A Chat with Doug Peck, General Superintendent at Robins & Morton

A balancing act between teaching, learning and loving what you do

By Chris Schmidt

Doug Peck is the only general superintendent employed at Robins & Morton, and celebrates his 30th anniversary with the company this month. He is responsible for the planning, coordination and supervision of personnel, subcontractors and vendors engaged on projects. His role is to ensure the work is completed on time, within budget and to the satisfaction of the owner. Join Construction Superintendent as Peck shares his passion for the trade, tips on hurricane preparedness and his thoughts on the worker shortage and a “true craftsman.”

(Q) Share a snapshot of your more than three-decade journey in construction—beginning with when and how it began.

Although it sounds like an unlikely beginning to a story, my construction journey began on a lawnmower. I started off cutting grass in the summers and worked my way into a landscaper’s helper position. Following that, I became an electrician’s helper when I was 13 and, by 15, I was a general laborer. The pay was good and I was the only one of my friends who had money! I worked through high school and continued on into college, where working part-time in the industry financed my education at Auburn University. I graduated with my Building Science degree in March 1986, and started with Robins & Morton on March 24. That was 30 years ago, and since then I have lived in nine states, calling Florida “home” since 2003.

(Q) What is the biggest setback you’ve encountered in your position as sole general superintendent in a larger company? How did you overcome this hurdle?

Since our jobsites are mostly self-sufficient it can seem like our model isn’t really geared for a general superintendent. Since I’m the only one within the company, it has really been a learning experience as to what this role is and, after some trial and error, I realized what a huge part mentorship plays in it. If a particular superintendent is having trouble with an aspect of their job, I can come in, help assess the situation and solve the issue, using it as a teaching point. Also, on my project at the Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida, we use it as an opportunity to bring in our newer employees to assimilate them into the company with our policies, procedures and best practices. Although they’re supposed to be learning from me, I have to say I’m learning just as much from them. Often, my teaching model involves allowing them to show me what they’re capable of, talking through their strengths and weaknesses and then I offer assistance. This approach allows us to reach a new, equal ground.

(Q) What has been your favorite or most memorable project in the course of your career and why?

It’s impossible to pick just one — there were a few. I’d have to say one of them was a project in Alamogordo, New Mexico. When my flight landed, I realized I was in the middle of the desert. It was the first time I’d ever had to negotiate how to get water to the site and no one within a 100-mile radius had ever built a hospital before. That project taught me so much about how to be a teacher and the value of community. The facility was such a huge addition to the community and the team was awesome. That job was a really unforgettable experience.

Another one was when we built the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies in Orlando, Florida. This project was notable for a few reasons, being that it was a large, complex project and was in the middle of Orlando, so there were logistical factors as well, but there was one issue in particular really set this project apart. In 2004, a year into the project, we experienced a series of four hurricanes. In addition to the safety concern with these hurricanes, they also had a significant schedule impact. The owner was great through this process and we worked through the delays, but it definitely changed how I, and the company, viewed hurricane preparedness in the region. From that point forward, we worked to develop even more specific, proactive hurricane preparedness policies and procedures.

My present project, the Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida, is also one of my favorite projects. This is the first project I’ve ever been on of this size with this level of intricacy and this aggressive of a schedule. It’s been a learning experience with my position of knowing exactly when to push our people, when to ease up and how to motivate. Here I’ve really learned what it means to perform a balancing act to keep the team acting as a team.

(Q) Do you complete any continuing education? If so, what?

Here at Robins & Morton we put an emphasis on continuous improvement and encourage everyone to never stop learning. We facilitate a variety of events to provide exposure to best practices, processes and new products. We also focus heavily on improving our safety culture, because no matter how great we think we are doing, we know that we can always improve in this category. Our company encourages each employee to take the time to learn new things as the industry evolves.

(Q) What can you share with us about hurricane preparedness onsite?

Since the hurricanes in 2004, and our further expansion into the Florida market in the early 2000s, we felt the need to really amp our hurricane preparedness policies, procedures and education. My best advice is to not wait until the last minute. The 96 hours prior to when a hurricane is set to hit are the most critical for preparation. If you have waited until 24 hours before, it’s too late. It’s much better to overestimate and over prepare for these things – it’s money well spent, even if it turns last minute and doesn’t end up being needed.

(Q) Are you seeing a labor shortage? How are you coping with this?

There is definitely a labor shortage. My approach to coping with this is leadership development. We bring in people that are willing to work and spend time investing in them and teaching them the trade. If someone has the desire to work and learn, we will invest the time and resources to ensure that they do.

(Q) What is your take on the general skill level of the trades? Are you seeing a decline? If so, any ideas on how to improve?

I would say that the number of “true craftsmen” has declined through the years. However, to combat this, we offer classes and give them the tools they need to advance in their trade. Often we teach, allow them to show us, critique them and they learn that way.

(Q) What is your approach when it comes to project scheduling with your superintendents?

The trick is to give them a road map—aggressive enough to challenge them, simple enough to follow. Make sure they know what’s critical; it can take the pressure off them when you go ahead and make that call.

(Q) How do you address rolling out new technologies with your superintendents?

I really attribute much of the new technology discovery to our younger personnel. I teach them old school techniques, and they teach me about new technology – it’s a combination of effort from both sides. I would say that the most important part of rolling out new technology is making sure that it gets to the right people and that they receive training to know how to best utilize it.

(Q) Any advice for those looking to move up to a general superintendent?

Love what you do and remember how many lives you’re affecting daily. Keep it balanced between work and home. If you really enjoy what you’re doing, you will get there.

(Q) Congratulations on celebrating your 30th anniversary with Robins & Morton this month—describe the single-most enjoyable facet of your job.

Thank you! I’d have to say that the most enjoyable facet of my job is interacting with so many different people and personality types. Since living in a variety of regions of the country has been a requirement for my job, it has really been amazing to get to experience different cultures and become a part of these communities.