A historical first was the introduction of Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute—a program dedicated to training students to work in the wine industry. To match this historical program, the Wine Spectator Learning Center was built and designed to capture the aesthetics of both academia and the wine industry.
It’s National Volunteer Week this third week of April, a celebration that spotlights inspiring individuals and organizations whose work betters our community. One of Truebeck’s core values is: “Business and life are all about people.” This principle is the driving force behind all our philanthropic efforts, and we’re proud of our workplace culture of giving back. This week, we’re featuring some of the incredible organizations that we support through our Team for Tomorrow program. Second Harvest of Silicon Valley This non-profit does indispensable work to build a hunger-free community by distributing nutritious food to nearly every neighborhood in Silicon Valley. Truebeck is proud to have volunteered with this organization since 2012 through monthly food packing and distribution events. At our last event, Team for Tomorrow members sorted 11,500 pounds of food, and we’re looking forward to our next event on April 21. Learn more about how you can support Second Harvest here: https://www.shfb.org/ River City Food Bank 15% of Sacramento County residents experience food insecurity, meaning they lack reliable access to an adequate supply of affordable, nutritious food. The River City Food Bank is a non-profit that alleviates hunger by providing consistent access to healthy food for all. Their programs serve low-income families, children, seniors, individuals who are medically fragile, refugees/asylum-seekers, individuals experiencing homelessness, the working poor, and individuals with disabilities. Recently, Truebeck’s Team for Tomorrow members handed out food to more than 400 families at the River City Food Bank in Sacramento. Read more about how you can participate here: https://rivercityfoodbank.org/. The National Breast Cancer Foundation The National Breast Cancer Foundation has been a beacon of light in our community for over 30 years, working to help and inspire hope in those affected by breast cancer. Truebeck’s Team for Tomorrow is proud to support this organization through annual Hope Kit packing events, Breast Cancer Awareness Walks, and wearing pink during the month of October. Our San Mateo and Portland offices recently fundraised and held packing parties to write cards of encouragement and assemble 225 Hope Kits to be mailed directly to patients’ homes. These packages are filled with thoughtful items to help comfort women going through treatment, including fuzzy socks, tumblers, inspirational bracelets, and journals. See how you can get involved here: https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/. The Make-A-Wish Foundation This incredible organization has created life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses for 40+ years. Truebeck’s Team for Tomorrow and self-perform concrete team became wish-granters after fulfilling recipient Isaiah’s wish. As one of the Golden State Warriors biggest fans, Isaiah chose to have a half-basketball court built in his backyard. Truebeck partnered with Goodfellow Construction to install the backyard court, complete with a custom paint job and personal hoop for Isaiah. Once the court was complete, NBA2K painted the court with a custom design to complete the finished look. A ribbon cutting ceremony celebrated the completion of the court for this brave young man. This was the third year Truebeck has partnered with Make-a-Wish Foundation, and we look forward to keeping the momentum going. Learn about how you can become a wish-granter here: https://wish.org/ Friends of the Children This Portland-based organization pairs youth with a paid, professional mentor from kindergarten through high school. Their goal is to break the cycle of generational poverty, and they have a proven track record with: 95% of participants remaining free from the juvenile justice system, 83% of participants earning a high school diploma or GED, and 92% of participants going on to enroll in post-secondary education or enter the workforce. Truebeck is honored to support Friends of the Children with ongoing volunteerism and fundraising. Learn about how you can get involved here: https://friendspdx.org/.
READ MOREAs Truebeck continues to grow in the Sacramento region, it’s important to find local talent to join our team. To find the best and brightest in Sacramento, Truebeck’s team recently visited Sacramento State University and attended a career fair to recruit students studying in the civil engineering and construction management fields. Jessica Mills, Project Executive, is one of Truebeck’s Sacramento leaders and she personally joined the recruiting team to meet interested students. For students, Truebeck offers numerous entry-level positions as well as internships to help gain experience and exposure to a career in construction. "Not only was is fun to see the students, it was great see all the companies attend this event," said Haniteli Lousi, Recruiting Specialist. "It shows how the Sacramento area is growing and I'm excited to see some of those students help Truebeck in the future." Truebeck visits Sacramento State University annually to recruit local Sacramento talent. You can learn more about Sacramento career opportunities here.
READ MOREThe Construction Industry Educational Foundation (CIEF) is an organization dedicated to helping high school students and young adults learn about and experience the AEC industry. One of their annual events is a 38-year running Design Build Competition, an educational opportunity to learn about the ways construction professionals interact with designers and engineers to successfully complete a project. During the four-month program, following defined criteria provided by CIEF, each team completes the challenge of designing and preparing construction documents for a 96 square-foot structure — which are submitted for plan review by volunteer community plan-checkers and architectural professionals. The construction phase of the competition takes place over two days in Orange County and Sacramento each spring. With decades of progressive delivery expertise, Pete Caputo, Vice President of Operations, volunteered at the event as a judge. The event itself brought in 600 high school students to build structures to support the community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX1NpQocnLQ
READ MOREIn recent reports, economists are stating that Sacramento is the top growing region across the entire California market. With a population growth rate greater than markets like San Diego and San Francisco, and a business relocation and expansion increase of 19%, Sacramento is becoming a booming industry for commercial developers. In the recent event, “Greater Sacramento Deep Dive,” hosted by Bisnow, there were numerous panels that discussed key topics like major developments in the Greater Sacramento pipeline, new technologies and amenities for tenants and residents, and the rising need for housing. Pete Caputo, Vice President of Operations, at Truebeck has decades of experience working on projects in the Sacramento region. Based on his knowledge and history with the Sacramento area, Pete moderated the panel “Greater Sacramento’s Current Development Pipeline.” Joining Pete on the panel were representatives from major developers and architectural firms in Sacramento. Truebeck Construction recently opened an office in Sacramento at the start of 2022, and is bringing its innovative approach to construction to developments in the area. Truebeck was honored to be a part of this event and sit next to industry leaders in discussing developments that will have a positive impact on the Greater Sacramento Region.
