Employee Spotlight | David Grandbois

Posted on July 30, 2020January 14, 2021 by Sara Bequette

Western would like to recognize David Grandbois in this month's Employee Spotlight.

Kudos, Dave—and thank you for being a valued member of the Western team!

Interview with David Grandbois

What is your role at Western?
“I am the Assistant Branch Manager of Western's Minneapolis office.”
What do you like most about Western?
“What I like most is the closeness of our team and the small branch feeling. We're really like a close-knit family. But, then I'm also thankful for the backing of Western's large national presence. Finally, I like all the opportunities for growth that Western has.”
What are three words to describe Western?
“Integrity: Everyone is out to do what's right and do what is right by the customer regardless of the outcome. Loyalty: We all become so ingrained in the business that we are loyal to Western as employees and in turn loyal to the customers that we serve. Growth: As a corporation, we are always looking to expand and grow to serve our customers as they grow, and then as Western grows it allows all of us to grow as individuals as well.”
What is your proudest moment at Western?
“Currently, my proudest moment was being promoted to Assistant Branch Manager. It is very rewarding to be a part of our great team in Minneapolis that won ‘Branch of the Year' in 2019.”
What has been your favorite project at Western?
“This is a bit difficult to answer because we do so many different projects at Western. But, that's also what I love so much about it. Because every single day is different. In the morning I might stop and check on a post-tension cable repair and then come back to the office and bid on a tuckpointing project, follow it up with a below-grade waterproofing project, and then finish the day doing epoxy injection. We do so many different things on a daily basis. My most satisfying project was in 2017 for a project called Village Shores. We cut an 18′ x 11′ hole in 11 floors of a senior living community and added a new double elevator to the building. Each hole had 18 post-tension cables running through it so we had to cut all and create new anchors on either end of the hole all the way up to the top. It was a very rewarding and challenging project that helped me further understand post-tension repair.”
How did you first learn about Western?
“I first learned about Western from my cousin, who at the time, was a Sales/PM in the Minneapolis office. He introduced me to Mike Mercier while I was working for Kiewit in Omaha. I had interviewed with the Omaha office and was offered a position, but at the time it was not the right fit for me. I kept in contact with Western and a couple of years later I interviewed again with the Minneapolis office.”
Before working at Western, what was the most unusual or interesting job you've ever had?
“Right out of college I was hired on at Kiewit's headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. My position was Estimator in the Risk Management department and what we did was performed secondary estimates to the corporation on projects that were over 500 million dollars. My discipline was cofferdams for a hydroelectric dam in Northern Manitoba. I was estimating approximately 100 million dollars’ worth of cofferdams on a six billion dollar hydroelectric dam. I didn't even know what a cofferdam was—ha, thank God for Google—I was able to do that.”
What advice do you have for prospective Western candidates?
“My advice is to dive in headfirst. Be ambitious. Stay late. Ask lots of questions and take on more than you can handle. Learn from those around you. The restoration industry is learned by being involved in it. There's so much to gain from working with Western. You need to be present and in-the-moment with what's going on. And to be successful, you need to apply yourself and be eager.”
What have you gained from Working at Western?
“I think I've gained a lot of confidence and leadership. Western really pushes you to develop these skill sets daily. We spend a vast amount of time being involved in customer development, networking, and project management.”
What is on your wish list for the next 10 years with Western?
“Within the next 10 years, I hope to be promoted to Branch Manager and to continue to perform as a top branch within the company. I would also like to continue to learn and grow with this company to reach my full potential.”
If you could switch your job with anyone else within Western, whose job would you want?
“Oh boy, there's so many. I think I would go with Mike Mercier. He always seems like he's having a good time. But, if not him, Mike Tripp, so I could be ‘gone fishing'. Ha!”
What about you? What do you personally enjoy?
“I enjoy spending time with my family. I have a wife and three kids, and a golden retriever named Howie. Summer (the oldest) is four, Owen is two, and Emma is six months, so we are very busy. In our free time, we like to travel and visit with friends and family. When we're not doing that, I try to spend as much time as I can fishing and hunting. And the other six months, I shovel snow.”

Click here to view all of our Employee Spotlights.

David Grandbois is one of the up and coming leaders of Western. His hard work and leadership skills paired with his positive attitude and excitement create energy that is contagious to both his fellow colleagues and his customers. He is a strong family man, with high standards and a solid moral compass. He exemplifies the plans of Western’s tomorrow and we are honored to have him as our employee spotlight.
Tom Brooks
Chief Operating Officer
Western Specialty Contractors

Western Launches Unique Training Hub Program

Posted on July 28, 2020December 8, 2020 by Sara Bequette

Participants spend six months in St. Louis training at branches/headquarters

(St. Louis, MO, July 28, 2020) The executive leadership team at Western Specialty Contractors launched a pilot program in 2019 that takes an innovative approach to training and guiding new employees for leadership positions at the company’s 30 nationwide branches. The Training Hub Program, which will have graduated nearly a dozen participants by the end of 2020, requires that new hires spend six months in St. Louis fully immersed in the company’s culture and processes.

