< Previousof varied contracts, which can range anywhere from $30,000 to about $60 million in value. The sharp rise in the retail and industrial economy has made 2017 a record volume year for the company, and all four of its divisions displayed strong growth. It has also seen an improvement in the construction demands of the healthcare and higher education sectors and work has been pouring in on those fronts. While around 80 percent of its construction work is done by sub-contractors, the company’s over 140 employees help complete around 80 projects a year with the support of around 45 super-intendents who run the day-to-day operations on site. About 50 tradespeople take care of steel erection for its pre-engi-neered metal buildings, for which the company is very popular. Another two teams are responsible for assembling these metal frames and a team of carpenters assists with erection and takes care of elements such as cabinet installation. “Teamwork with our contractors and trade partners is very important to us. In our industry, they’re a huge part of our success and we couldn’t do it without them,” says Aaron.Wolverine Building Group believes in taking care of its com-munity and recently became involved in its local Habitat for Humanity. After assisting the group in design work for a large two-block development in the city, the need for volunteers became clear. When there was a recent lull in its schedule, the company sent out some of its team members to assist in some of the charity’s needs. “We see it as a mutually beneficial opportunity. We get to be part of our community and Habitat for Humanity gets work done,” says Curt. Some of its younger team members also gain experience in hands-on construc-tion, allowing them to learn about carpentry and other areas of the field in a low-key setting. The company also tries to get everyone out of the office for a day or two every year to get involved in serving the community in a number of ways, which has included installing a playground at the local school, doing work at camps, and a number of other charitable contributions.Wolverine Building Group’s solution to the current labor shortage is building strong relationships with its industry partners. “For years, as a society, we’ve encouraged college as a “The sharp rise in the retail and industrial economy has made 2017 a record volume year for the company, and all four of its divisions displayed strong growth.”JUNE 201850 matter of course, and the reality is, you can make a great living as a plumber, or carpenter, or electrician – but, for a long time, many people hadn’t seen these as viable careers,” says Aaron. It also takes exceptional planning and project management to become a contractor of choice, things at which the company excels. The team knows how to look ahead and plan accord-ingly. “It’s about making sure that the people who you want to do the job have the ability to do it and space in their schedule, and are interested in doing it,” says Aaron. The company has been particularly strong in attracting new talent. “We have a pretty healthy balance in supporting the people that we hire, but we also give them autonomy to run and manage projects in a way that allows them to maximize their strengths,” he says. In this way team members remain engaged and motivated. In this industry, it is important to solve problems creatively which is why the company supports creative thinking in a big way. “If you restrict your employees too much, you restrict that creativity. We work hard to combat that because that creativity ultimately leads to great solutions for our customers,” says Aaron.For the two leaders, the technical side of the construction industry is attractive to creative people, while construction lovers are well-known for having a strong drive to create their own destiny – a trait that is very much supported at Wolverine Building Group. This draws passionate people who enjoy working in an environment where their efforts and drive are understood and nurtured. Thanks to these creatives with their strong leadership skills, Wolverine Building Group is famous for superbly handling complex projects that often include multiple challenges ranging from schedules to manufacturing demands and everything in between. “We hire people who are creative, have design ability, and really can lead the team to the best possible solution,” says Curt.The company is set to build on its core beliefs of quality and partnership and will be carrying this ethos through to all its projects. By this time next year, the two new owners want to exceed the expectations of 80 more clients who will be ready to share more sterling recommendations.51CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS All workplaces have hidden and not-so-hidden risk factors associated with drug or alcohol abuse, exhaustion, and stress. But few sectors have a potential for disaster higher than construction.JUNE 201852Written by Robert HoshowskyThe construction industry employs a staggering number of men and women worldwide with an esti-mated 10.3 million members in the United States alone. Construction contributed approximately $792.5 billion to America’s economy in 2016, and the figure is growing. Unfortunately, just as the industry grows, so have stress and the number of job-related acci-dents that come from working in this highly demanding business.According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, over nine percent of U.S. workers are affected by drug or alcohol abuse. Some of this is due to illicit drugs such as cocaine or heroin. However, addiction to prescription drugs has skyrocketed in the past twenty years and, according to U.S. federal government research group National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Increases in prescription drug misuse over the last 15 years are reflected in increased emergency room visits, overdose deaths associated with prescription drugs, and treat-ment admission.”Addiction rates are unusually high in certain employment sectors, including doctors, lawyers, food services and construc-tion. As one of the largest employers in the U.S., construction statistically also has high numbers of substance abusers. The construction industry is second after mining when it comes to alcohol consumption and fourth for illicit drug use.For drug or alcohol-addicted employees and those working with them on construction sites, the risks of physical injury and death are extremely