Wednesday, April 24 | 11:15 a.m.-12:15p.m.
You will hear the true story of how one simple-minded contractor started 2020 thin on cash not realizing what the rest of the year had in store.
Three years later his business is on a sure foot while taking on zero debt. He borrow no money and has no need to ask his vendors, partners, or subs for additional time for payment.
You can run a small or large firm on cash. You can stop the constant calls from creditors wondering when they are going to get their money. You can
stop living from deposit to deposit. You can stop going to bed every night hoping the next receivable will be in the mailbox tomorrow.
In this life-changing talk, Brandon Gray will share real numbers from a simple contractor that will motivate and inspire you to build a business without being dictated by chaos, and placing you in the driver’s seat.
Learning Objectives
- See how using one or two bank accounts in your business is crippling
- Watch real life examples unfold showing the growth of the cash over time...even when a business declines in annual revenue
- Walk away with a simple structure you can implement tomorrow and the roadmap to do so
Target Audience: Homebuilders, Remodelers, Contractors
Thursday, April 25 | 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
In this mindset-shifting talk, Brandon Gray, Business Coach of Business On Purpose will walk you through the difference between a "lifestyle business" and a "value creation" business that allows you both unlock the purpose, people, process, and profit of your business while living with real impact and purpose today and tomorrow.
This talk will catapult you from feeling like your business is a burden and chore, and reframe your business into a massive asset that allows for significant value for you, your family, and many others.
You will leave feeling hopeful about the business you already have instead of dreading what you are afraid your business has become.
Want to sell your business someday? This is the talk you need. Yes, even your business.
Discovery points...
- Learn how much of your net worth is locked away in your business
- Determine the most profitable and least profitable systems in your business
- Realize the number one myth in business related to workforce engagement
- Leave with ONE thing that you can implement tomorrow that will build value to either sell, or continue towards meaningful value growth
Target Audience: Homebuilders, Remodelers, Contractors
Brandon works with business owners and their key leaders building systems, process, and purpose using the Business On Purpose Roadmap to liberate businesses from the chaos of working IN their business and help them get their lives back.
Brandon attended a small liberal arts college outside of Chicago called Wheaton College where he was a member of the football team. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in Interpersonal Communication, he moved to Texas with his wife, Popie, and was a Camp Director for two different summer camps. In 2020, Brandon moved his family to Bluffton, South Carolina where he worked as a teacher, coach, and directed all student activities. While being in South Carolina, Brandon and Popie have welcomed two sons, Sam (3) and Noah (7 months) into their family.
When not liberating business owners from chaos, he can be found wrestling his 2 sons, attempting to eat a meal in peace with his wife or navigating the rough at a local golf course.
The On Purpose Group LLC doing business under the trade name Business On Purpose is a business coaching and transition planning group that works to help business owners build…
Carlotta Thompson
Founder | Tax Strategists of America
How to Legally Pay Zero Income Tax
Wednesday, April 24 | 10:15 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Thursday, April 25 | 10:15 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
- Tax strategy and how it can save you thousands of dollars
- Hidden deductions you are missing
- Common red flags in the construction industry
- What the IRS is not telling you
Target Audience: Business owners
Sponsored by
Wednesday, April 24 | 1:15 p.m.-2:15p.m.
In this class we will layout how to determine what associations to join, how to work them and get business from your involvement. The single greatest way to find grouped customers and network contacts is right in your backyard association! Work them to the fullest and you'll never make a cold call again!
We’re seeing volatile pricing formats, supply chain interruption and rising interest rates. This usually ends in tough economic conditions, resulting in construction industry challenges. Knowing the best way to stay ahead of these changes and keep your business moving forward is difficult. We’ll look at the methods successful contractors use to weather shifting economic conditions.
We’ll cover:
- Increasing your portion of the market pie
- Getting a competitive advantage
- Managing customer expectations
- Structuring your sales effort
- How to balance sales and marketing efforts
You’ll come away from this session with a better understanding of what it will take to grow in both revenue and profitability in these times. Sales is the most important aspect of your business. Everything else simply follows that lead.
Target Audience: Architects, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Builders, and Remodelers.
4 Blind Spots Preventing Contractors From Retaining Talent and Growing Profit
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 2
Business Coach | Business on Purpose
Most contractor owners cross their fingers and hope for the best when desiring a solid culture, meaningful profit, and a product that they are proud of. Luck is not a strategy!
This highly engaging education program will reveal four critical blind spots sabotaging the growth of your business and your team. You will leave this presentation with ONE action item to immediately implement into your business that will wishing you had heard this talk ten years ago!
After this presentation you will have clarity on why the younger generation “will not listen” and how you can respond, the leadership “RPM’s for a healthy culture, and the one system that will ensure necessary profit that will fuel culture and growth.
Learning Objectives
- Learn the 3 foundational cornerstones of EVERY contractor business
- Understand the 3 non-negotiables of building and leading a vision-centered team
- Discover how an owner's process leadership directly impacts people, profit, and productivity
- Create a proven plan for predicting your profit
Target Audience: Homebuilders, Remodelers, Contractors
Brandon works with business owners and their key leaders building systems, process, and purpose using the Business On Purpose Roadmap to liberate businesses from the chaos of working IN their business and help them get their lives back.
Brandon attended a small liberal arts college outside of Chicago called Wheaton College where he was a member of the football team. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in Interpersonal Communication, he moved to Texas with his wife, Popie, and was a Camp Director for two different summer camps. In 2020, Brandon moved his family to Bluffton, South Carolina where he worked as a teacher, coach, and directed all student activities. While being in South Carolina, Brandon and Popie have welcomed two sons, Sam (3) and Noah (7 months) into their family.
When not liberating business owners from chaos, he can be found wrestling his 2 sons, attempting to eat a meal in peace with his wife or navigating the rough at a local golf course.
The On Purpose Group LLC doing business under the trade name Business On Purpose is a business coaching and transition planning group that works to help business owners build…
Effective Sales Presentations
9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. | Room 1
Construction professionals excel in building living and working environments, not necessarily doing a sales presentation. Most have never been formally trained in doing a presentation. Being more effective in presenting your bid, quote, product or
service can be the difference in securing the business. You’ll learn specific presenting tips that can make the difference.
- Managing a lunch and learn
- Effective in home presenting
- Controlling a commercial presentation
- Proper use of presentation tools
Sales is the most important aspect of any business, especially construction. Becoming more proficient in how you present to a potential customer can raise not just your revenue numbers but also profitability. The better you are at presenting, the easier the close!
Target Audience: Architects, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Builders, and Remodelers
His DVD series can literally be used as an individual or corporate training program. He's been featured on CNN and in USAToday as well as dozens of media outlets across the country. Tom is extremely entertaining in his approach and well studied in the dynamics that occur in bidding, quoting and developing customer brand loyalty. His high energy approach combined with practical applications can bring results immediately after his seminars.
His corporation, Seal the Deal, is sought after by trade associations, contractors, corporations, suppliers, construction expos and publications regularly. He currently writes for 4 publications, has 20 regular contractor clients and speaks to in excess of 10,000 construction industry individuals a year. Tom turned a Caterpillar rental territory from 2.5Mil to 10Mil in revenue in 18 months while raising margins by 2%! He also trained 325 sales reps for a 750 Mil nationwide equipment firm. In his first sales position at 19 yrs of age he took a 150K contractor sales territory to 2.5Mil in 1 year. His customized training programs hit areas targeted for improvement head on. He knows how to get people to buy and manage a sales effort to success!
Don't Kill your Golden Goose-Lawsuit Protection, Tax Reduction & Estate Planning Strategies to Protect & Perpetuate your Business
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room D 161
Discover the tools you can use to become invincible to lawsuits, save thousands in taxes, and achieve financial peace of mind. By the end of the presentation you will know how to:
- Protect 100% of your assets from lawsuits. You will learn how to make yourself so unattractive to a plaintiff attorney that they will never pursue a lawsuit against you.
- Save thousands of dollars each year in taxes. You will learn five tax reduction strategies most people fail to utilize, which could save you more than $10,000 each year in taxes.
- Avoid probate and eliminate all estate taxes.
You will be taken through a checklist of items that are important to every estate and business succession plan. You will learn what you should be doing now to prepare for successful business and estate secession.
He has authored and co-authored several articles and books on the subject including The Asset Protection Bible and How to Achieve Financial Peace of Mind through Asset Protection. His career has been credited with helping thousands of people save millions of dollars. Larry Oxenham is a nationally recognized speaker who has trained thousands of professionals at hundreds of conventions, conferences and seminars across the country.
Senior Advisor, American Society for Asset Protection Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association
Retaining Good Employees: How Homebuilders, Remodelers, and GC’s Can Implement A Predictable Process To Keep The Right Team
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. |
1 out of every 4 employees left their jobs in 2021…most voluntarily. The talent squeeze that contractors feel is predicted to continue well into the future.
What is true for sales, namely that repeat customers are far easier to come by than new customers, is also true for employees; retaining and growing existing employees is far easier and more effective than trying to find new ones.
This life-changing, 45 minute workshop will equip your leadership toolbelt with practical, take-home tools to provide for your team that allows each person to thrive in their role, grow to new roles, and align with the mission that you have laid out.
You will be equipped to beat chaos with predictability, and to build a business that weathers volatile changes, and makes time for what matters most.
Learning Objectives
- Learn the 3 layers of purpose that must be written and share frequently
- Discover the 4 tools every existing employee will need to know, see, and hear to gain enthusiastic, long term buy-in
- Uncover The Secret To A Well-Oiled Culture
Target Audience: Homebuilders, Remodelers, Contractors
Scott Beebe is the founder and head coach of MyBusinessOnPurpose.com and author of Let Your Business Burn: Stop Putting Out Fires, Discover Purpose, And Build A Business That Matters. Scott also hosts the Business On Purpose podcast sharing real stories of how he and the BOP team are working with business owners and their key leaders to build systems, process, and purpose using the Business On Purpose Roadmap to liberate businesses from the chaos of working IN their business and help them get their lives back.
How Google And Chat GPT Can Boost your Online Lead Flow
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 6
Joshua Ramsey
Google has certain expectations of your website. The number one thing Google wants…. Good User Experience (UX).
In this session learn:
- Exactly how to communicate to Google
- How to track what your user experience
- How to use Chat GPT to communicate better
All of this plus get access to a free marketing/Chat GPT tool, complimentary in part from Build Expo and www.JRcmo.com Joshua Ramsey, Fractional CMO.
Not sure what a fractional CMO is? Learn more about a fractional CMO by searching ‘JRcmo fractional CMO’
Wondering if this speaker is worth your time? Hear his podcasts, radio show and online teaching by searching 'Joshua Ramsey Marketing’
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals
A Google Certified Partner, Joshua's teaches interactive conferences based on material received from Google. Plus hear real life stories of success and failures that business owners have had. These powerful, interactive conferences are jammed packed with information that Joshua received during weekly meetings with Google. This is information every business owner needs to know.
Before becoming a Google Partner, Joshua was an outsourced CMO for several large U.S. based companies. As a CMO over the last 9 years, Joshua has managed over $2.5 million in AdWords and Digital Marketing Budgets and managed more than 2,800 campaigns. As a Bing Partner and Google Certified Partner, Joshua attends national conferences with some of the other great minds that influence SEO, digital marketing, and social media. Today, Joshua speaks all over the country helping businesses improve every element of their marketing.
Estimating Direct and Indirect Costs in Construction
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. |
Direct and indirect expenses in construction projects: This presentation takes a quick and comprehensive look at all expenses expected in a typical construction project. We identify direct and indirect expenses and list all types of categories under each type. The presentation makes a brief analysis of labor, materials, equipment, overhead, bonds and insurance, profit, contingency, and other expenses. Knowing and estimating these expenses can make or break the contractor’s business. This presentation is a must for contractors and anyone in the construction industry.
Target Audience: Builders and Contractors
B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in civil engineering specialized in Construction Management.
Experience: Over 26 years diversified:
- Industrial: private and public sectors, in the U.S. and overseas. Positions occupied include project engineer/manager, cost estimator, planner/scheduler, project controls manager, cost manager, training manager.
- Academic: faculty member/professor, head of the department.
- Extensive experience in continuing education and professional training around the world. Topics are mainly technical but also include soft skills.
- Construction Project Scheduling and Control (currently 3rd edition)
- How to Estimate with Means Data: Basic Skills for Building Construction (currently 4th edition)
- Many articles; technical and other
- Many presentations in professional conferences such as PMI, AACE International, Primavera Users Conference. Also, a public speaker in many local, regional, and international events.
- An authority on project planning, scheduling, and project control; was part of the PMI team that wrote the first Project Scheduling certification (PMI-SP) exam in 2007.
- An advocate of holistic healthy living and sports
PoE Lighting and Automation - Next Gen Control
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 7
Top subject matter experts with experience in designing and constructing Power Over Ethernet intelligent buildings share their best practices and lessons learned. The session will help Builders and Integrators interested in Smart Home and Smart Building Technology gain crucial skills and knowledge essential to delivering intelligent buildings and lighting for developers and owners.