READ MOREHow does a delivery method impact project team performance? For the Stevenson Hall project at CSU Sonoma, delivery method is the difference-maker that will provide the most value, make the building operate more efficiently, and give the best experience for building occupants. The 140,000sf project includes an addition and a full renovation of the 1967 building. A significant seismic retrofit dictated the schedule, but the building also needed a full systems replacement, significant IT infrastructure upgrades to accommodate current and future classroom needs, 200 new offices/classrooms/conference rooms, a 250-person lecture hall, and hazardous asbestos abatement and removal. CSU Sonoma also wanted to improve environmental quality with water and energy reduction to reach a goal of LEED Gold. As the nucleus for the campus and home to three different colleges, improvements to the dark concrete building to increase light for occupants and increasing the overall seat count for classes were critical to the success of the project. How is collaborative design-build different from traditional design-build delivery? While you may have heard of design-build, the CSU system has created and implemented a new hybrid collaborative design-build (CDB) delivery method. CDB is a combination of CM at risk (CMAR) and design-build (DB) and consists of two phases. The team’s overarching goal for the campus’ largest academic building is to maximize the project with the allocated budget. At completion, any project savings from the established guaranteed maximum price (GMP) are returned to the University. Phase 1 Agreement In the first phase, CSU Sonoma, Truebeck, and EHDD collaborated to develop a set of design-build documents and a GMP based on those documents. This collaboration on design and agreement on cost enabled honest conversations about design decisions and how it would ultimately affect constructability, project costs, and schedule––highlighting the significant advantage of the CDB delivery method. The CDB team led an exhaustive discovery phase, surveying faculty, staff, students, and building management—what was important to those stakeholders and how can we design and build the best building for them?––to eventually deciding on which strategies to implement for the project. Truebeck has offered varying cost analysis metrics and options to keep the budget and schedule on track. Truebeck and EHDD landed on a solution to accommodate more students and let in more light by enclosing what was an exterior courtyard into an interior light-filled atrium that will house both lecture and informal meeting spaces. Based on Truebeck’s cost analysis efforts, what was originally designed as an entirely open roof skylight, quickly pivoted to an atrium with large skylights that could also support mechanical equipment––still delivering on the criteria for added light, while also providing a cost savings alternative. The team also decided to peel away 60% of the concrete façade and replace it with extensive windows and a high-performance envelope to improve building performance. Building 200 offices for various departments on campus provided a new challenge. What office set-up would work for varying department staff—does one size fit all? Truebeck Project Executive, Grant Ricks, suggested a full-scale mock-up be built so faculty could touch and feel out the office space, and provided them with a survey after testing the space to gather feedback for any necessary modifications. Phase 2 Agreement The second phase signs the team up for the completion of design and construction. The collective buy-in on project collaboration adds significant value at this stage. The team cannot go over the budget—how the team decides on materials takes each firm bringing their best ideas to meet program requirements and ensuring value is added to the project. “Renovations are a great fit for collaborative design-build delivery,” says Ricks. “It forces early engagement by the contractor and allows us to influence the job immediately. Too many details are hard to change later, so it allows the project to save money and run more efficiently by making durable decisions early on.” A large part of decision-making is centered around the seismic retrofit of the building––once the budget was determined for the seismic retrofit, the rest was delegated to other portions of the project. CSU Sonoma wanted to preserve as much of the existing structure as possible to save money. Truebeck’s Construction Technology & Innovation (CTI) team performed BIM services and laser scanning to provide a visualization of hidden scope and how MEP systems would be integrated with seismic requirements in the design, which helped detect and remedy any clashes early and prevent expensive rework in the built environment. The ability to eliminate conflicts by integrating the design with the laser scan of existing building conditions also saved time off the schedule––a value-add for project success. With COVID-19’s adverse impact on procuring equipment and materials felt industry-wide, our CDB delivery enabled us to lock in prices earlier than if it had been a traditional delivery method. Truebeck priced out similar products and established what lead times would be during phase one and early phase two, which allowed us to start buy-out sooner than traditional delivery. And as a result of our CDB delivery, we have stayed ahead of any schedule impacts and avoided delays from the outset and have been able to fast-track various materials in the process. What type of projects are perfect for design-build or collaborative design-build? Public projects are primed for DB or CDB delivery method. Often public groups have established program criteria, but don’t have the knowledge or experience of how to execute. Our CDB team provided ideas to meet the criteria and having an early partnership between Truebeck, CSU Sonoma, and EHDD throughout design ensured pricing was tracked throughout design and value-added ideas met program criteria and will be constructable when it’s time to build. Among added benefits, CDB holds the entire project team accountable to meet the budget and improved both the structural planning and MEP design, since the right people were in the room thinking about how systems will run and how seismic retrofitting would be incorporated into the design. Truebeck’s successful delivery of Stevenson Hall, which is set to open its new and improved doors in November 2022, has a direct correlation to our collaborative design-build delivery approach, which fosters early and often informed decision-making by all project stakeholders.
READ MORECan a project be both high-functioning and environmentally friendly? With climate change an active threat, how can companies build the facilities they want, fit the needs of the end-users, and lessen the impacts on the world around us? You start by building the world’s first LEED Platinum-certified facility in their respective domains—winery, brewery, and food science. Align the Team with One Mission The UC Davis Winery, Brewery and Food Science Building started with a unified mission. It was critical to the undertaking to start with the right intentions and partner with a designer and builder who also share that common vision and goal. We wish we could say “the goal was simple,” but it wasn’t. UC Davis had ambitions to create a state-of-the-art research institution and pilot facility for wine-making, brewing, and food processing—which are not known for being easy on the environment—that also reflected the hallmark of sustainability. On average, brewing beer takes seven gallons of water to produce one gallon of beer, and wine making takes 872 gallons of water to produce one gallon of wine. Food science leaves a little more to the imagination, using a variety of production methods and consuming large amounts of energy. That’s why the lofty goal of a LEED Platinum winery, brewery, and food-processing pilot plant had never been done before, until now. Project Objectives & Opportunities Key objectives for the project were to monitor water and energy usage, reduce and reclaim waste output, engage with the landscape, and respond to the local climate. Meeting these goals with one user group in mind would be challenging enough, but Truebeck’s team was able to meet these goals for the three user groups the building would serve. UC Davis’ budget was ambitious with a long list of goals, which included providing flexible spaces to encourage experimentation and innovation, being able to demonstrate standard and evolving systems and technologies, offering variable control of environmental conditions within the building, devising closed systems to reduce cross-contamination risk, accommodating new and existing equipment into the facility, supporting two brewing sessions per day, and meeting FDA standards for food and beverage production. And finally, tying it altogether, was achieving the seemingly impossible given the circumstance—a LEED Platinum certified facility. How we met LEED Platinum LEED Platinum is not just the typical photovoltaic panels you can see from Interstate 80, nor the large rainwater collection tanks serving the building. To achieve this highest honor of certification, the project needed to be designed holistically with sustainability in mind—from its connection to