Throughout the month of August, I Build America – Ohio will feature the stories of ‘families’ within construction. This is a great opportunity to showcase the loyalty in our profession. There’s one twist: ‘family’ is being used to mean both actual related family members as well as crews and teams that have bonded to form families of their own. In the past, we have featured multi-generational families within construction teams (moms, dads, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc.) and teams, departments, and project crews.
Name: Brandon Gibson
Role: Project Manager
Company: John G. Johnson Construction
Years in Construction: 9 years
Do you have a specific family connection to construction? If yes, tell us about that connection. If not, have you found other ways to make strong bonds and connections during your career in construction?
I do have a family connection in the construction industry. My grandfather was an architect, and my father works as a Construction Project Manager. Throughout my entire life, construction has always been a source of common ground in the family. We all thoroughly enjoy working in construction, from problem solving, to meeting great people, construction has always been something very important to me and my family.
How do you think a family-like environment contributes to the overall success of your organization?
Having a family-like environment simply makes work more enjoyable. Working with others that respect you as a person, know your family, and truly care about one another is a special experience. Working for JGJ, I truly feel this here. Everyone is always looking out for one another, and when everyone is on the same page and shares the same goals/values, work doesn’t feel so much like work anymore.
Can you share any examples of how the feeling of family or belonging has positively impacted your work or your crew’s work in construction?
The best example I can provide is if you treat people with respect, do the right thing, and truly be a good person, people will reciprocate those efforts.
What can the next generation of the construction workforce look forward to?
The next generation of construction can look forward to a lot of young, ambitious people who truly enjoy what they do. With efforts to make projects more safe, mixed with adding in new technology, the sky is truly the limit.
