BUILD St. Louis

In this episode, Kerry Smith Buck welcomes Cal Beyer, Senior Director of Safe Workplaces at the SAFE Project, as part of the show’s mental health, wellbeing, and construction series. Cal unpacks the critical intersection of substance use, mental health, suicide, and overdose in the construction industry, explaining why these issues must be addressed together rather than in isolation. Drawing from decades of experience, he emphasize...

In this episode, Kerry Smith Buck speaks with Mike Cox, CEO of Crete United, about why safety is not a stand-alone program but a direct reflection of company culture. Mike shares how Crete United built an industry-leading safety record by focusing on non-punitive learning, near-miss reporting, field-first decision making and mental health awareness, while investing in dedicated safety leadership as the company scaled to over $1B in...

In this episode of BUILD America, host Kerry Smith Buck sits down with AJ Waters, Chief Evangelist at Kahua and the self-proclaimed “Chief Engine-Nerd” behind TheEngiNerdLife blog. Together, they explore the power of process, discipline, and authenticity in an industry that’s constantly racing to meet deadlines.

Borrowing a phrase from the U.S. Marines - “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast” - AJ unpacks how thoughtful, consistent pro...

In this episode of BUILD America, host Kerry Smith Buck talks with Tyler Myers, Assistant Vice President at Emory Sapp & Sons (ESS), a 100% employee-owned heavy civil contractor based in Missouri. Tyler shares how ESS attracts and retains top talent through employee ownership, hands-on training, and early engagement with students through trade schools and the ESS Foundation.

He also discusses how culture, leadership, and clea...

Welcome to this episode of BUILD St. Louis, the podcast that captures the heartbeat of the construction industry. I'm your host, Kerry Smith Buck, owner of Construction News and Review. Today, we're delving into the crucial topic of safety on construction sites during extreme heat. Our guests are Donna Richter, CEO of Southern Illinois Builders Association (SIBA), and John Holt, SIBA's safety director. Donna and John will share the...

In this episode of BUILD St. Louis, host Kerry Smith Buck, President and CEO of Construction News and Review (CNR), explores the fascinating process of naming buildings, especially historic signature structures, with Judy Glick and James Butler from the architecture and design firm Arcturis. Judy, the Director of Brand and Client Engagement, and James, the Design Practice Leader for Arcturis's Brand Experience Group, delve into the...

In this podcast episode of BUILD St. Louis, Kerry Smith, owner of Construction News and Review magazine, introduces Jeremy Welch, a project engineer, and Chris Ruth, the Mid Missouri Controls Manager from Integrated Facility Services (IFS), as they discuss the significance of the Building Energy Performance Standard (BEPS) in 2024. BEPS mandates buildings over 50,000 square feet in St. Louis to benchmark their energy use intensity ...

In this episode of BUILD St. Louis, host Kerry Smith discusses the critical need for connectedness in the construction community with Jeff Kiefer, National Director of Commercial and Industrial Sales at Milwaukee Valve. Jeff emphasizes the importance of collaboration and training in four key areas: labor, regulations, technology, and the supply chain. He shares insights on leveraging suppliers for training, adapting to regulatory c...

In this episode of BUILD St. Louis, host Kerry Smith welcomes Jane and Mike Megown from Elastizell of St. Louis to discuss lightweight cellular concrete. They explore the material's composition, diverse applications including backfill for MSE walls and pipe abandonment, and its cost-effectiveness compared to traditional materials. The Megowns highlight a project in Nashville as an example of the material's efficiency in filling gap...

In this episode of BUILD St. Louis, the guest is Clinton Murphy, the Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) Manager at Holland Construction Services. They discuss the concept of VDC and its difference from Building Information Modeling (BIM). Clinton explains that while BIM uses 3D models to manage and optimize construction, VDC goes beyond that to include coordination, managing design, and other processes. He also talks about the b...

In this episode of BUILD St. Louis, host Kerry Smith interviews Jeremy Rodriguez, president of Crossroads Construction Services. They discuss Jeremy's expertise in environmental abatement and demolition services. Jeremy explains that his company primarily focuses on removing hazardous materials and conducting interior demolitions to create safe spaces for builders and developers. He mentions the various types of materials they hand...

In this episode of BUILD St. Louis, host Kerry Smith welcomes Tom Ray, a first vice president at CBRE, to discuss the state of California Class A office leasing in St. Louis in mid-2023. They explore the impact of remote work on the office market and how it has changed the traditional playbook of office space usage. Tom highlights the opportunities and challenges for landlords and tenants in this evolving landscape, including the f...

In this episode of BUILD St. Louis, host Kerry Smith interviews Randy Bueckendorf, the president of BEX Construction Services. Randy shares his expertise on the state of the construction material supply chain, discussing the ongoing supply chain issues in the industry. He mentions that while the supply of raw materials like lumber, steel, and copper has improved, there are still significant challenges with electrical switchgear and...

In this episode of BUILD St. Louis, host Kerry Smith interviews John Flynn, Safety Director at Contegra Construction, about the importance of staying safe on the job site. They discuss Contegra Construction's safety culture, which is characterized by collaboration and involvement from all levels of the company, including the leadership team. John highlights the company's commitment to employee safety and the implementation of measu...

In this episode of the BUILD St. Louis podcast, host Kerry Smith interviews Brendon Buckley, leader of building intelligence and integration services at IMEG. They discuss the topic of big data and its life-saving power in the context of design and construction. Brendan explains the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT) and how it relates to big data. He shares examples of how big data and IoT are being leveraged in different ind...

In this episode of BUILD St. Louis, host Kerry Smith interviews Patrick McKeehan, the economic development director for the city of O'Fallon, Missouri. McKeehan discusses the importance of creating a balanced community and how economic development is the creation of wealth. He explains the role of economic assets and the importance of matching them to the needs of businesses looking to invest in the area. For more information, vi...

In this episode of the BUILD St. Louis podcast, Kerry Smith interviews Tomislav Zigo, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Clayco, a global full-service, turnkey real estate architecture, engineering, design, build, and construction firm. They discuss artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on the built environment, including its potential to optimize processes throughout the project delivery cycle, from design to han...

In this episode of BUILD St. Louis, host Kerry Smith speaks with Matt Stack, President of Russell Co. St. Louis office, and Jill Niebuhr, Russell Co.'s Talent Acquisition Manager, about their strategies for recruiting and retaining the best people in the construction industry. They discuss how Russell Co's philosophy of investing in people before technology growth has helped them grow sustainably, as well as the importance of core ...

In this episode of BUILD St. Louis, Kerry Smith interviews Julie Powers and Lisa Bedian from the city of St. Peter's, Missouri, about their FasTrac program for expedited development and permitting for businesses. They discuss how the program was created and how it has helped both large corporations and small mom-and-pop businesses. The key to their success is their process of bringing the right people in the room early on and being...