providence Middle
School in Richmond.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
We both all three of us actually went to Virginia Tech.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Mark and I actually studied and got our degree in
civil engineering and later pursued a master's degree in building construction.
As I mentioned to you earlier, the Hockey blood runs
very deep in our family. My wife, my business partner,
and I we all share that bond, and then my
son who's recently going to be graduating from Virginia Tech
(03:07):
this year. Ultimately, I think Mark and I founded pro
Con Consulting sort of carrying the same working class values,
the entrepreneurship, hard work, dedication, the never give up type
of attitude, and I think it has shaped the person
who I am today and how I lead this company.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
So that's my story in a nutshell.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Well, I appreciate you sharing all that. I'm also in
a unique position because I talked to so many founders
and leaders in this program that they've had this incredible
resume and then they got to the company. We're talking
about them today. But you started this idea with your
co founder in college and I'm curious about how it percolated,
what you wanted to do, what you thought it was
(03:54):
going to be, and what it turned into. Give us
the origin story on that too. Q.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Yeah, So Reck and I went to Virginia Tech. We
didn't know anything about studying companies first and foremost, but
when we did our master studies at underbuilding construction, we
got hooked up because we needed the money actually to
do a research program funded by the Virginia Department of Transportation.
(04:19):
It was called Virtual Site Inspection. It was a project
where we explored the ideal of or the technology wireless technology,
mobile computing, video conferencing, and the idea that you could
do inspection virtually in construction. This was also and I
(04:40):
don't want to date myself my age here, but it
was also during the dot com here, where you know,
fifty six K modem was the highest speed of her time,
a time of you know, rapid technological advances like much
of what we see today with AI. And it was
during the dot com era and we really saw for
(05:01):
the very first time how technology could change the construction industry.
The more we worked on the project, the more we
realized the.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Industry was lagging.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
I mean, the construction industry back in the nineties was
still on the facts machine. I wouldn't be surprised there
might be some out there that might still be on
the fax machine.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Hopefully not.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
But we saw the lagging in the technology adoption and
we saw this as a huge opportunity to bridge the gap.
And so we were kind of hooked right off the bat.
What started with a research project quickly turned into our passion,
and our passion obviously turned into an opportunity. In two thousand,
(05:44):
we took a leap of faith and we found it.
We co found it pro con consulting with the central
belief that we could change and modernize the industry. We
could drive innovation, we can just make construction more efficient,
you know that's the big word these days.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
And more effective. I mean, but we did this way
back in two thousand.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Well, thanks for sharing that.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
You know.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
The one thing that I really is almost comical times
when you hear these great stories about you and your
co founder, is that sometimes you don't realize it when
the ideas are percolating, that you're being innovative and you're disrupting,
and you don't even know you're doing it, but you
had a good idea and that takes us to ProCon
consulting about you know, when you started really getting down
(06:29):
knowing this was going to be a business. I want
to talk about that. I want to talk about your programs,
your capabilities, the clients that you work with, but overall,
what's your mission statement for everybody?
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Well, our mission statement is pretty simple. It's our team
of experts, leading industry and making our clients happy. I
think at the core of our mission statement is just
a very simple philosophy. You know, happy client, happy life.
And actually, when you think about the word client from
(06:59):
a more broader sense, everyone is your clients, the teammate
that support you, our teaming partners, and our customers. And
I think that the mindset that we've created, hopefully in
our culture, drives everything we do, drives the projects that
we execute, every interaction, every decision we make, and it
(07:23):
really drove the way we shaped our core values.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
I know you didn't ask this, but I'll share it.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
Committing to our team, serving our customers, acting with integrity,
and embracing excellence. And so it's pretty basic, but very
hard to pull off.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yeah, no, I understand that, and it's all about leadership,
and then you mentioned culture. I'm going to circle back
to that because I want to finish up with your
leadership and I think that's important part of this series.
