Features
the heart of our team
The heart of our business
Close to our hearts
heartland
Heart
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putting our
This year, we are celebrating McCarthy in Kansas City. Each month, we will release a new feature highlighting some of our talented employees, our pinnacle projects in the area, and our steadfast commitment to the community we live in. Click on the months above to read the latest feature!
At Home in his Hometown
Seth Kelso's 22-year McCarthy career has taken him across the U.S. and back to Overland Park as a member of the Kansas City leadership team.
A compelling factor in attracting and retaining top talent, according to Kelso, is McCarthy’s unique culture. “With a 100 percent employee-owned company, everybody gets to share in the company’s success, which I think is important to create the ownership culture that has made us so successful,” he says.
Since returning to the region, Kelso has also become active in supporting a wide range of community organizations, including Hope Kids, Hope Builders, Habitat for Humanity and Harvesters. In January, he joined the city of Olathe’s Economic Development Council for a two-year term, after which he will serve on the board of the Olathe Chamber of Commerce. He also joined the board for Bio Kansas, which advances the state’s growing bioscience ecosystem.
Kelso is eager to continue building his career in the community that provided such a strong foundation for his life. “It's ironic that I wanted to work for a company where I got to travel outside of Kansas City, and two decades later, I’m back and couldn’t be more excited to be here,” he says.
Coming Soon! Check back in March!
Coming Soon! Check back in April!
Coming Soon! Check back in May!
Coming Soon! Check back in July!
Coming Soon! Check back in August!
Coming Soon! Check back in September!
Coming Soon! Check back in October!
Coming Soon! Check back in November!
Coming Soon! Check back in December!
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
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oct
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Trade partner of the month
P1 Group provides facility maintenance and construction services such as plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and more for buildings around the globe.
Our success is result of collaborative teams who work together to create exceptional experiences for our clients, and that includes our partnerships with our talented, dedicated, and hardworking subcontractors.
Each month, beginning in Feburary, we will highlight one of these companies, celebrating our continued partnerships and successful projects working together.
There is no shortage of amazing local establishments in Kansas City. Whether it's a restaurant, boutique, sports venue or museum - we're proud to live in a city with many diverse and cultural destinations that offer something for everyone. We'll highlight one of our favorite places each month!
Local Business Shout-out
Trade partner of the month
Hover over the photo to see my alter-ego!
Continue reading
Growing up in old Overland Park, Seth Kelso remembers pedaling his bike around the downtown district and past the historic Phoenix Building that now serves as home base for McCarthy’s Kansas City team.
Kelso’s current workplace is just a stone’s throw from the former bike shop where he purchased that original two-wheeler for $211.17. “I probably remember the exact cost of the bike because it was my first big purchase,” he jokes. “I must have worked all summer mowing lawns to buy that bike.”
Early memories of attending Royals and Chiefs games with his parents and older sister cultivated a love of team sports that continues to this day. As a boy, Kelso honed his athletic skills on the soccer field before shifting to baseball in middle school and excelling on the varsity football team at Shawnee Mission North High School.
Kelso had planned to extend his football legacy as a walk-on player on Pittsburg State University’s Division II football team, but those ambitions were sidelined by ankle surgery he underwent the summer before his freshman year.
Instead, he found his footing in the university’s construction management program. “I didn’t go to college knowing that I was going to study construction,” he says, “but I had a few older friends from high school who were enrolled in that program, so that was the draw.”
During Kelso’s senior year, one of his professors encouraged him to connect with McCarthy at an upcoming campus recruiting event. “He pulled me aside and said, ‘you ought to check these guys out.’”
He followed that advice and ended up signing on as a McCarthy project engineer in January 2001. “What really attracted me to McCarthy was the opportunity to move around and see the U.S. right out of school,” he says.
Journey to the Field
Though Kelso was eager to join a McCarthy construction team in the field, he was initially assigned to the estimating team in St. Louis instead. “I was super bummed, but it was actually the best thing that happened to me because estimating is such an important foundational skill to have,” he notes.
One of the first projects Kelso worked on was assembling a concrete estimate for a planned expansion of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) campus in Atlanta.
Lucky for him, McCarthy won the job and Kelso was tapped to join the project team…an opportunity he relished. “Even though I enjoyed estimating, I wanted to get out in the field and build a job,” he says,” and Atlanta seemed like a cool place to live for a few years.”
What Kelso didn’t realize at the time is that the CDC job would profoundly shape the course of his construction career by equipping him with specialized expertise in constructing high-containment research labs. These secure environments are designed and built with the primary function of protecting individuals and communities from microorganisms, infectious agents and other toxins. And the CDC project involved constructing a biosafety level four (BSL-4) facility, which provides maximum protection and containment from agents that pose a high risk of life-threatening disease.
“There hadn't been a BSL-4 lab built in the U.S. since the ‘50s or ‘60s, so all of us were forging new ground and we had a lot to figure out…but McCarthy people love a good challenge,” says Kelso.
Further complicating the scenario, the CDC project broke ground shortly before the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which prompted a temporary shutdown of the job and subsequent design modifications that increased the total square footage of the facility.
During the 4-1/2 years Kelso lived in the Peachtree State, he also helped launch McCarthy’s permanent Atlanta office; got married to his college sweetheart, Becky; and became a father (daughter McKenzie is now 17).
In 2006, Kelso relocated to Boston for 2-1/2 years to work on the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, a BSL-4 lab project on Boston University’s medical campus. McCarthy constructed the project in a joint venture with Turner Construction Company. He and his wife also became parents again, this time to a son, Hunter (who’s currently 14).
After that project wrapped up, Kelso moved back to St. Louis for a couple of years to assist with project pursuits and conduct market research that laid the foundation for a new business unit focused on delivering projects for the federal government.
Those efforts helped generate a pair of monumental project wins. The first was the VA New Orleans Replacement Medical Center, a 1.7-million-square-foot campus that replaced critical infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Katrina. McCarthy delivered the project as part of a joint venture with Clark Construction Group.
And the second project was the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), a BSL-4 lab in Manhattan, Kansas, that would replace the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York. Right up Kelso’s alley, he spent about a year working on the preconstruction phase from St. Louis before relocating to Manhattan in 2010 to complete the decade-long project, a McCarthy-Mortenson joint venture.