high. Workers regularly find themselves atop tall structures, use heavy earth-moving equipment such as bulldozers and handle potentially lethal tools like nail guns and circular saws which – to operate professionally and safely – require sobriety and complete concentration, unclouded by substances or fatigue.53CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS Substance abuse trends tend to shift. Illicit drug use decreased slightly between 2008 and 2012, whereas alcohol dependency rose during the same period. The reasons for over-consump-tion in construction are similar to those found in mining and other physically and mentally demanding sectors. The long hours, dirty and often dangerous working conditions and noise of this type of work takes a physical and emotional toll on staff, and some drink alcohol as a way to deal with pain and stress.Construction is primarily a male-dominated industry, and many men are reluctant to get professional help. Some will approach their doctors for prescriptions to deal with physical or emo-tional pain; others will ignore workplace stress until it becomes overwhelming and choose instead to self-medicate. Self-diagnosis and the belief that the non-prescription medica-tions they are taking are taking are somehow ‘helping them to cope’ leads to undesired consequences, ranging from danger-ous drug interactions to dependency, organ failure or acciden-tal overdose. And like drugs, alcohol is often used as a tempo-rary solution to relieve deep physical and psychological issues.Alcohol and drug testing is an often-contentious subject that often arises, especially after a workplace-related incident has taken place. Tests for substances are usually minimally invasive, requiring nothing more than a hair, saliva or urine sample that is taken either before someone is hired, randomly or after a workplace incident. However, testing makes some workers feel their privacy is being invaded. Workplace health and safety initiatives vary from one location or country to another, but actions – especially testing employees for substances – must still take human rights into consideration. It is essential for construction companies to have drug and alcohol policies in place for the safety of all staff. It is widely accepted today that a drug use policy is beneficial for employ-ees while increasing safety and the positive reputation of a construction firm. Of course, it is irresponsible for employers to assume a worker is under the influence of some substance, when he or she may be affected by other issues.While drug and alcohol dependency on construction job sites is an issue, the risks associated with showing up to work tired or under stress cannot be underestimated. Being exhausted manifests itself as showing up to work late or being inattentive. This can make a person come across as being intoxicated or even under the influence of drugs. For employees suffering from fatigue and those who work with them, the risks can be just as dire as from other impairments. Some believe downing cup after cup of coffee helps. However, these workers are often just as tired as before but jittery. “It is essential for construction companies to have drug and alcohol policies in place for the safety of all staff.”JUNE 201854“Some will ignore workplace stress until it becomes overwhelming and choose instead to self-medicate.”Whether it is fatigue, alcohol or drug abuse, employers need to appreciate and address the underlying issues that led to the problem in the first place. To combat these issues, it is important for employers to have drug and alcohol policies in the work-place. These policies must be both comprehensive and clear.All cases of suspected abuse or impairment need to be addressed on their own merits, as a ‘one size fits all’ approach simply does not work. In Ontario, for example, local health units work with businesses through the Safe Workplace Ontario certification program, a third-party health and safety certification program for all businesses in the province. The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires all businesses to create a written health and safety policy, which must be reviewed at least once per year.Ideally, these policies should be unique to the company itself and not merely cut-and-pasted from other sources. Employers should let workers know that health and safety guidelines are being created and be welcoming of any input from staff. And, most importantly, these policies must be enforced. There is no point in having one if it is not implemented and taken seriously by everyone. A number of states in America have loosened laws regarding cannabis use. Additionally, with the great likelihood of the legalization of recreational marijuana, later this year in Canada, health and safety policies will need to be revised to meet current situations.Fighting drug and alcohol abuse may seem like an uphill battle, yet construction companies can help by addressing the stigma and getting professional help for employees.55CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS The Skillman Corporation was started by Harold Skillman. “He always went by Hap,” says Bart York, Executive Vice President of The Skillman Corporation. “It began as a family firm, and it is still owned by the family today.”The company was started as Construction Management in Indianapolis, Indiana, and that is where its corporate headquar-ters remain. “The company was unique in that, at that time, most Family-owned Skillman Corporation was founded in 1972 and has two main offices in Indiana and Michigan from which it primarily serves the Midwest. The company is specialized in project administration and construction management and prides itself on, “building relationships, not just buildings.”Written by Charline Cormier-Pellerinof the construction managers came out of general contractor companies. But in this case, the company was started to first be a service to the client. In other words, we were not a contractor; we were a construction management service,” says York.