But if we were to do this, because there's going
to be a lot of new listeners are being introduced
to pro Con Consulting for the first time, Q, if
you were to give them a thirty thousand foot view
of what the company is, what would you tell them
that you do?
Speaker 3 (08:00):
We like, I always like to start as a consulting
firm that specializes in the AEC industry, and what that
stands for is architecture, engineering, and construction. We support owners
and so they're the people that own buildings and facilities.
We support architecture firms, we support engineering companies, we support
(08:22):
general contractors, and essentially to help successfully build, plan, manage projects.
And so our core expertise is our core bread and
butter is really construction and program management. We've been fortunate
to oversee some of the largest federal and commercial projects
in the local DMV area. A project that you might
(08:46):
recognize as the Lincoln Memorial for example.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Yes, we're on that project, by the way.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
That's super exciting and I'm a history guy, living in
the DMV for so many years of my life. I'm
just all into that. We'll talk about a little bit later,
but that that that must have been pretty cool to
be a part of that. You got that contract that
you could be put part.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Of history, and oh, it's an amazing I mean some
of the just like two years ago we were able
to we were given notice that we would be able
to participate in the Lincoln Memorial project. But around the
same time, we also got noticed that we would participate
in revitalizing MLK Birth Home in Atlanta, Georgia, as well
(09:28):
as Selma's Interpretive centered down in Selma, Alabama. So it
was we call it in our internal meetings like the trifecta,
and it was just an amazing opportunity for us to
just serve in a way to help these iconic historic
uh you know, figures and projects and it's a tremendous
(09:50):
honor to be part of that.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Just wonderful.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
So, but our work as far beyond the DC area,
as I mentioned, I mean, the way I like to
look at it is that we help shake communities, schools, hospitals, roads,
you name it. I think it's all about the things
that we do, and anytime I get an opportunity to
promote our industry, this is my way of promoting it.
I mean, our work in the construction industry. It touches
(10:17):
the human experience. It's the built environment, bringing important spaces
for everyday people in all walks of life. And so
that's what I like to promote. You know, it's not
just hammers and nails. Is everything right?
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Well? Listen, the company has been around for a quarter
of a century. And I always like to ask this
because I think this is important. I'm sure it is
to you too. I don't want to assume that there
are any other businesses that do exactly what you and
your team do. But with a competition out there and
the climate that we're in today, how do you differentiate
yourself from any kind of competition when it comes to
(10:51):
either pitching your business and when people come to you.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Well, you know, Mark and I start this company as
a new sort of twenty I think we were twenty
four or twenty five year old kids, and so a
lot of that has shaped who we are today. And
so first and foremost technology driven approach, I think we're
much ahead of the curve. I believe compared to our competition,
(11:19):
we continue to lead the way with like digital twin technology,
AI project controls. We are very quick to embrace innovation,
anything to improve efficiency, accuracy, and the outcomes for our client. Secondly,
I told you about our mission statement. We're extremely client centric.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Company.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
We prioritize our relationship over transactions. I think if you
look at our portfolio of opportunities that we have, you'll
notice that most of them are through repeat business, and
so we take a lot of pride in that. Thing
that I would add is that again, maybe it has
(12:04):
to do with this forward thinking and agility. You know,
we're not the gigantic firm, but we have the depth
and the experience, so we have a lot of agility
in the way we approach things. We move faster, we
don't have the bureaucracy. We're smarter than the traditional firms.
I feel like, quick to adapt to the changing landscape
(12:25):
of this industry, quick to leverage all the latest tools
out there to keep projects more efficient again cost effective
and really future ready.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Cute something I ask in this series, and it sounds
like things are going well. Via great culture, great customer service,
lots of projects going on, great team members and clients.
But in the industry in twenty twenty five, are there
currently any challenges that are really kind of keeping you
up at night?