Commissioned by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, NBAF is a state-of-the-art facility for conducting research, developing vaccines, performing diagnostic testing, and training researchers and veterinarians to recognize the clinical signs of foreign animal diseases in livestock. “It's the only large animal BS-4 facility in the U.S. and the only BSL-4 lab constructed to withstand a direct hit by an F5 tornado,” he says.
With that project under his belt, Kelso can now boast that he has overseen construction of more than a quarter of the nation’s BSL-4 facilities and more than 50 percent of the total square footage of those high-containment facilities.
Back Home Again
In summer 2020, Kelso embarked on his latest career chapter: moving back to his hometown and joining the four-person leadership team of McCarthy’s Kansas City office. As market leader, he works alongside Vice President of Operations Steve Meuschke, Director of Business Development Jeff Bennett and Preconstruction Director Brad Schoen to position McCarthy’s KC practice for the future.
“I’m focused on our overall strategic direction and team culture,” says Kelso. “Our current focus is on Healthcare, Science & Technology and Water projects, all of which directly support the health of our people and our communities.”
As McCarthy marks the 10th anniversary of its KC office, Kelso is excited to expand its regional impact. “We're now working for four of the major healthcare providers in Kansas City and have a lot of repeat clients,” he says. “We love getting the opportunity to show clients what we can do. Once they meet our people, they’re always impressed.”
Get to know Seth!
Family
Wife, Becky
Daughter, McKenzie (17)
Son, Hunter (14)
Hobbies
Kids sports
Home renovation
Hunting
Fishing
Favorite KC Restaurants
Jack Stacks
Q39
Buck Tui BBQ
Old Shawnee Pizza
Waldo Thai
Grunauer
Rye
Recent Honors
20 to Know in Construction
Kansas City Business Journal, 2022
50 Kansans You Should Know
Ingram's, 2020
This month, we would like to highlight our partners at P1. We've been partnering with P1 for over 5 years on local projects, and we are consistently impressed with both their mechanical and electrical experitse, as well as their innovative prefabrication and manufacturing.
We have had great success with P1 on many exciting projects, including the recently completeted NBAF, and are working together again on current projects such as the Tower renovation at AdventHealth and the Mother/Baby Concourse at St. Luke's.
We are also grateful to P1 for consistently supporting our Heart Hats charitable efforts, particularly our TopGolf tournament. We look forward to many more years of partnership with P1!
7938 Santa Fe Dr, Overland Park, KS 66204
Local Business Shout-out
One of our favorite local spots that we had to give our first shout-out to is none other than the famous "The Peanut" - the oldest bar and grill in the area! The Overland Park location is right next door to our McCarthy office, and we frequent this fine establishment so often, we affectionately refer to it as our "large conference room."
The food is exceptional, the service is fantastic, and it's a great place for a casual lunch meeting or fun spot to watch the game!
Heart Hats
Highlight
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January, our Kansas City office and all jobsites in the area came together in service to donate a full truckload to the ReNewed Hope food pantry in Overland Park.
ReNewed Hope makes a significant impact for good in our community by helping solve the problem of food insecurity.
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Safety Snapshot
heart Hats Highlight
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the heart of our team
The heart of our business
Close to our hearts
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This year, we are celebrating McCarthy in Kansas City. Each month, we will release a new feature highlighting some of our talented employees, our pinnacle projects in the area, and our steadfast commitment to the community we live in. We are proud to plant roots here, and we're excited about the future of our region. We look forward to continue being part of the change and innovation that makes Kansas City a great place to live.
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Heart
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mccarthy.com
P1 Group provides facility maintenance and construction services such as plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and more for buildings around the globe.
This month, we would like to highlight our partners at P1. We've been partnering with P1 for over 5 years on local projects, and we are consistently impressed with both their mechanical and electrical experitse, as well as their innovative prefabrication and manufacturing.
We have had great success with P1 on many exciting projects, including the recently completeted NBAF, and are working together again on current projects such as the Tower renovation at AdventHealth and the Mother/Baby Concourse at St. Luke's.
We are also grateful to P1 for consistently supporting our Heart Hats charitable efforts, particularly our TopGolf tournament. We look forward to many more years of partnership with P1!
7938 Santa Fe Dr, Overland Park, KS 66204
One of our favorite local spots that we had to give our first shout-out to is none other than the famous "The Peanut" - the oldest bar and grill in the area! The Overland Park location is right next door to our McCarthy office, and we frequent this fine establishment so often, we affectionately refer to it as our "large conference room."
The food is exceptional, the service is fantastic, and it's a great place for a casual lunch meeting or fun spot to watch the game!
Let's Go Chiefs! Superbowl Champs!
Congratulations to our hometown Chiefs on winning Superbowl 57! Our KC office proudly celebrated another #RedFriday with the rest of the city to cheer on the Chiefs to another exciting Superbowl win! We are proud to be part of #ChiefsNation!
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Let's Go Chiefs! Superbowl Champs!
Let's Go Chiefs! Superbowl Champs!
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Making a splash
Assistant Project Manager Devon Murray-Mazany has immersed herself in a water construction career she absolutely loves.
Get to know devon!
Family
Husband, Damien
Daughter, Peyton (3)
Son, Grady (10 months)
Favorite Family Outings
Hobbies
Golfing
Spending time outdoors
Favorite KC Activities
Watching Chiefs games
Attending Hot Country Nights Summer concert series at KC Live
Dining at KC Joes BBQ
Hanging out at Bull Creek Distillery, Boulevard Brewery and wineries
Continue reading
Hover over the photo to see my alter-ego!
Ultimately, Murray-Mazany is thankful her dad introduced her to a career she loves. “In retrospect, I’m obscenely grateful that he urged me to explore options in construction management.”
Murray-Mazany met her husband, Damien, in 2017 while both of them were attending a mutual friend’s wedding in Virginia. The meeting was secretly arranged by one of Damien’s roommates. “Little did we know that he'd been trying to play matchmaker for years because both of us have such similar personalities,” she says.
The couple dated long distance for a couple of years before marrying and taking up residence in Olathe. They now have two children: daughter Peyton, age 3; and son Grady, 11 months.
“Damien tells me all the time that he just loves it here and that we made such a good decision to set down our roots in KC,” she says.
On the Waterfront
Water projects appeal to Murray-Mazany because of the precision and close coordination they require. “These projects are extremely complicated and high risk because oftentimes, the existing plant has to stay running throughout construction,” she says.
