They’ve been to conferences in Vegas, although they have yet to claim spots at the Black Jack table. They’ve been to Germany during Oktoberfest but abstained from indulging in that country’s most famous beverage. They’ve sat in on some of Swinerton Builders’ most important meetings, a noticeable, if silent, presence. The pair stands stoically, one man holding a set of building plans, the other his arm outstretched, pointing off into the distance.
So who are these figures that appear to follow Swinerton Builders from town to town, state to state, and country to country? The big bosses? Silent partners? Investors keeping a close eye on their latest venture?
Actually, none of those. The silent pair is … a cardboard cutout of the Swinerton logo, which depicts two men in hard hats surveying a job site.
“They’re kind of our version of ‘Flat Stanley,’” says Rachel Goldberg, Swinerton Builder’s marketing manager. She referred to the popular elementary school literacy project that has students take a cardboard cutout of a character named Flat Stanley with them wherever they go and create short stories about his escapades for their classmates.
“We like to have a little fun with the guys in our logo. Whenever our employees travel, invariably someone sneaks these guys into their luggage to join them on the adventure.”
In a way, the traveling cardboard logo perfectly epitomizes the culture Swinerton Builders has cultivated in its Irvine office. It’s a fun place to work, Goldberg says, the kind of place where employees develop authentic and lasting friendships with colleagues.
Swinerton Builders is the 2016 winner of the Orange County Business Journal’s Best Places to Work in the large-sized company division. It was established more than 125 years ago in Los Angeles and over time has expanded to 13 locations spread across six states. Its Irvine office has built or renovated more of Orange County’s—indeed, the country’s—landmark structures than almost any other local construction company, executives say.
Construction, by its very nature, is collaborative work. In Swinerton’s Irvine office, the collaboration is enhanced by an office culture that emphasizes relationships over titles and finding solutions together rather than orders being sent down the line. Its employees, who now number more than 200 in Orange County and nearly 1,300 nationwide, credit the approach for their high job satisfaction.
“People here are really committed to the job—and to each other,” says Ray Haj, vice president of operations. “People have respect for each other here and are genuinely interested in each other. One of the biggest differentiators for us as a culture is that we’re down to earth. We work hard, we play hard, and we make things happen.”
Commitment
Examples of the dedication abound. “About seven years ago, the team was working on the John Wayne parking structure on Saturday—we had a deadline to hit,” says Robert Di Pietro, superintendent, concrete services manager. “It was pouring—I mean pouring—rain. I was the general foreman at the time. Jeff was an intern at the time,” he says, referring to parking structures lead Jeff Goodermote, who’s sitting next to him. “Every time we were ready to pour the (concrete) footings, the rain would just fill it up. The water was up to our knees. We were soaked. We did whatever it took to get the job done. It turned out great in the end—that is, once the sun came up.”
He adds, “We fly out of John Wayne airport quite a bit. Whenever we do, I look at the parking structure and think, ‘Wow, we built that.’ It’s a cool connection.”
Even as an intern, Goodermote says he was struck right away by how friendly and helpful Swinerton people were.
“I was as green as could be,” he recalls. “I asked about 20 questions a day. No one ever told me to get lost or to find out the answer for myself. Everyone was always really happy to help me. Over time, the longer I’ve been here, the more like family this place has become.”
Employees’ real families are always top-of-mind, too. “In fact, the hard hats have YFNY imprinted on them,” says Kristi Ababon, accounting supervisor. “That means Your Family Needs You. We want all our employees to always keep that in mind—construction work can be dangerous and stressful. We want everyone safe.”
Swinerton is 100% employee owned.
“At the end of the day, we feel like this benefits everyone,” Haj says. “Our theme is teamwork. We are stronger together versus one genius person wanting to do their own thing.”
He says managers take pride in recognizing talent within the ranks and promoting it. “We recently had 15 or 16 openings in different roles. We didn’t have to go outside the company to fill those positions. Everyone was already an internal resource who was given a new opportunity.”
Work Hard, Play Hard
The Swinerton team works hard to make sure the numerous construction projects it takes on are done well, and it matches that commitment with the relationships it develops on-site, executives say.
Everyone’s viewpoint is valued, Di Pietro says. The respect that project managers, leads and workers have for each other comes from the top. Dave Callis, vice president, Southern California region manager, is known for his approachability.
“Whoever you are, in whatever role you are, you can always talk to Dave,” Goldberg says.
“We try to have monthly events to enhance the camaraderie and connections our teams build on the job sites. We plan activities together—I can’t tell you how many times Robert or Jeff have stepped up to help me plan these events. We all pitch in to get it done.”
Swinerton employees have enjoyed family barbecues, Angels games, golf tournaments, boating and picnics among the many team-building events. “At these events, there are no titles,” Goldberg says. “We’re all there to have a great time, and we do.”
The company also is credited with being family friendly. “Other companies in this industry often lack a work-life balance,” Ababon says. “Here, we’re flexible. Everyone knows and trusts each other. We have great communication. So if someone needs to rearrange their schedule to accommodate a family situation, we know that we can count on our co-workers to help us out if we need it.”
Community Connections
Another component of Swinerton’s culture that employees say sets it apart is its commitment to the community.
“Swinerton donates to causes that are dear to employees’ hearts,” Goldberg says. Employees make the case for their favorite charities. Last year, she estimates that it contributed $60,000 to $80,000. Swinerton management will make a matching contribution, donate funding, or make an in-kind donation.
“We got a team together to help build structures for the Huntington Beach Youth Shelter,” Di Pietro says. “Everyone was involved.”
Work hours can be long—Di Pietro and Goldberg both joke about late nights and the occasional “all-nighter”—but colleagues’ friendships appear to be enduring, a welcome side effect of working so closely together on such intense projects.
So it seems to make sense that the company logo is two men side-by-side, collaborating on a project. And it makes sense that wherever Swinerton employees travel, they take that cut-out cardboard logo with them.
Goodermote says, “After all, we’re all in this together.”