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Oh my goodness, the list goes on. Let me just
put on the top of that list.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
We're not immune to the labor shortages that are across
the country, across all the different industries. I think we
can all say that finding skilled workers in this country,
doesn't matter what industry you're part of, is one of
the biggest challenges. The Baby boomers, which I am not
I'm a Generation X, but they're retiring and I don't
(13:22):
think that we are producing enough talent to fill the
people that are retiring out of the industry. And I
think that one of the things that I am motivated
and I'm inspired by is that I go back to
school and try to put them. As I mentioned to you,
I try to promote our industry. We need as many
people as we can get that can come into the
(13:43):
industry and support the labor shortage that we're coming across.
And maybe a segue from labor shortage is the inflation,
you know, with rising costs. I think we're you know,
construction as a people driven business and rising labor costs
only of exasperates this labor shortage issue and it impacts
(14:04):
everyone's bottom line. I talked to a lot of CEOs
across the country and we're all kind of in the
same boat as they say. The other thing that I
think and maybe challenges but also a huge opportunity, is
we all know that there is a growing demand for
infrastructure and energy. I think with all the advancements in AI,
(14:27):
data center, all these technology driven industries, there's a huge
demand for more modern infrastructure and energy solutions. And I
think overall the construction industry has a challenge to meet
the needs of this society, and so I think that
would consider that a challenge but also a huge opportunity
(14:48):
for us. The last thing that I can think of
is again, even though we found that this company centered
on technology, I still do think that the adoption of
technology and digital transformation and still lagging other industries. And
I do think that at pro Con, we are one
hundred percent committed in helping our clients integrate it with
(15:10):
the latest innovations on their projects. In praise digital transformation,
AI driven decision making and many more.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
One of the things I know you're very proud of
of going to Virginia Tech and being a hockey and
an alumni. Is that you're paying it forward and you're
going back a little bit. And I know that you
have a continued relationship with your school, and I think
that's important because not only are you paying it forward
and talking to the young people, but we're talking about
a school that produced two dynamic entrepreneurs where you've had
a lot of success. Can you talk about the relationship
(15:43):
with Virginia Tech.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Oh man, My relationship there is runs deep. I go
there to lecture often. I'm on the board at the
Myers Lasson School of Construction. I want to give a
shout out to the program. It's one of the top
programs across in the country. Mark and I just recently
gave a donation to the school in honor of we
(16:08):
were able to get a name called the Innovation Center
and handed Hall. You know, Mark and I just felt that,
you know, we pro con would not exist today if
it wasn't for the research project that we participated in,
all the time and energy that the professors and the
(16:28):
people well Virginia Tech put their energy into us. And
so we're so passionate about giving back to Virginia Tech
and to the very place where pro Con got started.
And so any way that I can promote our school
and more importantly, our Meyer's loss in School of Construction,
I do it any day.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
It's very cool. Thanks for sharing. You did talk about
some future projects that are coming on, ones you're currently
working on. I know that people like you always looking forward,
whether it's two, five, even ten years. I know we
can't predict the future and how the industry is going
to go and what might come to your table. But
what that said, what are you looking forward to in
the near future as far as programs, projects or what
(17:09):
the industry will be offering.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
I think I'm looking for participating in the energy infrastructure
projects that I know is we need. I think a
lot of the manufacturing that are coming in. I think
we need to rebuild our infrastructure, whether it be bridge, roads, airports,
high speed rail, all of that. I mean, we're in
(17:33):
some exciting times. I'm an optimistic person in general, and
so I just love this industry. I love the fact
that we get to participate in bringing our quality of life.
At the end of the day, we're impacting our quality
of life. So those are the type of projects that
I'm looking forward to.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Well, I appreciate that. I know that you're very busy,
But when you do have an opportunity, whether it's with
a company or personally with yourself and your family, philanthropic
and charity work, what do you like to be part of.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Well, on a personal level, I am philanthropic. Charitable organizations
are mostly in alignment with my Christian faith. From a
company standpoint, I think Mark and I love to get
back to places like Virginia Tech, places where we know
(18:27):
we're going to inspire the next generation of leaders in
our industry, like the Innovation Center, to raise awareness on
how great this industry is and the opportunities as available.