“Our goal is to develop well-rounded employees who can better assist the branches upon graduation and to accelerate their training development plans for future leadership opportunities,” said Mary Faris, Senior Director, H.R. and Talent Development at Western Specialty Contractors. “I am not aware of any other company offering this type of program.”

Participants in the program are all graduated college seniors who have participated in Western’s College Internship Program and will be hired to work at one of Western’s branch offices.

Program participants receive six months of training, broken down into rotational learning opportunities at each of Western’s three St. Louis branches – Concrete, Masonry and Roofing – where they will shadow a superintendent, branch managers and sales project manager. Participants also learn about each of Western’s trades and about creating job estimates and proposals, billing for jobs, life cycle processes beginning with marketing, and point of sale through closure of a project. Additionally, participants work in the home office where they learn about methods/procedures, policies, and key business processes/programs to support operations across the country.

Western provides participants with temporary living arrangements in furnished apartments while enrolled in the program.

Training Hub Program Participants/Graduates

Ramiro Arroyo, Colorado State University, B.S. Construction Management – branch to be determined

Brant Attleson, University of Wisconsin-Stout, B.C. Construction – branch to be determined

Tyler Bishop, Indiana University, B.S. Business Management – branch to be determined

Dayton Bowie, Oklahoma State University, B.S. Construction Engineering Technology – hired at Tulsa, OK branch

Grant Holland, University of Central Missouri, B.S. Construction Management – branch to be determined

Kalen Inouye, Texas State, B.S. Construction Management – hired at Dallas, TX branch

Colton McClintock, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, B.S. Industrial Engineering – hired at Maryland/DC branch

Joey Ottovegio, Florida Atlantic University, B.S. Business – hired at Ft. Lauderdale branch

Sarah Ray, Louisiana Tech University, B.S. Construction Engineering Technology – hired at Charlotte, NC branch

Tristan Smith, University of Central Missouri, B.S. Construction Management – hired at Kansas City Roofing branch

Zach Taylor, Ball State, B.S. Construction Management – hired at Houston, TX branch

Surveys are provided to both the employee and the management team upon completion of the program. The feedback is then incorporated into action items to improve the program.

“The key to the program’s success has been from the strong commitment of our entire STL management team,” said Faris. “They strive to provide the guidance and training of these new employees, which is key to its success.”

Zach Taylor, a graduate of the program, was hired as a Sales/Project Manager at Western’s Houston, TX branch. He praises the program for contributing to his career.

“During my time at Western’s Training Hub Program in St. Louis, I obtained invaluable knowledge and new skills to add to my resumé. I worked with great teams at the home office as well as the concrete, masonry and roofing branches. This experience was very humbling, exciting and a great opportunity to further my career development not only at Western as a Sales/Project Manager, but in building new skillsets as a person,” said Taylor.

For more information about career opportunities at Western Specialty Contractors, visit https://westernspecialtycontractors.com/careers/.

About Western Specialty Contractors

Family-owned and operated for more than 100 years, Western Specialty Contractors is the nation’s largest specialty contractor in masonry and concrete restoration, waterproofing, and specialty roofing. Western offers a nationwide network of expertise that building owners, engineers, architects, and property managers can count on to develop cost-effective, corrective measures that can add years of useful life to a variety of structures including industrial, commercial, healthcare, historic, educational and government buildings, parking structures, and sports stadiums. Western is headquartered in St. Louis, MO with 30 branch offices nationwide and employs more than 1,200 salaried and hourly professionals who offer the best, time-tested techniques and innovative technology.

Media Contact

Jennifer Beidle
314-607-9459
jennifer@jbeidlepr.com

Stadium Maintenance During COVID-19 Shutdowns

Posted on July 14, 2020October 14, 2020 by Sara Bequette

Stadiums Subject to Damage from Elements, Wear and Tear from Fans

(St. Louis, MO, July 14, 2020) Large crowds and the elements can make any sport played in a stadium that much more exciting. But while stadiums remain vacant due to current COVID-19 restrictions, now is an ideal time for facility managers and owners to perform maintenance on these important structures in preparation for the fans’ return.

Most sports stadiums in the United States are made up of reinforced concrete with steel seating supports and railing. Unfortunately, an even more universal characteristic is their openness and vulnerability to the elements — in addition to the wear and tear they receive from fans. All of these forces combine and take their toll on the structural integrity of a stadium.

Without routine maintenance, corrosion, movement and reoccurring freeze and thaw cycles will cause the concrete structures to crack, spall and disintegrate. Water seeping through surface cracks will cause severe structural damage. Seats will crack and weather and steel supports will rust causing discoloration and fracturing of surrounding concrete.

With over a century of service, Western Specialty Contractors has restored and protected a number of sports stadiums across the country, including the University of Notre Dame Football Stadium in South Bend, Indiana; Lindenwood Stadium in Belleville, Illinois; H.A. Chapman Stadium at the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.

“Western’s experts work with stadium owners and facility managers to analyze the type and extent of any damage present and recommend cost-effective, remedial measures to protect and extend the life of the facility and keep fans safe,” said Crystal Moyer, Director National Accounts/Marketing at Western Specialty Contractors. “Cutting-edge, long-wearing materials are often recommended to restore a stadium and protect it from future damage.”

