The Builder Upper Show Ep. 38 feat. Bob Schafer from Ranger Construction

So then, you know, working in Florida, hurricane season, you know, does that impact you guys quite a bit? You know, is it a positive? There's work to do.

You know, how do you guys handle that?

So hurricanes are a plus and a minus, right? So when they come through, they disrupt everything for a week or so, depending on how close you are to them.

You know, they mess up the jobs for a little bit, but on the other hand, if they come through, you've got an opportunity to go put some stuff back together.

Right.

And, and we have participated in some hurricane projects throughout the state.

And they're good work to have and helps the community and keeps our guys working.

But yeah, I'd rather not have them.

Yeah, I can imagine.

Yeah, you guys are probably really, really busy at those times.

Yeah.

So labor.

So, you know, a lot of people talk about labor shortage is a problem or anything.

Do you guys ever deal with anything with is it tough handling talent or recruiting talent? Or do you got how do you guys do that?

It's cyclical.

It seems like when you've got your finger on it and got the answers, you get a bunch of work and then you're shorthanded and then you got to go find some folks to do the work.

We all complain that we've got a lot of guys retiring and they're the guys with all the old school guys with all the knowledge and we don't have as many young people coming into the business.

But we're all in the industry working on training programs and mentorships within the different groups out in the field and just trying to bring more young people into the industry.

You know, people like Mike Rose is great for the industry.

He shows people how you don't have to go to college and get into a bunch of debt to have a good paying job immediately right out of high school.

It's spot on.

Like there's, I do see a kind of like a collaborative effort between leaders in construction to figure out new ways to attract that young talent, that next generation talent.

And I, I actually see some shifts because like even out here in Wisconsin, I noticed there, I mean, there was a high school that invested $90,000 into the construction project.

sector of their school just to show kids the skills that they could use and have immediate income when they graduate.

And having the means to survive by having a job right when you graduate right out of high school, if you're not looking at college as an option for yourself.