It doesn't matter where you're from, which industry, we could
use all.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
The help we can get.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
And so anything that's related to mentorship and young people
is an area that we try to focus our philanthropic efforts.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
From a company.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
Standpoint, outderstanding, I promise that I would circle back to
to a leadership and I do want to talk to
you about this because we do have You know you
were speaking by young people. There's a lot of young entrepreneurs,
people that are thinking of starting their own business. I
understand that your journey is very specific to you and
Mark and your company, but just overall, when it comes
to culture what you mentioned a couple times, when it
(19:17):
comes to leadership and working with so many diverse people
and a lot of moving parts in your industry, what
kind of advice would you impart on people.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
I think like, for me personally, make every opportunity to count,
no matter how small, it always leads to something big.
I think when I think about all the different successes
that I've encountered in life, I never focused on the
big achievements. I think, you know, I mean, I know
(19:48):
it's a cliche. Life is a journey, not a destination,
but really I think if you focus on the things
that you can control, and you do it with exceptional
reson results, exceptional attention to detail, developing strong relationship, I
think those things lead to big success. And I think
(20:08):
that you know, you have to be present, you know.
I I think of like, uh, the you know, I
have a built I have a podcast that I started.
I had zero experience in doing that, and I didn't
know what the podcast would would turn into, but I
knew that I just wanted to have real conversations with
(20:29):
real people sharing real knowledge, and uh, and I got
so much out of it.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
I didn't.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
It blew my mind the moment I started interviewing people
and I was like, I was getting more out of
it than I thought I was going to produce for
the people in my audiences. And so I think you'd
be so surprised. Just focus on what's in front of you.
Focus on, obviously, if you have if you have a
desire to start your own company, you know, baby steps,
(20:57):
one at a time. Be good at what you're doing
today and it will lead you to incredible success in
the future.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
So I a cliche, but no, it's really good advice
and I'm glad you shared all that. Let's give a
shout out to the podcast too, because you actually, I
don't want to them bear to you do a very
nice job. You can watch it and you can listen
to it. What's the name of the podcast and where
can everybody find.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
It's It's called The build Up. You can search the
channel on YouTube. I believe we're on Spotify and Apple,
and I think you can get to it from our
website as wellww Dotroconconsulting dot com.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Yeah, so as you can. Hecuse in the business that
i'm and he's interviewing people and he does a real
nice job. So I do want to give you some
final thoughts. I've really enjoyed this conversation. Just maybe recap
what we've talked about to our listeners. And you know,
once again, there are future CEOs and entrepreneurs. There are
a lot of CEOs that have been around for a
very long time that listen to this really cool series
and have had a chance to meet you for the
(21:57):
first time. Just want to give the floor to you
one final time, sir.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
So I really appreciate you having me on your show,
and I would just say, you know, like I said,
construction as an industry of diverse people, and I would
just encourage anyone who's interested in being part of helping
shape the people that that that impact the daily lives
(22:23):
in the built environment. If you're interested, check us check
it out. If you're a young person that's interested in
going into pursuing the career in construction, go check out
the Meyers loss In School of Construction, and there are
other great programs across the country. Obviously, if you can't
make Virginia Tech happen, and so yeah, I think that
(22:44):
you know some last that's sort of my lasting remarks there.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Well, I appreciate that. And uh, if you are hiring,
I know people want to hear about that. And let's
give the website one more time www.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Dot Proconconsulting dot com to explore opportunities and we have
a lot of position and open right now outstanding.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Hey, Q, I can't tell you how much I appreciate
your time. Continue success to you, your mark and your
team along with what you're doing. It's an extraordinary story
and I really thank you for joining us on CEOs.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
You should know. Thanks Dennis.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Our community partner, M and T Bank supports CEOs you
should know. Is part of their ongoing commitment to building
strong communities, and that starts by backing the businesses within them.
As a Bank for communities, M and T believes in
dedicating time, talent, and resources to help local businesses thrive
because when businesses succeed, our community succeed.
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