Bridging the Gap: Insights & Innovations in Construction

When you attend a jam-packed conference (like MEP Force), you have watched all the keynotes, attended your favorite breakout sessions, and hopped on a Zoom call for networking, how do you keep the conversation moving forward after the event ends? Rob McKinney, Nathan Wood, Travis Voss, and James Simpson have joined Todd Weyandt on the Bridging the Gap Podcast again to answer this very question.  The answer is so simple that it might surprise you.  Tune in to this episode to see how to push the momentum of a changing industry forward and get an in-depth recap of the final day of MEP Force 2020. Check out the previous two episodes to catch up on the first two days of the conference.

What do get when you pack over 200 industry professionals into one Zoom meeting? If you guessed 'have a virtual party', 'create an amazing conversation', 'push the industry forward', 'get a cooking demonstration', 'learn BBQ tips from a professional', or 'learn a new margarita recipe', you'd be correct!  In this episode we too a look at Day 2 of MEP Force 2020 on the Bridging the Gap Podcast. This special episode took place during a Virtual House Party. If you have attended MEP Force in person, then you know that the Block Party is one of the best parts of the whole event. Since we have a virtual conference this year, we switched it up a little bit. We featured a round table from some industry and podcast veterans: Rob McKinney, Nathan Wood, Travis Voss, and James Simpson, and the conversation that unfolded from there was nothing short of amazing.  As the conversation kicked off, other special guests joined in, including: Kyle Speropoulous of MMC Contractors, Darren Young of Hermanson Company, Jeff Sample of eSUB, Jason Barber of Manufacton, Travis Althouse and Mark T. Jones of Revizto, Tim Vock of Gibson Electric Co, Saeed Eslami of VisualLive.  Amy Marks of Autodesk, David Francis of ICT Tracker, Mike Zivanovic, Jason Ashburn, Ken Schneider of UA-ITF and Phil Nimmo of MCA also received shout outs from the crowd.  Make sure to check out the recap from day 1 of the conference and don't miss the story from day 3 tomorrow!

LIVE: A look at Day 1 of MEP Force 2020 on the Bridging the Gap Podcast. This special episode features a round table from some industry and podcast veterans: Rob McKinney, Nathan Wood, Travis Voss, and James Simpson. They unpack the biggest trends and conversations coming out of the conference and the trades. Two of our biggest takeaways? 1) Tons of folks in the industry (1300 of them!) are hungry to network and connect. 2) Amy Marks' Keynote, The Rise of the Subcontractor struck a chord with listeners across the globe. Some more about the amazing panel joining us this week:  As the Executive Director of the Construction Progress Coalition and host of the #SharedPains Podcast, Nathan Wood understands how rewarding the design and construction process can be when technology and culture embrace a new era of innovation.  Known as the ConAppGuru and a co-host on the ConTech Crew Podcast, Rob McKinney is a self-taught construction technologist who began his construction career as the Safety Director for JM Wilkerson Construction. He is now on a mission to educate the industry about the uses for new apps and technology on projects.  As the Product Manager for eVolve Mechanical, James Simpson has a passion for driving innovation utilizing ConTech applications. He has a self-proclaimed “OCD for innovation” and is leading the charge in revolutionizing the industry as well as developing all those in it.  As the Leader of Innovative Technology at Mechanical, Inc., Travis Voss uses his background in the tech field to explore, adapt and perhaps develop technologies and workflows for the construction industry as I thrust into its digital transformation.  Stay tuned as we unpack day 2 and 3 of this great conference.

Join host Todd and Nathan Kirchner of as they discuss the intricacies of tracking AI software, situational awareness, and the issues of safety and work vs. idealization. Also, learn more about three things that matter when it comes to AI: vigilance, reliability, and consistency.  Nathan Kirchner is the Founder and CTO at Presien - a cutting edge AI vision systems, a Special Advisor for Robotics, Ventures at one of the world’s largest private construction companies, a Director of the Robotics Australia Group peak body, and sits on the Advisory Board of Queensland Robotics. He is an active academic researcher in robotics as an Honorary Professor at both the University of Technology Sydney and at Ohio State University. Previously to this he served multiple academic appointments at Stanford University. Dr Kirchner's specialty is uncovering and imagining opportunities for emergent robotics & future technologies in the real world and forging viable R&D to Deployment (R&D2D) pathways to their realization.

