Every job candidate has a set of hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills can be trained, but soft skills are natural inclinations that are difficult to teach. This episode explores how the soft skills that veterans have cultivated in their service career translate well to working in the construction industry. Our guests are from a familiar company, 84 Lumber, and today Joe Jena and Jason Hinsken join us to share how 84 Lumber has thrived by recruiting veterans and retaining them through offering a true career path where they can rise through the ranks.

Show highlights include:

• 00:30 Introduction to 84 Lumber and Guests

• 02:30 Personal Journeys: From Military to 84 Lumber

• 05:30 The Culture of 84 Lumber: A Family Atmosphere

• 07:25 Recruitment Strategies: Attracting the Right Talent

• 09:20 Identifying the Right Candidates: Traits and Skills

• 14:50 The Value of Hiring Veterans

• 17:20 Differences Between Military and Civilian Work Environments

• 20:30 Advice for Small Builders: Attracting Veterans

• 24:40 Opportunities for Veterans in Construction

• 29:45 Looking Ahead: Future Growth and Personal Aspirations

You can learn more about Joe and Jason at https://www.84lumber.com/.

Social media:

Instagram

Joe’s LinkedIn

Jason’s LinkedIn

Or hit us through our Contact Page at https://buildernuggets.com and we’ll make a personal introduction.

To get the most out of this podcast, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.

HVAC design and indoor environmental quality is an often overlooked part of home design and construction. Code continues to sluggishly push forward, but doesn’t reach a high standard for comfort and efficiency in most home builds. Today’s guest is the founder and lead engineer of TE2 Engineering and he works diligently to educate others about how to design beyond code. Ross Trethewey joins us to discuss the key elements of HVAC design, the benefit of heat pumps, and what new technologies are going to drastically change the industry in the near future.

Show highlights include:

• 03;55 Introduction and Background

• 06:35 Building Science and HVAC Design

• 8:30 Indoor Environmental Quality and Comfort

• 11:00 What drives code? Efficiency vs Comfort

• 21:00 The Benefits and Future of Heat Pumps

• 30:00 Emerging Technologies in HVAC Design

• 32:50 Geothermal Systems and Solar Integration

• 34:45 What’s coming up next and how to connect

You can learn more about Ross at https://te2engineering.com/.

Social media:

Instagram

Twitter

LinkedIn

Or hit us through our Contact Page at https://buildernuggets.com and we’ll make a personal introduction.

To get the most out of this podcast, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.

Today’s guest shares his journey from the family chocolate business to becoming a sought-after builder in Rhode Island. Jeff Sweenor, founder of Sweenor Builders, delves into the evolution of his business, the importance of intentional client selection, and the transformation of his company culture. This has led to attracting and retaining talented individuals and an incredible opportunity to be involved with This Old House. Through over 30 years of challenges and obstacles, Jeff has learned most lessons that any successful builder has to learn. Listen in and you can learn them too.

Show highlights include:

• 03:10 The Journey of Sweenor Builders

• 08:40 Intentional Client Selection: The Key to Building Success

• 12:35 Determining your ideal client

• 15:45 Where does the budget come from?

• 19:15 How to choose your projects?

• 20:55 Ways the business has changed

• 23:00 The Role of a Chief Performance Officer

• 26:00 The Negative Impact of Being Too Nice

• 32:45 Elevating the Workforce for Talent Attraction

• 38:00 This Old House

• 43:30 The best advice - use social media

• 46:35 What’s coming up next and how to connect

You can learn more about Jeff at https://sweenorbuilders.com.

Social media:

Instagram

Or hit us through our Contact Page at https://buildernuggets.com and we’ll make a personal introduction.

To get the most out of this podcast, head over to https://buildernuggets.com and join our active community of like-minded builders and remodelers.