community services and the recycled 1920s water aqueduct, to the wood in the winery collections room and the CO2 sensor in the brewery. While a project can achieve LEED on several levels, in order to meet the highest level of Platinum, it must meet almost all of the certification requirements in these categories: location and transportation, sustainable sites, water efficiency, innovation in design, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, regional priority, and integrative process. Kelly Wathen, now a Project Executive for Truebeck, reflects back to her days as Project Engineer on the project. She explains, “We had to identify which points on the LEED scorecard we were tracking early on, and design for it. The design-build team of Truebeck and Flad Architects knew we wanted to hit a certain point threshold and to have a cushion to make sure we achieved Platinum once the facility was operating.” How we earned points in several categories are briefly highlighted: Sustainable Site and Location & Transportation The first category focuses on the building site, with our site incorporating the location and transportation category into its function. A half-acre of land was restored into a natural grassland habitat, convenient pedestrian access to public transit or bike parking to encourage alternative transportation, EV vehicle charging stations, native plants, a high ratio of open space, and limited disruption and pollution of natural water hydrology. We minimized the “heat-island” effect with trees, shading and reflective pacing, and highly reflective roof materials. Light trespass from the site was also limited to increase night sky visibility and reduce impact on nocturnal environments. Water Efficiency Water for more than one acre of landscape and interior lavatories is provided by the Central Valley’s first large-scale rainwater harvesting system. A non-chemical water treatment system was created for process condenser water. Wathen says, “The rainwater capture tanks were made to look like grain silos—they blend seamlessly into the agricultural landscape of the area and most people don’t know they are actually for rainwater capture.” Innovation in Design The flexible building program combines classroom, winery, brewery, and food lab, as well as the utilization of modular components to adapt to future needs. The multi-billion-dollar food and beverage industry recognizes the need for evolution, to not only save money, but to lessen environmental impacts. Because of this, UC Davis allows corporations to come in and test production practices in their facility to encourage sustainable innovation in the realm. The flexibility of the building not only allows for the three user groups to utilize the space, but for many more to run products through the facility. Energy & Atmosphere The facility offers natural ventilation, waste heat recovery, and a high-performance envelope including walls, roof, and windows. It also consists of efficient lighting, high-performing coolers and freezers that avoid chlorofluorocarbon-based refrigerants in equipment, and a rooftop PV array, which combined to reduce energy demands and lessen the buildings damage on the atmosphere and environment. Davis heat averages top 90°F in the summer, yet the building has no air conditioning and still stays cool and keeps food from spoiling based on its smart design. Materials & Resources Truebeck collaborated with Flad to evaluate and install several recycled materials into the building. The facility used 10% recycled materials throughout the facility, including reclaimed wood from a 1920s aqueduct for the tasting room ceiling and recycled glass in the concrete floor of the Special Bottle Collections room. Lumber was harvested from sustainably-certified forest operation, recycled content of structural steel approached 95%, and other recycled elements included insulation, ceramic tile, and acoustical tile. Truebeck also utilized industry waste by-products of fly ash and slag in the concrete to replace 50% of the cement used. This amounted to a reduction of 100 tons of Co2 emissions into the atmosphere. “We had to be creative with using this concrete mixture because it takes longer to cure than a standard mix. We didn’t let this slow us down – we just worked in other areas as the concrete cured and were creative with scheduling to be able to utilize this less harmful mixture,” Wathen said. How to utilize LEED principles on every project? You often hear “The client wants a LEED building, if they can afford it.” from an architect or builder. So how do you make it LEED accessible for every budget? Truebeck performed extensive cost studies, comparing different strategies, products, and LEED credits, to establish what LEED points UC Davis wanted to achieve. Once the goalpost was set, we then influenced design decisions based on those parameters to meet the architect’s vision, end-user goals, and sustainable benchmarks. Because of Truebeck’s early goal alignment and collaboration with UC Davis and Flad, it enabled the team to make important decisions early that ultimately delivered a higher performing building, saved money, and achieved a best value, first-of-its-kind facility.
READ MOREMany women in construction will often reference that their interest in the industry started at a young age. They might share a story about how a particular family member worked in construction, or a STEM class inspired them, or their curiosity was piqued when playing with Legos. Opportunities to expose girls to engineering and construction are crucial to encourage the next generation of women to join the industry. To help create moments like this, Truebeck’s team partnered with Girls Build, a non-profit in Portland dedicated to empowering young girls to enter the world of building. Girls Build™ offers programming for girls teaching the basics of carpentry, electrical, plumbing, roofing, painting, auto and bike mechanics, sheet metal, and more via summer camps (8-15 year olds) and after-school workshops. Truebeck’s team held an event at one of our projects where around a dozen girls worked hand-in-hand with our team to construct a portion of the project. Not only did the girls get to use tools and build a part of the project, but they also got to meet Christine Zinkgraf who is a Project Executive at Truebeck. “This project team is passionate about involving the community and Girls Build was a perfect organization to partner with,” shared Zinkgraf. “It was incredibly fulfilling to provide local girls with hands-on construction experience while also introducing them to our strong female leadership team and a potential future career in construction.” Truebeck thanks Girls Build for all the work they do to teach and empower girls for a future in building.
READ MORETruebeck’s preconstruction services can help assist with building a diverse workforce on the jobsite. Truebeck achieved over 45 percent participation from diverse trade partners and vendors on The Annex, a 17,500sf affordable housing development that will service the needs of families in the Portland community. How Preconstruction Brings Diversity to a Jobsite When the Truebeck team began work on The Annex, the intended goal for the project was to bring on as many Minority, Women, and Emerging Small Businesses (MWESB) as possible. But the goal was also to find the best value. This meant the Truebeck team needed to weigh multiple factors when procuring trade partners for the project. Cost, availability, and an MWESB status needed to be holistically considered. “Traditionally affordable housing is built with state funds, and as a part of state funds there is a requirement for MWESB participation and that is roughly 30 percent,” shared Betsy Bice, Director of Preconstruction. “But this is a privately funded project, and Catholic Charities wanted to see what they could accomplish without being bound by state compliance.” Trade Partner Outreach When it comes to selecting trade partners, it’s vital to know the market and build relationships. Before Truebeck’s preconstruction team ever began work on The Annex, there was a concerted effort to connect with MWESB partners. Truebeck strategically partnered with the Oregon chapter of the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC). Members of NAMC-Oregon are individuals, partnerships, or corporations certified as minority-owned (MBE) or minority-owned disadvantaged (DBE) business enterprises involved in the business of construction contracting and subcontracting. By connecting with these organizations, Truebeck’s team was able to find MWESB partners that could bring value to The Annex. This prior groundwork accomplished by the preconstruction team paved the way for having a diverse workforce on the project. Trade Partner Procurement One of the critical functions of preconstruction is to procure the right trade partners. During this process, the preconstruction team will leverage a dashboard of thousands of prequalified subcontractors, then in a curated approach select those that bring the right skills, value, and inclusion the client desires. In the case of MWESB participation, the goal is to make the project as attractive as possible. This incentivizes responses and a desire to join. To help make the project attractive, Truebeck’s preconstruction efforts were spent addressing concerns