Q&A with Brandon Dexter, Project Superintendent at Hoar Construction

Fostering a culture of teamwork, safety and quality expectations

By Chris Schmidt

Brandon Dexter, project superintendent With Hoar Construction, ensures projects are built per plans and specifications, maintains schedules and coordinates trades onsite. His background includes 11 years in the construction industry and supervises projects such as luxury apartment buildings, medical facilities and research laboratories. Join Construction Superintendent as Dexter talks about the challenges of renovating occupied buildings, navigating weather roadblocks and his go-to tool of the trade.

(Q) What drew you to a career in construction? Did you start out in the trades?

My dad is a union boilermaker and I grew up wondering what he did traveling all over the country. I was raised in a small town and wanted to see what the rest of the world was like—I was hooked after working one job with the boilermakers, and then enrolled in Auburn University’s Building Science program.

(Q) Looking back at the beginning of your career, who has been the most influential and provided you with the most guidance?

I have been fortunate to work with many superintendents who”ve been influential in my career. There is no way I can just name one. Each superintendent at Hoar that I have worked with has helped shape me into the person and superintendent I am today.

(Q) In your career as superintendent, what project has been the most rewarding and why?

My first one as a project superintendent—a wood frame hotel. I didn’t think I was ready to run a job on my own, but the people I worked for put their faith in me and the project was successful. This included introducing Hoar Construction’s culture to a different type of subcontractor who had not been exposed to the safety and quality expectations that we set. Early on in the project it was a challenge, but the culture improved as we continued to build the job.

(Q) Talk about the challenges involved with working on renovation projects of occupied buildings.

Understanding what is important to the people of those facilities—each facility has different needs that must be catered to. Interruption to their day-to-day work is unacceptable. Scheduling and planning not only has to be beneficial for the project, but must also have the buy in and acceptance of the building occupants. With one project, I supervised a science laboratory at the University of Houston on the fourth floor of a 4-story occupied student-teaching laboratory facility. We had to add two new air handlers and tie into the existing building’s exhaust and supply systems to complete this work, while keeping the building functional for use. This required scheduling weeks in advance with the university, as well as the city of Houston, to close roads and work at night in order to complete these tasks. We planned this work in great detail and included the university in the planning so we could meet their needs. We created 3-D models of the space in order to prefabricate the materials and dramatically cut down on the installation time, as well as installed the AHUs and made our tie-ins without affecting the facility. It was rewarding to accomplish those goals.

(Q) Walk us through the quality assurance program you implement on the job—what does it entail?

Our company implements a quality program and then we, as project teams, add to it with the detail the project needs. We”ve begun using iPads to help our superintendents become more efficient in this effort. We verify that every product installed is approved and meets specifications, check the product’s manufacturer data and then document the installation process. It’s about understanding how to install the product just as well, if not better than, the subcontractor.

(Q) Have you partnered with OSHA on any major projects?

We have been able to partner with OSHA this year at One Lakes Edge in The Woodlands, Texas for the annual OSHA Stand-Down for Fall Protection. DBI came out and presented a fall protection demonstration, along with our local OSHA inspector. It was a beneficial event because it’s important to create a culture of teamwork and safety.

(Q) Name one tool you count on on a daily basis and how you use it to get the job done.

Other than my Redwing Boots, I would say my iPad. I feel that communication is how the job gets done. As mentioned earlier, we recently began using iPads. We have plans, specs, submittals and production layouts that sync with all assistants” and subcontractors” iPads so the flow of information can be instantaneously dispersed to all members of the team. It has been a game changer in the way we operate and communicate.

(Q) You”ve worked on a variety of projects over the past nearly dozen years. Which type of project presented the most roadblocks and how did you overcome them?

I would say a 17-building apartment project in Denver. I spent most of my career working on large commercial hospital and retail work along the Gulf Coast. I had barely seen snow in my entire life. The weather during the early stages of the project produced the most snow the area had seen in years. We learned how to thaw the ground and work around the conditions in order to not lose any days in the schedule. Also, the sub market had very thin resources, which required motivating the subs to be productive, as well as providing them with enough work so they wanted to be at our project instead of one down the street. We created a production-based schedule to allow continuous workflow and additional areas in which to work.

(Q) Where do you see the role of the superintendent headed in the next 15 years?

I still think the superintendent will be the leader who gets a quality job built safely, on schedule and on budget. I do, however, see the role including more technology skills. I feel strongly that superintendents will be completing job schedules, but I think it will be geared more toward production than ever before. I think superintendents will be involved further during design to potentially assist with prefabrication and modular options.

(Q) How do you unwind when you”re not on the jobsite?

Running and cycling are my favorite ways to unwind and shake off the day. Outside of that, I spend most of my time with my wife and two dogs.