2026: Industry Lookahead

In this episode, Jason Rentmeester and Kari Aufrere from KA join to talk about Veteran's Day, Beyond the Yellow Ribbon, and giving back to those who gave the most this holiday season. Jason is a military veteran who is active with the Hugo, MN chapter of BTYR.  Beyond the Yellow Ribbon works to provide Minnesota's military veterans, service members, and families with a comprehensive community and corporate support network. Certain chapters, like the one in Hugo, host a Secret Santa program in which network volunteers adopt a veteran family and provide them with holiday gifts.   Listen and explore how this program benefits our veterans and KA's history with Beyong the Yellow Ribbon! And happy Veteran's Day to all our service members and their families; thank you for all you've given.  

Welcome to this special crossover episode of Build Me Up and the Truelens Podcast! Kaitlin and Ann sit down with Kraus-Anderson's Joe McCormick to discuss what it takes to build the highest-performing AV spaces possible. As the assistant project manager who worked on the studio we're recording in, Joe shares what makes the perfect recording studio, special construction considerations, and how municipalities can benefit from building their own studio spaces. 

Content warning: This episode contains conversation about suicide and mental health On this month's episode of Build Me Up, the team from SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education) sits down with us to discuss a vitally important issue that especially impacts the built marketplace. Mental health struggles abound in the construction industry. Construction employees are 4 times more likely to die by suicide than any other profession. The goal of SAVE and their IBEAM program is to decrease this number and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.   SAVE is the beneficiary of this year's annual Sporting Change pickleball tournament fundraiser, put on by the Kraus-Anderson Community Foundation. Together, we are hoping to reshape what wellbeing looks like in the construction industry and beyond, and to raise funds for an important cause while having fun!   Guests: Erich Mische- CEO, SAVE, Gretchen Saffert- Program Development Manager, SAVE and Jen Owens- Director of Programs, SAVE 

Straying from our usual podcast format, today we're bringing you an inside look at the first ever Kraus-Anderson AI Symposium! Hosted by Comport, the AI Symposium was designed to bring forward-thinking  executives and industry leaders from around the twin cities area to discuss how AI is reshaping business. In addition to presentations from St. Thomas University's Manjeet Rege and Autodesk's Prakash Kota, Kraus-Anderson CIO Tony Peleska hosted 4 panelists from various industries. In this episode, we hear the discussion hosted by these panelists: Andrea Ciccolini - API Group, Robin Brown - Cirrus Aircraft, Teddy Bekele - Land O' Lakes, John Avenson – Minnesota Twins.

(For video version, visit https://www.youtube.com/user/KrausAnderson) Hello and welcome to Build Me Up! Today we're digging into AI, specifically AI in the tribal gaming world. Our guests today recently attended the Indian Gaming Association Trade Show and Convention, one of the largest gatherings of tribal leaders and casino executives in the country. This conference offers a meeting place where the community gathers to learn, network and exchange industry-specific ideas, as well as a cultural celebration of Native American success, strength and self-reliance.  Episode guests: Bryon Miller (CEO, S&K Gaming), George Trujillo (Director, Project Planning and Development KA) and Tony Peleska (Chief Information Officer KA)

(For video version, visit https://www.youtube.com/user/KrausAnderson) Welcome to Build Me Up with Laurisa and Kaitlin from Kraus-Anderson! Earth Day is upon us, and we are taking a deep dive into one of our most sustainable, unique projects as of late: the Washington County Central Service Center, a mass timber building in Woodbury, MN.   Yep, unlike many construction projects going up today, this building is largely made of wood! Joining us to talk about how mass timber could be a financial and environmental benefit for your organization's next project are Erik Jalowitz, Washington County Building Services Manager, Julie MacLeod and Ernesto Ruiz-Garcia of Alliance Architects, and Ken Francois, Project Manager at KA.  

Hello and welcome to Build Me Up! This month we have the exciting opportunity to celebrate Women In Construction Week. Women make up just about 10% of the construction workforce. Today, we are joined by four of these women; from project managers to interns to executives, there's something they can teach every one of us in this industry! 

Welcome to Build Me Up with Laurisa and Kaitlin from Kraus-Anderson! Today we are joined by three facility experts: Erik Krause, Director Regional Facilities Hospital Operations at Allina Health; Tim Kittila, KA's inhouse expert on facility planning and analysis; and Mike Stark, KA's director of growth and strategy. As the title suggests, today we will be focusing on how proactive facility planning and management can save building owners time and money in the long run. The questions and topics discussed today are pulled from real-world experience, feedback, and questions we are receiving from our clients on a daily basis.  

Welcome back for Season 8 of "Build Me Up" with Laurisa and Kaitlin from Kraus-Anderson! Back for the 6th year in a row is FMI's Partner and Managing Director of Research and Analytics, Jay Bowman. KA's EVP and COO Rich Jacobson joins us as well to discuss where the new year will bring the built market. Jay specializes in construction spending forecasts, strategic planning, and research and analytics for the A/C/E industry, while Rich gives a more local, close-to-home perspective.    

Welcome to "Build Me Up" with Laurisa and Kaitlin from Kraus-Anderson! Pre-Design is a term buzzing around our office because of its proven effectiveness when it comes to cost savings and enhanced collaboration. Today, we've invited two of KA's preconstruction experts: Nate Enger, director of DPM, and Kevin Bright, sustainability manager, to discuss how pre-design services are re-shaping the traditional construction delivery model.