Here are some examples of Western’s stadium work over the years:

University of Notre Dame Football Stadium

As the college football season approached, Western Specialty Contractors was contacted by the university to provide a new traffic coating system on all the concourses, concession stands, bathrooms and pedestrian ramps around the stadium. Constructed in 1930, more than 80,000 fans pack the historic stadium each season to cheer on the Fighting Irish.

The project called for a fast track schedule which included cleaning, preparing and recoating 270,000 square feet of traffic coating membrane. The project had to be completed in just six weeks to have the stadium ready for opening day. Western crews were able to meet the tight deadline by working closely with the stadium operations staff.

H.A. Chapman Stadium

Western Specialty Contractors was contracted to complete work on the new sky box addition at Chapman Stadium at the University of Tulsa. Western caulked approximately 8,000 lineal feet of control joints and window perimeters. The stadium bowl also had a face lift, adding new seats and cast stone walls which were also caulked. During the project, Western was asked to power wash the existing concrete wall and remove the old paint.

The Chapman Stadium project was fast paced and took a large amount of coordination between the subcontractors and general contractor. The work was completed before the start of the football season.

Miller Park

Western Specialty Contractors was involved in the construction of Miller Park in Milwaukee, the new home of the Brewers. Western’s scope of work was to provide a waterproof traffic coating system on one of the five concourses. The area totaled 100,000 square feet.

In addition to the coating work, a positive drainage system was installed. Imperfections to the concrete surface areas, such as scaling, gouges, scrapes, and cracks were also addressed. The application of the traffic coating system was completed in four phases and in time for the opening day of the Brewers season.

For more examples of Western’s stadium restoration projects, visit https://westernspecialtycontractors.com/projects/markets/stadiums/.

About Western Specialty Contractors

Media Contact

Jennifer Beidle
314-607-9459
jennifer@jbeidlepr.com

New Branch Managers in MO & CA

Posted on July 8, 2020October 14, 2020 by Sara Bequette

(St. Louis, MO, July 8, 2020) – Western Specialty Contractors announces the appointment of two new Branch Managers: Carter Pogue at its St. Louis Concrete Restoration Branch and Guillermo Villegas at its Los Angeles Branch.

As Branch Managers, Pogue and Villegas are responsible for managing sales, daily operations, and field personnel, plus developing new projects within their branch’s territory.

“Carter and Guillermo are two excellent examples of Western employees who were given the opportunity, and excelled through hard work and dedication, to advance through the company’s ranks,” said Tom Brooks, Western Specialty Contractors COO. “Their jobs as Branch Managers are not always easy, but we feel that each of them possesses the skills and training to do an outstanding job for our employees and customers. Congratulations to both of them.”

Carter Pogue, Branch Manager at St. Louis Concrete Restoration Branch

Pogue started his career at Western Specialty Contractors in 2003 as a General Cement Mason where he learned all aspects of Western’s restoration/waterproofing business. He moved into a General Foreman role in 2004, and in 2005 he was promoted to General Superintendent where he oversaw, coordinated, and executed multiple construction projects and subcontractor operations. In 2012, he was promoted to Project Manager and in 2016 was promoted to Assistant Branch Manager where he oversaw the successful completion of multi-million-dollar restoration projects. He has successfully overseen more than 1,200 restoration projects as a Superintendent and Project & Assistant Manager at Western.

The St. Louis Concrete Restoration Branch has served customers throughout Eastern Missouri and Southwestern Illinois since 1915. Commercial specialty services offered by the branch include caulking and sealants, carbon fiber reinforcement, chemical grout injection, concrete restoration, deck coatings and sealers, parking deck restoration, post-tension repair, waterproofing, and more.

Pogue is PTI Level 1 Certified through the Post-Tensioning Institute and is an active member of the Great Plains Chapter of the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI). The St. Louis Concrete Restoration Branch is the recipient of the 2017 Building Enclosure Council Waterproofing Project of the Year, CETCO Waterproofing Project of the Year in 2012 and 2017, and Great Plains ICRI Project of the Year in 2014.

Guillermo Villegas Branch Manager of Los Angeles, CA Branch

Villegas has more than 16 years of construction industry experience. He started his career at Western in 2013 when he was hired as a Project Manager at the Los Angeles Branch. He served in that position for nearly five years until he was promoted to Assistant Branch Manager in 2017, then recently appointed Branch Manager. Prior to Western, he worked as a Department Manager at JTS Construction and Modular in Bakersfield, CA and as a Project Manager for Almira Restoration & Construction in Brea, CA.

Western’s Los Angeles Branch has been serving customers throughout Southern California since 1993. The Los Angeles office specializes in building cleaning, concrete restoration, epoxy and chemical grout injection, exterior wall coatings, masonry restoration, waterproofing, historical restoration and more.

In 2019, Villegas and his team were awarded the California Preservation Foundation’s Preservation Design Award for Technology and Craftsmanship for the branch’s role in conserving the Streamline Moderne facades of the historic Saban Building in Los Angeles. Villegas is a member of BOMA and IIBEC.

About Western Specialty Contractors