MESSAGE FROM THE CONSTRUCTION EXCHANGE OF BUFFALO AND WESTERN NEW YORK CHAIRWOMAN, NICOLE SAVAGE

As I write this, it is early March and it’s getting closer to spring here in WNY… well, we think it is… it might be third winter first… but while we trudge our way through the rest of whichever winter number we’re on, the weather here teaches us valuable lessons: patience, flexibility and how to flow with change while trusting that each new season will come.

By the time you’re all reading this in May, we will be in the full swing of construction season. We rub our eyes and come out of partial hibernation. We begrudgingly return from Florida (or wherever else we’ve escaped to). We put away our skis and close the chalets, and we shift gears back to “go” mode. This is our season. It’s what we wait for and plan for year after year. It’s where we thrive, but I’d like to invite you to remember the lessons of winter as we dive headfirst into the busy season: there is still a place for patience, flexibility and flow, especially in the current environment where we are tasked with the same number of projects (or maybe more) but with fewer experienced people to complete them.

It is a time for patience with people and understanding that everyone wants to perform well. It is a time for transparency around the realities of what we can do and by when. It is a time for open communication between all parties in our industry on how we’re shifting to make things happen. The ability to clearly define expectations will be at the core of what we can accomplish. It is a time for consideration toward one another as we navigate teaching and training new people while still producing amazing projects. Flexibility will be an important skill for us to develop and maintain while we move forward, as we all know that the rigid pipe breaks first.

I believe those who can master these skills will find themselves flowing with inevitable change most easily, and the ones who can afford themselves the same patience, grace and flexibility that they give to those around them will be able to thrive the most peacefully. Imagine that: a successful construction season with amazing and exciting projects and being able to manage it peacefully.

As a nod to my article from last year, collaboration is extremely helpful in allowing us to experience a successful building season. The Construction Exchange has many offerings that can help member companies thrive no matter the time of year, from the plan room to ConExU, to the RISEUP initiative that harnesses the power of the mentor relationship for newcomers to our industry. We have several committees of dedicated people who bring their love of construction to the table with the goal of improving the industry from the inside out. The Exchange continually assesses new ways in which we can support our members, and the best way we can do this is through feedback directly from you, so please get engaged: attend the events, join a committee, volunteer to help at an event, introduce yourself to the fine staff at the Exchange in person… or email a current member to ask about how the Exchange can support you. I am always reachable at nicole@nwcontracting.com.

Let’s get out there and build!

Sincerely,

Nicole Savage, Chairwoman, Construction Exchange of Buffalo & WNY

For the past 37 years, Scott Lawn Yard has established itself as a multi-faceted site construction company offering a wide range of services from land clearing to landscaping and everything in between.

Scott Lawn Yard provides a wide variety of services including earthwork, water and sewer line installation, building foundation preparation, parking lot and roadway construction, landscaping, concrete, asphalt paving, and FEMA disaster response.

Our services are primarily aimed at municipalities, public agencies, developers, and general contractors. From small commercial landscape installations to multi-million dollar full site construction packages Scott Lawn Yard is able to deliver quality service from the groundbreaking to the ribbon cutting.

Chairwoman Nicole Savage NW Contracting