such as scheduling and proper bidding practices. From personal conversations over the phone to in-person events, the Truebeck team was able to form a list of MWESB trade partners and help them submit completed bids to make them competitive with other firms. Trade Partner Tracking While a focus on diversity was a part of the project goals, another was also to find the best value possible. This is where tracking key data plays a critical role in selecting the right trade partners. Truebeck’s preconstruction team has an internal dashboard that details critical information about local trade partners. This includes their workforce availability, cost history, safety records, and more. With this information at the fingertips of our preconstruction team, Truebeck could identify which trade partners are best suited for the job and will deliver the best quality possible. This internal resource not only helped the Truebeck team procure MWESB partners, but it also helped find the ones that would deliver the best value. Diversity at Truebeck While the preconstruction team is responsible for supplier diversity, the Truebeck team itself reflects the diversity goals of the project. Truebeck’s project team brought diversity to The Annex jobsite with women and minority leadership and team members. Truebeck aspires to create a workplace that looks like the diverse communities around us, and where we see and appreciate a variety of experiences, identities, and backgrounds. Truebeck’s core value “Business and life are all about people” captures our fundamental belief and guiding principle that people are at the center of our company and world. Partnering with a MWESB was only the start. Truebeck’s team represented diversity in thought, experience and people. The Results for The Annex The result on The Annex was an over 45 percent participation rate from MWESB trade partners. This exceeded the state and industry standards by a substantial margin. While the diversity goals were also achieved, the project itself is being built with a high-level of quality and within budget. Truebeck’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion Truebeck recognizes the importance of diverse suppliers and small businesses, and our role in creating equitable opportunities. By providing opportunities, we are contributing to the growth of our industry and our communities. Betsy Bice is Portland’s Director of Preconstruction and she shared why a focus on working with MWESB trade partners is important to the Truebeck team. “Being a woman in the industry is why I’m motivated to try and help other women and minority owned business,” she said. “I think it’s part of our duty to help them grow and expand. Portland is a community focused city, and we need to be a good community partner. Engaging with new trade partners is a way we can achieve that.” Truebeck’s mission identifies a core principle – “pioneer ideas that improve industry practices and elevate standards.” This reflects the foundational purpose of our business, to create a positive impact on society. Partner With Us If diversity on the job site is an essential goal on a project, Truebeck’s team has the resources and capacity to ensure that it’s met. Contact our team to learn more about our preconstruction services and how they can specifically aid with your project’s diversity plans. Truebeck is always looking to build connections with more partners. If you’re in the trades, reach out to us so we can begin the process of prequalification.
READ MORETruebeck Construction, an industry-leading commercial general contractor, is pleased to announce its expansion into the Greater Sacramento Metro Area with the opening of their 5th office. This new regional office supports the growing number of projects in Sacramento and allows the firm to service existing clients beyond the San Francisco Bay Area. Just as the region has a rich economic history, Truebeck’s team has decades of experience in the local market, specifically in the healthcare, higher education, commercial, and public/government sectors. This will be enhanced by Truebeck’s vast experience in the life science and mission critical sectors. [caption id="attachment_4020" align="alignnone" width="300"] Pete Caputo, Vice President of Operations[/caption] Sacramento leaders Pete Caputo, Vice President of Operations, and Jessica Mills, Project Executive, bring intimate knowledge of the locality, its trade partners and market conditions. Mills has over 25 years of construction experience in the Greater Sacramento Metro Area which includes 15 years of experience with a general contractor, and over a decade of experience working on the owner’s side of construction. Mills delivered healthcare facilities in the region for Sutter Health as a Project and Regional Program Manager. Caputo’s background includes leadership positions over the past 20 years, serving on both the client and general contractor’s side, and as a construction manager. Previously, he led the Sutter Health statewide development group, which includes a project portfolio over $4 billion. He also served as Principal for a construction management firm, working as the prime liaison between owners, design teams and general contractors on some of the largest and most complicated projects in the Bay Area, including the UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay, Sutter Health Van Ness and Geary Campus, and Sutter Health Mission Bernal Campus. Caputo and Mills have specialized expertise in Integrated Project Delivery, Collaborative Design-Build, and Lean processes. [caption id="attachment_4014" align="alignnone" width="300"] Jessica Mills, Project Executive[/caption] “We are thrilled to bring Truebeck’s unique services to the Greater Sacramento Metro Area,” said Caputo. “Truebeck’s roots started in Davis with the completion of the LEED Platinum UC Davis Winery, Brewery, and Food Science Building in 2010. Our local team brings decades of valuable experience serving clients and partnering with the trade community.” Joining Caputo and Mills is Larissa Justice, Truebeck’s Preconstruction Executive who has decades of experience in Sacramento. Justice has served as a Preconstruction leader for some of the region’s most technical healthcare projects for clients such as UC Davis Health and Kaiser. [caption id="attachment_4015" align="alignnone" width="300"] Larissa Justice, Preconstruction Executive[/caption] Truebeck’s strategic expansion focuses on metro hubs with growing economies that feature capital, talent, and renowned academic, medical, and science institutions that align with their core technical expertise. Sacramento’s economic growth in market segments aligned with Truebeck’s key areas of expertise include healthcare, education, science, and commercial office. “I am excited to join a team with an established track record for innovation, client focused service and reliability,” said Mills. “Truebeck's leadership has provided a great environment for growth, and I am grateful for the opportunity to expand their markets." Truebeck has multiple offices in California and Oregon to support client work throughout the West Coast. Truebeck’s new office is located at 915 Broadway Suite 100, Sacramento CA 95818. The office can be reached at 916.418.8380. [caption id="attachment_4013" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] UC Davis Winery, Brewery, and Food Science Building; 34,000sf; LEED Platinum; Higher Education Research Facility[/caption]
READ MORE“It’s exciting to be live, to see so many faces out there and so many mustaches,” Todd Ahern said as he kicked off Truebeck's 8th annual Movember event. “They look great,” Nick Pera added as he and Todd looked out at those in attendance. In the crowd, nearly all the men had mustaches trimmed and cut into different styles. Each year, Truebeck Construction participates in Movember. A play on the name November, it’s a month where men grow mustaches to raise awareness around men’s health and fundraise to support research and services on that front. Specifically, the Movember Foundation focuses on testicular and prostate cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention. The non-profit got its start when a group of men in Australia attempted to bring back the mustache as a fashion statement. Now, Movember is one of the largest international organizations supporting men’s health. But growing mustaches and raising money is only a scratch on the surface for what Truebeck does over the course of the month. From the first of the month to the last, the team engages in contests, giveaways, and a teamwide event to celebrate. The theme for 2021 was “Raise the Barbershop,” a play on the company’s motto, “Raise the Bar.” In previous years, Truebeck did themes like the Moscars and mustaches in sports. At this year’s celebration event, the team hauled barber shop chairs into the main office and even brought in a local stylist to give shaves during the live event. “It started initially as a way for us to honor all the fathers, sons, husbands, uncles, brothers, and nephews, all the men in our life that unfortunately somewhere along the way may be impacted by anything from prostate cancer and testicular cancer to unhealthy lifestyles and poor mental health,” said Ahern. This year, Truebeck’s team raised $38,980! This put Truebeck Construction as the tenth