Join host Todd and guest Lt. General Robert “Bob” Caslen, Jr., president of the University of South Carolina, as they discuss the importance of character in leadership. Through Caslen’s time in the military, he has seen all kinds of leaders up close. Todd and Bob talk through the need to consistently perform to the upper level of your potential, and how to develop the leadership traits that are best suited to you. Learn more about the importance of character, determination, values and how that reflects on the people you lead. Lt. General Robert Caslen, Jr. has been serving the people of South Carolina as president of their flagship university, the University of South Carolina, and president of the University of South Carolina System. He is the former Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and his principal mission was to build leaders and leaders of character. He has worked in strategic planning and policy formulation and in executive management implementing strategic plans. He is a retired general officer of the U.S. Army, and he served on NCAA Division 1 Board of Directors and Board of Governors. He also served as Co-Chair of the Commission to Eliminate Sexual Violence on College Campuses.   Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating and/or review and follow up our social accounts.     Podcast listeners can register for MEP Force Virtual for ONLY $99 with the code BTG99. Register Today.   Sign up for newsletter Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Instagram Bridging the Gap Podcast Website Todd’s LinkedIn   Thank you to our sponsors! Applied Software Applied Software LinkedIn   Other Relevant Links: Preorder Bob’s Book “The Character Edge: Leading and Winning with Integrity”

Join host Todd and guests “Queen of Prefab” Amy Marks of Autodesk, David Evans of Starr Electric, and Bob Snyder of Binsky and Snyder as they discuss misconceptions about prefabrication, increasing lack of labor and complexity of design, and what productization has to do with the rise of the subcontractor. Learn more about how education and proof of existence is changing the mindset around prefabrication, achieving longevity in the industry, and the new Industrial Revolution. Want to hear more from Amy Marks? You can at MEP Force 2020. She will be the featured keynote on August 31st. Register today. Amy Marks is the head of industrialized construction strategy and evangelism at Autodesk; she is known throughout the construction industry as the "Queen of Prefab." A graduate of the University of Florida and an alumna of Harvard Business School, Marks is the former CEO of XSite Modular, a leading prefabrication consultancy and design-builder of critical infrastructure buildings. As a prefabrication consultant, she defined the language and process that is adopted by companies, countries, and builders around the world. David Evans is a Senior Vice President for Starr Electric Company, Inc. and a 25-year construction industry veteran. David helped found the modular division at Starr Electric Company and has helped create new techniques in prefabrication and modular construction such as interior and exterior electrical rooms, power skids, battery storage, and other electrical modular capabilities. David is a licensed general contractor and brings an expanded way of modular thinking to Starr Electric Company.   Bob Snyder is the CEO of Binsky and Snyder. As a fourth-generation owner, Bob has worked and been involved in the mechanical contracting industry since his youth. As a graduate engineer, Bob has strong technical and design aptitude and has a vast understanding of both conceptual and technical aspects of mechanical systems. Bob has devoted significant time to the Mechanical Contracting Association of New Jersey and Industry Council, currently sits on the Board of Directors, and holds the position of Secretary/Treasurer. In addition, Bob has served as a Trustee on Plumbers Local 24 and currently on Pipefitters Local 475.   Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating and/or review and follow up our social accounts.     Podcast listeners can register for MEP Force Virtual for ONLY $99 with the code BTG99. Register Today.   Sign up for newsletter Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Instagram Bridging the Gap Podcast Website Todd’s LinkedIn   Thank you to our sponsors! Applied Software Applied Software LinkedIn   Other Relevant Links: Amy’s LinkedIn Autodesk Construction Cloud Starr Electric Company Binsky & Snyder  