At age 9, when she learned that her family would be moving to Overland Park, Kansas, she admits to being most excited that she’d have easier access to American snacks. “Whenever we'd travel back to the states, my brother and I would get Dunkaroos and Oreos and go to Old Navy to buy American flag shirts,” she says.
Her family eventually migrated to an 80-acre property in the rural community of Louisburg, Kansas. “I was really into horses, so I wanted to live in a place where I could keep my horses in the backyard—and I somehow convinced my parents that it would be good for all of us,” she laughs.
In high school, Murray-Mazany competed in show jumping and also dabbled in rodeo events such as roping and barrel racing. She credits those activities for teaching her practical life and work skills such as teamwork, accountability, patience and empathy. “My horse and I were probably the first team that I really cared about,” she says. “Horsemanship is unique because you have to be able to read and react to situations quickly, be intentional, and manage the emotions of both you and your horse to be successful.”
“We had recently won the Tomahawk Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility project, and (Senior Vice President) BJ Peterson asked if I’d be interested in working on the project,” she recalls.
She agreed to join the team…and has never regretted the decision.
The Road to KC
Born in Greenwich, Connecticut, Murray-Mazany and her family relocated to London when she was 3. “My mom had always wanted her family to experience living abroad,” she says, noting that London also served as a convenient home base for her dad, who traveled weekly to New York City and the Middle East to oversee power projects for engineering firm Black & Veatch.
During the family’s seven-year stay in London, Murray-Mazany recalls living on the River Thames, playing under the willow tree in her backyard and riding her bike to the Kingston shopping district with her brother.
Not surprisingly, Murray-Mazany was less than enthused about the idea. “I told him I wanted to do my own thing,” she recalls, “and I was probably a little sassy about it.”
But she agreed to appease her dad by meeting with a few McCarthy folks he knew in St. Louis.
As fate would have it, those interactions convinced Murray-Mazany to apply for a position in the Kansas Ciy office. She signed on as a project administrator in January 2016, with the goal of completing an associate’s degree in construction management and being promoted to project engineer.
“Serving as an admin was beneficial to me long-term because I got to understand how the accounting side of project management works. That background has been tremendously helpful to me in my current job managing project controls,” she says.
While pursuing a construction management degree at Johnson County Community College, Murray-Mazany learned about an immediate opportunity to transition to McCarthy’s growing water/wastewater team.
After completing a bachelor's degree in 2012, Murray-Mazany secured a position at a pharmaceutical testing laboratory, but soon realized her heart wasn’t into the job. So she resigned and embarked on a whirlwind 18-month trek across the world.
“I left to go live in Australia for a year,” she says, “and when my visa ran out, I wasn't quite ready to come home yet, so I backpacked across southeast Asia for another six months.”
Her Asian itinerary included visits to the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. “I didn't speak any Asian language, which made some days harder than others, but I was fortunate to form bonds with people from all over the world,” she says. “That trip was a more profound and eye-opening experience than I could have ever imagined.”
Returning home in May 2015, Murray-Mazany pondered potential career paths. “I knew I wanted to find something that I would enjoy for a long time, but had no idea where to start looking,” she says.
It was her dad who suggested she consider construction management. Having worked for a number of engineering firms and hospital systems, he had a hunch that his daughter would excel in the building industry.
She has lived in London and Australia, backpacked across Asia and attended college in Virginia. But there’s nowhere Devon Murray-Mazany would rather live and work than right here in Kansas City.
“I absolutely love it here,” she says. “People are nice, it's inexpensive, and the food and amenities are great.”
As assistant project manager on the Nelson Wastewater Treatment Facility project, she is helping to transform Johnson County’s oldest treatment plant into a modern facility that will serve this bustling community for decades to come.
Truth be told, construction was the furthest thing from Murray-Mazany’s mind when she initially considered potential vocations.
Instead, her love of horses, dogs and the great outdoors led her to pursue a career as a veterinarian. She enrolled in the animal sciences program at Virginia Tech—one of the top programs in the U.S.—but eventually concluded that she wasn’t destined to become an animal doctor.
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Safety Snapshot
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
safety snapshot
Since 1974, Mark One Electric has provided advanced electrical knowledge, experience, and service to general contractors, developers, facility managers, and business owners across the Midwest region.
Trade partner of the month
In honor of Women's History Month, we would like to feature our partners at Mark One Electric - a woman-owned (WBE), family-owned business that is engrained in Kansas City. They are truly the most trusted electrical partner in the area, and we couldn't agree more.
Mark One Electric has been an essential partner on several of our projects, including the innovative proton-therapy facility at KCUC, the new Johnson County Medical Examiner Facility, and at St. Luke's Hospital.
We also celebrate Women in Construction (WIC) Week during March (March 5-11), and we are proud to spotlight the incredible work our female partners do on our projects, including our trade partners. We are grateful for our partnership with Mark One and look forward to many more successful projects together.
7926 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, Kansas 66204
Local Business Shout-out
During Women's History Month, we are proud to higlight The Corporate Catering Co., a women-owned catering company with an innovative approach to corporate lunch and catering services. Not only is CCC a women-run business, but owner, Ellen Beler is an Electrical Engineer.
Located directly underneath the McCarthy Kansas City office, CCC has been a wonderful caterer to work with! Recently, they catered our Construction Inclusion Week networking and happy hour event, providing a beautiful charcuterie spread!
Safety
Snapshot
We are proud to once again be awarded First Place in the Safety Excellence Awards by the Midwest Construction Safety Conference for the second consecutive year!
This program recognizes local companies that exemplify elite safety and health. Safety is the most important thing we do every day, and we couldn't be prouder of our KC team for earning this distinguished honor two years in a row.
The Corporate Catering Company
Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead
Overland Park Farmers' Market
Urban Air Adventure Park
Watching the kids run around at mom and dad's
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Safety Snapshot
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Safety Snapshot
Since 1974, Mark One Electric has provided advanced electrical knowledge, experience, and service to general contractors, developers, facility managers, and business owners across the Midwest region.
In honor of Women's History Month, we would like to feature our partners at Mark One Electric - a woman-owned (WBE), family-owned business that is engrained in Kansas City. They are truly the most trusted electrical partner in the area, and we couldn't agree more.
Mark One Electric has been an essential partner on several of our projects, including the innovative proton-therapy facility at KCUC, the new Johnson County Medical Examiner Facility, and at St. Luke's Hospital.
We also celebrate Women in Construction (WIC) Week during March (March 5-11), and we are proud to spotlight the incredible work our female partners do on our projects, including our trade partners. We are grateful for our partnership with Mark One and look forward to many more successful projects together.