highest team nationally for fundraising as well as the highest donor from the construction industry. “It’s another great year, we’ve blown out our target. There is no stopping Truebeck,” said Ahern. But among the Truebeck team there was a special group that were the largest contributors to this year’s success. A team comprised of six women called “The Hair Naked Ladies of Truebeck.” On this team were Brynda Olson, Betsy Bice, Jessica Mills, Kelley Wathen, Christine Zinkgraf, and Kalie Ward. These women raised over 50 percent of the total amount with $20,040. They were also ranked sixteenth on Movmeber’s Individual Leaderboard and broke Truebeck’s internal record for most money raised within the team. “It was fun to come together with this group of women to join the cause and raise awareness and money for Movember,” said Bice. As to how the team formed, Ward shared, “Brynda came up with the idea and we all jumped on board at the chance to band together. I think that the team aspect really led to our fundraising success as many of those who donated wanted to contribute to multiple members of the team or just liked the idea of the Hair Naked Ladies. Our goal is to try to motivate other potential teams to do the same.” While interviewing two representatives of the Hair Naked Ladies—Olson and Wathen—Pera asked, “How did you get all those funds? Because that’s absolutely amazing, no one at Truebeck has done what you have done.” “Our tips on how to raise the most money for this are if you drop the word ‘naked’ in an email, you get a lot more attention,” Wathen said as the crowd laughed. As for why Wathen chose to personally participate, she said, “Men’s health affects all of us, and we wanted to do our part to contribute!” “This was for a great cause to raise funds and bring awareness to something that affects us all,” said Olson. “Participating in a mustache competition was not on my radar... for obvious reasons,” said Zinkgraf. “But when this team came together we felt confident the blue ribbon could be ours. The real winners are the men in our lives, and I am thrilled that our donations will help bring awareness to men's mental health which has been stigmatized for too long.” As an industry with a strong male workforce, there is a vested interest for the construction industry and general contractors like Truebeck Construction to support causes like Movember. “Team Truebeck continues to be a leader for the betterment of men’s health and it amazes me every year to see the team’s enthusiasm for this event,” said Ahern. “Even more incredible is how team members yearly outreach continues to Raise the Bar in support of the Movember Foundation. The Hair Naked Ladies threw down a massive gauntlet this year and I for one can’t wait to see who will rise to the challenge in 2022.” https://vimeo.com/649230101/c6b3e33e92
READ MOREWhen Truebeck’s Team for Tomorrow began looking for opportunities to serve in the Portland area, one charity stood out: Friends of the Children. Friends of the Children is a local non-profit focused on breaking the cycle of generational poverty. They do this by pairing a child with a mentor who will be with them for 12 years, from Kindergarten through High School. The results are tremendous with 92 percent of youth going on to enroll in post-secondary education, serving in the armed forces, or joining the workforce. 95 percent of youth remain free from juvenile justice system involvement and 83 percent earn a High School diploma or GED. Truebeck has six philanthropic core initiatives: workforce training, health, education, youth, the environment, and the military. Partnering with Friends of the Children is a natural alignment of missions, as the focus is on the youth and their healthy development. Truebeck hosted a fundraiser garnering over $5,000 for the non-profit. We also hosted a holiday gift drive and the children were able to “shop” in an auditorium for toys and gifts. Most recently, Truebeck’s team co-sponsored and participated in a walk for Friends of the Children. The program, called Steps for Change, was the first of its kind. The goal was to raise $5,000 and our team helped with the final $7,275 that was raised. Friends of the Children has already done incredible work for the Portland community, and Truebeck could not be more pleased to work alongside them and support their cause. We look forward to even more opportunities to assist in the future!
READ MOREThe construction industry is more than just a place to build a project, it’s also a place to build a successful career. Constructing Hope is an organization dedicated to teaching construction skills to serve underrepresented or under privileged communities. This includes people of color, formerly incarcerated people, and low-income adults. The goal of Constructing Hope is to help these individuals attain sustainable careers, increase workforce diversity, and reduce recidivism. They also want to help the construction industry with their hiring needs. Truebeck Construction has six philanthropic core initiatives: workforce training, health, education, youth, the environment, and the military. As a general contractor, Truebeck strongly believes in the value of diversity on job sites. Truebeck had the privilege of bringing students of Constructing Hope’s program to a project in the Southeast District of Portland. A couple of the project’s superintendents gave a presentation of the project and then gave a tour of the job site. While learning in a classroom is a good start, nothing beats experiencing an actual job site and seeing the daily interactions and events that occur. Truebeck’s superintendents answered questions from the students and gave them insight into the possible career paths available in construction. “The students really seemed to appreciate the walk through and had some great questions,” shared one of Truebeck’s Superintendents. “The Constructing Hope instructors were also very appreciative and expressed gratitude at the opportunity to walk through the job.” Many of these students going through the Constructing Hope program will bring diverse talent and skills to the construction industry. Truebeck looks forward to a continued partnership with Constructing Hope.
READ MOREAs we move deeper into the digital age, we’re finding new ways to enhance safety practices. We’ve already seen other industries use automated dashboards to track metrics like sales, but what about the health and wellness of teams? Challenge of the Safety Industry Lack of data is an Achilles heel for any industry. Uniformed decisions can have disastrous consequences, so companies invest heavily into data reports to analyze key metrics. When no such data is readily presentable or easy to interpret, a common practice is to utilize industry standards. For example, in the construction industry the most common injury is falling. However, as a general contractor, Truebeck Construction is unique with an above industry average safety record. Are falls the most common injury for Truebeck and its trade partners? That is why Truebeck is rolling out the first ever of its kind, a safety dashboard in ProCore. Data Truebeck Can See With this new dashboard, Truebeck’s safety team can track safety incidents and interpret them with an easy-to-use visual display. Truebeck can track injuries by: Job site Trade partner Specific type Treatment needed Physical location The new dashboard can allow users to home in on each of these specific areas. It can generate graphs that allow the team to look at trends over periods of time. There is even a model of a human body with highlighted locations showing which parts of the body receive the most injury. How This Makes Truebeck a Better GC With this technology, Truebeck is prepared to address specific trends they see internally. If a certain job site is showing concerning signs, Truebeck’s safety team can address issues before serious problems arise. Likewise, Truebeck can monitor its trade partners. It will be easier to determine which trade partners consistently demonstrate an ability to follow Truebeck’s safety protocols. This will lead to Truebeck selecting the best trade partners for their clients on future projects. While these are just a couple examples of how Truebeck will use the dashboard, ultimately the purpose of the dashboard is to get data into the hands of decision makers faster than before. This customized dashboard will provide specific results for Truebeck. As a general contractor with an impressive safety record, reliance on industry averages cannot produce the information necessary to enhance Truebeck’s safety procedures. Truebeck’s Commitment and Success with Safety This dashboard was built internally by the Truebeck Construction Technology and Innovation (CTI) team. The passion of Truebeck’s Safety team to care for their field team and the trade partners they work with sparked this innovative push. As a general contractor, Truebeck has been given numerous safety awards by organizations like the Construction Employers’ Association and the Associated General Contractors of America. Its current safety practices have led to Truebeck possessing one of the best safety records in the industry. Many job sites are even Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) designated by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal OSHA).
