GRATITUDE AND HUMILITY: A CONVERSATION WITH INTECH FOUNDER CRAIG ‘SAB’ SABATINO

GRATITUDE AND HUMILITY: A CONVERSATION WITH INTECH FOUNDER CRAIG ‘SAB’ SABATINO

BY AMANDA GIBNEY WEKO, PRINCIPAL | AGW COMMUNICATIONS

In January, INTECH Construction, LLC announced that Craig “Sab” Sabatino had transitioned into the role of Chairman Emeritus. Sab co-founded INTECH in 1986 with Will Schwartz, who retired from the firm in 2017. Sab’s commitment and strategic vision have been essential to shaping the INTECH brand and growing the company to a major contributor in Philadelphia’s construction market. Sab continues to be an active company ambassador and steward, maintaining the legacy and values that have defined INTECH for nearly four decades.

GBCA asked Sab to share his perspective on how the industry has changed since the 1980s, what’s remained the same, and what it takes to succeed in construction today.

What have been the three biggest changes in construction since 1986 and how did INTECH adapt to each?

There’s more risk and less profitability today. We take more risk, but we must manage and mitigate issues as smart business practices. You have to remain diligent and conduct yourselves accordingly.

Payments are slower and capitalization is huge. It used to be luxurious that if you did a job well, you were profitable and didn’t have to squeeze the lemon so tight. Now you have to do everything to be sure you never create an opportunity for someone to withhold payment or lose money. We have a lot of built-in procedures in place from review of contracts to how we conduct ourselves in the field. If steps A and B aren’t done, you can’t move on to step C. We work hard to find every available edge, from our intensity to our procedures, and this helps us get paid and manage risk.

Everything today is dollar driven and competitive. At one time, budgets were healthy. But now, competition among owners means their tight budgets become ours. Especially in the healthcare market, you used to have smaller hospitals but now you have big health systems where competition drives cost. We’re in a union market, so we are concerned about productivity, regulations, and inclusion. We’ve got more to monitor and more costs that add money to a project. Budgets aren’t increased for safety, but that always has to be part of the budget. We work as hard if not harder today and that’s the trend of this business.

How has INTECH adjusted to the evolution of client relationships?

Relationships don’t mean as much as they used to. Today, price is the big driving factor. Customers still want relationships, but they have to have the numbers. Our customer relations are good because we work hard for them. I’d rather be the most competitive contractor in the trenches working for the customer and still have a relationship. Our biggest marketing is repeat business. We might get first ask, but we have to perform to the dollar. Relationships still create the opportunities for the first crack at biting the apple.

What single thing has remained the same for you personally over your career?

I love being in the game of construction. I love the action. I’ve got a shot every day to bring something in and feel good about it. I’ve gone from being a player to being a coach, and now maybe I’m up in the owner’s box, but I still enjoy it.

What’s remained consistent at INTECH over the years?

We’re a culture of hard work. Get up early, start strong, and work hard. Our work ethic and intensity, and how we work, has been and still is one of our biggest assets. There’s never been complacency here.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Be more balanced. My family sacrificed quite a bit because of the way we worked. But to be successful in this business, it’s not a 50-50 work-life balance. The reason I think INTECH is successful is because there’s more sacrifice. It’s one of our edges.

What advice do you give those just starting their construction careers?

I used to say through just hard work and determination you could get ahead in this game. When Willy and I started out, he supplied the brains, and I supplied the brawn. Together one plus one didn’t equal two but 10. We were good partners and even better friends. Today, the arena’s changed. It’s a little tougher based on technology and skill sets. You need to understand finance and capitalization, particularly for a firm in the union market. At INTECH, we have the Loop Program that pairs recent college graduate protégés with mentors to provide a sound foundation of field supervision, pre-construction, and project management. Culturally, we also have systems, and checks and balances, that protect us. You can quickly get buried in this business. You need both capital and support.

What’s been the hardest lesson for you to learn?

I have a sign that says, ‘I can’t give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure – trying to please everybody.’ My pop taught me to conduct myself with respect. He said, “It’s nice to be liked, but you don’t have to be. And let them know you’re a little crazy.” It took me awhile to stop putting the last ahead of the first. That was a hard lesson. I think I have the order right now in my life.

What’s your most meaningful memory of your construction career?

Willy and I started INTECH on a Monday in second-floor office space in my father’s building. On Friday afternoon, my sister came upstairs and handed me a bill for rent. I wasn’t prepared for that. I went down and confronted my father. He said to me, “If you and Will make it – and chances are, you won’t – if people ever ask, ‘Did your father give you anything?’ you can walk proudly because today, I give you nothing. If they ask, ‘Did your father help you?’ you can say, yes, I gave you free advice and cheap rent. Pay the bill.” So, I did.

You can’t find a guy with more gratitude and humility than me. God’s been good to me. It’s never been easy, but I’m alright. I’m grateful for what Will and I started, where we’re at, and how it continues. I’m very, very thankful.