7926 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, Kansas 66204
During Women's History Month, we are proud to higlight The Corporate Catering Co., a women-owned catering company with an innovative approach to corporate lunch and catering services. Not only is CCC a women-run business, but owner, Ellen Beler is an Electrical Engineer.
Located directly underneath the McCarthy Kansas City office, CCC has been a wonderful caterer to work with! Recently, they catered our Construction Inclusion Week networking and happy hour event, providing a beautiful charcuterie spread!
We are proud to once again be awarded First Place in the Safety Excellence Awards by the Midwest Construction Safety Conference for the second consecutive year!
This program recognizes local companies that exemplify elite safety and health. Safety is the most important thing we do every day, and we couldn't be prouder of our KC team for earning this distinguished honor two years in a row.
Making a splash
Assistant Project Manager Devon Murray-Mazany has immersed herself in a water construction career she absolutely loves.
Ultimately, Murray-Mazany is thankful her dad introduced her to a career she loves. “In retrospect, I’m obscenely grateful that he urged me to explore options in construction management.”
Murray-Mazany met her husband, Damien, in 2017 while both of them were attending a mutual friend’s wedding in Virginia. The meeting was secretly arranged by one of Damien’s roommates. “Little did we know that he'd been trying to play matchmaker for years because both of us have such similar personalities,” she says.
The couple dated long distance for a couple of years before marrying and taking up residence in Olathe. They now have two children: daughter Peyton, age 3; and son Grady, 11 months.
“Damien tells me all the time that he just loves it here and that we made such a good decision to set down our roots in KC,” she says.
On the Waterfront
Water projects appeal to Murray-Mazany because of the precision and close coordination they require. “These projects are extremely complicated and high risk because oftentimes, the existing plant has to stay running throughout construction,” she says.
At age 9, when she learned that her family would be moving to Overland Park, Kansas, she admits to being most excited that she’d have easier access to American snacks. “Whenever we'd travel back to the states, my brother and I would get Dunkaroos and Oreos and go to Old Navy to buy American flag shirts,” she says.
Her family eventually migrated to an 80-acre property in the rural community of Louisburg, Kansas. “I was really into horses, so I wanted to live in a place where I could keep my horses in the backyard—and I somehow convinced my parents that it would be good for all of us,” she laughs.
In high school, Murray-Mazany competed in show jumping and also dabbled in rodeo events such as roping and barrel racing. She credits those activities for teaching her practical life and work skills such as teamwork, accountability, patience and empathy. “My horse and I were probably the first team that I really cared about,” she says. “Horsemanship is unique because you have to be able to read and react to situations quickly, be intentional, and manage the emotions of both you and your horse to be successful.”
“We had recently won the Tomahawk Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility project, and (Senior Vice President) BJ Peterson asked if I’d be interested in working on the project,” she recalls.
She agreed to join the team…and has never regretted the decision.
The Road to KC
Born in Greenwich, Connecticut, Murray-Mazany and her family relocated to London when she was 3. “My mom had always wanted her family to experience living abroad,” she says, noting that London also served as a convenient home base for her dad, who traveled weekly to New York City and the Middle East to oversee power projects for engineering firm Black & Veatch.
During the family’s seven-year stay in London, Murray-Mazany recalls living on the River Thames, playing under the willow tree in her backyard and riding her bike to the Kingston shopping district with her brother.
Not surprisingly, Murray-Mazany was less than enthused about the idea. “I told him I wanted to do my own thing,” she recalls, “and I was probably a little sassy about it.”
But she agreed to appease her dad by meeting with a few McCarthy folks he knew in St. Louis.
As fate would have it, those interactions convinced Murray-Mazany to apply for a position in the Kansas Ciy office. She signed on as a project administrator in January 2016, with the goal of completing an associate’s degree in construction management and being promoted to project engineer.
“Serving as an admin was beneficial to me long-term because I got to understand how the accounting side of project management works. That background has been tremendously helpful to me in my current job managing project controls,” she says.
While pursuing a construction management degree at Johnson County Community College, Murray-Mazany learned about an immediate opportunity to transition to McCarthy’s growing water/wastewater team.
After completing a bachelor's degree in 2012, Murray-Mazany secured a position at a pharmaceutical testing laboratory, but soon realized her heart wasn’t into the job. So she resigned and embarked on a whirlwind 18-month trek across the world.
“I left to go live in Australia for a year,” she says, “and when my visa ran out, I wasn't quite ready to come home yet, so I backpacked across southeast Asia for another six months.”
Her Asian itinerary included visits to the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. “I didn't speak any Asian language, which made some days harder than others, but I was fortunate to form bonds with people from all over the world,” she says. “That trip was a more profound and eye-opening experience than I could have ever imagined.”
Returning home in May 2015, Murray-Mazany pondered potential career paths. “I knew I wanted to find something that I would enjoy for a long time, but had no idea where to start looking,” she says.
It was her dad who suggested she consider construction management. Having worked for a number of engineering firms and hospital systems, he had a hunch that his daughter would excel in the building industry.
She has lived in London and Australia, backpacked across Asia and attended college in Virginia.
But there’s nowhere Devon Murray-Mazany would rather live and work than right here in Kansas City.
“I absolutely love it here,” she says. “People are nice, it's inexpensive, and the food and amenities are great.”
As assistant project manager on the Nelson Wastewater Treatment Facility project, she is helping to transform Johnson County’s oldest treatment plant into a modern facility that will serve this bustling community for decades to come.
Truth be told, construction was the furthest thing from Murray-Mazany’s mind when she initially considered potential vocations.
Instead, her love of horses, dogs and the great outdoors led her to pursue a career as a veterinarian. She enrolled in the animal sciences program at Virginia Tech—one of the top programs in the U.S.—but eventually concluded that she wasn’t destined to become an animal doctor.
Continue reading
Click the photo to see my alter-ego!
McCarthy Construction has a company culture similar to ours. We enjoy what we do and strive to be the best at it. Both firms put quality and reputation as a top priority. We at P1 Group refer to those that work at McCarthy as "like-minded people". - Steve Hinshaw, Director of Business Development - P1 Group
She likens wastewater facilities to glaciers in that most of the work takes place beneath the surface. “From the outside looking in, all you see is the surface water on a basin. But knowing the level of effort that goes into building that 35-foot-deep basin the size of a football field is amazing,” she says.