Target Audience: Smart Lighting contractors and integrators
Tyler is an influencer for Intelligent Buildings and Power Over Ethernet. He currently leads PoE Texas making technology accessible to facility owners with his unique mix of technical expertise, construction experience, and project management knowledge. He currently hosts the most popular YouTube and Facebook channel and live stream about Power Over Ethernet and Intelligent Buildings, Converge PoE. Tyler speaks and trains about his project management experience and the importance of Power Over Ethernet in the new Intelligent Building.
Intro to High Performance HVAC Design - Crossroads of Function, Design, and Aesthetic - 1.0 AIA Credit
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 4
Questions Answered:
Form or Function: Which is more important in New Building Design?
How can we meet access requirements, and still make it sexy?
Can we think Outside the box, but Inside the envelope?
Purpose:
To inform today’s building professional to the challenges, and opportunities posed by new HVAC technologies in building design and performance.
Target Audience: Residential and Commercial Architects, MEP's, Builders, Developers
Traditionally built homes and HVAC systems have proven as inefficient, costly both to builder and consumers, and harmful to occupant health and environment.
I leverage my experience and passion for Beneficial Electrification to help companies design sustainable, comfortable, and healthy homes and HVAC systems.
I believe that together we can help deliver affordable homes that last, and help our communities, and environment.
PVC101 – The Benefits & Uses of Cellular PVC - 1.0 AIA Credit
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 8
Jon Deweese
Upon completion of this course, architects and participants will understand:
- Properties of cellular PVC
- Cellular PVC micro-ingredients
- Key differences between high and low-quality cellular PVC
- Ease of use and adaptability
- Common and unique end-use applications
- Painting, staining, and laminating options
- PVC’s contributions to Sustainability
- Properties of Cellular PVC Trim
- Are all cellular PVC Trims the same?
- Working With PVC
- Uses & Applications
- Residential – Exterior & Interior
- Commercial
- Multi-Family
- Historical Preservation
- Dark paint technology for cellular PVC trim
- New trim surface technology - Film Laminates
- PVC’s contribution to Sustainability
Target Audience: Builders, Contractors and Architects in Commercial and Residential applications.
How to Increase Profitability Within the Challenging Construction Marketplace
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. |
Randy Comer
VP of New Business Development | Precon India
The presentation will be focused on how to secure offshore/remote labor to increase profit/reduce cost.
Target Audience: Architects, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Builders, and Remodelers
Randy Comer is the Vice President of New Business Development for JC Millwork, 360 Wood Services and Precon India. All endeavors are involved in providing resources for the construction industry. He has owned, operated and been involved in several businesses that have provided products and/or services within the construction market segment. Most recently, Mr. Comer has been responsible for working with General Contractors and Subcontractors in providing millwork and staffing services to assist with owner buildouts.
Precon India provides offshore/remote 1099 staffing services for construction companies to assist them saving 60%-70% on labor costs, locating experience personnel, realizing higher profitability and eliminating associated W-2 costs.
Randy has served on the Board of Directors for 3 companies, is an business author and has been an active executive in Engineering, Sales, Operations and Customer Service positions for both large and small business entities. He holds a B.S. in Industrial Technology from Eastern Washington University, an M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix and an A.A. in Logistics Management. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.
PVC101 – The Benefits & Uses of Cellular PVC - 1.0 AIA Credit
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 2
Upon completion of this course, architects and participants will understand:
- Properties of cellular PVC
- Cellular PVC micro-ingredients
- Key differences between high and low-quality cellular PVC
- Ease of use and adaptability
- Common and unique end-use applications
- Painting, staining, and laminating options
- PVC’s contributions to Sustainability
- Properties of Cellular PVC Trim
- Are all cellular PVC Trims the same?
- Working With PVC
- Uses & Applications
- Residential – Exterior & Interior
- Commercial
- Multi-Family
- Historical Preservation
- Dark paint technology for cellular PVC trim
- New trim surface technology - Film Laminates
- PVC’s contribution to Sustainability
Target Audience: Builders, Contractors and Architects in Commercial and Residential applications.
Internet 101 for Contractors
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. |
Not sure what to do about your online presence? The Internet has changed consumer behavior. Your potential customers are looking for you online. (Yes, even your referrals!) Can they easily find you? If they can, are they getting a current and professional image of your business? In this informative and casual session, you will learn what matters today and how to use the Internet to build your business - bring your questions!
- How much do websites cost?
- The basics of an effective website
- Why you need a website even if you’re busy
- How Google works and what's new in search
- SEO - Search Engine Optimization made simple
- Q&A: Ask what you want. Learn from an industry veteran
Target Audience: Contractors, Home Builders, Architects, and Small Business Owners
Steve got into the website business in the early days of the Internet and in 1998, he started his first web development company - Z57 Internet Solutions. The company received national recognition including being in Inc. Magazine, Forbes, and Entrepreneur Magazine. Z57 made the Inc. 5000 several times as one of the fastest growing companies in the country. Steve led the growth of the company from start up to over 225 employees. The company was one of the largest web design firms in the nation and built over 40,000 websites in the 14 years Steve was the owner.
After selling the company and taking some time off, Steve started ZDigital. ZDigital offers websites and Internet marketing services to contractors, architects and designers across the US. ZDigital helps business owners with new website design, website redesigns and other Internet marketing services including Google and Facebook ads, social media management, SEO and more. To contact Steve or to learn more about ZDigital, visit www.ZDigital.com
How to Legally Pay Zero Income Tax
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 8
- Tax strategy and how it can save you thousands of dollars
- Hidden deductions you are missing
- Common red flags in the construction industry
- What the IRS is not telling you
Target Audience: Business owners
Use of Chemical Grout to Stop Water Leaks into Commercial and Residential Structure
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 7
Basic types of chemical grout and their application to stop leaks in commercial and residential structure. Advantages over alternative repair methods. Installed costs and contractor selection.
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals
Graduated from The University of Texas in 1965 with BS in Chemical Engineering. Worked in the chemical process and protective coatings industries in Houston until 1981. In 1981 founded a manufacturer’s representative agency, Texas Protective Coating Consultants, Inc., representing protective coating and waterproofing product manufacturers. Sold TPCCI in 2001 and served until 2010 as Vice President of Operations for Deneef Construction Chemicals, Inc. Returned to TPCCI in July 2010 with 25 years of experience in the chemical grout industry. Member of ICRI, ACI, ASCE, SEAoT, CSI, and DFI. Lives in Magnolia, TX with wife Nealene, and hound dog Abigail.
Contracting Strategy
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 9
President | CMG Alliance
The participant will gain an understanding of strategy within Government and public works contracting as well as understand best practices within project execution.
Target Audience: General and Specialty contractors
Rene is the president of CMG Alliance. CMG Alliance is a management consulting firm specializing in government acquisitions. Rene is a certified management specialist with over 15 years’ experience as a contract negotiator. His contract negotiation experience started with the law firm of Lacky and Demier. Through his experience with this large law fi rm the vision of providing government contracting consultation to businesses began.
He has managed major projects in federal, state and city government. His experience covers negotiations with government agencies and small to large business in the areas of contracting. He has testified as an expert in federal and state courts in the area of policy and statute compliance.
Rene began his firm as a DOD security contractor and quickly branched out to provide small business action plans for aerospace and large government contractors.
Rene recognized that his experience in the government contracting realm was directly relatable to any industry that had the need to obtain a government contract. Rene developed the firm to handle and provide service to any business looking to obtain contracts with the government and Utility agencies. CMG Alliance has clients within the security, Information Technology, construction, Accounting services and product manufacturing fields. Rene has developed training and small business programs for PTAC (Riverside Ca.), PTAC (Los Angeles Ca.), Southern California Edison (VETS Program), LA Metropolitan Transportation Authority (DVBE Program, Mentor Protégé Program and Metro Academy), and the Department of Labor (Veterans Economic Outreach Program). Rene is former Executive Director for the Disabled Veteran’s Business Alliance and sits on the board for CalVet.
Sustainability and resiliency: How it applies within the Built World | 1 AIA Credit
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 10
1 Hour and attendees will receive 1 LU credit from AIA, and the objectives are as follows:
- Learn about vinyl's resiliency
- Learn about cladding and facades’ roles in sustainability and resilience
- Learn about material sustainability - and the environmental impact
- Learn about environmental impact measures and how everything impacts the environment
Target Audience: Architects and Developers
A builder with 30 years of experience and an expert on how to trim costs and keep quality when building or remodeling, Pagés is the author of two books published by The Taunton Press: Building an Affordable House: A high-value, low-cost approach to building and Affordable Remodel: How to get custom results on any budget.
He has won numerous national awards, including the “Green Building Single Family House of the Year” and the “Workforce Housing Award” from the National Association of Home Builders. Most recently, he has been working with New Urbanist Andrés Duany on creating a new generation of manufactured homes.
Mr. Pages is a consultant to polymeric cladding manufacturers and has helped to lead the industry into greater acceptance by the architectural community. Those attending the mini workshops will receive complimentary copies of “Architectural Design for Traditional Neighborhoods” and “Architectural Polymers: an interactive architectural specification guide.”
Job Costing to Guarantee Profitability
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 4
Have you ever wondered “what went wrong” when your actual profit margin fell short of your target? It’s time to identify the exact sources of the problem. Through accurate and timely job costing, you will be more in control of your finances for each job and find ways to stop your slipping profit.
Target Audience: Builders, Contractors, Remodelers, Specialty Contractors, Business Owners
Eric Fortenberry is a passionate entrepreneur who founded JobTread, a construction management software company, in 2019 after serving as interim CEO for a General Contracting company where he built the first version of JobTread to help streamline and remedy their broken processes.
After successfully implementing the platform and increasing their gross profit by 43%, Eric knew he was on to something great! He spent the last two years rehiring many of his former employees, building out the platform, and making it ready for the broader market.
Prior to JobTread, Eric founded OrgSync, a SaaS student engagement platform, in 2007 after quitting his investment banking job where he focused on high growth middle market, web-based technology companies. In 2015, after selling OrgSync to approximately 650 universities and serving nearly 20 million users across 13 countries, the Company was acquired by Leeds Equity.
Eric has been named to Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 List of the World’s Coolest Young Entrepreneurs under the age of 30 and received awards at the White House and United Nations after being named to the Empact 100 List showcasing the Best Companies Started and Run by Young Entrepreneurs. OrgSync was also recognized multiple times as a Best Place to Work and a fastest growing company for its company culture, rapid growth, and innovative solutions.
Eric is an Eagle Scout and holds a BBA in Finance and Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and a Masters in Software Engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas.
QuickBooks for Contractors - Beginner
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 9
This class is an overview of how contractors can utilize the QuickBooks functionality to facilitate job costing, payroll, receivables and the overall benefits of either the online or desktop applications.
Target Audience: Contractors, Subcontractors, and anyone curious about the features & benefits of QuickBooks.
Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering
9:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m. | Room 3
This class introduces Geotechnical Engineering and why the Geotechnical Report is important in construction of any foundation. Below is an overview of topics that will be covered as part of the presentation:
- Why is Geotechnical Engineering important?
- When is the Geotechnical Engineering report needed?
- How is the scope of services determined?
- Project Fee
- Drilling operations and field services
- Laboratory testing methods
- An overview of the Geotechnical Report
- Types of foundations and mitigation techniques
- Construction methods and quality control
- Liability and Protection
- Case studies and lessons learned
- Open discussion and questions
At the conclusion of the presentation, builders, developers, architects and engineers should have a better understanding of the Geotechnical Engineering process and the importance of having a Geotechnical Engineer on the team.
Target Audience: Builders, Developers, and Engineers
Derek Stout, P.E. graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He was an employee of Professional Service Industries, Inc. (PSI) from 2010 to 2016 and served as a Graduate Engineer, Special Project Manager and Project Engineer. Each of these roles included managing laboratory and field personnel, performing laboratory tests, reviewing laboratory data, and writing Geotechnical Engineering reports. In 2015, Derek obtained his license as a Professional Engineer in the State of Texas
In July of 2016, Derek left PSI and started working for Terradyne’s Austin Branch as a Branch Manager. Derek was promoted to the role of Regional Vice President for Terradyne’s Austin, Houston and San Antonio offices. Derek oversees all operations including the Geotechnical Engineering Department as well as the Construction and Materials Testing Department. Derek is the primary supervisor and training officer for this branch and is in charge of the Laboratory Certification Program. In addition to training and overall management of the Austin Branch, Derek also writes, reviews and assists with Geotechnical Reports, Construction Testing issues and overall technical support for Terradyne’s Texas branches.
Treatment Process for Soil Stabilization Mitigation Via Machine Injection
10:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 3
This class will introduce the audience to the application of ionic soil stabilization mitigation administered via machine injections. Our audience will gain an understanding of how stabilization mitigation processes compare in project budget and timelines, followed by a description in supplementing services and scope of work Universal Injections, Inc offers our clients. By the end of this discussion, our goal is to have advanced the audiences’ education in mitigation abilities of chemical injections, and how Universal Injections, Inc. works to benefit contractors and homeowners, in conjunction with their existent construction alliance.
- Why is expansive soil problematic for Texas builders and homeowners?