What does optimal performance look like for construction? What about your company? What steps will ensure everyone is on the same page while working on a project? Join host Todd and guest Clay Smith of eVolve MEP as they discuss the need for proper information flow in an organization, flattening and streamlining the communication process, and the danger in “flying blind” while on the jobsite. In addition, Todd and Clay discuss what’s in store for MEP Force—and what you can expect from it now that it’s virtual. Clay Smith is the CEO of eVolve MEP and the COO of Applied Software. He has been successful in delivering outstanding results in operations, software development, and technical consulting. He thrives in leading high-growth, cloud-based, and disruptive businesses that blend a customer-centric vision with strong technology innovation. With a focus on results and relationships, he is skilled in expanding business ventures quickly while at the same time building winning cultures that create sustainable results.   Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating and/or review and follow up our social accounts.     Podcast listeners can register for MEP Force Virtual for ONLY $99 with the code BTG99. Register Today.   Sign up for newsletter Follow us on LinkedIn Bridging the Gap Podcast Website Todd’s LinkedIn   Thank you to our sponsors! Applied Software Applied Software LinkedIn   Other Relevant Links: eVolve MEP Website Clay Smith’s Linkedin

The MEP industry is full of grit but can it be used as a springboard for innovation? How can grit help lead to success in the industry? What should the combination of youthful energy, technical knowledge and real-world experience look like? Join host and guest James Simpson of eVolve MEP as they unpack the grit needed for success in MEP. Listen to James’ story on how he started full time in MEP at 16 years old and the lessons learned along the way. James Simpson is the Mechanical Product Manager at eVolve MEP. He has gained valuable experience in all sections of the industry. From within Field Installation, VDC, DFMA, and even application development, he has led teams in bettering workflows. His current passion is driving innovation utilizing ConTech applications. He also shares his expertise in his industry blog BIM² in an effort to promote growth in the field as a whole. Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating and/or review and follow up our social accounts.     Podcast listeners can register for MEP Force Virtual for ONLY $99 with the code BTG99. Register Today.   Sign up for newsletter Follow us on LinkedIn Bridging the Gap Podcast Website Todd’s LinkedIn   Thank you to our sponsors! Applied Software Applied Software LinkedIn   Other Relevant Links: James Simpson’s LinkedIn eVolve MEP Website

Join Todd for this exclusive interview episode unpacking the recently announced partnership between Autodesk, eVolve MEP and GTP Services to form a more comprehensive fabrication workflow that will enable MEP contractors to more easily adopt Building Information Modeling (BIM) Autodesk software products and workflows. Listen to Steve Butler, Sr. Industry Strategy Manager of MEP Design and Fabrication at Autodesk, Clay Smith, CEO of eVolve MEP and Amanda Comunale, COO of GTP Services, as they unpack how the partnership will help contractors create safer environments, allow more projects to be completed on time, combat the skilled labor shortage and increase overall project efficiency and profitability.   Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating and/or review and follow up our social accounts. 

Let’s face it, the world has changed over the last few months between remote work, zoom meetings, safety requirements and more. How is the COVID aftermath affecting you, your company and the construction industry as a whole? Todd welcomes back Mark Oden of BIM Designsto discuss what’s changed in the past six months, the importance of self-care, encouraging communication and collaboration, and what’s going on in the world of prefabrication. Mark Oden is the CEO of BIM Designs. He joined the BIM Designs team with over 10 years of experience working with Silicon Valley tech companies in product management, business development, mergers and acquisitions, and CxO roles. He successfully launched several startups and directly consulted several more through their early stages of development and fundraising. Mark leads the growth, strategy and execution of the company; his acute ability to develop and implement strategic processes that scale the company's capabilities drives efficient service delivery, increases client satisfaction, and builds cross-functional teams. Mark received his master’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Florida. Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating and/or review and follow up our social accounts.