Spending time outdoors getting dirty also appeals to her. “I love coming in from the field covered in mud and drenched in sweat.”
During the Nelson project’s preconstruction phase, Murray-Mazany is helping to establish project procedures, assemble subcontracts, and assist with the project financials and schedule. “I’m currently the spreadsheet queen,” she admits, “but I definitely don't want to lose my connection to the field. Helping the craft workers build in the field is where my passion is.”
She appreciates the opportunities that McCarthy has provided and the close relationships she’s developed with her colleagues. “I think McCarthy is an unrivaled place to work and a gleaming example of an ESOP,” she says. “The best thing about working here is that everybody genuinely cares about what they’re doing and how they fit into the bigger picture. We all have a deep connection to our projects and our project teams.”
She likens wastewater facilities to glaciers in that most of the work takes place beneath the surface. “From the outside looking in, all you see is the surface water on a basin. But knowing the level of effort that goes into building that 35-foot-deep basin the size of a football field is amazing,” she says.
Spending time outdoors getting dirty also appeals to her. “I love coming in from the field covered in mud and drenched in sweat.”
During the Nelson project’s preconstruction phase, Murray-Mazany is helping to establish project procedures, assemble subcontracts, and assist with the project financials and schedule. “I’m currently the spreadsheet queen,” she admits, “but I definitely don't want to lose my connection to the field. Helping the craft workers build in the field is where my passion is.”
She appreciates the opportunities that McCarthy has provided and the close relationships she’s developed with her colleagues. “I think McCarthy is an unrivaled place to work and a gleaming example of an ESOP,” she says. “The best thing about working here is that everybody genuinely cares about what they’re doing and how they fit into the bigger picture. We all have a deep connection to our projects and our project teams.”
In it for the Long Haul
Steve Meuschke is committed to McCarthy’s long-term success in Kansas City.
Get to know STEVE!
Family
Wife, Dena
Son, Braden (13)
Daughter, McKenna (11)
Favorite KC Activities
Hobbies
Sports (avid, loyal Purdue fan)
Enjoying time with family and friends at Lake of the Ozarks
Favorite KC Hangouts
Q39
Coach's Bar & Grill
Overland Park Soccer Fields
Watching Chiefs Games & Sporting KC Games
Continue reading
Hover over the photo to see my alter-ego!
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Healthiest Employer
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Healthiest Employer
Healthiest Employer
We are proud that once again this year, McCarthy was named one of Kansas City’s Healthiest Employers by the Kansas City Business Journal. Companies celebrated with a breakfast and a panel discussion which included Lisa Sanders, McCarthy’s Vice President of HR Operations.
At McCarthy, we emphasize and encourage health and wellness, both in our everyday work on projects, but also for each of our individual partners. This goes beyond just physical health and wellbeing, but also focuses on mental health, financial health, personal wellness, work-life balance and flexibility, family-centric benefits, and more.
7943 Santa Fe Dr, Overland Park, KS 66204
The Upper Crust
Local Business Shout-out
Specializing in pies, The Upper Crust has a rotating menu that sells out fast for good reason. Once you have a slice of an Upper Crust pie, all others will pale in comparison (don’t worry, we won’t tell your mother their pies are better than hers!). Not a pie person? Their cookies are just as delicious and addictive.
The Upper Crust was a must to celebrate Pi Day (3/14) this past month! Across the street from the McCarthy Kansas City office, the Upper Crust is a go-to treat for McCarthy employees and their families!
US Engineering provides a full range of construction, service and maintenance offerings for commercial and industrial clients across the region and beyond.
Trade partner of the month
We are proud to recognize our partners at US Engineering this month. US Engineering has worked with us on some of our largest, most complex projects in the area in recent history, including the replacement hospital in Joplin, MO after a devastating F5 tornado, and the recently completed National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF). They are also currently working alongside us on the AdventHealth Tower 2 Renovation here in KC.
We are consistently impressed with US Engineering's innovative prefabrication and forward-thinking technology, and align closely with their commitment to a client-focused approach to projects. We look forward to many more successful projects together.
McCarthy’s team had the owner’s best interest in mind when resolving challenges the project faced and valued input from trade partners on solutions to overcoming those challenges. McCarthy understands that a successful project is determined not only from the owner’s point of view, but also from their trade partners’ perspective and experience. McCarthy’s processes help us perform our scopes of work better. McCarthy values their trade partners, and it is evident through the mutual respect they displayed at all levels of project delivery. I look forward to working with this group on projects to come. - Adam Provost, Director of Operations - US Engineering
In it For the Long Haul
Steve Meuschke is committed to McCarthy’s long-term success in Kansas City.
Click the photo to see my alter-ego!
And it didn’t take long for Meuschke to acclimate to life in KC. He’s particularly fond of the local barbecue scene and wide variety of sports activities. “Both of my kids play competitive soccer year-round, and we're a big sports family, so if I’m not working at McCarthy, I’m probably involved in some sort of sports activities,” he says.
The Meuschke family resides in Overland Park, not far from the McCarthy office.
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Healthiest Employer
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Healthiest Employer
US Engineering provides a full range of construction, service and maintenance offerings for commercial and industrial clients across the region and beyond.
We are proud to recognize our partners at US Engineering this month. US Engineering have worked with us on some of our largest, most complex projects in the area in recent history, including the replacement hospital in Joplin, MO after a devastating F5 tornado, and the recently completed National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF). They are also currently working alongside us on the AdventHealth Tower 2 Renovation here in KC.
We are consisitently impressed with US Engineering's innovative prefabrication and forward-thinking technology, and align closely with their commitment to a client-focused approach to projects. We look forward to many more successful projects together.
7943 Santa Fe Dr, Overland Park, KS 66204
The upper crust pie bakery
Specializing in pies, The Upper Crust has a rotating menu that sells out fast for good reason. Once you have a slice of an Upper Crust pie, all others will pale in comparison (don’t worry, we won’t tell your mother their pies are better than hers!). Not a pie person? Their cookies are just as delicious and addictive.
The Upper Crust was a must to celebrate Pi Day (3/14) this past month! Across the street from the McCarthy Kansas City office, the Upper Crust is a go-to treat for McCarthy employees and their families!
We are proud that once again this year, McCarthy was named one of Kansas City’s Healthiest Employers by the Kansas City Business Journal. Companies celebrated with a breakfast and a panel discussion which included Lisa Sanders, McCarthy’s Vice President of HR Operations.
