Page 5 - DCA Construction Excellence Awards 2024

state’s contractors so their employees can keep Delaware state taxpayers’ dollars in Delaware. Another important goal for DCA is increasing our membership. DCA staff and board members have been discussing an idea that I would like to expand upon, which is getting legacy members to take on a new member and engage them in the organization. DCA’s goal is to provide services, contacts, and connections for all members to increase Delaware’s construction economy.
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YOU ALSO LEAD A BUSINESS OF YOUR OWN — SCHLOSSER & ASSOCIATES — WHICH IS CELEBRATING 70 YEARS IN 2024. WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS FOSTERED THAT LONGEVITY FOR THE BUSINESS?
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THERE’S LONG BEEN A BIT OF A GENERATIONAL ISSUE IN CONSTRUCTION WHERE A LOT OF WORKERS ARE RETIRING AND THOSE POSITIONS AREN’T NECESSARILY BEING FILLED QUICKLY ENOUGH. WHERE
DO YOU SEE DCA’S ROLE IN ADDRESSING THAT?
I have always told my kids that if you wake
up every morning and you enjoy what you are doing, you will be successful. I enjoy helping our customers and working with our associates.
We could not do anything without our skilled team of associates. They are critical to what we do and help our customers by providing viable solutions to their problems. We have an initiative at Schlosser called the Schlosser Way — it is a game that is based on a football grid. You can gain or lose yards based on customer referrals, feedback, and other metrics. It is an effective way to help our associates realize how important our customers are.
Looking forward, Schlosser has the third generation working here now. My wife Garnet — whose father started the business in 1954 — and I are second-generation owners.
Our three sons also work here. Our youngest son Justin was attending UD until COVID and he did not want to continue under those conditions. He decided to enter the State of Delaware apprentice program instead. He has finished
the program and is one of our commercial estimators.
Our oldest son Zach was a senior engineer at Siemens and recently joined us as operations manager. He and his wife had their first child
a year and a half ago and realized the family business was a good way to provide for their family. Our middle son Chris is also working in estimating. With this future leadership and our impressive team of associates, our future looks bright!
For the DCA membership, we have a thriving Young Executives Committee that coordinates events, such as our annual crab feast. They network to make sure younger members are involved. DCA wants the next generation of leaders coming up through the ranks and aspiring to officers’ positions.
DCA is heavily involved in workforce development initiatives in the State of Delaware. Our staff and board members are passionate about improving opportunities in the state for students and adults to gain access to a wide variety of industry positions. DCA and its members also participate in events like the Governor’s Career Expo that brings busloads
of kids to a site where they can enjoy firsthand experiences that will hopefully spark a passion for our industry.
I have had the privilege of speaking directly to students at vocational schools about construction career opportunities in Delaware. We are trying to educate students and their parents to realize that the trades are a wonderful opportunity for somebody who might not choose to go to college, likes working with their hands, and wants to experience a sense of pride from building something. While speaking with the students, I share the April 2022 joint article by Bryon Short of DCA and Ed Capodanno of ABC that gives industry statistics. It shows average annual salaries before overtime, incentives, and benefits. Boilermakers make $58,856, HVAC professionals $42,026, and electricians $57,741 — most Delaware construction industry workers are making more than that, especially if you are working on state projects. We have workers making $100,000 a year or more, which is close to what your local pharmacist makes, and they went to college for six to eight years. Entering the trades has many benefits — no school debt, learning valuable skills that you can use at work or home, and room for career diversity and growth.
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WHERE DO YOU SEE THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY A DECADE FROM NOW?
COVID has caused some problems with commercial construction. The question is, are people going to continue to work from home
or come back to work? That is going to drive
new building for commercial spaces. There
will always be a need for hospitals, schools, universities, and companies needing research and development space, production areas, and warehousing. Overall, I think the construction industry has a positive outlook. Delaware is fairly good when it comes to state taxes, so we provide a great opportunity for companies to come here and build a future.
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