READ MOREHow do handcrafted soaps help improve the unemployment rate? Recognizing that unemployment harms physical and mental health, Roots Community Health Center launched a workforce initiative to empower the local community in Oakland. Roots created a pathway to jobs for formerly incarcerated Californians by producing small batch artisan soap. As a part of their 2020 Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging charter to support social causes that directly aid underrepresented groups, Truebeck’s Team for Tomorrow sought out partnerships with local businesses and charities that shared that mission. Truebeck and the Roots Clinic share a social responsibility focus on health. Roots is an Oakland-based non-profit health center that provides medical and behavioral health care, health navigation, workforce enterprises, housing, outreach, and advocacy. Roots’ Emancipators Initiative combines on-the-job training with whole-person support. Their 12-week program addresses: Basic Education and Job Readiness Navigation and Linkage to Services Mentoring and Coaching Job Training, Experience and Counseling Their Clean360 shop teaches those in the program a trade and helps them get the start they need to succeed after prison. 96 percent of program graduates demonstrate long-term self-sufficiency 96 percent of program graduates are in stable jobs 97 percent of program graduates have not returned to prison since participating in the program Interesting fact: soap was almost toilet paper. While soap seems random, the Clinic researched heavily before making the decision. Roots wanted to manufacture a simple object that everybody needs – so it was either soap or toilet paper. Soap won because it was more inspiring, healthy, natural, and makes people feel good. “Everyone needs soap, and the organization has such a great cause providing opportunities to keep people from going down wrong paths. From the moment it was brought to Team for Tomorrow, I was excited to support it,” said a Truebeck Team for Tomorrow Committee member. After connecting with Clean360 to learn how Truebeck could support them, the firm purchased 2,000 bars of soap. These bars were then gifted to team members, business partners, family and friends. The remaining soap is being donated to local shelters. Truebeck believes that social change starts in your own neighborhood. Local organizations like the Roots Clinic and Clean360 are where real change can happen, and Truebeck is honored to be part of such a great cause. You can purchase the soap online here.
READ MOREInterviews can be nerve-wracking. We understand, we’ve been in your shoes before. But before we dive in, take a moment to realize that you made it past the first hurdle! Just applying to join our team is a great first step. Accept this virtual high-five from us! Now, the next step is the interview process, and we’re here to provide some help. We’re looking for a good fit, but that doesn’t mean we have to be the same, in fact one of our company mottos is “Uniquely you, authentically us.” Uniquely You Let’s break down that motto into two parts and start with the phrase “uniquely you.” Now, the first word chosen is unique and that’s on purpose. You are a unique individual with experiences, passions and interests that are inherent only to you. Now the second word is you, and that’s because during the interview process, you have the spotlight. We can’t wait to meet and learn more about you. So, our first piece of advice is, be yourself! Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Our company is passionate about making a positive social impact on the world. Our hometown of San Francisco is a special place that brings together people from all over the world. To be a fully engaged member of the community, we embrace and celebrate diversity. At Truebeck, we want the people inside our offices to represent the people in our beautifully diverse communities outside our offices. This means differences in age, race, color, national origin, sex, religion, disability, ethnicity, marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, sexual orientation and other characteristics that make each of us unique. Such diversity will inspire new perspectives, new methods of discovery, and new solutions. One of the values we hold dear – business and life are all about people – puts humans at the center of everything. Our team is diverse, and we’re motivated to bring even more unique individuals to grow our diverse family. Previous Successes We’re looking for candidates who have been innovative in their approach to construction or those who worked on a complex project and overcame steep challenges. Were there high stakes circumstances you navigated? Take a closer look at your past experiences and pull out some of the stories that showcase your unique skill set and talent. Tell us all about it. If you’re applying for one of our general administration positions, talk about your successes there too! Discuss your unique skills and share stories about how you used them in an innovative way. Passions and Interests At Truebeck, we are always making plans to get out as a team and have fun. Are you a fan of sports? Well, we have our annual Stanford football game tailgate and many sports leagues. Are there any causes or charities that you are passionate about? We’re always on the lookout for ways our Team for Tomorrow can give back to the community. Do you enjoy reading? We have a Book Club! Is mentoring important to you? We’re a partner to local high schools and provide many opportunities to mentor young people. Do you have musical talent? Join the Truebeck band! Authentically Us Just like the first part of the phrase, we intentionally chose the word “authentic” to represent our team. Our passion for construction and our company values is evident in everything we do. As a candidate for hire, there are probably a lot of questions you’ll have for us. After all, you’ll want to make sure we’re a great fit for you too. We highly recommend researching us – check out our website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and ask your friends in the industry about Truebeck’s reputation. The Truebeck Culture Quite simply our culture is built by living our values. We’ve broken down our values into bite-sized phrases like, “Business and life are all about people,” and “We win as a team and high-five a lot.” But they’re not just phrases, you’ll hear our team members saying them and living them. Get to know us, our messaging, what we stand for, our goals and vision, and what we’ve accomplished. Once you get a feel for our culture, you’ll see what values you align with and how you can be a strong candidate to join Truebeck. Our Clients and Markets Speaking of values, one of them is “If it’s not the best, it simply won’t do.” At Truebeck, we’re immensely proud of our work. We do more than just build; we craft spaces and buildings that shape the world. Our clients are busy making medicine to cure diseases and developing new technology to enhance lives. We are busy making sure they have the most modern and cutting-edge spaces to make it happen. Take a moment to scroll through our work and see the projects we’ve completed. Look at your own history and see if we have any shared ground. Have you done work for tech companies? Have you worked on any bioscience facilities? Let us know during the interview how you worked on these projects so we can see how your talents will help our clients meet their goals. Our Leadership Team One of the best parts of Truebeck is just how involved the leadership team is with everyone in the company. Whether that be an open-door policy, a high-five in the hallway, or working on fun projects like creating a hilarious video for the next company event. In short, expect to see our leadership team frequently and have some laughs with them. Take the time to review their personal bios and get to know them prior to your interview. Our leadership team will be your advocates and mentors as you grow in your career. Taking the time to get to know them will be not only advantageous in your interview but also for years to come if you join the team. Now, Take a Deep Breath Our final piece of advice is to take a deep breath. If you’ve done the legwork to learn about us and are prepared to share about yourself, then we guarantee you’re going to do great. We as a team are excited to take the time to get to know you! We wish you the best of luck and if you still haven’t taken the first step to join our team then apply now to join our work family.