At McCarthy, we emphasize and encourage health and wellness, both in our everyday work on projects, but also for each of our individual partners. This goes beyond just physical health and wellbeing, but also focuses on mental health, financial health, personal wellness, work-life balance and flexibility, family-centric benefits, and more.
Get to know Steve!
Family
Wife, Dena
Son, Braden (13)
Daughter, McKenna (11)
Favorite KC activities
Hobbies
Sports (avid, loyal Purdue fan)
Enjoying time with family and friends at Lake of the Ozarks
Favorite KC Activities
Continue reading
On Sunday, May 22, 2011, the costliest tornado in U.S. history tore through Joplin, Missouri, killing more than 150 people and destroying nearly 4,000 buildings.
The following day, Steve Meuschke received a call from a McCarthy project director inviting him to join a McCarthy delegation in southwestern Missouri. The mission: to help Mercy Hospital—a long-standing client—assess the damage and develop a plan for rebuilding its local hospital in the aftermath of the devastating twister.
Informed that his visit would last “a few days,” Meuschke packed accordingly. “I think I packed for three or four days and didn't get back home for over six weeks,” he laughs.
With no hotels or other local accommodations available in Joplin, Meuschke spent the first few days sleeping in the hand-me-down Chrysler Sebring that served as his company car at the time. “I only slept an hour or two before someone would knock on my window and ask me a question,” he recalls. “We were assembling a mobile tent hospital in a week, so we had to get everything hooked up and running as soon as possible.”
During the three-and-a-half years that Meuschke spent in Joplin, he helped manage the construction of three temporary hospital facilities and served as a project manager on Mercy’s permanent replacement hospital. That 890,000-sq.-ft. facility, which opened in March 2015, was completed under budget and in less than half the time it would typically take to design and construct a similarly sized hospital.
The experience ranks as a highlight in Meuschke’s 22-year McCarthy career. “It was awesome how everyone came together—the owner, architect, contractor and trade partners—with the singular goal of serving Mercy and the people of Joplin,” he says. “I learned so much and had a great time doing it.”
The Joplin experience also equipped Meuschke with valuable leadership skills he continues to use in his current role as vice president operations at McCarthy’s Kansas City office. “What I love the most about my job is that every day is different,” he says. “There are always curveballs that keep you on your toes.”
Since joining the KC office as a senior project manager in 2015, Meuschke has contributed to an impressive era of growth and success. He currently serves on the four-person office leadership team that includes Market Leader Seth Kelso, Senior Preconstruction Director Brad Schoen and Director of Business Development Jeff Bennett.
“The success of the Kansas City office is so important to the four of us because we live here, our families live here and nobody wants to leave,” he says. “We all want McCarthy to be here 50 years from now, and that drives the decisions we make.”
For Meuschke, a primary goal is sustaining the distinctive culture that has defined the office since it opened in 2013. “One of my main focuses is keeping the culture that we had when we were a five- or 10-person office now that we're 70+ people,” he says. “It’s something we talk about constantly as a leadership team.”
And he’s proud of the KC team’s unique approach to serving clients. “I think our approach is different than some of our competitors because we recognize how important our clients are for our future,” he says. “When we get our foot in the door with a new client, I think they notice that we we treat them differently and that we do what we say we're going to do.”
The Journey to McCarthy
Born in San Francisco, Meuschke and his family relocated to Tampa and St. Louis as his dad took on new roles with his employer.
He assumed he would follow in his dad’s footsteps and become an insurance salesman, but his aptitude for math and science convinced him to pivot to engineering instead. While pursuing a mechanical engineering degree at Purdue University, Meuschke completed a few internships that prompted him to rethink those aspirations. “I realized I did not want to sit behind a desk designing for eight or nine hours a day,” he says.
Construction seemed like a logical alternative, so he decided to explore potential opportunities at McCarthy. “I remember seeing McCarthy trucks drive around St. Louis, so I just called and asked if they had any internship opportunities,” he recalls. “I had a quick five-minute phone interview and was hired for an internship in the estimating group.”
When that internship concluded, McCarthy offered Meuschke a full-time job, with the option of working in either Atlanta, Omaha or Cooperstown, New York.
After taking a few days to consider those alternatives, he decided on Atlanta…only to be told that someone else had already snagged that position. So he opted for Omaha and embarked on a series of hospital projects that took him from Omaha to Denver to Council Bluffs, Iowa.
About a year into his tenure, a buddy from college invited him to Kansas City for a New Year’s Eve celebration. There, he met the woman who would become his future wife.
In 2009, their son was born at CHI Lakeside Hospital in Omaha, the first McCarthy hospital project that Meuschke had helped build several years earlier.
Two years later, the couple’s daughter was born in Joplin.
Settling Down in KC
When Meuschke was invited to relocate to Kansas City in 2015, he jumped at the opportunity.
Not only was he excited to join the fledgling KC team, but the move would also allow his wife to return to her hometown. “I think I moved six times with McCarthy and she made five of those moves with me,” he says. “Now that she's finally back home, she has made it very clear to me that she's not planning to leave again.”
And it didn’t take long for Meuschke to acclimate to life in KC. He’s particularly fond of the local barbecue scene and wide variety of sports activities. “Both of my kids play competitive soccer year-round, and we're a big sports family, so if I’m not working at McCarthy, I’m probably involved in some sort of sports activities,” he says.
The Meuschke family resides in Overland Park, not far from the McCarthy office.
On Sunday, May 22, 2011, the costliest tornado in U.S. history tore through Joplin, Missouri, killing more than 150 people and destroying nearly 4,000 buildings.
The following day, Steve Meuschke received a call from a McCarthy project director inviting him to join a McCarthy delegation in southwestern Missouri. The mission: to help Mercy Hospital—a long-standing client—assess the damage and develop a plan for rebuilding its local hospital in the aftermath of the devastating twister.
Informed that his visit would last “a few days,” Meuschke packed accordingly. “I think I packed for three or four days and didn't get back home for over six weeks,” he laughs.
With no hotels or other local accommodations available in Joplin, Meuschke spent the first few days sleeping in the hand-me-down Chrysler Sebring that served as his company car at the time. “I only slept an hour or two before someone would knock on my window and ask me a question,” he recalls. “We were assembling a mobile tent hospital in a week, so we had to get everything hooked up and running as soon as possible.”
