Digging – Emphasizing Safety, Featuring Mindy Uber, Sr. EHS Director at Skanska

The Future of Heavy Civil Construction: Talent, Technology & TransformationEpisode NotesIn this episode, Taylor Maurer sits down with Allan Maio, an experienced leader, consultant, and advocate in the building materials and construction industry, for a wide-ranging conversation about the forces shaping the future of Heavy Civil Construction.Allan shares the story of how a civil engineering degree from Auburn University led him into the building materials industry after he spotted a concrete mixer and decided to make a proactive call looking for work. From starting as a management trainee at Rinker Materials to leading operations at CRH and gaining international experience, Allan offers valuable perspective on how the industry has evolved over three decades.The conversation explores one of the industry's biggest challenges: the workforce shortage. Allan discusses the need to attract new talent, the growing importance of trade schools, and why skilled positions such as heavy diesel mechanics and welders will remain essential despite the rapid adoption of AI and automation.Taylor and Allan also discuss how technology is changing the industry, including autonomous equipment, remote operating centers, digital transformation, AI, and renewable energy.In This Episode, We Discuss:Allan's journey from civil engineering graduate to construction materials industry leaderHow a concrete mixer helped launch his careerThe importance of being proactive when looking for career opportunitiesWhy construction has struggled with its public image and perceptionThe growing opportunities available through trade schools and skilled tradesThe construction industry's workforce shortage and looming retirementsWhy heavy diesel mechanics, welders, and skilled tradespeople are in high demandHow AI and automation will change—not necessarily replace—construction jobsSalary growth and compensation trends in construction materialsThe evolution of employee expectations and workplace cultureBurnout, overtime, safety, and employee retentionThe changing role of Millennials and Gen X in construction leadershipInternational investment and M&A activity in U.S. building materialsVertical integration and controlling the construction materials supply chainThe impact of tariffs, diesel prices, and equipment costsOnshoring, forward purchasing, and supply-chain strategiesRenewable energy and the industry's move toward lower energy consumptionAutonomous mining and innovative technologiesThe impact of data centers and other megaprojects on construction demandThe importance of trade organizations and professional networkingWhy blue-collar professionals need a stronger voice in industry organizationsThe importance of mentorship, curiosity, and being willing to learnHow companies can improve their approach to talent acquisition and employer brandingWhy job descriptions alone aren't enough to attract today's candidatesThe importance of maintaining an evergreen candidate pipeline

In this inspiring episode, Taylor sits down with Matthew Snowden of The Mahoney Group to explore his unconventional journey into the world of surety and bonding. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Matthew shares how he transitioned from a career in banking to insurance, the lessons he learned from being fired in his first insurance role, and how resilience and determination led him to start his own successful agency.Matthew opens up about the challenges of entrepreneurship, balancing personal life during high-stress moments, and the strategic decisions that eventually allowed him to sell his business while continuing to thrive in the industry. Listeners will gain valuable insights into financial services, risk management, and the mindset needed to turn setbacks into opportunities.Whether you’re navigating a career transition, building your own business, or interested in the intricacies of surety and bonding, this episode is full of lessons on perseverance, strategy, and growth.www.hcrc.us (828) 515-4272

In this episode of Digging In, host Taylor Mauer sits down with Lonnie Morlock, a seasoned construction leader, coach, and founder of Morlock Motivational. With over 40 years of field experience—including a successful career at Kiewit—Lonnie has made it his mission to transform project supervisors into high-performing leaders.From growing up in a multi-generational construction family to riding scrapers as a kid under the Shasta River Bridge, Lonnie’s story is one of grit, purpose, and a deep-rooted passion for the industry. Taylor and Lonnie discuss the foundations of leadership, the challenges of managing teams in high-stakes environments, and the key principles behind Lonnie’s new book What Makes Your Team Tick?If you’re in construction leadership—or aspire to be—this episode is packed with insight into how to build strong teams, create lasting culture, and lead with purpose.

We were happy to have Mindy Uber, Senior EHS director with Skanska as our featured guest for this episode. We were able to dive in to the importance of emphasizing safety in the industry, and how much of an impact it can really have in making construction a better market for everyone to work in.Skanska Website: https://www.usa.skanska.com/Music by Josh Roberts at www.joshroberts.comAdditional sound effects provided by www.zapsplat.comwww.hcrc.us(828) 515-4272

This week we feature Matt Graves founder of the Construction Yeti featuring blogs and podcasts focusing on the construction industry. We specifically wanted to feature a list Matt put together "25 Hacks to Win as a Young Construction Professional in 2023" which is just brilliant. You can find Matt's website here; https://constructionyeti.substack.com/ You can also view the full 25 Hacks on his website here: https://constructionyeti.substack.com/https://constructionyeti.substack.com/p/construction-curiosities-49Music by Josh Roberts at www.joshroberts.comAdditional sound effects provided by www.zapsplat.comwww.hcrc.us(828) 515-4272

Owner of Written Resumes/NASA Senior Technical Writer Christine Brown joined us to discuss crafting resumes across any industry, while addressing some of the common mistakes found in resumes. We addressed specific common issues with construction resumes, and found solutions in how to best avoid them. Written Resumes Website: http://writtenresumes.com/Christine Brown's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-brown-writer/Music by Josh Roberts at www.joshroberts.comAdditional sound effects provided by www.zapsplat.comwww.hcrc.us828-515-4272

Granite Construction’s Vice President of People & Culture joined us to discuss Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DE&I) in the industry, and the ideas behind inclusion and acceptance of all people in the industry. Jorge highlighted the differences between DE&I between construction and other industries, and how the industry is beginning to move in the right direction. Below, we have linked the podcast Jorge co-hosts, “Construction DEI Talks,” as well as his LinkedIn if you want to get in touch with him.Construction DEI Talks: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/construction-dei-talks/id1591246234Jorge Quezada's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jquezada/Music by Josh Roberts at www.joshroberts.comAdditional sound effects provided by www.zapsplat.comwww.hcrc.us828-515-4272

ESOP programs produce a work environment of high retention and mutual respect throughout the company. Martindale & Robyn Feezel of McCarthy Building Companies explain their ESOP program, and how it has been so instrumental for fostering this environment.Here is the McCarthy website: https://www.mccarthy.com/Music by Josh Roberts at www.joshroberts.comAdditional sound effects provided by www.zapsplat.comwww.hcrc.us828-515-4272

How can employer branding be so critical to the operations of a company? In this podcast, our guest, Bryan Adams of Ph.Creative goes over how the ideal brand should be crafted, and the results one can expect from that.Here is the Ph.Creative website: https://www.ph-creative.com/Here is a link to Ph.Creative's Sprint Series: https://www.ph-creative.com/sprint-series/Music by Josh Roberts at www.joshroberts.comAdditional sound effects provided by www.zapsplat.comwww.hcrc.us828-515-4272

What’s the state of America’s infrastructure? Our guest this episode, Darren Olson, the Co-Chair for the ASCE Infrastructure Report Card will help us answer that. Darren helps us dive into the report card, what it means for the construction industry and the country, as well as how the current Biden infrastructure plan could impact the overall grade of infrastructure in the United States. A big thank you to Darren for joining us for this podcast, it was very insightful.Here is the ASCE’s website: https://www.asce.org/Here is a link to the ASCE Report Card: https://infrastructurereportcard.org/Music by Josh Roberts at www.joshroberts.comAdditional sound effects provided by www.zapsplat.comwww.hcrc.us828-515-4272