“Construction management as a delivery system came about around that same time, so it was a new delivery, and Hap realized that it was a service that might be useful, especially for JUNE 201856owners that are not building a new building every day,” says York. “Most of our client base, of which our biggest market is K-12 public education, doesn’t build a school every day, and they can’t afford to have someone on their staff [who knows how to build]. We give those clients that service. In addition to an architect, they can have someone with construction knowl-edge on their professional team.”One of the aspects that make The Skillman Corporation unique is how it has remained in pure construction management. “We don’t self-perform any work,” says York. “We don’t have any conflict of interest because we are not managing ourselves. We’re managing other contractors as we do business, and we are managing on behalf of the owner (client) that we work for.”Of course, The Skillman Corporation has had its share of chal-lenges. “Everyone in our industry is being challenged right now with not having a sufficient workforce,” says York. “So, as we grow, as we turn over our staff in succession planning, all companies (not just us) in the construction business are suffering from not having enough young people getting into the business. Our biggest challenge right now is being able to continue with the quality of people that we know we need in order to do a good job for our clients.”As a solution to that problem, the company promotes from within whenever possible and has teamed up with other small businesses to create an incubator of sorts. “We also typically have two to three interns every year from universities that we hope continue to be interns with us while they’re in school and to then come back for employment with us when they graduate.”Among the company’s many projects, a standout example is the Elkhart Centre, an exceptional project with multiple owners that really demonstrates The Skillman Corporation’s talent. The firm also worked on a new building for the YMCA and reno-vated and added onto the Indiana University Kelley School of Business campus, which was a six-year project because it had to be done in phases.“The company was started to first be a service to the client. In other words, we were not a contractor; we were a construction management service.”57CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS The Skillman Corporation is always looking to expand and improve. “Our biggest market is K-12 public education, but we’ve reached out and gotten into some new markets and some new deliveries, such as healthcare, developers, building developers and private work,” says York. “We’re also doing another process called construction management at risk,” he says.“Harold (Hap) Skillman saw a need for the clients to have somebody at the table of early planning to help them from a construction standpoint,” says York. “Our emphasis remains on taking care of the clients. It always has been and always will be. I know every company can say that, but it’s more than just a saying for us; it’s the culture of the company, and it’s also realized when ninety percent of our clientele are repeats,” he shares.“In our mission, the first thing is client care and serving the best interest of our clients,” says York. “In that sense, we’re different from many companies. A lot of companies get a job, do the project, and then they’re onto the next project. But that’s not the way we feel.”The Skillman Corporation has a strong guiding force. “We believe that you have to know people; you have to trust people, and you have to work with people before they can make a judgment on whether or not they should hire you to do a job for them. It’s not just about the fee,” says York. “We put a lot of emphasis on being good neighbors, working and investing in the community and all those kinds of things that make us who we are. And we encourage our employees to volunteer, to work where they live and to help others that are not as for-tunate. People know that we are more than just a construction manager,” he shares.“Those are our guiding forces,” says York. “And they continue to give us a pretty good footing for what we do and how we do it every day.”“We put a lot of emphasis on being good neighbors, working and investing in the community and all those kinds of things that make us who we are.”JUNE 201858The Skillman Corporation has always made a point of planning for its future. “It may be unusual for a family-owned firm, but we’ve focused on succession planning and plotting out our future,” says York. “We’re pretty proud of the succession planning that we’ve done in the years past, especially now that some of it is coming to be. And we’ll be sure that we’re selecting, developing and mentoring future leaders of the company so that we can continue with the idea that we have, which is: when you leave, you leave the company better than you found it.”The Skillman Corporation credits consistency with its success. “Something that we’re really proud of is the consistency of our company,” says York. “It is the consistency and tenure of our employees and the policies that we’ve developed, which have enabled us… to provide good quality service to our clients, and that makes us unique in the construction industry,” he says.“We’re very proud that we have a long-standing tenure of employees. Our employees do not move around. Once they get with us, they stay with us,” says York. “Not only does the long tenure of our employees speak to the quality of the company, but more importantly, it allows us to provide con-sistent services to our clients. For six years now, we have been recognized as one of the best places to work in Indiana,” says York. “We’re pretty proud of that.”He adds that, “We’ve been a very successful company through-out the years. In this industry, there are a lot of ups and downs. But we’ve consistently anticipated the downs, and so, we didn’t suffer like many of the other companies did. That is due to good planning and staying on course of what our mission is.”As the company continues to grow and build relationships, it will still offer consistent, dedicated service to its clients. “We’re going to continue to serve the K-12 market because it’s a market that needs our services, and it’s a market that we know better than anyone else,” says York. “We’re also going to continue to diversify and work with private developers, possibly getting involved in partnerships and continuing to develop the work-force,” he says.“Our largest growth, in the past fifteen years, is happening right now,” says York. There is no denying that the future is looking bright for The Skillman Corporation.“The Skillman Corporation promotes from within whenever possible and has teamed up with other small businesses to create an incubator of sorts.”59Next >