During the three-and-a-half years that Meuschke spent in Joplin, he helped manage the construction of three temporary hospital facilities and served as a project manager on Mercy’s permanent replacement hospital. That 890,000-sq.-ft. facility, which opened in March 2015, was completed under budget and in less than half the time it would typically take to design and construct a similarly sized hospital.
The experience ranks as a highlight in Meuschke’s 22-year McCarthy career. “It was awesome how everyone came together—the owner, architect, contractor and trade partners—with the singular goal of serving Mercy and the people of Joplin,” he says. “I learned so much and had a great time doing it.”
The Joplin experience also equipped Meuschke with valuable leadership skills he continues to use in his current role as vice president operations at McCarthy’s Kansas City office. “What I love the most about my job is that every day is different,” he says. “There are always curveballs that keep you on your toes.”
Since joining the KC office as a senior project manager in 2015, Meuschke has contributed to an impressive era of growth and success. He currently serves on the four-person office leadership team that includes Market Leader Seth Kelso, Senior Preconstruction Director Brad Schoen and Director of Business Development Jeff Bennett.
“The success of the Kansas City office is so important to the four of us because we live here, our families live here and nobody wants to leave,” he says. “We all want McCarthy to be here 50 years from now, and that drives the decisions we make.”
For Meuschke, a primary goal is sustaining the distinctive culture that has defined the office since it opened in 2013. “One of my main focuses is keeping the culture that we had when we were a five- or 10-person office now that we're 70+ people,” he says. “It’s something we talk about constantly as a leadership team.”
And he’s proud of the KC team’s unique approach to serving clients. “I think our approach is different than some of our competitors because we recognize how important our clients are for our future,” he says. “When we get our foot in the door with a new client, I think they notice that we we treat them differently and that we do what we say we're going to do.”
The Journey to McCarthy
Born in San Francisco, Meuschke and his family relocated to Tampa and St. Louis as his dad took on new roles with his employer.
He assumed he would follow in his dad’s footsteps and become an insurance salesman, but his aptitude for math and science convinced him to pivot to engineering instead. While pursuing a mechanical engineering degree at Purdue University, Meuschke completed a few internships that prompted him to rethink those aspirations. “I realized I did not want to sit behind a desk designing for eight or nine hours a day,” he says.
Construction seemed like a logical alternative, so he decided to explore potential opportunities at McCarthy. “I remember seeing McCarthy trucks drive around St. Louis, so I just called and asked if they had any internship opportunities,” he recalls. “I had a quick five-minute phone interview and was hired for an internship in the estimating group.”
When that internship concluded, McCarthy offered Meuschke a full-time job, with the option of working in either Atlanta, Omaha or Cooperstown, New York.
After taking a few days to consider those alternatives, he decided on Atlanta…only to be told that someone else had already snagged that position. So he opted for Omaha and embarked on a series of hospital projects that took him from Omaha to Denver to Council Bluffs, Iowa.
About a year into his tenure, a buddy from college invited him to Kansas City for a New Year’s Eve celebration. There, he met the woman who would become his future wife.
In 2009, their son was born at CHI Lakeside Hospital in Omaha, the first McCarthy hospital project that Meuschke had helped build several years earlier.
Two years later, the couple’s daughter was born in Joplin.
Settling Down in KC
When Meuschke was invited to relocate to Kansas City in 2015, he jumped at the opportunity.
Not only was he excited to join the fledgling KC team, but the move would also allow his wife to return to her hometown. “I think I moved six times with McCarthy and she made five of those moves with me,” he says. “Now that she's finally back home, she has made it very clear to me that she's not planning to leave again.”
Q39
Coach's Bar & Grill
Overland Park Soccer Fields
Watching Chiefs Games & Sporting KC Games
The Safety Connection
For Matt Wasowicz, building relationships is key to sustaining a strong safety culture.
He’s also a big fan of the KC lifestyle—from the hometown sports teams, to the world-famous barbecue, to the thriving local art scene. “What I love about KC is that it has everything a large city has to offer, but it’s got a laid back kind of vibe to it. I really wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the Midwest,” he says.
And Wasowicz thinks McCarthy is an ideal workplace for him. “Our core purpose is to be the best builder in America, which I love,” he says. “With my sports background, I'm competitive by nature and I don't like to lose. With McCarthy, I feel like I'm winning.”
Get to know Matt!
Residence
Roeland, Kansas
Favorite KC Activities
Hobbies
Snow skiing, golf, outdoor grilling, listening to live music
Favorite KC Hangouts
Joe's Kansas City BBQ, Q39, Mean Mule Distilling, Waldo Thai and Charlie Hoopers
Chiefs, Royals and Sporting Kansas City games; First Fridays in the River Market area
Continue reading
Hover over the photo to see my alter-ego!
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Safety Week 2023
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Safety Week 2023
Safety Week 2023
While Construction Safety Week is not an official holiday, our annual Safety Week efforts make it one of the most important and impactful weeks on the McCarthy calendar.
McCarthy will join with many others across the industry May 1-5 as we participate in both Construction Safety Week and OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls. Together, these events offer teams on our project sites and in offices an opportunity to hyperfocus on safety, highlighting our company’s proud tradition of continuous safety improvement, empowerment and encouraging everyone to take pride in safety. Learn more about Safety Week at McCarthy here.
16649 Midland Dr, Shawnee, KS 66217
Barley's Kitchen & Tap
& B&B Theatres shawnee
Local Business Shout-out
Every Spring, McCarthy hosts an annual Shareholders' Meeting for our entire company of employee-owners across the country. This year, the event was being livestreamed from Dallas, TX, so our KC team enjoyed a fun watch party from our local B&B Theatres Shawnee, with a celebratory happy hour at Barley's Kitchen and Tap afterwards. It was the perfect combination of locations to celebrate our company and our partners. Thank you to the local staff who worked with us so seamlessly to make this event a success. We look forward to similar events like this in the future for our KC office partners!
Jayhawk Fire Sprinkler is a full service Fire Sprinkler Protection company specializing in saving lives and property by providing fire protection in hospitals, multifamily living complexes, educational facilities and other commercial and residential properties.
Trade partner of the month
Because we celebrate Safety Week in May, we thought highlighting one of our trade partners that specializes in safety would be a great fit this month.
We are proud of our positive, working relationship with Jayhawk. We have partnered together on numerous projects in the KC area and surrounding region including the KCUC Proton Therapy addition, Tomahawk Creek WWTF, Merriam Community Center, Mercy Joplin Replacement Hospital and several projects at St. Luke's.