READ MOREIn 2020, Truebeck’s Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Task Force implemented a charter with many objectives, one being to support local diverse businesses. As a general contractor, the first way to do that is on the job site working with our trade partners. But at Truebeck where “raise the bar” is the company motto, the obvious answers aren’t always the best answers. Beyond the job site, Truebeck works with many vendors, outsourcing partners, and other businesses, and the firm realized they could have a much greater impact in helping their partners. One such vendor are wine suppliers. The Truebeck leadership team annually gifts wine to clients and industry friends during the holiday season, and it’s become a long-standing tradition within the company. This year, Pete Caputo, Vice President of Operations, proposed sourcing our wine from local minority-owned wineries. Joining Caputo was the company’s wine-connoisseur, Mike Anderson, Senior Vice President of Operations, who set out to find the best selection available. After researching over a dozen minority-owned wineries, and holding tastings with the leadership team for each, Truebeck settled on two wineries near the San Francisco Bay Area and one in the Portland region. The chosen vendors were Ceja Vineyards, Indigene Cellars, and Abbey Creek Vineyard. In an industry of legacy and privilege, these wineries had neither. Ceja Vineyards is a Mexican-American family owned winery located in the heart of wine country, Napa Valley, California. The founders began their journey as immigrant vineyard workers. Indigene Cellars is an award-winning, Black-owned winery in Paso Robles, California. The founder began as a Ship Joiner and Grocery Clerk. Abbey Creek Vineyard is the first recorded Black-owned winery in the state of Oregon. The founder was born from Haitian-immigrant parents, and found his way from Brooklyn, NY, to become a self-taught winemaker. It wasn’t just their history and high-quality wine that convinced the Truebeck leadership team to select these wineries. What resonated with Truebeck was how each of these wineries were active members of their community and industry, by providing resources and support to worthy causes. As a general contractor heavily invested in the well-being of our neighbors, Truebeck valued the social responsibility and philanthropy of these wineries. Ceja Vineyards commits to promoting the value and fair treatment of farmworkers in agriculture and the food industry. Indigene’s founder creates wine devoted exclusively to his community-focused efforts, with one blend even named “Philanthropist” – for which a percentage of every bottle goes to First Responders in his city. The Abby Creek founder now helps other winemakers tell their similar stories of facing challenges in the industry, specifically the diversity challenge. Truebeck, like these wineries, believes we can all work together to make this world a better place.
READ MOREJust as the sun is barely climbing over the horizon, Sean Truesdale arrives at the basketball court. Lacing up his shoes, Sean glances out the gym window to see the sun’s golden rays slicing through the sky. He rhythmically bounces the burnt orange basketball across the newly polished gym floor until the clock reaches 6:30am. David Becker meanders down the tree-lined roads of Portola Valley. A bitter sensation fills his mouth as he sips his dark roast Peet’s coffee. His gaze shifts from the steering wheel of his Ford Raptor to the endless skyline of redwood trees blanketed with fog. At this pace he’ll arrive at Buck’s Restaurant early for his 7 o’clock breakfast meeting with Sean. Seated across from each other in a red leather booth, Sean and David begin discussing Truebeck, the company they founded in 2007 that grew into one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s most successful general contractors. Covering everything from general business issues and strategies to personal life updates, the two co-founders of Truebeck reflect on the company’s history and then create future plans to make each week better than the last. Truebeck’s Roots Before David was even old enough to lift a hammer, his father worked as a residential contractor. Along with redesigning and building homes, David’s father also enjoyed woodworking around the house. This caught David’s eye as he decided to help his father with these projects and later pursue an education in construction. He took woodshop classes and even a drafting class where he designed his first house and floor plans. These experiences gave David a taste of the construction industry and helped him pinpoint his interests in civil engineering and construction management. Sean found his way into the construction world through his educational interests. He enjoyed math but also had an interest in architecture. This led him to study architectural engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. During college, Sean explored the various careers that came along with architectural engineering and mathematics, and that led him to decide to pursue civil engineering. Further, two elements of the construction industry grabbed Sean’s interest: the social interaction and technical work. Both of these facets of the industry became areas of Sean’s career that he enjoyed most. After gathering experience and developing a connection with the construction industry, Sean and David wanted to take their passion to the next level. After working 15 years for a large general contractor and then at a smaller company with a more narrow focus, David outlined a vision for Truebeck. “I wanted to be part of a high-quality professional general contractor in the Bay Area focused on technical projects with a group of talented [co-workers], smart business people, and friends.” Sean described the type of company he aspired to be a part of. “I felt that I could contribute to [an organization] that was committed to excellent client service, focused on adding value to every project, and a company that wouldn’t be afraid to evolve as technology evolved in the industry.” These initial hopes and aspirations, along with a powerful passion for construction, led Sean and David to transform their vision into a reality. In 2007, they founded the successful company known today as Truebeck Construction. Expectations and Goals The first few years of Truebeck were focused on survival. Being a new company, Sean and David had to prove why Truebeck was the best technical contracting business. They focused on working and performing in a way that not only met but exceeded all the client’s goals for budget, quality, and service. This mindset later translated into one of Truebeck’s core values: “Project first. Every time. No excuses.” This value is often misunderstood; it means that the project goals come first, before what might be advantageous for Truebeck, a trade partner, or the client exclusively. It does not mean that the project is more important than our team’s personal life, family, or health. In 2007, Truebeck proved it could live up to its promises when building their first ground-up project for John Muir Health. “I remember a lot of the bigger firms being a little bit afraid of that job. It had an OSHPD component to it and there were five or six make ready phases of work leading up to the construction of the building,” Sean described. The building Truebeck was hired to construct was a hybrid parking garage, surgery center, and blood lab. There were a lot of technical challenges, for example, the building was right next to the emergency department of the hospital and the helipad emergency landing flight path was directly through the construction site. Instead of shying away from the complexity of the project, Truebeck stepped up to the challenge. The team worked effectively by finding the right trade partners, developing the right schedule, and staying within budget. “With the team’s passion for building, there was no challenge that was too hard. I could feel the energy about halfway through that job. I knew we were going to finish on time or ahead of schedule,” Sean stated. Truebeck ended up successfully finishing the John Muir project ahead of schedule. This experience was eye-opening for Sean and David as they realized the capabilities of Truebeck and how influential they could become. In terms of size, Sean and David set a goal that in ten years Truebeck would reach $500 million in revenue. Truebeck met that initial goal even before the ten-year mark. Both impressed by the speed of the company’s growth, Sean and David realized they wanted to create Truebeck to be a company that was not only successful but a leader in the industry. Truebeck is One of A Kind The unique technical approach Truebeck brings to each project originated from Sean and David’s previous job experience. Before