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Henry David Thoreau felt that “most men lead lives of quiet desperation.” I prefer to take a different view. I believe most men and women lead lives of quiet heroism. I am seeing it every day, and it shows the character of the people we encounter in our work and in our communities.

There is an overwhelming commitment for people to just do their part, and this commitment leads them to do more in unprecedented circumstances. Certainly and justifiably, we applaud those in healthcare and our first responders. They are seeing the tragic and heartbreaking impact of this pandemic each day. Like those on the frontline of a war – which this is- what they are witnessing and experiencing may even lead to the PTSD suffered by soldiers returned from the battlefield. We hear the stories of many people on their deathbed without the opportunity to see, touch and be with their most loved ones. It must be so hard on the healthcare workers and families.

Beyond the first responders and the healthcare workers, there are the rest of us. At the very least, there are people who are doing their part by staying at home and learning how to accomplish their jobs in a new work environment. They still have all the things that have always given them purpose in their work. Others may have an entirely new challenge, as both work and families must now exist in the same space.

There are others who are far less fortunate. They have suffered a loss of income and security. They may have more doubts about the future than they’ve ever experienced before. We are all impacted by this new reality that COVID-19 has brought to our doorsteps. 

The future. What will it be like? 

Change is hard enough as it is. Change that is driven by random circumstances that cannot be rationalized is an even greater challenge. What is most difficult is a change that is brought about randomly without the security of a clear path forward. How do we deal with that? For some, especially for those quiet heroes, it means going about everyday tasks despite it all, despite what it means. 

One of the essential industries where people continue to go to work every day is construction. Concurrently, the stimulus package allows some workers to stay home and collect as much in (or more) than they would make if they were working. Many chose to remain on the job. Others have chosen to stay at home instead of risking greater exposure because of family, personal health, or household members who have compromised immune systems, etc.

This situation is certainly not the equivalent of an NYFD firefighter running up the stairs of the World Trade Center, knowing he won’t likely come down alive. Still, for those of us who are not first responders, it has some similarities.

We, the Construction Industry, have a duty to build infrastructure and be a critical part of the economy. Some answer the call to that duty with dedication and focus on what the job requires, accepting the risks of that job.

I have a nephew in Chicago who delivers pipe to construction projects. He has never been busier. There is work going on everywhere in Chicago and northwest Indiana. At home, he has a wife who is an elementary school teacher and an 18-month-old daughter. He wipes down his truck every day, after every stop, and continually uses hand sanitizer. He does this countless times a day and is very careful when he comes home at the end of each day, taking precautions to minimize the possibility he would bring the virus into the home. 

His brother is an RN who had a “Hero Lives Here” sign planted in his yard by neighbors, which he humbly dismisses as he feels he is just someone doing the job he loves. His wife and three sons are staying with her parents to ensure proper quarantining. Although they are only a short distance away, he cannot hug his boys each night. 

I maintain that both are heroes in unassuming ways. Both go about their work, accepting the risks, taking the necessary precautions, and making sacrifices to do their part.

People are quietly and humbly going about their work in the face of a global pandemic, pulling their weight and making their contributions. In Kalama

Location, Location, Location

To say that Austin Consulting is all about the location is to state the obvious. However, for Location Consultant Kyle Johnson there is more to location than meets the eye. Johnson’s real-time, in-depth information on potential site locations provides clients with the data necessary to make important site selection decisions and gives them an edge to get the project deliverables quicker than ever before.

To do this, Kyle has mastered technology tools such as ESRI, EMSI, and CoStar. The valuable information these applications provide gives Austin the tools to advise clients quickly on everything from geological information to local labor market conditions to the property listing specifics of potential locations.

ESRI

ESRI is spatial mapping software, explained Johnson, “In layman’s terms, it’s a human-made system with which you are deciding how far you are from other things in terms of physical space. Like, from this spot on the map to a river.”

Using ESRI, Johnson can see a complete picture of the physical site, including topographical information. “We can look at the contours of hills, or whether the site is flat. We also look at utility locations because the client will need access to water, electricity, gas, and sewer to be operational.”

Johnson also uses ESRI to map existing site features that will impact clients. “We can identify railroads and highways, which is helpful to our clients. But we can also locate our client’s competitors relative to a site,” Johnson added. “What other manufacturers might be nearby? We map those, too. An adequate workforce, as well as the local competition for that workforce, are always big considerations.”

That’s when Johnson will employ another software program known as EMSI. This program is a labor market analysis tool that provides Austin a valuable snapshot of the local workforce.

EMSI

EMSI analytics focuses on general population demographics like education, age, income and wages, and population and employment changes. But, said Johnson, it takes a much deeper dive into labor, specifically in determining how many people in a particular industry are employed in a specific region.

This sort of information is crucial to site selection, Johnson added. “We look for the location of a potential workforce physically. Maybe the nearest population center is within 15, 30, 45 minutes or an hour. We’re determining whether or not there are enough people to meet this facility’s needs. If they need 2,000 workers, selecting a site near a town of just 10,000 people may not provide our clients with sufficient workers to operate their facility.”

Johnson explained further, “A lot of this information is just not readily available to the average researcher. If we secure detailed data on workforce populations based on legitimate labor statistics, we can give our clients quite an advantage.”