- What are the construction method comparisons of soil mitigation techniques? (i.e. financial and time duration comparisons of select fill, moisture conditioning, and soil injection)
- Explanation of the machine injection soil stabilization mitigation procedure.
- Exploration into the theory of environmental effect of soil injections creating rhizosphere bioavailability to plants nearby – resulting in a positive nutrient uptake relatable to fertilizer.
- Introduction to Universal Injections, Inc. and the innovating designs our company introduced to the industry.
- Description of our client services, how our scope of work is determined, and final steps of execution.
- A closer look into the science and studies around the topic of how ionic changes reduce unfavorable PVR and Swell level.
- Understanding post injection testing reports and drillings are conducted with geotechnical engineering groups.
- What the post-injection swell letter represents for the project’s progress to foundation completion.
- Open discussion and Q&A with audience.
Target Audience: Engineers, Contractors, and Architects
Sara McKay is an owner and operating partner of Universal Injections, Inc., where she attained her extensive knowledge of the soil stabilization mitigation industry through hands-on experience since 2010. Spending the following 10 years in a North Dallas private executive assistant position, acquiring an array of skills, essential professional contacts, and resources in philanthropic endeavors as ambassador of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital, CASA of Collin County, and North Texas Food Bank, to name a few.
Reintroduction into the construction industry brought her into oversight on specialty assignment roles for Eric L. Davis Engineering, requiring knowledge in structural steel, foundation design methods, office & field operating logistics and client services. Establishing herself into executive administrative roles for privately funded investment projects, provided irreplaceable experience in every step of the construction process.
In 2017, Sara partnered with her father, Darrell McKay, and brother, Matthew McKay, to build Universal Injections, Inc., allowing her to fine tune several skill sets, while successfully navigating the early years of new business growth and stability. Sara passionately continues to supporting and foster partnerships and collaborations with industry contractors, developers, engineers, and institutions for the further study in soil stabilization mitigation.
Custom Building & Remodeling: Profitability in Today’s Market
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 16
Custom building and remodeling projects aren’t for the faint of heart. These projects involve a lot of moving parts and today’s margins are tighter than ever. From bids and budgets to schedules, selections, and the actual construction process, there are many areas builders could be leaking profits on delays, miscommunications, or missed details. In this session, Bob will share the common areas builders can improve profitability and the tech tools that can help pinpoint inefficiencies so builders can adapt to create a stronger business for tomorrow.
Target Audience: Custom Homebuilders, Remodelers, and trade contractors
Doing Business with the State of Texas
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 10
The Statewide Procurement Division of the Texas Comptroller’s Office will provide the vendor community insight on how to become a Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) certified vendor and the advantages of registering with the Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL) to receive bid invitations. Also, learn how to navigate txsmartbuy.com and search the Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD) to locate bid opportunities for the state.
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals.
Mariah Thompson-Carter is the Marketing and Outreach Coordinator for the Historically Underutilized Business Program under the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
She has worked with the Comptroller’s Statewide Procurement Division for 2 years, where she learned about the various vendor and procurement resources. Her most recent role is providing outreach and marketing for the Statewide HUB Program and educating small businesses on how to do business with the state of Texas.
Constructing the Future: Discover ChatGPT and Harness its Power for a Profitable Marketing Future
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 14
In the intersection of artificial intelligence and digital marketing, ChatGPT shines as a game-changer. We’ll unpack its profound impact on online marketing, exploring its present utility and future potential to deliver better and more profitable leads.
The presentation will be in four parts:
1. Introduction:
- An overview of ChatGPT: OpenAI’s language model that’s transforming digital interactions.
- Current State of Online Marketing: How traditional practices are being overshadowed by AI capabilities.
2. AI Integration in Online Marketing, SEO, and Sales:
- Content Generation: ChatGPT’s role in crafting engaging and SEO-optimized content.
- Data Analysis: Gleaning actionable insights from user behavior and feedback.
- User Experiences: Creating personalized user pathways and sales funnels.
- SEO Strategies: AI’s role in analyzing search trends and generating SEO-friendly content.
3. Future Prospects of AI in Marketing:
- Evolving Capabilities: The ongoing growth and refinement of AI tools like ChatGPT.
- AI in Search Algorithms: How AI might dictate the direction of search marketing.
4. Q&A Session: Open floor for attendees to probe deeper, challenge assertions, or seek clarification.
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals
Jason Rhoads is the proud CEO and owner of Rhoads Creative—a data-first, digital-always marketing agency tailored for home consultation and services companies. He began his career specializing in statistics and analytics for financial service companies and moved to digital marketing over ten years ago. Over the last ten years, he has become an expert in all things digital by creating marketing strategies for companies big and small, resulting in unheard-of results (like a 1,127% increase in ROI).
Rhoads Creative, under Jason’s stewardship, has not only delivered the results but has positioned itself at the forefront of digital marketing innovations:
- A proud Google Certified partner
- Trailblazers in geofencing, being among the first ten agencies globally
- Exclusive members of beta testing teams for Hulu and TikTok advertising
- Actively involved in Chat GPT and OpenAI's beta testing
Beyond Rhoads Creative, his involvement in industry associations like NAHB, 55 Plus Council, and various HBAs, along with my representation of over 100 home consultation and service entities, has enriched me with a breadth of insights. This knowledge drives me to deliver tailored, high-impact campaigns consistently.
Filling the Gaps and Staying Profitable!
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 12
Founder & CEO | Bosun Solutions
Fractional teams are like the superheroes of Business swooping in to save the day. They fill those tricky skill gaps without blowing up your employee budget. These teams are like the A-team of specialists—experts in their fields who come in precisely when you need them, without the costs and commitments of full-time hires. By bringing in these fractional teams on a project or fractional hours as low as 5 hours a week, businesses cut down on the usual hiring expenses while making sure processes, client experiences and goals of the organization are not missed.
Even better is the cost-effectiveness. It's like having access to top-tier talent without the hefty price tag. Businesses dodge long-term salary commitments, benefits, and the whole office setup cost, optimizing their budget while still getting the job done by these specialists. Plus, these fractional pros are focused solely on the task at hand, making sure things get done efficiently and delivering results without breaking the bank. In the end, integrating fractional teams into the mix transforms how businesses manage costs, giving them the agility to adapt, thrive, and stay profitable in a constantly changing market.
Target Audience: Business Owners / Department Heads
Nicole comes from a long line of entrepreneur and small business owners, with childhood memories of Christmas resembling episodes of Shark Tank. For most of her career she served as an Executive Assistant in the corporate world. She excelled with her small business background and work ethic.
Taking her passion for organization and efficiency she founded Bosun, a boutique remote staffing firm. Bosun is dedicated to providing small business owners with an affordable solutions to help grow and scale... regardless of economic circumstances.
The Power of Corporate Credit
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 11
Brent Barnhart
Seasoned Business Credit Consultant | J. Galt
In J Galt's transformative speaking engagement, "The Power of Corporate Credit," audiences will be invited to explore the pivotal role that corporate credit plays in revolutionizing the business sector. This topic is a direct reflection of J Galt's mission to serve as industry-disrupting pioneers, steadfast in our commitment to the prosperity, protection, and promotion of business owners across the nation. By focusing on the strategic utilization of corporate credit, this presentation aims to enlighten participants on how to effectively leverage financial tools to ensure their businesses not only survive but thrive in competitive markets. Embodying our core values, this session is designed to inspire, educate, and empower attendees, equipping them with the insights needed to unlock new avenues of growth and stability in their entrepreneurial journeys.
Target Audience: Business Owners.
As a seasoned Business Credit Consultant, Brent Barnhart brings over two decades of hands-on financial expertise to the table. Known for his strategic approach to building corporate credit profiles and securing business financing, Brent has dedicated his career to helping businesses unlock their full potential.
Brent's unwavering commitment to empowering business owners is evident through his educational initiatives and workshops. He demystifies the complex world of Business Credit, delivering actionable insights with clarity and passion. As a trusted voice in the industry, Brent's guidance has enabled countless businesses to make informed decisions, leverage opportunities, and overcome fiscal challenges.
Brent's expertise lies in identifying market trends early on and adapting his business model to seize opportunities. His unparalleled work ethic is reflected in his dedication to customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and operational excellence. He believes that the cornerstone of business longevity is constant innovation and the ability to foster genuine connections—principles that have become his mantra throughout his illustrious career.
When he's not analyzing credit reports, Brent enjoys speaking at industry events, sharing the knowledge he's amassed throughout his impressive career. Brent's pragmatic advice and approachable demeanor make him a respected consultant, a valued mentor, and a thought leader in the Corporate and Business credit realm.
Diligent, resilient, and ever-evolving, Brent Barnhart is not just a business owner—he's a catalyst for positive change and a beacon for aspiring businessmen and businesswomen everywhere.
Positioning Your Sales Team for Success
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 15
Founder | RENDR
Learn to sell faster and more conveniently to meet the expectations of today’s, and tomorrow’s buyers.
Target Audience: Design-Build Remodelers and General Contractors
A.J. Ballantine founded Cornerstone Remodeling, a Design-Build firm based in Maryland, which has experienced significant growth in recent years. A.J. is deeply passionate about designing and building, encompassing both architectural and business aspects. He believes that process engineering, akin to well-documented blueprints, should be a crucial focus for all entrepreneurs. A.J. is also the founder of RENDR, an innovative technology that streamlines the sales process for remodelers, reducing a 10-hour task to just 10 minutes.
Getting to Know Federal Contracting
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 5
Business Opportunity Specialist (BOS) | U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
The Federal Contracting is for those who would like to do business with the federal government and grow their business.
They will learn about the process, who can help along the way, and about the different federal certifications.
Target Audience: Homebuilders, Remodelers, Contractors
Job Costing to Guarantee Profitability
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 1
Founder and CEO | JobTread
Have you ever wondered “what went wrong” when your actual profit margin fell short of your target?It’s time to identify the exact sources of the problem. Through accurate and timely job costing, you will be more in control of your finances for each job and find ways to stop your slipping profit.
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals
Eric Fortenberry is a passionate entrepreneur who founded JobTread, a construction estimating and project management software company, in 2019 after serving as CEO for a General Contracting company where he built the first version of JobTread to help streamline and remedy their broken processes. After successfully implementing the platform, the company grew from $5 to $8 million in sales and increased their gross profit by 43%.
JobTread has grown to help thousands of construction companies sell and manage billions of dollars in construction jobs. The company has been rated as the #1 Construction Management Software and the #1 Construction Estimating Software by Software Advice and GetApp. Other awards include #2 Software Product by ProRemodeler, High Performer by G2, and Capterra’s Shortlist.
Prior to JobTread, Eric founded OrgSync, a SaaS student engagement platform, in 2007 after quitting his investment banking job where he focused on high growth middle market, web-based technology companies. In 2015, after selling OrgSync to approximately 650 universities and serving nearly 20 million users across 13 countries, the Company was acquired by Leeds Equity.
Eric has been named to Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 List of the World’s Coolest Young Entrepreneurs under the age of 30 and received awards at the White House and United Nations after being named to the Empact 100 List showcasing the Best Companies Started and Run by Young Entrepreneurs. OrgSync was also recognized multiple times as a Best Place to Work and a fastest growing company for its company culture, rapid growth, and innovative solutions.
Eric is an Eagle Scout and holds a BBA in Finance and Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and a Masters in Software Engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas
10 Min Marketing Plan to Avoid Marketing Overspending & Headaches. Plus, Where / How to Generate More Leads?
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 6
A Fractional CMO (Joshua Ramsey) is going to spend this time together show you how to deal with the most common frustrations of business owners.
- Stop over-spending on marketing campaigns that don’t work
- Use Technology to streamline your prospect funnels
- Don’t let agencies take advantage of you
PLUS – learn how to build a ‘bullet proof marketing plan’ for yourself that big companies use to stay on top.
If you don’t attend this session, your competitors will!!
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals
A Google Certified Partner, Joshua's teaches interactive conferences based on material received from Google. Plus hear real life stories of success and failures that business owners have had. These powerful, interactive conferences are jammed packed with information that Joshua received during weekly meetings with Google. This is information every business owner needs to know.
Before becoming a Google Partner, Joshua was an outsourced CMO for several large U.S. based companies. As a CMO over the last 9 years, Joshua has managed over $2.5 million in AdWords and Digital Marketing Budgets and managed more than 2,800 campaigns. As a Bing Partner and Google Certified Partner, Joshua attends national conferences with some of the other great minds that influence SEO, digital marketing, and social media. Today, Joshua speaks all over the country helping businesses improve every element of their marketing.
A Better Way to Manage Your Jobs From Start to Finish - JobTread Demo
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 4
Get organized, complete your projects on time, and increase your profits. JobTread is end- to-end construction management software that helps you manage all of your business processes, from sales and estimating through to project completion. Learn why contractors give JobTread a 5-star review and consider adding JobTread to your toolkit.
Target Audience: Builders, Contractors, Remodelers, Specialty Contractors, Business Owners
Rilee’s experience in both construction and software development fuels his passion for using technology to help people build and scale their businesses. He loves setting up contractors with the right tools to make their businesses more organized and profitable.
