Building PA Podcast

On today's show, we invited the Co-Founder and CSO of Vertical, Aaron Priest to talk more about how technology can affect the bottom line for construction companies.

Vertical is a software platform that solves problems around construction compliance and documentation. In other words, Vertical has found a way to get contractors paid FASTER.

We started the conversation off by asking how Vertical is impacting their client's bo...

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 c...

Today's guest returns to the podcast to talk about the popularity and growing demand in the multi-family housing and student housing industries for sustainable design. CEO and founder of ROCKiT Architects, Brian DiPietro shares his career experience and some favorite projects that emulate his expertise in sustainable design.

Over the past decade, sustainable design has gained in popularity because the premise behind the concept ...

Now more than ever companies realize the importance of providing a healthy workspace environment for their employees. This concept has been heightened post-COVID and will continue to be a priority for owners and their employees. 

With the growing interest in this topic, we decided to talk with an expert on healthy workspaces and learn how people and their environment interface and how the health of the workplace and employees can he...

COVID, workforce development, supply chain issues, this list goes on and on for the daily challenges faced by small businesses. It's probably safe to say that it has been a rough two years for business in general. So what does the future hold?

Recognizing that 48% of people work for small businesses, we decided to check in with Pennsylvania State Director, Greg Moreland of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) t...

In business, leadership is one of the most talked about topics among business professionals, owners, and executives. 

In this episode, we decided to take the discussion beyond the boardroom and into the world of nonprofits and associations.

Our guest Elisa Brewer Pratt is the CEO of Brewer Pratt Solutions. Pratt is a chief strategist who specializes in organizational effectiveness. She consults with nonprofit organizations in the con...

"Construction workers are statistically at higher risk for mental health issues than virtually any other profession." This is according to the Center for Disease Control. 

This statistic was true prior to COVID and even more so now. Growing mental health concerns exist in the construction industry because it ranks second highest in suicide rates among major industries.

This topic ranks high in importance on the Building PA po...

Sometimes you record a podcast that leaves you feeling uplifted, inspired, and motivated.  It's filled with practical advice that can be applied to your professional career and your personal life. That's what you will hear in this episode of the Building PA podcast.

Our special guest, Ret. Major General John Gronski is a  world-renowned author and motivational speaker.  Gronski speaks about leadership and what it takes to b...

In this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with the Director of Safety, Bob McCall of the Master Builders' Association. McCall is a seasoned professional in safety-related matters and candidly spoke about COVID, mental health, and the need for more programs that help construction workers.

McCall shared that COVID placed a greater reliance on safety and the need for companies to plan their work. The pandemic brought persona...

No one likes a field trip more than our co-hosts, Chris and Jon. In this episode, the guys share their unique on-site visit to the Barry Isett and Associates Mechanicsburg field testing facility.  They were joined by Isett team members  Nick Bauer, project manager, and Erin Burke, marketing director who showed them about construction materials testing, the importance of testing, why it's necessary for projects, and what they do...

We wanted to know more about what a B Corp is and what is fueling the desire to become B Corp certified. 

Our guest on this episode is passionate about their B Corp certification and took the time to share with us a broad overview of what it takes to achieve this status.

Beth Peiffer, owner and president of Ralph E. Jones, a painting, wallcovering, and special coatings contractor in Harrisburg, shares her company's experience aro...

WELL Building. What is it? How does it differ from Lead building and is this the wave of the construction future? These questions and many more are answered by "Charles" Chip Desmone, CEO of Desmone Architects.

Desmone and his team of architects designed the first WELL Gold Certified Building in Pittsburgh, PA. They are one of just six WELL certified spaces in Pennsylvania.

Listen and learn how WELL intersects design with hum...

The topic of captive insurance has gained in popularity. We want to know, why? So we invited Tim Ziegler, vice president, principal, and head of the construction division at McConkey Insurance to join us on the podcast to talk about captive programs and answer some questions, we’re hearing in the industry.

 Ziegler brings clarity to what captive programs are and shares the three biggest advantages of being part of a captive group, w...

In today's podcast, co-hosts, Jon and Chris are joined by a special guest, senior project manager for Quandel Construction Group, Sarah Knehr—KCA’s 2021 Top Young Leader Award winner. 

Knehr was chosen as the winner because of her outstanding performance on the job and in the community. 

You'll hear Knehr's insight on the importance of embracing young students, both high school and college-aged, and exposing them to the c...

Michael Metz-Topodas, partner with Cohen Seglias Greenhall & Furman PC returns to the Building PA Podcast to talk about contract management. In this episode, Topodas shares insight about contract management and how it relates to change management.

Topodas sees the contract as an equation; the contractor will do work and in exchange, they will receive money or payment.  This is balance. The imbalance occurs when something happens...

Marc Mondor, principal, architect, and co-founder of evolveEA is our latest guest to talk about sustainable design. 

Mondor shares how their company approaches a project to ensure the structure has a "lesser, lighter environmental impact." Mondor commented that the word "sustainability" is used a lot more in recent years and is sometimes overused. 

He puts this thought into context when he talks about what they refer ...

No one knows communication and organization better than Bob Dresser of Strategic Executive Consulting. In this fourth episode in the Better Project Outcomes Series, Bob addresses a key component in the success of construction companies, projects, and profitability—change management. 

In this episode, Bob highlights the key components needed to set the stage for a  successful project. Communications, file structure, and sharing of in...

In today’s podcast, Maria Elliott, attorney/partner for Barley Snyder talks about contracts and risk management. 

Maria shares her insight about the changes being made in contracts since COVID.  Maria commented that before COVID, owners and general contractors were focused on force majeure, which is the unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract. Since COVID, the shift has been on price escalation. W...

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 ar...