EMSI also offers a deeper dive into workforce parameters by providing job-posting information. “We have real-time postings,” said Johnson. “So, we can tell our clients which businesses are hiring, how long it takes that employer to hire, and how many positions they’re looking to fill. Whatever info our client needs can be on the screen in front of us and presented to them in a matter of minutes.”

Costar

In addition to ESRI and EMSI, Austin has added CoStar to its technology arsenal, which Johnson described as “The property listing database. It’s what real estate brokers use.”

Thanks to CoStar, Austin’s site location team is now able to access valuable property information in a matter of minutes. “Before CoStar,” said Johnson, “Austin depended on individual communities to provide property information, which could not be delivered as quickly. “This allows us to see all the same information that a broker sees: transactions on a property, square footage of a building, how quickly it sold, how long it was on the market, and other site information. We can also learn about the acreage, how many floors the building has, and special features like the presence of a crane inside the structure. This information gives us a detailed snapshot upfront of what’s available.”

ESRI, EMSI, and CoStar have changed the landscape for Austin’s site location team, as well as for its clients. Working with these new tools is an ongoing task for Johnson. “I constantly keep an eye on new programs and technology being released to see if any of them can increase the advantage we provide to our clients in site selection.”

“I’m continually figuring out what’s going to be cost-efficient as well as beneficial for us,” he added. And most importantly, “All of this is proving to be immensely valuable to our clients. With the addition of these technologies, we are now able to provide more accurate information to clients more quickly than ever before.”

Get to Know Kyle Johnson, Location Consultant

Kyle brings over nine years of valuable experience in location, community, economic development, and real estate consulting to the Austin team. He maintains a strong background in research and redeveloping strategies for complex economic issues, including trade, supply chains, industry competitiveness, and business intelligence. Kyle has performed work in the food and beverage processing, agriculture, general manufacturing, consumer products, business services, healthcare, and public safety industries.

This article was first published in Results Magazine, a publication by The Austin Company.

Resources

• Austin Consulting Website: http://www.theaustinconsulting.com
• Results Magazine Fall/Winter 2019: https://issuu.com/theaustincompany/docs/2019_results_magazine_123119?fr=sZTliMzQxNjMxNw
• Austin Consulting Brochure: https://issuu.com/theaustincompany/docs/austin_consulting_brochure?fr=sYTg5MTQxNjMxNw

In preparation for this article, I recalled a quote I read from an Austin Board meeting sometime around 1942. At the time, Austin’s sales were peaking at $285,000,000. The company grew from a staff of 571 employees to over 49,000 employees in just two years. The quote I remembered referenced workforce shortages and then complimented the resourcefulness of our construction executives, where “you will now find ‘girls’ working on our job sites.”

What an interesting perspective on how times have changed. Austin’s historic Fort Worth Bomber plant was likely where many of these “girls” worked. Coincidentally, Fort Worth was the birthplace of the National Association of Women in Construction just eleven years later.

In 1991, I sold a project at the Denver Airport. Austin was selected by the City and County of Denver to be the architect and engineer for a hangar, cargo facility, flight kitchen, and ground support equipment facility. Instrumental in our winning this work was the advice and counsel of Ginger Evans, who was the assistant director of aviation for the airport in charge of a $16B program. Ginger was one of the most impressive, genuine, and down-to-earth professionals with whom I have ever dealt. As this was early in my career, I had no preconceptions about women in construction. After working with Ginger, I knew without a doubt that women belong in this profession.

It is encouraging to see the continued growth of women throughout our projects and our company. I recently visited the Project Palladium site with Kajima USA Chairman Nori Ohashi. Project Palladium is one of the most complex, process-heavy jobs we have undertaken since the 1980s. Giving us a complete review of the project was Site Safety Engineer Daphnie Sharp; Design Team Captain for Mechanical and Process Engineering Sara Simpson; Area Superintendent April Harmer; and Document Control Specialist Ashley Shugar. Project Controls Manager Sandi Shubert was unable to join us that day. All of these team members—these women—bear the responsibility of wearing the Austin hard hat and continuing our legacy of Results, not Excuses®. They are a strong, cohesive team dedicated to the successful completion of one of our most challenging projects.

Last quarter, we awarded our first round of value coins. Value coins go to individuals who have been recognized by their peers for living one of Austin’s values in the work they perform. Those values are: Committed to Service, Passion, Innovation, Get It Done, Team Builders, and Own It. 25 percent of those first-round coins went to female team members for exceptional dedication to their roles at Austin.

All told, Austin’s female workforce totals about 20 percent of our ranks. When I began working at Austin in the early 80s, most women in the company were in administrative, clerical, or accounting roles with an occasional architect or engineer thrown in.

Today, almost 75 percent of our female workforce are in technical or professional positions in engineering, preconstruction, construction, marketing, and accounting. And, at the mid-management level, we have many women holding leadership roles in engineering, project management, and marketing. No doubt, these rising stars will change the leadership landscape in the years to come.

The design and construction industry needs to increase its efforts to educate and attract more women to participate in the creation of buildings and infrastructure. Just as it was in 1942, workforce shortages are a challenge we face today. By necessity, this shortage will force an end to old preconceptions and create many new opportunities for women to have an increasing impact on the future of our industry.

There is no room for the old preconception that this industry is not for women. Here at Austin, it most certainly is.

Article published in Results Magazine, Winter 2019.