Holding a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from Texas A&M University as well as a Certificate in Fullstack Web Development from Southern Methodist University, Rilee is well-versed in guiding contractors through streamlining processes while maximizing profits.
How to Become a Successful Fix and Flip Investor!
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 10
Suzanne Johns
If you're thinking about Fixing and Flipping Real Estate but not sure where to start, this is the class for you! Recessions are a great time to invest. During the 2008 recession, I offered a fix and flip program that created 21 millionaires, most are still flipping houses today on a much grander scale. This class will provide everything you need to know in order to jump into the deep end of being a successful Fix and Flip Investor!
WE WILL COVER
- How to FIND your Flip Houses
- How to FUND your Flip without using your own money
- Tips on FIXing your Flip maximizing your profits
- Selling your FLIP to put CASH IN YOUR POCKET!
Target Audience: General Contractors, Subcontractors, Real Estate Investors considering House Flipping, First Time Investors considering House Flipping
- Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader
- Award Winning Real Estate Broker
- Professional Realtor since 1978, selling homes in Texas and California
- Over 20 years of experience as an award-winning custom home builder
- Successfully flipping homes since 2008
- Teach Home Flipping Strategies since 2008
- Coached 22 investors to become
Millionaires in 2008-2010 by flipping homes during the last recession! - Professional Specialties: Extremely Good
Negotiator, Financial/Mortgage Expertise
AWARDS & CERTIFICATIONS - Member - $980 Million Club
- ALHS - Accredited Luxury Home Specialist
- GRI - Graduate Realtors' Institute
- Named as 1 of 12 "Mega Brokers of Texas"
- Awarded Woman of Empowerment 2021
- Certified REO (Foreclosure) Specialist
- Managing Director, Women Network
- Dallas Chairman, HighRise (C-Suite Executives) Network
- Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader 1978-80 and USO Show Group Team Member
Helical Piles: An Overview, Design Theory & Applications
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 3
Helical piles and anchors have been used in construction applications for over a century. The first recorded use of helical piles was in 1836 by Alexander Mitchell when he used helical piles to underpin the well-recognized Maplin Sands Lighthouse in England. In the last 30 to 40 years, Helical piles have gained in popularity to the extent they are more frequently recommended by design professional engineers, compared to many other deep foundation types. In 2009, the International Building Code (IBC) was revised in reference to past International Building Codes and included the addition of helical piles. The presentation will discuss the main components of a helical pile, pile installation process, various applications, mechanical and soil pile capacities, and the methods used to determine them. It will also include the design of helical pile using theoretical methods that are based on traditional soil mechanics and the well-known capacity-torque correlation, which is probably the most significant attribute of helical pile.
Target Audience: Engineers, Contractors, and Architects
Dr. Souissi joined Cantsink in March 2019, after completing his Ph.D. at Colorado State University. His thesis was titled: “HELICAL PILE CAPACITY TO TORQUE RATIO: A FUNCTIONAL PERSPECTIVE”. His paper was about torque correlation factor, Kt, and was published in the DFI journal, 2020 Volume 14 issue 2. Before joining Cantsink, Dr. Souissi was working as a Project Engineer at CTL| Thompson, Fort Collins, CO from 2003 to 2018. During that time, Dr. Souissi was one of the key architects in expanding CTL Thompson testing capabilities to include an Accredited Testing Lab. The lab was accredited per ISO 17025 by IAS (International Accreditation Services) in 2008, and its scope of accreditation was “Testing Helical Piles Systems and Devices per Requirements of AC358”. Dr. Souissi was running the new testing Lab from 2008 to 2018. During that time, he supervised and witnessed hundreds of required tests (per AC358) conducted by his subordinates. Almost all of these tests were conducted for clients (Helical Piles Manufacturers) from around the world looking to obtain an ICC-ES report for their products.
During his tenure with CTL| Thompson, Dr. Souissi was involved with the Accredited Inspection Agency within the company. The Inspection Agency was also accredited by IAS, per ISO17020. The Inspection Agency was conducting on-site inspections (at the request of ICC-ES) at the manufacturing plant of the report holder. Two inspections, in accordance with AC10, were conducted per year as required. Finally, AC358 is the Acceptance Criteria for Helical Pile Systems and Devices. It was originally issued in 2007 by ICC-ES. Dr. Souissi served as the Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee that worked with ICC-ES in revising AC 358 both in 2013 and in 2017.
Cantsink is a helical pile manufacturer with a net-zero facility, powered by solar energy. Cantsink was founded in 1988 in Winder, GA.
QuickBooks for Contractors - Beginner
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 9
This class is an overview of how contractors can utilize the QuickBooks functionality to facilitate job costing, payroll, receivables and the overall benefits of either the online or desktop applications.
Target Audience: Contractors, Subcontractors, and anyone curious about the features & benefits of QuickBooks.
Hit Me Baby One More Time - Texas's Newest Mechanic's Lien Laws and How they Affect YOU!
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 3
Embark on a comprehensive journey through the evolving realm of Texas Construction Law with this seminar focused on the recent changes to Mechanic's Lien laws. If you are like the majority in the construction industry, you know ‘a little’ about Texas’s lien laws but not enough to protect your rights. Given the uncertainty in the economy and Texas’s recent overhaul of the mechanic’s lien statutes, this seminar is perfectly crafted to guide construction professionals and industry stakeholders who seek a deeper understanding of the revised lien laws. The goal is clear – to ensure compliance with the laws and pave the way for success in securing rights to be paid on the many construction projects across the Lone Star State.
This seminar will focus on the changes to those pesky deadlines that plague the construction industry. Our speaker, Kelly M. Davis, Esq., is the owner of an established construction law firm in Lewisville, Texas, which has focused for over 22 years on representing those from all sides of the spectrum in the construction industry. Ms. Davis brings extensive experience to the table and her expertise in handling mechanic’s lien disputes has not only earned her recognition but also positioned her as an authority in teaching the many nuances, tricks, and traps of the mechanic’s lien laws while focusing on the top mistakes that invalidate liens. Ms. Davis is a master at breaking down the lien laws to assist non-lawyers in developing tried and true strategies to not only ‘get by’ in your collection efforts but, instead, ensure that you EXCEL in collecting the full amount owed for the work performed.
Target Audience: General contractors and Subcontractor
Few construction lawyers have first-hand experience to understand fully the complex issues that their clients face. When Kelly Davis was a child, her father started a small residential construction business, and there began Kelly's love of construction. Kelly was the little girl that would run around the construction jobs in her dresses (to the chagrin of her mother). Over the years, her father's business grew into developing commercial buildings, and high-end residential homes. As a result, Kelly has grown up, in and around the construction industry her entire life.
After opening her own General Litigation firm, Kelly's litigation practice naturally progressed into primarily construction litigation and real estate practice. She represents clients from all segments of the construction industry in all types of construction disputes, including delay and labor impact claims, defective work claims, performance and payment bond, breach of contract, breach of warranty, and mechanic's and materialman's lien foreclosure claims. Kelly also assists her clients by handling corporate formation and other corporate issues, reviewing, and drafting contracts for their businesses, and perfecting lien and bond rights. Kelly is also a frequent speaker to professionals on construction law topics. Her favorite areas are mechanic's liens, RCLA claims, contract drafting and negotiations, and duking it out at trial over just about anything. Kelly's success stems from a combination of a quick-witted charm, her ability to quickly grasp the client's position and her willingness to tirelessly fight for her client's cause. This is what keeps clients coming back for years and years.
Kelly's family has owned and operated a small business for years. She witnessed firsthand the time and commitment it took to make it a success and understands the difficulties a family business can have for generations to come. Kelly treats every client like family and strives to protect their interests as she would her own family.
Although committed to her clients, work does not occupy all of Kelly's time. Most importantly, Kelly has been married for 20 years to the love of her life Stephen. Together they live in Highland Village with their two sons and two Dobie dogs who happen to be the firm's mascots. Their weekends are filled with her two boys competing in national clay target tournaments, interior decorating, church and friends. You will also see Kelly's creative style with the various art installations throughout her office. When they can spare the time, traveling is their favorite pastime.
Tips and tricks in Cost Estimating
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 4
Cost estimating for construction projects is a complicated matter that requires knowledge and expertise. It involves so many aspects that a mistake in one of them can be devastating for the contractor. This seminar will provide a group of valuable tips that will improve the accuracy of the cost estimate. The tips include quantity take-offs, identifying individual items, adding waste allowances, pricing items, adjusting cost for productivity fluctuations, additional charges (such as shipping, delivery, taxes, customs, other fees), custom and special items, estimating overhead and profit, and contingency allowance, and putting the estimate together. Other topics include the impact of location and timing on the price and importance of reading the contract and good documentation.
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals
- Construction project management consultant, author, public speaker, and trainer.
- S., M.S., and Ph.D. in civil engineering, specialized in Construction Management.
- Experience: Over 26 years diversified:
- Industrial: private and public sectors, in the U.S. and overseas. Positions occupied include project engineer / manager, cost estimator, planner / scheduler, project controls manager, cost manager, training manager.
- Academic: faculty member / professor, head of department.
- Extensive experience in continuing education and professional training around the world. Topics are mainly technical but also include soft skills.
- Author of:
- Construction Project Scheduling and Control (currently 3rd edition)
- How to Estimate with Means Data: Basic Skills for Building Construction (currently 4th edition)
- Many articles; technical and other
- Many presentations in professional conferences such as PMI, AACE International, Primavera Users Conference. Also, a public speaker in many local, regional, and international events.
- An authority on project planning, scheduling, and project control; was part of the PMI team that wrote the first Project Scheduling certification (PMI-SP) exam in 2007.
- An advocate of holistic healthy living and sports
Outsourcing for small businesses.
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 15
Sadiq Isu
How to make outsourcing work for you as a small business -
Running a small business is very hard and you need a lot of help to make it work. We understand this challenge and have created a service that helps business owners run their companies seamlessly at a fraction of the cost. Larger companies like Apple, Tesla, and Microsoft currently use outsourcing as a strategy to reduce their operational cost. At All Talentz we want to also help you use outsourcing to reduce your cost and increase your bottom line. We offer trained professionals at 50-75% of the cost you would usually spend on payroll. Join us in this session as we help you understand how to make outsourcing work for your business.
Target Audience: Small Business Owners and Restoration Companies
Mr. Sadiq Isu a successful businessman, investor, and a serial entrepreneur. He is the owner of four PuroClean franchise locations - three in the Ohio market and one in Oregon. As a multi-location franchise owner, he has demonstrated exceptional business acumen and a keen understanding of the restoration industry.
In addition to his role as a franchise owner, Mr. Sadiq Isu is the visionary founder of All Talentz LLC, a leading outsourcing organization that specializes in providing skilled professionals across various industries. With a passion for revolutionizing talent solutions, Sadiq has successfully overseen the growth of All Talentz, establishing it as a trusted partner for businesses seeking top-tier talent. His expertise lies in strategic talent outsourcing, and he is dedicated to helping businesses streamline operations and achieve unparalleled success.
Before venturing into the world of entrepreneurship, Mr. Sadiq Isu started his career in Nokia as the Trade Marketing Manager of West Africa, in Cardinal Health as a Senior Product/Marketing Specialist, and at Kroger as a Marketing Coordinating Manager, where he forged his business acumen and built his track record in corporate America.
As the Founder and CEO of All Talentz LLC with a mission to "Restore Excellence Globally", he made managerial and operational decisions that led to breaking even in the first two months of operation. With over a decade of experience in business development, marketing, and project management, Mr. Sadiq Isu has a deep understanding of various business functions, and his multifaceted leadership role showcases his commitment to driving innovation, fostering business growth, and delivering exceptional results across diverse enterprises.
In addition to being a successful businessman, he is a husband and a father of 4 beautiful girls. He is also a speaker on leadership and strategic planning and a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs. His mission is to build businesses and craft legacies that make a positive impact on the world
Managing and Delivering Projects From Inception and Design through Handover
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 7
In this session IMAGINiT will walk you through the processes and tools to start and finish project that includes initial design, construction, and then commissioning and handover to the owner. We’ll look at how you can leverage the Autodesk Construction Cloud to manage all aspects of this process – reducing risk, enhancing accountability, and improving efficiency and effectiveness throughout. From Conceptual Design through Digital Twin deliverables, you can do it all in one platform.
Key Topics:
- The Siloes: Design, Pre-Construction, Construction Management, Handover
- Creating a Common Data Environment with the Autodesk Construction Cloud
- Common Obstacles when Adopting Cloud-Based Solutions
- Workflow Review - Design to Handover
- Trends in the AEC Community when adopting new Cloud-Based Workflows
Target Audience: Construction Professionals, Management, and Engineers
How Tax Law Can Save You Money?
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 8
Teresa Bilsky
EA, NTPI Fellow, Founder and CEO | BFG Tax Help
Understanding the basics of entity structures and how to use them to save you money.
Target Audience: New businesses or business owners wanting a better understanding of the entities work and why to use them.
