Building Progress

In this engaging discussion, Andrew Walters, a Senior Risk Management Consultant and former OSHA inspector, shares insights on subcontractor safety and compliance. Chris Velez, VP of Field Operations at Casey Construction, highlights effective pre-qualification strategies and the importance of clear communication on-site. Karen Brioso, Safety Director, emphasizes the need for rigorous safety onboarding and regular inspections. Together, they explore the common pitfalls in subcontractor management, the significance of job hazard analyses, and strategies for fostering long-term relationships.

Jonathan Falk, Director of Disaster Operations for the National Association of Home Builders, and Lauren VanLandingham, Director of Sales at Builders Mutual, dive deep into disaster preparedness. They discuss the crucial steps contractors must take before storms, including emergency plans and insurance clarity. Common pitfalls, like delaying preparations and misunderstanding insurance policies, are also highlighted. Jonathan shares resources available for builders, while Lauren emphasizes proactive communication with insurers to streamline recovery efforts.

Robert Dietz, Chief Economist at the National Association of Home Builders, discusses the current housing industry's challenges and opportunities. He dives into the ongoing housing deficit, explaining how population shifts impact the market. Dietz sheds light on the effects of tariffs and labor shortages while highlighting the need for workforce development. He also addresses housing affordability trends and provides insights on future mortgage rates, advising builders on material cost planning and long-term strategies.

Our team at Builders Mutual is here to protect and advance the unique needs of the contractor community. Our risk management team is hard at work day after day with our policyholders to ensure everyone who steps foot on a job-site goes home safely at the end of the day. That said, we know that sometimes accidents happen. And when they do, it can be difficult to stay calm and respond properly. With that in mind, we’ve brought in two of our Senior Risk Management Consultants to walk through the proper response to an incident on the job-site. Michelle Fox and Alex Terrier are here to discuss the steps you should take if an accident occurs on the job-site, advice to follow to ensure the process following the incident goes as smoothly as possible, and some tips to ensure nothing like that happens again.

In 2014, Builders Mutual helped lead the creation of the Job-Site Safety Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to conducting safety research for residential and commercial job sites. Since its inception, JSI has funded significant research and educational tool development through grants with local, state, and national partners. On today’s episode, we’re joined by Builders Mutual CEO Mike Gerber and JSI Executive Director Rob Matuga, who help explain how the idea for JSI came together, what projects have been funded and what else is currently in the pipeline, and what the future of the organization looks like.

We like to say that when it comes to keeping anyone who steps foot on a job-site safe, it is everyone’s responsibility. But who is everyone? Yes, at Builders Mutual our experts train and provide knowledge about job-site safety. We encourage contractors to promote a culture of safety and their workers to follow those guidelines. But what about the tools those workers are using? Are they being designed with safety in mind? What role do these manufacturers play in creating safer job-sites for workers? In this episode of Building Progress, we look for answers to those questions from our guests, Paul Lagerstedt from Super Anchor Safety, Dave Francis from Little Giant Ladder Systems, and Connor Crook from Diamondback Tool.

There’s no way to remove all the risks associated with construction, but Builders Mutual is giving it our best effort. Our purpose is to protect and advance the unique needs of the contractor community, and we are hopeful this episode will do just that. We’ll take a look at four of the most common safety mistakes on the job-site, sitting down with Builders Mutual Senior Risk Management Consultants Andrew Walters and Michelle Fox to find out why these mistakes happen so frequently and what we can do to ensure job-sites are taking the necessary steps to fix these issues.  

Have you always wanted to go out on your own? Thinking about taking the leap to start your own business? On this episode of Building Progress, we talk to two Builders Mutual policyholders who did just that. Carlos and Christina Calzadilla of SunSouth Carolinas and Ron Mitchell of MB Drywall join us to share what led to them starting their own business, the challenges they faced along the way, and advice they’d give to someone looking to get started.

In this special episode of the Building Progress podcast, we share a live recording from the North Carolina Home Builders Association’s Women in Construction panel. “Breaking the Concrete Ceiling” took place on the final day of the NCHBA’s 21st Century Building Expo and Conference and featured a celebration of women in the industry. The panel was moderated by the President of Brookline Homes, Andi Dirkschneider Bliss, and featured three leading women in building – 2023 NAHB Chairman Alicia Huey, author of “The House That She Built” Mollie Elkman, and the CEO and Founder of Hope Renovations and 2022 NAHB Woman of the Year, Nora El-Khouri Spencer. They discussed how they all got into the industry, what needs to happen to get more women involved in building, who inspires them, and much more.

How are businesses tackling current challenges and changing the way they work? What are some of the latest trends we see as the industry evolves? And what will the industry look like as we move into the future? In this episode, host Katie Mariani gets answers to those questions and much more from Builders Mutual Executive Advisor Bill Schaffner and the Co-Founder and CEO of Plantd, Josh Dorfman. Bill has spent his entire career in the industry and specializes in focusing on what’s happening in the world of construction, and Josh’s company manufactures carbon-negative building materials in an attempt to push the industry forward while protecting the planet.