Ten Minutes With: John Finn, W.E. O’Neil Construction’s New CEO

 

   CEO John Finn
 

John Finn, 54, grew to become CEO of W.E. O’Neil Development in March as the Chicago-based basic constructing contractor marks its centennial. Promoted from chief working officer and president of its California area, the 35-year business veteran says his “greatest precedence” is to use its profitable technique to challenges going through all of its U.S. places. The agency ranks at No. 107 on ENR’s High 400 Contractors checklist, reporting simply over $1.2 billion in income final 12 months.
In dialog with ENR Senior Editor Emell Derra Adolphus, Finn shares his strategy to constructing additional progress for the worker–owned firm and to preserving W.E. O’Neil Development’s household roots.

This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.
 

FINN: Invoice was a a really grounded individuals individual, and he knew that our individuals are the rationale why we succeeded over the previous a long time. He wished to make it possible for we handled all of our staff nicely. In 1994, Invoice and his dad, Artwork O’Neil, created a partial worker inventory possession plan on the firm. Workers purchased out the O’Neil household house owners in 2020, and that was one of many legacies Invoice wished to make it possible for going ahead, staff had an enormous stake within the group.

In earlier undated picture, former CEO William O’Neil II, (proper) stands with father Artwork O’Neil (left), who joined W.E. O’Neil in 1935.
Photograph courtesy of W.E. O’Neil

FINN: I grew to become disenfranchised with the dimensions of [his former employer]. I felt extra like a quantity, so I began to assume, what else may there be? I checked out numerous completely different firms, larger and smaller. I settled on O’Neil as a result of [after] interviewing with [two executives], they advised me what I wanted to listen to on the time: ‘John, in the event you’re searching for alternative, O’Neil’s the place for you. Alternatives have solely been restricted by how exhausting you’re employed and the place your creativeness can take you.’

ENR: What do you assume is going on that extra staff and purchasers appear to crave extra firm connections over huge operations?

FINN: Expertise was alleged to make every part simply that a lot better. However what occurred was it began to drag groups aside. Being digital would not at all times assist construct a relationship. You should be head to head. You should have that point to get to know the individual on the opposite aspect—how [he or she] is pondering, goes to strategy points and the way they may get resolved. Like I stated earlier, it would not actually matter the way you get by means of good instances. The check is at all times the way you get by means of the harder instances. We encourage [younger employees] to select up the telephone and stroll a job along with the architect, with the house owners or the rep. That is the place that actual connection can come and I believe that is why you are seeing extra purchasers need that.

ENR: Throughout W.E. O’Neil Development subsidiaries, how does the corporate determine what markets to put money into and the place to construct assets?

FINN: We’re a reasonably various constructing contractor, concerned in virtually each market sector all through the U.S. We had a pivotal second In California from 2016 to 2018, taking over $400 million in tasks at one time, all in numerous market sectors—retail, gaming, hospitality and multifamily residential. We had been simply actually various. That was the second when the remainder of the event group actually seen us. As a result of we laid these relationship foundations, they had been the constructing blocks for us to barter and companions with these purchasers. Once I took over in 2013, we had been a couple of $200- to $250-million income operation in California. Now [it’s] an $850-million operation.

 CEO John Finn accepts a Finest Place to Work award for W.E. O’Neil Development.
Photograph courtesy of W.E O’Neil

FINN: Now greater than ever, these relationships with commerce companions are essential to our enterprise. We’re beginning to see a bit of extra inflow now, though it isn’t making up for what we misplaced in the course of the pandemic. In our Arizona market, giant tasks going up akin to knowledge facilities and chip producers have actually put a pressure on total labor availability, and we’ve to verify we’ve these relationships so we get [workers] to our jobs. It is no completely different in Chicago, Texas, Tennessee and Colorado, these relationships need to be person-to-person with commerce companions, so you possibly can name them and say, “I would like to verify how we work by means of this situation about getting [workers] right here so we hit these deadlines.” Embody [those partners] within the course of … to assist them have pores and skin within the sport.

ENR: Wanting on the firm’s subsequent 100 years, how do you see the following part of its improvement?

FINN: Staying true to our values, dwelling our values, might be the core to our enterprise. If we begin to deviate from that, we will lose who we’re. We’ve got an information and automations group, so actually harnessing our personal knowledge has been actually highly effective for us to make knowledgeable selections. The information we’ve entry to in the present day, I want we had entry to fifteen years in the past. It is actually making extremely knowledgeable selections about threat, forecasting, workforce availability, scheduling.

ENR: How do you view improvement of firm management?

FINN: I need to make it possible for I do not sit in an ivory tower. I am touring fairly a bit to speak with all of our staff. Marking our centennial in enterprise this 12 months, my mantra is growing the group to construct this firm to final for an additional 100 years, and we are able to try this by means of higher connections, higher relationships and constructing upon that platform for our youthful staff. They’re those who personal the corporate, and I need to be certain I do proper by them.