Constructing the Future: Discover ChatGPT and Harness its Power for a Profitable Marketing Future
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 14
In the intersection of artificial intelligence and digital marketing, ChatGPT shines as a game-changer. We’ll unpack its profound impact on online marketing, exploring its present utility and future potential to deliver better and more profitable leads.
The presentation will be in four parts:
1. Introduction:
- An overview of ChatGPT: OpenAI’s language model that’s transforming digital interactions.
- Current State of Online Marketing: How traditional practices are being overshadowed by AI capabilities.
2. AI Integration in Online Marketing, SEO, and Sales:
- Content Generation: ChatGPT’s role in crafting engaging and SEO-optimized content.
- Data Analysis: Gleaning actionable insights from user behavior and feedback.
- User Experiences: Creating personalized user pathways and sales funnels.
- SEO Strategies: AI’s role in analyzing search trends and generating SEO-friendly content.
3. Future Prospects of AI in Marketing:
- Evolving Capabilities: The ongoing growth and refinement of AI tools like ChatGPT.
- AI in Search Algorithms: How AI might dictate the direction of search marketing.
4. Q&A Session: Open floor for attendees to probe deeper, challenge assertions, or seek clarification.
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals
Jason Rhoads is the proud CEO and owner of Rhoads Creative—a data-first, digital-always marketing agency tailored for home consultation and services companies. He began his career specializing in statistics and analytics for financial service companies and moved to digital marketing over ten years ago. Over the last ten years, he has become an expert in all things digital by creating marketing strategies for companies big and small, resulting in unheard-of results (like a 1,127% increase in ROI).
Rhoads Creative, under Jason’s stewardship, has not only delivered the results but has positioned itself at the forefront of digital marketing innovations:
- A proud Google Certified partner
- Trailblazers in geofencing, being among the first ten agencies globally
- Exclusive members of beta testing teams for Hulu and TikTok advertising
- Actively involved in Chat GPT and OpenAI's beta testing
Beyond Rhoads Creative, his involvement in industry associations like NAHB, 55 Plus Council, and various HBAs, along with my representation of over 100 home consultation and service entities, has enriched me with a breadth of insights. This knowledge drives me to deliver tailored, high-impact campaigns consistently.
Scale or Fail: How to Scale Your Construction Business, and Build a Team-Managed Company that Can Flourish without You
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 11
Allison Maslan
Business Owners that are serious about scaling often get stuck at 7 and 8-figures and cannot get beyond that, even when they're working non-stop, sacrificing time, health, and sanity... for years.
The Business Model that got takes your company to 1 million can’t get you to 10 million, 50 million or beyond 100 million. Scaling doesn't come from the hustle. It comes from implementing creative strategy and expanding into a more scalable model.
It’s about working smarter, not harder.
In this presentation, Allison Maslan, CEO of Pinnacle Global Network, Founder of 10 of her own companies, and the Wall Street Journal Best Selling author of, Scale or Fail, will show you:
- How to get off the hamster wheel, get your life back and empower your team to scale.
- How to build a Dream Team that can take your vision and run with it
- 15 Super-Powered Scalable Models for the construction industry that will take less time, use less overhead, decrease stress, and generate WAY more impact.
- Leave with Tools and Strategies you can implement right away to scale your company.
Target Audience: Business owners
Allison Maslan, CEO of Pinnacle Global Network, was recently named “One of the 10 Women Entrepreneurs to watch in 2023”, by Forbes Magazine. She is the Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author of, Scale or Fail, which is endorsed by Daymond John and Barbara Corcoran of Shark Tank. Allison’s built 10 successful companies over the last 40 years.
For the past 15 years, she and her team of strategic advisors have helped over 150,000 Founders scale their businesses, fast-track their success and create a more meaningful life through her company, Pinnacle Global Network, one of the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies.
Allison has shared the stage with noted business leaders such as Richard Branson and Magic Johnson; and has been featured in Inc., Success, Fortune, Fast Company, and Forbes Magazines, is a regular contributor to Entrepreneur Magazine and a featured expert on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and Fox across the US. She is also the host and producer of The SCALEit Method Podcast.
What Can The SBA Do For Me
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 5
Bridget Moon
My presentation is for those who want to know how SBA can help them start, grow, expand, and recover, for small businesses. They will learn about our national resource partners, a brief overview of our lending programs, and a brief overview of federal contracting.
Target Audience: Business owners
Bridget Moon is from the US Small Business Administration Dallas/Fort Worth District Office serving Texas’s Northern 72 counties, as an Economic Development Specialist and Veteran Business Development Officer.
Prior, Bridget began her SBA 28 year career as an SBA Disaster Loan Officer and Supervisory Loan Officer for home and business underwriting. Has also, served as a Public Information Officer, and has traveled the United States and Territories for direct disaster recovery efforts.
In addition, Bridget has a degree in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management and has over 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur. Along the way she has counseled many types of businesses on a vast array of subjects and assisted with business plans that include startups and expansions. With her experience she believes her mission is to help others succeed in their business endeavors.
Creative Solutions for Internet Problems in Construction Trailers and Sales Offices
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 9
Jon and his teammate, Bryan Gifford will take attendees through challenges with internet connectivity that almost every single home builder face at sales office and construction trailers.
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals
Lightning Protection System Design | 1 AIA Credit
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 8
The purpose of this presentation is to provide electrical engineers, architects, and contractors with the training necessary to understand the fundamentals of facility electrical protection related to Commercial & Industrial applications.
Target Audience: Architects and Engineers
Chuck has been in the electrical industry for 25+ years. He is currently the Business Development Manager for Hicks Lightning Protection. Chuck is a member of the Lightning Protection Institute (LPI) and a certified Master Installer/Designer for lightning installations. CCOOLEY@HICKSLP.COM
Procuring for Success: How FF&E Procurement Can Drive Project Cost Reduction and Sustainability
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 7
The open, town-hall style panel will discuss:
- Sustainable procurement of construction materials and a framework for sustainable materials management in construction projects
- Digital transformation of supply chains in construction: the impact and use of e-procurement on the purchasing function (bid, order, track) in the construction industry
Target Audience: Architects, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Builders, and Remodelers
April Moss is a market and retail strategy expert with more than 20 years of experience developing sales teams with some of the largest global companies, including Procter & Gamble and Starbucks. It was at Procter & Gamble where April and Rob met. Prior to starting her career with P&G, she worked for the Construction Specification Institute in Washington D.C., fueling her interest in real estate development. Like Rob, Founder/CEO, April watched her father struggle as a sub-contractor. Those struggles were one of the reasons her father ended his own life when she was nine. Construction has 4-5x more suicides than any other industry. One of April’s passions is to make sure that as DigiBuild works to improve the construction process that it helps to relieve the burden on construction people and their families along the way.
Justus comes to DigiBuild with a strong background in construction. He worked his way up in the ranks at his family’s construction business during his teenage years and still owns a painting company that he has someone help manage. He is a licensed realtor and owns multiple rental properties.
Early on in his career, Justus was involved in the hospitality industry where he worked his way up to Operations Manager and was responsible for opening and managing four restaurants. Justus utilized this experience in an expanded operations role with Ozark Airlines, where he re-applied his restaurant knowledge to a new industry.
At a trade show last fall, Justus caught the attention of DigiBuild’s co-founder, April Moss while he was working for HoundDog, a construction insurance platform that automates verifications. With a deep family background in construction and personal experience as a landlord and business owner in the industry, Justus was drawn to DigiBuild’s innovative solutions and passionate team. Justus’ diverse experiences make him a valuable asset to any business in the construction and real estate space.
Turn Google Reviews, Messaging and Social Media to Revenue
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 10
If you're looking to improve your business' ranking on Google, you've come to the right place. John will share the Birdeye guide on using reviews, messaging and social media to grow your local reputation and SEO. You should expect to take away a page of notes on everything you need to know about attracting, converting and delighting your customers and prospects that interact with your business.
Target Audience: Owners, Management, Soloprenuers, Supporting Staff
John Bermudez is a business growth expert who has made a significant impact on business owners over the past decade in his Trusted Advisor role. He has assisted hundreds of solopreneurs to large service business owners in expanding their footprint through a focus on reputation, attracting quality leads and customer experience. With his extensive experience, John is dedicated to coaching and making recommendations on how to use messaging, reviews and social media to be the go-to service provider. His commitment to helping others achieve success has established him as a respected and sought-after authority in the field.
Unlocking Leverage: How to Secure Reliable Private Capital for Spec Construction
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 16
In an uncertain market, it can feel like your capital sources are constantly moving the goalposts. In this class, we will pull back the curtain on the lenders that help keep the industry moving. Learn the red flags to avoid when choosing a lender and pick up some tips on how to secure consistent funding for all of your real estate investments.
Target Audience: Spec Builders who own their own company
Aidan is a 10-year veteran in the private lending space who has helped place over $300 million worth of private capital in residential real estate investments. Although he works with a wide range of real estate investments, his focus is helping urban infill builders finance their spec construction projects.
How to Increase Profitability Within the Challenging Construction Marketplace
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 12
The presentation will be focused on how to secure offshore/remote labor to increase profit/reduce cost.
Target Audience: Architects, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Builders, and Remodelers
How to Navigate the Barndominium Surge
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | Room 2
Stacee Lynn
The Barndominium concept has existed for some time. But in the last 5-7 years, it has begun to help redefine luxury living nationally with Texas leading the charge. Now there is no ignoring the ever-rising Barndo demand nationally. Home buyers, in towns big and small, are considering a Barndominium for their next or first home.
The Barndo can be a boon for Texas builders, representing a golden opportunity to grow their businesses. But it can also present a new set of challenges. Understanding these challenges will help builders avoid shortcomings, the need for workarounds, and misunderstandings that can frustrate clients and operators alike.
Get the information you need to help navigate through these potentially choppy waters, understand market activity, and create new opportunities in today’s Barndo market. Stacee Lynn can help you:
- Potentially add a new line of revenue to your operation
- Understand Barndominium design trends and opportunities to maximize efficiency
- Find the right material suppliers and product suppliers to build your client’s dream home
- Identify networking and brand partnership opportunities
- Communicate better with clients leading to an enhanced interaction and experience
This is an ideal opportunity for Texas builders to recognize new revenue, engage customers, and “Build Better Barndos!”
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals
Building a Predictable Business Culture that Recruits, Hires, and Retains Great Gen Z Talent
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 2
Business Coach | Business on Purpose
“Nobody wants to work anymore!”
That’s the outcry from our modern workplace, and yet we look around and talk with loads of people from younger generations desperate not just for work, but for meaningful work that comes with clarity and predictability.
In the AEC industries clarity is hard to come by and good luck landing in a land of predictability.
In this motivating and mindset-shifting talk Brandon Gray will flip our idea of what a younger generation is looking for and why the AEC industries are the perfect landing spot for young, ambitious, hungry talent to come devote their lives and their work to.
Come ready to think differently and gain insight into a simple and free method that can change the game for the culture and health of your business.
Learning Objectives
- Learn the secret language of Gen Z and what they really want
- Identify the elements of your business that are ripe for new team members to engage with
- Build one simple tool during the workshop that you can implement that afternoon.
Target Audience: Homebuilders, Remodelers, Contractors
Brandon works with business owners and their key leaders building systems, process, and purpose using the Business On Purpose Roadmap to liberate businesses from the chaos of working IN their business and help them get their lives back.
Brandon attended a small liberal arts college outside of Chicago called Wheaton College where he was a member of the football team. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in Interpersonal Communication, he moved to Texas with his wife, Popie, and was a Camp Director for two different summer camps. In 2020, Brandon moved his family to Bluffton, South Carolina where he worked as a teacher, coach, and directed all student activities. While being in South Carolina, Brandon and Popie have welcomed two sons, Sam (3) and Noah (7 months) into their family.
When not liberating business owners from chaos, he can be found wrestling his 2 sons, attempting to eat a meal in peace with his wife or navigating the rough at a local golf course.
The On Purpose Group LLC doing business under the trade name Business On Purpose is a business coaching and transition planning group that works to help business owners build…
Proper Customer Sales Management
9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. | Room 1
Construction professionals often struggle with the nuts and bolts of proper sales techniques. This includes closing new targets, maintaining recurring customers and crafting a complete sales effort. Properly managing customer expectations and satisfaction can cultivate further opportunity. Not doing so can result in low revenue and profitability results.
We’ll cover:
- Why customers commit
- Why your close rate is too low
- Winning projects or orders with peak profitability
- Managing commercial and residential customers
Applying these concepts can bring immediate results in your most critical sales efforts. Effectively reading your customers will result in you being in control of the sales process. Making closing work an easier proposition.
Target Audience: Architects, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Builders, and Remodelers.
His DVD series can literally be used as an individual or corporate training program. He's been featured on CNN and in USAToday as well as dozens of media outlets across the country. Tom is extremely entertaining in his approach and well studied in the dynamics that occur in bidding, quoting and developing customer brand loyalty. His high energy approach combined with practical applications can bring results immediately after his seminars.