Truebeck, they both worked at larger technical companies that had specific building processes and procedures. Sean and David brought their past experience working on technically complex projects and then created processes and procedures to make Truebeck a leader in the construction industry. This new approach impressed many of their first clients, one being UC Davis in 2008. At the time, certain technologies weren't considered economical, but Truebeck wanted to prove that up-and-coming technology could enhance the construction process. For the project, the team utilized 3D modeling to create a prototype of the building. At the time, other construction companies weren’t using such technology for projects of a similar size. Because of Sean and David’s belief in technology, the UC Davis project became the highest scoring LEED Platinum facility in the world at the time and the first LEED Platinum project in the University of California college system. This feat could never be accomplished had it not been for Truebeck’s innovative approach. David and I were always focused on doing great work and finding a better way to do it. We weren’t afraid to be innovative in the way we were doing things. - Sean Truesdale Transparency and communication was another way Sean and David wanted Truebeck to stand out from other construction companies. This meant communicating not only to clients but to the team about the company’s health and direction. David describes that “With Truebeck you’re getting the technical expertise of a larger company but we’re giving you the personal touch of a small family-owned business.” Embracing challenges and always looking for ways to improve remained one of Truebeck’s core values. During the company’s rebrand in 2016, this mindset became the driving force behind Truebeck’s work and the company’s slogan: “Raise The Bar”. Many of Truebeck’s company values, created during the 2016 rebrand, related to sports vocabulary. For example, “We win as a team and high five a lot,” and “Don’t do what’s easy. Do what’s right. And hustle.” Sports became a part of Truebeck’s culture because both Sean and David devoted a lot of time to playing and coaching. They both recognized that being part of a company is similar to being part of a team where everyone works cohesively towards a goal. For Sean, sports were integral to his childhood. He played just about every sport but enjoyed baseball, basketball, football, golf, tennis, and water polo the most. From these team sports, Sean gained valuable experiences and learned valuable lessons that would later translate into his leadership style at Truebeck. Sean outlined a few of these key lessons. “I learned to follow directions, put in extra work, deal with high-pressure situations, and be a good teammate. I also learned how to manage challenging situations like reasoning with upset coaches, teammates, or officials and making tough moments a positive experience.” Similar to Sean, David played multiple sports such as baseball and football and also coached his daughter’s softball teams. As a player David learned self-discipline, how to listen to the coach, how to work hard, and how to support his teammates. As a coach, David learned that “A large part of a player’s success is effort, attitude, and hard work. It’s not necessarily god-given talent.” Growth Beyond Belief In 2013, Truebeck quickly transitioned from its core of life science and healthcare projects to developing complex corporate campuses including Apple and Facebook. The rapid and significant growth of the company continued to surprise Sean and David. “I never imagined we would be where we are at today, a billion-dollar revenue company,” David exclaimed. Truebeck consistently grew at a rate of about 30 percent a year and constantly achieved the goals the leadership team set. Goal-setting meetings occur every few years and during the meeting, the leadership team creates a plan for the next three to five years while also reflecting back on previous accomplishments. At one particular meeting in 2018, Sean realized how large and limitless Truebeck really was. “We got the entire leadership team together to outline what success looks like in five years. I was reflecting on the goals we set up and thought ‘you see those goals we just wrote up there, whoever would’ve thought that’s what we would be talking about.’ That was also the time I recognized that Truebeck was close to hitting the billion-dollar-a-year revenue mark,” Sean said. Truebeck Continues to Raise The Bar Today, Truebeck is a billion-dollar company working on a variety of projects, ranging from life science and healthcare to corporate office and education. Moving forward, Sean and David hope for Truebeck to focus on quality rather than quantity to produce the best work possible. Sean and I don’t have an aspiration to take over the world. Our goals are more about doing the best work that we can and providing the most opportunities that we can for our team members. - David Becker Externally, Sean and David hope for Truebeck to maintain the prestige of being one of the highest level general contractors in the Bay Area. They also hope to continue growing across the West Coast. Internally, Sean and David hope to continue improving their processes from a business standpoint to help everyone on the team be the best that they can be. They also want to ensure that Trubeck is a diverse and inclusive environment people feel proud to work in. Most of all, Sean and David hope that Truebeck maintains its passion for innovating and continues to challenge itself to do better because Truebeck is always “Raising The Bar.”
READ MOREThe grey clouds rolled overhead as five men stepped out of their vehicles. Before them was a small home with cobblestone steps leading up to the front door. They stepped up the stairs, a feat quite simple for construction professionals who climb flights of stairs daily to work on large-scale projects. A feat not so easy for a nearly 90-year-old Navy veteran. In moments, this team of construction professionals got to work constructing a ramp that would provide a safe transition from the door to the driveway. As if they were on a job site, the team quickly defined roles and coordinated an efficient process. After constructing projects that are over 10,000sf, they finished the small ramp before noon. They even had time to crawl under the house to check if there were any moisture or piping issues. Truebeck’s team partnered with Rebuilding Together, a non-profit organization that assists low-income homeowners with needed home repairs at no cost. The goal: to find families in the local community that could use the expertise of a few construction professionals. “Initially, we were planning on doing a bunch of work inside the house, but then COVID hit,” shared Blake LaRue, Project Manager. “We stayed in contact with Rebuilding Together to see if there was anything we could do.” Given the circumstances, Truebeck’s team couldn’t go inside because of the homeowners being high-risk. Despite that setback, the team was determined to find a way to help. “This particular family, the gentleman is a Navy veteran, and the gal is getting older and both were starting to have mobility issues,” continued LaRue. “Even though we couldn’t go inside, there was plenty of work we could do outside of the house. That’s when we got the idea to put up handrails on all their stairs and build a ramp.” With materials donated from both Truebeck and Rebuilding Together, two ramps with handrails were installed to allow ease of access for the homeowners. Speaking of the work Truebeck’s team performed, the homeowner, CJ Hooker, shared, “I found the crew incredibly professional and helpful. They installed a ramp and safety features around our home promptly, and with much knowledge. They were also a fun group of people to interact with and respectful of my wishes.” Truebeck’s team is honored to serve a veteran and help uplift the community. “It always feels good to give back and help out, especially when you hear it’s a veteran and with how times are now,” shared David Holmstrom, Superintendent. “It was a good opportunity to do it. When it’s the work we’re doing its usually construction and carpentry. I have a good skill set in that kind of work and if I have that skill I might as well put it to use for that kind of opportunity.” Truebeck’s Team for Tomorrow is comprised of team members who want to give back to the community and make a positive social change. Even now, the Truebeck team in Portland is partnering with local organizations and looking for opportunities to serve the community. "For me it’s just about the commitment, and knowing once you do it, you’re going to feel really good about it." - Blake LaRue, Project Manager.
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