Why Our People Are the Difference Makers
There's never a dull month for Sy-Con. Things are always moving. Construction is tough. It's fast-paced. Issues crop up daily. Emergency calls tighten timelines. I often have to step back and force myself to reflect on all the good around us. Time and again, I come back to our people. They're incredible. Our team is full of difference-makers. March was full of opportunities to recognize their contributions: Women in Construction Week (WIC), our employee appreciation day, and World Plumbing Day.
Women in Construction Week
Women in Construction Week takes place during the first full week of March. The National Association of Women In Construction (NAWIC) kicked it off in 1998 and has held it every year since. The week highlights all of the great work and initiatives made by women within the industry. It also gave me a chance to ask them about their experiences in the industry — both good and bad.
I sat down with our office manager, Shaye Fisher, to find out what she likes about working in this industry. "What I love about it, especially here, is that there is something new every day," she said. "I always learn something every day."
Shaye didn't trivialize the challenges of working in construction when I asked. In her role, she sees what many others in the industry see: creating clear lines of communication between those working in the field and those in the office can sometimes be frustrating. No joke. It's so true — Shaye's right. But I'm grateful for her and wanted to shine some light on what she does. Her patience and empathy go a long way. Her mindset of "trying to understand and be in each person's shoes" opens and improves communication channels.
Our office assistant, Deeann Galyen, has worked at Sy-Con for two years. In the time she's been here, she's noticed one of the largest headaches for everyone in this industry: the weather. Rain invokes nightmares in this industry. Workable ground transforms into muck. Conditions turn sour and unsafe. It can cause some serious logistical issues, making for long weeks on job sites and in the office.
You've got to stay on your toes working in construction. "Sy-Con might have two days in a row that are pretty normal," she said, "but then it all gets torn up."
One of the ladies on our team happens to be my better half, Sy-Con co-owner Sara Kirby. We founded the company in 2016 on three core values: Innovation, Integrity, and Impact. I'm going to touch more on those in a bit, but I wanted to bring them up because the women on our team exemplify these principles.
Without Sara, Sy-Con wouldn’t be here.
"I didn't so much as pick this career as picking the person that I was going to spend the rest of my life with, and then the career kind of chose me," she said, laughing but not joking. Of course, she said she had a choice but felt that supporting me and getting in the weeds was the way to go — "to really make this a family business."
Now, she has a hand in the final approvals of everything. Sara knows the in’s and out’s. From putting in things like hydrants, pipes, and thrust blocks, she's got a hand in orchestrating and approving everything we do. Pretty impressive.
All the women on our team are an irreplaceable part of our team. They exemplify what NAWIC is all about: recognizing the bold women making things happen in this industry. If you know someone who is considering this industry, encourage them. And let them know about what's out there. Have them check in to see what scholarships there may be for women entering this field. The women on our team are a big part of our success.
Employee Appreciation Day
I love our people. Outside of making a life for my family, I'm motivated to keep growing Sy-Con because of the people we have here. They deserve the world. They really do. Our successes go back to the fact that they've bought into our core values.
Jesus, one of our Utilities Superintendents, exemplifies our "Innovative" core value. He recently helped lead a team that finished a land development project. They laid 235 feet of pipe daily on that project, and Jesus was committed to using advanced methods and equipment to ensure the project was done right the first time.
Our sales rep, Heath, has also embraced this core value. Before working at Sy-Con, he hated Excel. Now, he's a pro. He uses software like Monday.com and Excel to complete his estimations, sales outreach, and equipment management in his daily work.
Our team also connects with the community to make an impact. We're local. This is our home. We not only take on projects that we know will benefit the community, but our team also gives back by sharing their knowledge with future generations. Whether speaking with area high schoolers to help them develop their skills or working with the CDL school to encourage them to continue pursuing commercial truck driving, our team makes a difference.
Finally, our team embraces "Integrity." We recently had to handle a complex utility installation around existing services. These projects involve many components, including calling 811 to get the city to mark lines. One of the marks was off by several feet and in the middle of a public road. Rather than barrel ahead and not speak with the general contractor about the extra money it would take to get the road back to public speculations, our team communicated upfront. We define integrity this way: "We guarantee our services and deliver what clients pay for. We value our word and uphold it with the utmost integrity."
That means transparency and doing right by people. It also means being smart and using the right equipment in the right places. During the utility installation, Zeus used our Cat® 308 CR Mini Excavator to work in an extremely tight spot.
Decorative lights loomed overhead. Power lines and cables taunted him with their threats. But Zeus expertly worked the oscillating boom and delivered on the work we committed to.
The whole project showed our team's dedication to our core values. The only thing they couldn't do in that work was do the necessary plumbing work. Not that they couldn't or wouldn't, but by law in the state of Arkansas, a plumber can't do our job, and we can't do theirs.
World Plumbing Day
We work hand in hand with several fantastic plumbing teams in Northwest Arkansas. Our job is to provide sustainable excavation solutions that support safe and reliable utility infrastructure.
On March 11 was World Plumbing Day. From water lines to sewer systems, our work at Sy-Con helps ensure clean water access and proper sanitation for homes and businesses. The plumbing infrastructure we set up is more than just pipes and fittings. As the World Plumbing Council noted on its website, "the foundation of safe communities, sustainable innovation, and fulfilling careers."
March Wrap-Up
In a fast-paced, ever-changing industry, there are so many people who make our work happen. We owe our success to our people, difference-makers of Sy-Con Excavation.
Sy Kirby
President - Operations Manager