His corporation, Seal the Deal, is sought after by trade associations, contractors, corporations, suppliers, construction expos and publications regularly. He currently writes for 4 publications, has 20 regular contractor clients and speaks to in excess of 10,000 construction industry individuals a year. Tom turned a Caterpillar rental territory from 2.5Mil to 10Mil in revenue in 18 months while raising margins by 2%! He also trained 325 sales reps for a 750 Mil nationwide equipment firm. In his first sales position at 19 yrs of age he took a 150K contractor sales territory to 2.5Mil in 1 year. His customized training programs hit areas targeted for improvement head on. He knows how to get people to buy and manage a sales effort to success!
Estimating, Pricing, and Increasing Sales with Upgrades & Selections
9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. | Room 14
We don’t always need to cut our profit to win the job! Learn how to leverage JobTread to estimate effectively, price jobs to reach target profits, and increase your sales through upgrades and selections.
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals.
Eric Fortenberry is a passionate entrepreneur who founded JobTread, a construction estimating and project management software company, in 2019 after serving as CEO for a General Contracting company where he built the first version of JobTread to help streamline and remedy their broken processes. After successfully implementing the platform, the company grew from $5 to $8 million in sales and increased their gross profit by 43%.
JobTread has grown to help thousands of construction companies sell and manage billions of dollars in construction jobs. The company has been rated as the #1 Construction Management Software and the #1 Construction Estimating Software by Software Advice and GetApp. Other awards include #2 Software Product by ProRemodeler, High Performer by G2, and Capterra’s Shortlist.
Prior to JobTread, Eric founded OrgSync, a SaaS student engagement platform, in 2007 after quitting his investment banking job where he focused on high growth middle market, web-based technology companies. In 2015, after selling OrgSync to approximately 650 universities and serving nearly 20 million users across 13 countries, the Company was acquired by Leeds Equity.
Eric has been named to Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 List of the World’s Coolest Young Entrepreneurs under the age of 30 and received awards at the White House and United Nations after being named to the Empact 100 List showcasing the Best Companies Started and Run by Young Entrepreneurs. OrgSync was also recognized multiple times as a Best Place to Work and a fastest growing company for its company culture, rapid growth, and innovative solutions.
Eric is an Eagle Scout and holds a BBA in Finance and Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and a Masters in Software Engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas.
How Google And Chat GPT Can Boost your Online Lead Flow
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 6
Joshua Ramsey
Google has certain expectations of your website. The number one thing Google wants…. Good User Experience (UX).
In this session learn:
- Exactly how to communicate to Google
- How to track what your user experience
- How to use Chat GPT to communicate better
All of this plus get access to a free marketing/Chat GPT tool, complimentary in part from Build Expo and www.JRcmo.com Joshua Ramsey, Fractional CMO.
Not sure what a fractional CMO is? Learn more about a fractional CMO by searching ‘JRcmo fractional CMO’
Wondering if this speaker is worth your time? Hear his podcasts, radio show and online teaching by searching 'Joshua Ramsey Marketing’
Target Audience: Builders and Integrators interested in Smart Home and Smart Building Technology
A Google Certified Partner, Joshua's teaches interactive conferences based on material received from Google. Plus hear real life stories of success and failures that business owners have had. These powerful, interactive conferences are jammed packed with information that Joshua received during weekly meetings with Google. This is information every business owner needs to know.
Before becoming a Google Partner, Joshua was an outsourced CMO for several large U.S. based companies. As a CMO over the last 9 years, Joshua has managed over $2.5 million in AdWords and Digital Marketing Budgets and managed more than 2,800 campaigns. As a Bing Partner and Google Certified Partner, Joshua attends national conferences with some of the other great minds that influence SEO, digital marketing, and social media. Today, Joshua speaks all over the country helping businesses improve every element of their marketing.
Another Brick in the Wall: Plugging the Post-Covid Contractual Holes
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 3
Join us for an in-depth exploration into the ever-changing post-COVID landscape of Construction Law. Our seminar delves into the latest legal considerations, emerging challenges, and strategic solutions for the construction industry in the wake of the pandemic.
Our speaker, Kelly M. Davis, Esq., is the owner of an established construction law firm in Lewisville, Texas, focusing on the representation of those in the construction industry for over 22 years. The seminar will discuss specific and valuable insights, practical advice, and actionable solutions to navigate the evolving legal framework which remains in effect post-COVID such as the various contract types and payment structures and the pros and cons of each, completion deadlines, supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and particular challenges that those in the industry are facing with the lender. This seminar will also discuss the Force Majeure clause, what it really means, and how you can use such clauses to protect you in the post-COVID climate. You can expect that this seminar will be interactive and that you will be able to walk away with tried-and-true strategies to protect yourself and your company by understanding the importance of addressing these issues within your contract.
Target Audience: General contractors and Subcontractor
Few construction lawyers have first-hand experience to understand fully the complex issues that their clients face. When Kelly Davis was a child, her father started a small residential construction business, and there began Kelly's love of construction. Kelly was the little girl that would run around the construction jobs in her dresses (to the chagrin of her mother). Over the years, her father's business grew into developing commercial buildings, and high-end residential homes. As a result, Kelly has grown up, in and around the construction industry her entire life.
After opening her own General Litigation firm, Kelly's litigation practice naturally progressed into primarily construction litigation and real estate practice. She represents clients from all segments of the construction industry in all types of construction disputes, including delay and labor impact claims, defective work claims, performance and payment bond, breach of contract, breach of warranty, and mechanic's and materialman's lien foreclosure claims. Kelly also assists her clients by handling corporate formation and other corporate issues, reviewing, and drafting contracts for their businesses, and perfecting lien and bond rights. Kelly is also a frequent speaker to professionals on construction law topics. Her favorite areas are mechanic's liens, RCLA claims, contract drafting and negotiations, and duking it out at trial over just about anything. Kelly's success stems from a combination of a quick-witted charm, her ability to quickly grasp the client's position and her willingness to tirelessly fight for her client's cause. This is what keeps clients coming back for years and years.
Kelly's family has owned and operated a small business for years. She witnessed firsthand the time and commitment it took to make it a success and understands the difficulties a family business can have for generations to come. Kelly treats every client like family and strives to protect their interests as she would her own family.
Although committed to her clients, work does not occupy all of Kelly's time. Most importantly, Kelly has been married for 20 years to the love of her life Stephen. Together they live in Highland Village with their two sons and two Dobie dogs who happen to be the firm's mascots. Their weekends are filled with her two boys competing in national clay target tournaments, interior decorating, church and friends. You will also see Kelly's creative style with the various art installations throughout her office. When they can spare the time, traveling is their favorite pastime.
Productivity Adjustments and its Impact on Cost and Duration
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. |
Productivity adjustments and its impact on cost and duration. Estimating crew (labor and equipment) productivity is crucial to both the cost and duration of the project. This is why the contractor must make proper adjustments to estimated productivity for each work activity, taking into account all impacting factors such as weather conditions. But adjustments must also be considered with schedule updates because things rarely, if ever, go as planned. This presentation takes a quick look at this process with valuable tips for more accurate cost estimates and schedules.
Target Audience: Builders and Contractors
B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in civil engineering specialized in Construction Management.
Experience: Over 26 years diversified:
- Industrial: private and public sectors, in the U.S. and overseas. Positions occupied include project engineer/manager, cost estimator, planner/scheduler, project controls manager, cost manager, training manager.
- Academic: faculty member/professor, head of the department.
- Extensive experience in continuing education and professional training around the world. Topics are mainly technical but also include soft skills.
- Construction Project Scheduling and Control (currently 3rd edition)
- How to Estimate with Means Data: Basic Skills for Building Construction (currently 4th edition)
- Many articles; technical and other
- Many presentations in professional conferences such as PMI, AACE International, Primavera Users Conference. Also, a public speaker in many local, regional, and international events.
- An authority on project planning, scheduling, and project control; was part of the PMI team that wrote the first Project Scheduling certification (PMI-SP) exam in 2007.
- An advocate of holistic healthy living and sports
Internet 101 for Contractors
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. |
Not sure what to do about your online presence? The Internet has changed consumer behavior. Your potential customers are looking for you online. (Yes, even your referrals!) Can they easily find you? If they can, are they getting a current and professional image of your business? In this informative and casual session, you will learn what matters today and how to use the Internet to build your business - bring your questions!
- How much do websites cost?
- The basics of an effective website
- Why you need a website even if you’re busy
- How Google works and what's new in search
- SEO - Search Engine Optimization made simple
- Q&A: Ask what you want. Learn from an industry veteran
Target Audience: Contractors, Home Builders, Architects, and Small Business Owners
Steve got into the website business in the early days of the Internet and in 1998, he started his first web development company - Z57 Internet Solutions. The company received national recognition including being in Inc. Magazine, Forbes, and Entrepreneur Magazine. Z57 made the Inc. 5000 several times as one of the fastest growing companies in the country. Steve led the growth of the company from start up to over 225 employees. The company was one of the largest web design firms in the nation and built over 40,000 websites in the 14 years Steve was the owner.
After selling the company and taking some time off, Steve started ZDigital. ZDigital offers websites and Internet marketing services to contractors, architects and designers across the US. ZDigital helps business owners with new website design, website redesigns and other Internet marketing services including Google and Facebook ads, social media management, SEO and more. To contact Steve or to learn more about ZDigital, visit www.ZDigital.com
How to Legally Pay Zero Income Tax
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. |
- Tax strategy and how it can save you thousands of dollars
- Hidden deductions you are missing
- Common red flags in the construction industry
- What the IRS is not telling you
Target Audience: Business owners
Sustainability and resiliency: How it applies within the Built World | 1 AIA Credit
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 10
1 Hour and attendees will receive 1 LU credit from AIA, and the objectives are as follows:
- Learn about vinyl's resiliency
- Learn about cladding and facades’ roles in sustainability and resilience
- Learn about material sustainability - and the environmental impact
- Learn about environmental impact measures and how everything impacts the environment
Target Audience: Architects and Developers
A builder with 30 years of experience and an expert on how to trim costs and keep quality when building or remodeling, Pagés is the author of two books published by The Taunton Press: Building an Affordable House: A high-value, low-cost approach to building and Affordable Remodel: How to get custom results on any budget.
He has won numerous national awards, including the “Green Building Single Family House of the Year” and the “Workforce Housing Award” from the National Association of Home Builders. Most recently, he has been working with New Urbanist Andrés Duany on creating a new generation of manufactured homes.
Mr. Pages is a consultant to polymeric cladding manufacturers and has helped to lead the industry into greater acceptance by the architectural community. Those attending the mini workshops will receive complimentary copies of “Architectural Design for Traditional Neighborhoods” and “Architectural Polymers: an interactive architectural specification guide.”
QuickBooks for Contractors - Advanced
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 9
This class is an overview of how contractors can utilize the QuickBooks functionality to facilitate job costing, payroll, receivables and the overall benefits of either the online or desktop applications.
Target Audience: Contractors, Subcontractors, and anyone curious about the features & benefits of QuickBooks.
Trends in Playspace Design (100 Level) | 1 AIA LU/HSW Credit
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 6
In this session, we will examine playground trends that create kid magnets; that facilitate multi-generational interaction, support physical activity or creative place-making environments that tell a community story and return economic impact to their communities. This session provides participants an understanding of the key components influencing the needs and desires of designers, planners and users in creating innovative play environments. Participants will be able to utilize this knowledge to vision, plan and budget for implementing successful playground environments that best serve their communities well into the future.
HSW Justification:
This session examines societal trends such as engagement for all abilities, the obesity epidemic, connecting youth with nature, multigenerational spaces, language and literacy and more. With intentionally designed park spaces, we're able to provide solutions for these societal challenges through recreation with safe and exciting spaces that keep all users connected and engaged.
Learning Objective 1: Identify leading trends in play space design and the external influences driving these trends.
Learning Objective 2: Articulate the benefits to communities including social equity, economic impact, and multi-generational engagement.
Learning Objective 3: Connect societal trends with research-based solutions and see how those translate to design decisions.
Learning Objective 4: Understand a collaborative design process, public-private partnerships that engage the public, plan, and budget appropriately, and write specifications that ultimately result in successful, signature play environments.
Target Audience: Landscape Architects, Architects, Builder Developers, General Contractors
PoE Lighting and Automation - Next Gen Control
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 7
Top subject matter experts with experience in designing and constructing Power Over Ethernet intelligent buildings share their best practices and lessons learned. The session will help Builders and Integrators interested in Smart Home and Smart Building Technology gain crucial skills and knowledge essential to delivering intelligent buildings and lighting for developers and owners.
Target Audience: Smart Lighting contractors and integrators
Tyler is an influencer for Intelligent Buildings and Power Over Ethernet. He currently leads PoE Texas making technology accessible to facility owners with his unique mix of technical expertise, construction experience, and project management knowledge. He currently hosts the most popular YouTube and Facebook channel and live stream about Power Over Ethernet and Intelligent Buildings, Converge PoE. Tyler speaks and trains about his project management experience and the importance of Power Over Ethernet in the new Intelligent Building.
Custom Building & Remodeling: Profitability in Today’s Market
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 16
Custom building and remodeling projects aren’t for the faint of heart. These projects involve a lot of moving parts and today’s margins are tighter than ever. From bids and budgets to schedules, selections, and the actual construction process, there are many areas builders could be leaking profits on delays, miscommunications, or missed details. In this session, Bob will share the common areas builders can improve profitability and the tech tools that can help pinpoint inefficiencies so builders can adapt to create a stronger business for tomorrow.
Target Audience: Custom Homebuilders, Remodelers, and trade contractors.
Bob Cain is the BuildTools and Bolt Business Unit Leader for the Residential Construction Division at ECI Software Solutions. Bob brings more than 20 years of experience in residential construction to ECI, previously holding senior positions in ECI’s Business Unit for MarkSystems®, ECI’s flagship ERP for residential semi-production home builders.
Construction Schedule Updating: What is my percent complete, anyway?
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 4
Contractors have to update the projects’ schedules periodically. This update is so important not only because it provides the contractor and the owner with an idea of where the project stands at this point, but also because progress payments from the owner to the contractor depend on information in these updates, specifically amount of work performed this period on each activity. This amount of work is usually expressed in percent complete. However, there are many types of percent complete, based on physical estimates (units), cost, time, manhours, or other. It is also important to calculate both baseline and actual percent complete for the activity, in order to determine if work is on, ahead, or behind schedule. This seminar takes a quick look at different types of percent complete, explains them, and discusses what they represent and when to use them.
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals
- Construction project management consultant, author, public speaker, and trainer.
- S., M.S., and Ph.D. in civil engineering, specialized in Construction Management.
- Experience: Over 26 years diversified:
- Industrial: private and public sectors, in the U.S. and overseas. Positions occupied include project engineer / manager, cost estimator, planner / scheduler, project controls manager, cost manager, training manager.
- Academic: faculty member / professor, head of department.
- Extensive experience in continuing education and professional training around the world. Topics are mainly technical but also include soft skills.
- Author of:
- Construction Project Scheduling and Control (currently 3rd edition)
- How to Estimate with Means Data: Basic Skills for Building Construction (currently 4th edition)
- Many articles; technical and other
- Many presentations in professional conferences such as PMI, AACE International, Primavera Users Conference. Also, a public speaker in many local, regional, and international events.
- An authority on project planning, scheduling, and project control; was part of the PMI team that wrote the first Project Scheduling certification (PMI-SP) exam in 2007.
- An advocate of holistic healthy living and sports
How to Become a Successful Fix and Flip Investor!
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. |
Suzanne Johns
Real Estate Guru & Coach | SCIENCE OF FLIX & FLIP
If you're thinking about Fixing and Flipping Real Estate but not sure where to start, this is the class for you! Recessions are a great time to invest. During the 2008 recession, I offered a fix and flip program that created 21 millionaires, most are still flipping houses today on a much grander scale. This class will provide everything you need to know in order to jump into the deep end of being a successful Fix and Flip Investor!
WE WILL COVER
- How to FIND your Flip Houses
- How to FUND your Flip without using your own money
- Tips on FIXing your Flip maximizing your profits
- Selling your FLIP to put CASH IN YOUR POCKET!
Target Audience: General Contractors, Subcontractors, Real Estate Investors considering House Flipping, First Time Investors considering House Flipping
- Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader
- Award Winning Real Estate Broker
- Professional Realtor since 1978, selling homes in Texas and California
- Over 20 years of experience as an award-winning custom home builder
- Successfully flipping homes since 2008
- Teach Home Flipping Strategies since 2008
- Coached 22 investors to become
Millionaires in 2008-2010 by flipping homes during the last recession! - Professional Specialties: Extremely Good
Negotiator, Financial/Mortgage ExpertiseAWARDS & CERTIFICATIONS
- Member - $980 Million Club
- ALHS - Accredited Luxury Home Specialist
- GRI - Graduate Realtors' Institute
- Named as 1 of 12 "Mega Brokers of Texas"
- Awarded Woman of Empowerment 2021
- Certified REO (Foreclosure) Specialist
- Managing Director, Women Network
- Dallas Chairman, HighRise (C-Suite Executives) Network
- Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader 1978-80 and USO Show Group Team Member
Filling the Gaps and Staying Profitable!
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 12
Founder & CEO | Bosun Solutions
Fractional teams are like the superheroes of Business swooping in to save the day. They fill those tricky skill gaps without blowing up your employee budget. These teams are like the A-team of specialists—experts in their fields who come in precisely when you need them, without the costs and commitments of full-time hires. By bringing in these fractional teams on a project or fractional hours as low as 5 hours a week, businesses cut down on the usual hiring expenses while making sure processes, client experiences and goals of the organization are not missed.
Even better is the cost-effectiveness. It's like having access to top-tier talent without the hefty price tag. Businesses dodge long-term salary commitments, benefits, and the whole office setup cost, optimizing their budget while still getting the job done by these specialists. Plus, these fractional pros are focused solely on the task at hand, making sure things get done efficiently and delivering results without breaking the bank. In the end, integrating fractional teams into the mix transforms how businesses manage costs, giving them the agility to adapt, thrive, and stay profitable in a constantly changing market.
Target Audience: Business Owners / Department Heads
Nicole comes from a long line of entrepreneur and small business owners, with childhood memories of Christmas resembling episodes of Shark Tank. For most of her career she served as an Executive Assistant in the corporate world. She excelled with her small business background and work ethic.
Taking her passion for organization and efficiency she founded Bosun, a boutique remote staffing firm. Bosun is dedicated to providing small business owners with an affordable solutions to help grow and scale... regardless of economic circumstances.
QuickBooks for Contractors - Advanced
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. |
This class is an overview of how contractors can utilize the QuickBooks functionality to facilitate job costing, payroll, receivables and the overall benefits of either the online or desktop applications.
Target Audience: Contractors, Subcontractors, and anyone curious about the features & benefits of QuickBooks.
How to Become a Successful Fix and Flip Investor!
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 10
Suzanne Johns
Real Estate Guru & Coach | SCIENCE OF FIX & FLIP
If you're thinking about Fixing and Flipping Real Estate but not sure where to start, this is the class for you! Recessions are a great time to invest. During the 2008 recession, I offered a fix and flip program that created 21 millionaires, most are still flipping houses today on a much grander scale. This class will provide everything you need to know in order to jump into the deep end of being a successful Fix and Flip Investor!
WE WILL COVER
- How to FIND your Flip Houses
- How to FUND your Flip without using your own money
- Tips on FIXing your Flip maximizing your profits
- Selling your FLIP to put CASH IN YOUR POCKET!
Target Audience: General Contractors, Subcontractors, Real Estate Investors considering House Flipping, First Time Investors considering House Flipping
- Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader
- Award Winning Real Estate Broker
- Professional Realtor since 1978, selling homes in Texas and California
- Over 20 years of experience as an award-winning custom home builder
- Successfully flipping homes since 2008
- Teach Home Flipping Strategies since 2008
- Coached 22 investors to become
Millionaires in 2008-2010 by flipping homes during the last recession! - Professional Specialties: Extremely Good
Negotiator, Financial/Mortgage Expertise
AWARDS & CERTIFICATIONS - Member - $980 Million Club
- ALHS - Accredited Luxury Home Specialist
- GRI - Graduate Realtors' Institute
- Named as 1 of 12 "Mega Brokers of Texas"
- Awarded Woman of Empowerment 2021
- Certified REO (Foreclosure) Specialist
- Managing Director, Women Network
- Dallas Chairman, HighRise (C-Suite Executives) Network
- Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader 1978-80 and USO Show Group Team Member
Using Professional Services Agencies to grow your Business.
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 15
Michael Nwoseh
In today's dynamic business landscape, the role of professional services agencies has become increasingly crucial for organizations aiming to scale and thrive. This session is designed to empower business leaders, entrepreneurs, and decision-makers with the knowledge and strategies needed to harness the potential of professional services agencies for sustainable growth. Agencies simply offer professional services to small business owners across various business areas such as, Marketing, Accounting, Human Resources, IT and Experiential marketing etc., without making business owners bear the cost of hiring a team of full-time professionals to manage these aspects of their businesses. We would also showcase how All Talentz Agency can support your business in the aspect of Digital Marketing, Content Creation, Web and Mobile Application Development, Animation and Brand Strategy etc., at an affordable cost. Join us in this session, as we share tips on how agencies can help you reduce cost and increase profitability for your business.
Target Audience: Small Business Owners, business leaders, entrepreneurs and decision-makers.
Michael is a result-oriented growth strategist with over a decade of experience in helping people and businesses grow, with the ultimate objective of getting the maximum return on investment. With a diverse career spanning multiple industries, including Telecommunications, Banking, Non-Profit, and Financial Technology sectors within the United States and Africa, Michael has a built atrack record as an outstanding talent across several companies he has worked with.
Over the last 12 years of his career, he has helped various companies take their products to market and honed his skills in growth marketing, business development, partnership engagement, strategy development, project management, and organizational development.
He is currently the Director of Business & Digital Solutions at All Talentz LLC, Ohio USA, where he was entrusted with defining the company expansion strategies and harnessing growth opportunities for All Talentz Agency business.
Michael interests extend beyond his professional endeavors, he is an excellent writer and also speaks at conferences on Marketing, Technology and Entrepreneurship. Michael is happily married and lives in Olney, Maryland with his Family. He is also an active Tennis player, and his mission is to build people and successful organizations across the world.
A Better Way to Manage Your Jobs From Start to Finish - JobTread Demo
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 5
Rilee Fisher
Director of Business Development | JobTread
Get organized, complete your projects on time, and increase your profits. JobTread is an end- to-end construction management software that helps you manage all your business processes, from sales and estimating through to project completion. Learn why contractors give JobTread a 5-star review and consider adding JobTread to your toolkit.
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals.
Rilee Fisher’s background features extensive experience working in construction, sales, and technology. The core of his success in all three areas is his ability to identify the source of customer needs and problem-solving to deliver the most effective solution. Rilee’s approach to pre-construction sales and customer management is strategic and intentional. This is achieved through his strong skill set to build relationships on trust through effective communication and managing expectations.
Rilee’s experience in both construction and software development fuels his passion for using technology to help people build and scale their businesses. He loves setting up contractors with the right tools to make their businesses more organized and profitable.
Holding a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from Texas A&M University as well as a Certificate in Fullstack Web Development from Southern Methodist University, Rilee is well-versed in guiding contractors through streamlining processes while maximizing profits.
Automate Tasks for Time and Effort Savings with IMAGINiT Clarity
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 17
In this session IMAGINiT will walk you through the processes and tools to start and finish project that includes initial design, construction, and then commissioning and handover to the owner. We’ll look at how you can leverage the Autodesk Construction Cloud to manage all aspects of this process – reducing risk, enhancing accountability, and improving efficiency and effectiveness throughout. From Conceptual Design through Digital Twin deliverables, you can do it all in one platform.
Key Topics:
- Automate task processing on-demand, on a schedule
- Export sheets, images, and views to multiple formats
- Work on multiple tasks in parallel with optional distributed task servers
- Develop custom tasks with Dynamo scripts, Revit macros, PyRevit, AutoCAD Scripts or .NET.
- Audit, purge, and exchange Revit models
- Coordinate delivery to over 12 cloud services
- Create task sequencing
- Manage tasks in progress remotely
- Preview future task scheduling
- Leverage Error Monitoring to notify task coordinators
Target Audience: Construction Professionals, Management, and Engineers
Estimating, Pricing and Increasing Sales with Upgrades & Selections
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 4
We don’t always need to cut our profit to win the job! Learn how to leverage JobTread to estimate effectively, price jobs to reach target profits, and increase your sales through upgrades and selections.
Target Audience: Builders, Contractors, Remodelers, Specialty Contractors, Business Owners
Eric Fortenberry is a passionate entrepreneur who founded JobTread, a construction management software company, in 2019 after serving as interim CEO for a General Contracting company where he built the first version of JobTread to help streamline and remedy their broken processes.
After successfully implementing the platform and increasing their gross profit by 43%, Eric knew he was on to something great! He spent the last two years rehiring many of his former employees, building out the platform, and making it ready for the broader market.
Prior to JobTread, Eric founded OrgSync, a SaaS student engagement platform, in 2007 after quitting his investment banking job where he focused on high growth middle market, web-based technology companies. In 2015, after selling OrgSync to approximately 650 universities and serving nearly 20 million users across 13 countries, the Company was acquired by Leeds Equity.
Eric has been named to Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 List of the World’s Coolest Young Entrepreneurs under the age of 30 and received awards at the White House and United Nations after being named to the Empact 100 List showcasing the Best Companies Started and Run by Young Entrepreneurs. OrgSync was also recognized multiple times as a Best Place to Work and a fastest growing company for its company culture, rapid growth, and innovative solutions.
Eric is an Eagle Scout and holds a BBA in Finance and Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and a Masters in Software Engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Helical Piles: An Overview, Design Theory & Applications
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 3
Helical piles and anchors have been used in construction applications for over a century. The first recorded use of helical piles was in 1836 by Alexander Mitchell when he used helical piles to underpin the well-recognized Maplin Sands Lighthouse in England. In the last 30 to 40 years, Helical piles have gained in popularity to the extent they are more frequently recommended by design professional engineers, compared to many other deep foundation types. In 2009, the International Building Code (IBC) was revised in reference to past International Building Codes and included the addition of helical piles. The presentation will discuss the main components of a helical pile, pile installation process, various applications, mechanical and soil pile capacities, and the methods used to determine them. It will also include the design of helical pile using theoretical methods that are based on traditional soil mechanics and the well-known capacity-torque correlation, which is probably the most significant attribute of helical pile.
Target Audience: Engineers, Contractors, and Architects
Dr. Souissi joined Cantsink in March 2019, after completing his Ph.D. at Colorado State University. His thesis was titled: “HELICAL PILE CAPACITY TO TORQUE RATIO: A FUNCTIONAL PERSPECTIVE”. His paper was about torque correlation factor, Kt, and was published in the DFI journal, 2020 Volume 14 issue 2. Before joining Cantsink, Dr. Souissi was working as a Project Engineer at CTL| Thompson, Fort Collins, CO from 2003 to 2018. During that time, Dr. Souissi was one of the key architects in expanding CTL Thompson testing capabilities to include an Accredited Testing Lab. The lab was accredited per ISO 17025 by IAS (International Accreditation Services) in 2008, and its scope of accreditation was “Testing Helical Piles Systems and Devices per Requirements of AC358”. Dr. Souissi was running the new testing Lab from 2008 to 2018. During that time, he supervised and witnessed hundreds of required tests (per AC358) conducted by his subordinates. Almost all of these tests were conducted for clients (Helical Piles Manufacturers) from around the world looking to obtain an ICC-ES report for their products.
During his tenure with CTL| Thompson, Dr. Souissi was involved with the Accredited Inspection Agency within the company. The Inspection Agency was also accredited by IAS, per ISO17020. The Inspection Agency was conducting on-site inspections (at the request of ICC-ES) at the manufacturing plant of the report holder. Two inspections, in accordance with AC10, were conducted per year as required. Finally, AC358 is the Acceptance Criteria for Helical Pile Systems and Devices. It was originally issued in 2007 by ICC-ES. Dr. Souissi served as the Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee that worked with ICC-ES in revising AC 358 both in 2013 and in 2017.
Cantsink is a helical pile manufacturer with a net-zero facility, powered by solar energy. Cantsink was founded in 1988 in Winder, GA.
Construction Technology Revolution & Change Management
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 7
The open, town-hall style panel will explore:
- The pace of technology in our everyday lives and the impact they are having within construction technology (ConTech). VR, FTX, Machine Learning, Blockchain and AI, OH MY!
- Explore where ConTech is headed, including technologies impact on material manufacturing, sustainability their adoption
- Materials Management, E-Procurement and Project Management goals that can be driven by simple or advanced technology adoption.
Target Audience: Architects, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Builders, and Remodelers
April Moss is a market and retail strategy expert with more than 20 years of experience developing sales teams with some of the largest global companies, including Procter & Gamble and Starbucks. It was at Procter & Gamble where April and Rob met. Prior to starting her career with P&G, she worked for the Construction Specification Institute in Washington D.C., fueling her interest in real estate development. Like Rob, Founder/CEO, April watched her father struggle as a sub-contractor. Those struggles were one of the reasons her father ended his own life when she was nine. Construction has 4-5x more suicides than any other industry. One of April’s passions is to make sure that as DigiBuild works to improve the construction process that it helps to relieve the burden on construction people and their families along the way.
Justus comes to DigiBuild with a strong background in construction. He worked his way up in the ranks at his family’s construction business during his teenage years and still owns a painting company that he has someone help manage. He is a licensed realtor and owns multiple rental properties.
Early on in his career, Justus was involved in the hospitality industry where he worked his way up to Operations Manager and was responsible for opening and managing four restaurants. Justus utilized this experience in an expanded operations role with Ozark Airlines, where he re-applied his restaurant knowledge to a new industry.
At a trade show last fall, Justus caught the attention of DigiBuild’s co-founder, April Moss while he was working for HoundDog, a construction insurance platform that automates verifications. With a deep family background in construction and personal experience as a landlord and business owner in the industry, Justus was drawn to DigiBuild’s innovative solutions and passionate team. Justus’ diverse experiences make him a valuable asset to any business in the construction and real estate space.
Your Pathway to ZEROs - $2,500 or $5,000 Per Residence
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 9
Don’t leave money on the table! From single-family, to multifamily high-rises, let us help you navigate The Federal Energy Efficiency Incentives.
Target Audience: Homebuilders, Retrofitters/Remodelers, and Residential Real Estate Investors
Travis is the Chief Executive Officer for ICS Inspectors, LLC residing in Houston, Texas. Travis leads his teams of RESNET Raters across the country, building Energy Rating and Consulting programs for homebuilders, retrofitters, and residential real estate developers. For real estate investors, property owners, home builders, and professionals within the construction industry, his vast expertise in tax planning has massively reduced taxpayers’ bills. He has helped with cost segregation studies and fixed asset reviews for building owners in numerous industries. As an advisor, Travis has assisted real estate professionals across our country in every single state, and aided architects, engineers, and contractors with §179D Energy Efficient Commercial Building Deduction for their governmental and public projects.
Travis studied Business Management at St. Andrews University in Laurinburg, North Carolina. While there, he competed in the NCAA Cross Country National Championships. In his free time, Travis fosters pets for animal rescues. Over the years, he’s personally helped more than 500 animals find their forever families.
10 Minute Marketing Strategy Plan
2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. |
A fractional CMO that ranks on page one in your city for the term, "Fractional CMO __(add your city name here)___" is coming to teach and tell you exactly how to rank on page one and also give you a 10 min action plan that will propel your business forward exponentially.
Get your own 10 minute action plan that will drastically improve your marketing. Then stay for the round table of other businesses similar to your industry on what they are doing and how they can improve through new techniques taught by Joshua Ramsey.
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals
A Google Certified Partner, Joshua's teaches interactive conferences based on material received from Google. Plus hear real life stories of success and failures that business owners have had. These powerful, interactive conferences are jammed packed with information that Joshua received during weekly meetings with Google. This is information every business owner needs to know.
Before becoming a Google Partner, Joshua was an outsourced CMO for several large U.S. based companies. As a CMO over the last 9 years, Joshua has managed over $2.5 million in AdWords and Digital Marketing Budgets and managed more than 2,800 campaigns. As a Bing Partner and Google Certified Partner, Joshua attends national conferences with some of the other great minds that influence SEO, digital marketing, and social media. Today, Joshua speaks all over the country helping businesses improve every element of their marketing.
Google Partner Teaching: Generate More Online Leads With a SEO Driven Website
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room D 169
This Class offers Live training, Q&A, and unfiltered discussions on how to…
- Increase your lead flow
- Building your website properly
- INDEFFINATELY rank higher on Google
- Break through the clutter of competitors and increase sales
- Ad Agency / marketing company tricks to watch out for
Attendees will receive access to free marketing tools and reports.
To get the maximum out of this class, bring your laptop or username and passwords to your Analytics, Google Tools, website or anything similar.
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals
A Google Certified Partner, Joshua's teaches interactive conferences based on material received from Google. Plus hear real life stories of success and failures that business owners have had. These powerful, interactive conferences are jammed packed with information that Joshua received during weekly meetings with Google. This is information every business owner needs to know.
Before becoming a Google Partner, Joshua was an outsourced CMO for several large U.S. based companies. As a CMO over the last 9 years, Joshua has managed over $2.5 million in AdWords and Digital Marketing Budgets and managed more than 2,800 campaigns. As a Bing Partner and Google Certified Partner, Joshua attends national conferences with some of the other great minds that influence SEO, digital marketing, and social media. Today, Joshua speaks all over the country helping businesses improve every element of their marketing.
The Power of Corporate Credit
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 11
Brent Barnhart
Seasoned Business Credit Consultant | J. Galt
In J Galt's transformative speaking engagement, "The Power of Corporate Credit," audiences will be invited to explore the pivotal role that corporate credit plays in revolutionizing the business sector. This topic is a direct reflection of J Galt's mission to serve as industry-disrupting pioneers, steadfast in our commitment to the prosperity, protection, and promotion of business owners across the nation. By focusing on the strategic utilization of corporate credit, this presentation aims to enlighten participants on how to effectively leverage financial tools to ensure their businesses not only survive but thrive in competitive markets. Embodying our core values, this session is designed to inspire, educate, and empower attendees, equipping them with the insights needed to unlock new avenues of growth and stability in their entrepreneurial journeys.
Target Audience: Business Owners.
As a seasoned Business Credit Consultant, Brent Barnhart brings over two decades of hands-on financial expertise to the table. Known for his strategic approach to building corporate credit profiles and securing business financing, Brent has dedicated his career to helping businesses unlock their full potential.
Brent's unwavering commitment to empowering business owners is evident through his educational initiatives and workshops. He demystifies the complex world of Business Credit, delivering actionable insights with clarity and passion. As a trusted voice in the industry, Brent's guidance has enabled countless businesses to make informed decisions, leverage opportunities, and overcome fiscal challenges.
Brent's expertise lies in identifying market trends early on and adapting his business model to seize opportunities. His unparalleled work ethic is reflected in his dedication to customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and operational excellence. He believes that the cornerstone of business longevity is constant innovation and the ability to foster genuine connections—principles that have become his mantra throughout his illustrious career.
When he's not analyzing credit reports, Brent enjoys speaking at industry events, sharing the knowledge he's amassed throughout his impressive career. Brent's pragmatic advice and approachable demeanor make him a respected consultant, a valued mentor, and a thought leader in the Corporate and Business credit realm.
Diligent, resilient, and ever-evolving, Brent Barnhart is not just a business owner—he's a catalyst for positive change and a beacon for aspiring businessmen and businesswomen everywhere.
PVC101 – The Benefits & Uses of Cellular PVC - 1.0 AIA Credit
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. | Room 8
Jon Deweese
Upon completion of this course, architects and participants will understand:
- Properties of cellular PVC
- Cellular PVC micro-ingredients
- Key differences between high and low-quality cellular PVC
- Ease of use and adaptability
- Common and unique end-use applications
- Painting, staining, and laminating options
- PVC’s contributions to Sustainability
- Properties of Cellular PVC Trim
- Are all cellular PVC Trims the same?
- Working With PVC
- Uses & Applications
- Residential – Exterior & Interior
- Commercial
- Multi-Family
- Historical Preservation
- Dark paint technology for cellular PVC trim
- New trim surface technology - Film Laminates
- PVC’s contribution to Sustainability
Target Audience: Builders, Contractors and Architects in Commercial and Residential applications.
PVC101 – The Benefits & Uses of Cellular PVC - 1.0 AIA Credit
9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. |
Upon completion of this course, architects and participants will understand:
- Properties of cellular PVC
- Cellular PVC micro-ingredients
- Key differences between high and low-quality cellular PVC
- Ease of use and adaptability
- Common and unique end-use applications
- Painting, staining, and laminating options
- PVC’s contributions to Sustainability
- Properties of Cellular PVC Trim
- Are all cellular PVC Trims the same?
- Working With PVC
- Uses & Applications
- Residential – Exterior & Interior
- Commercial
- Multi-Family
- Historical Preservation
- Dark paint technology for cellular PVC trim
- New trim surface technology - Film Laminates
- PVC’s contribution to Sustainability
Target Audience: Builders, Contractors and Architects in Commercial and Residential applications.
A Better Way to Manage Your Jobs From Start to Finish - JobTread Demo
2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. | Room 4
Get organized, complete your projects on time, and increase your profits. JobTread is end- to-end construction management software that helps you manage all of your business processes, from sales and estimating through to project completion. Learn why contractors give JobTread a 5-star review and consider adding JobTread to your toolkit.
Target Audience: Builders, Contractors, Remodelers, Specialty Contractors, Business Owners
Rilee’s experience in both construction and software development fuels his passion for using technology to help people build and scale their businesses. He loves setting up contractors with the right tools to make their businesses more organized and profitable.
Holding a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from Texas A&M University as well as a Certificate in Fullstack Web Development from Southern Methodist University, Rilee is well-versed in guiding contractors through streamlining processes while maximizing profits.
Creative Solutions for Internet Problems in Construction Trailers and Sales Offices
2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. | Room 9
Jon and his teammate, Bryan Gifford will take attendees through challenges with internet connectivity that almost every single home builder face at sales office and construction trailers.
Target Audience: All building and construction professionals
Lightning Protection System Design | 1 AIA Credit
2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. | Room 8
The purpose of this presentation is to provide electrical engineers, architects, and contractors with the training necessary to understand the fundamentals of facility electrical protection related to Commercial & Industrial applications.
Target Audience: Architects and Engineers
Chuck has been in the electrical industry for 25+ years. He is currently the Business Development Manager for Hicks Lightning Protection. Chuck is a member of the Lightning Protection Institute (LPI) and a certified Master Installer/Designer for lightning installations. CCOOLEY@HICKSLP.COM
Platinum Sponsors of the Dallas Build Expo
Dallas Build Expo
April 23-24, 2025
Dallas Market Hall
Exhibit Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Classes Start at 9:30 a.m. Each Day
Over 250 Exhibitors