Jayhawk goes above and beyond for their customers, offering everything from consultation, design, installation, inspections, maintenance and service. They provide everything their clients need to ensure their facilities are safe and protected.
McCarthy’s team had the owner’s best interest in mind when resolving challenges the project faced and valued input from trade partners on solutions to overcoming those challenges. McCarthy understands that a successful project is determined not only from the owner’s point of view, but also from their trade partners’ perspective and experience. McCarthy’s processes help us perform our scopes of work better. McCarthy values their trade partners, and it is evident through the mutual respect they displayed at all levels of project delivery. I look forward to working with this group on projects to come. - Adam Provost, Director of Operations - US Engineering
Every time Matt Wasowicz steps foot onto a construction jobsite, he’s more interested in hanging out with team members than enforcing safety policies.
“Construction is a people business, so I think it's important to get to know people in the field and demonstrate that I’m here to help and be a resource to them,” he says.
That said, as senior regional safety manager, Wasowicz also has to navigate tough conversations with colleagues. “A challenging part of being a safety professional is that you’re sometimes telling people what they don't want to hear—how to work in a safer way or do things that they might not be used to doing,” he says. “That’s why it’s important to not just tell people what they need to do, but why they need to do it. I want them to walk away from the conversation feeling positive about it.”
Prior to stepping into his current role, Wasowicz served as onsite safety manager on numerous industrial building projects—from power plants in Portage, Indiana, and Texarkana, Texas, to a Mars chocolate plant in Topeka, Kansas. These hands-on experiences equipped him with valuable perspectives on the daily challenges that team members face in the field as they strive to maintain a safe working environment.
Not only is Wasowicz passionate about safety, but he’s proud to work for a company that prioritizes it. “From our president on down, we all believe in our safety culture and live it every day,” he says.
Visiting projects throughout the region is one of his favorite parts of the job, and he’s eager to make the rounds during Construction Safety Week (May 1-5, 2023). “I'll be hitting all of the Kansas City area projects for toolbox talks, appreciation lunches and other activities,” he says.
Among the topics that Wasowicz and his safety colleagues will be emphasizing is the rollout of the company’s safety helmet program to all trade partners by July 1. “Helmets offer greater front, side and rear protection than hardhats and a chinstrap that keeps them in place,” he says.
Mental health awareness and support is another ongoing area of focus. “The construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates, so we’re committed to make information and resources available to all of our people and partners,” he says.
And Wasowicz’s positive influence extends beyond the walls of McCarthy. He’s past president of the Construction Safety Group in Kansas City and serves on the planning committee for the annual Midwest Construction Safety Conference hosted by The Builders, a chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America.
Scoring with McCarthy
Born and raised in Moberly, Missouri, Wasowicz grew up participating in a long list of sports, including wrestling, basketball, baseball and soccer.
His athletic skills secured him a soccer scholarship at Aurora University, located about 45 miles west of Chicago. But he opted to transfer to the University of Central Missouri after his freshman year. “I recognized that I wasn't going to become a professional soccer player, so I decided to transfer to UCM and be a little closer to friends and family,” he says.
At UCM, it didn’t take long for him to discover his eventual career path. “UCM is known for its safety program and I had some buddies who were in that program, so I decided to switch majors from business management…and the rest is history.”
At a career fair, he connected with McCarthy and secured a safety internship in St. Louis during summer 2008. “I got to experience the different phases of construction projects, and McCarthy felt like a place that I wanted to be,” he recalls.
But when Wasowicz graduated in 2009, The Great Recession was in full swing and construction jobs were scarce.
He ended up securing a full-time position with a small insurance company, though he truly missed working in construction. When he learned that McCarthy was managing a renewable energy project at the MU power plant in Columbia, Missouri, he reached out to his former McCarthy supervisor, Regional Vice President of Safety Steve Miller. “I was very happy to hire back on with McCarthy—and I’ve been here ever since,” he says.
Growing Roots in KC
Since relocating to Kansas City in 2015, Wasowicz has enjoyed being part of the growing McCarthy office. “I think we've got a great team here, and I've really become close with everybody in the office,” he says. “It seems like we're getting together almost every week for happy hour, celebrating someone's birthday or a baby shower.”
Strong Voices. Safe Choices.
The safety Connection
For Matt Wasowicz, building relationships is key to sustaining a strong safety culture.
Click the photo to see my alter-ego!
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Safety Week 2023
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
safety week 2023
Jayhawk Fire Sprinkler is a full service Fire Sprinkler Protection company specializing in saving lives and property by providing fire protection in hospitals, multifamily living complexes, educational facilities and other commercial and residential properties.
Because we celebrate Safety Week in May, we thought highlighting one of our trade partners that specializes in safety would be a great fit this month.
We are proud of our positive, working relationship with Jayhawk. We have partnered together on numerous projects in the KC area and surrounding region including the KCUC Proton Therapy addition, Tomahawk Creek WWTF, Merriam Community Center, Mercy Joplin Replacement Hospital and several projects at St. Luke's.
Jayhawk goes above and beyond for their customers, offering everything from consultation, design, installation, inspections, maintenance and service. They provide everything their clients need to ensure their facilities are safe and protected.
16649 Midland Dr, Shawnee, KS 66217
Barley's Kitchen & Tap and B&B Theatres Shawnee
Every Spring, McCarthy hosts an annual Shareholders' Meeting for our entire company of employee-owners across the country. This year, the event was being livestreamed from Dallas, TX, so our KC team enjoyed a fun watch party from our local B&B Theatres Shawnee, with a celebratory happy hour at Barley's Kitchen and Tap afterwards. It was the perfect combination of locations to celebrate our company and our partners. Thank you to the local staff who worked with us so seamlessly to make this event a success. We look forward to similar events like this in the future for our KC office partners!
While Construction Safety Week is not an official holiday, our annual Safety Week efforts make it one of the most important and impactful weeks on the McCarthy calendar.
McCarthy will join with many others across the industry May 1-5 as we participate in both Construction Safety Week and OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls. Together, these events offer teams on our project sites and in offices an opportunity to hyperfocus on safety, highlighting our company’s proud tradition of continuous safety improvement, empowerment and encouraging everyone to take pride in safety. Learn more about Safety Week at McCarthy here.
Get to know Matt!
Residence
Roeland, Kansas
Favorite KC activities
Hobbies
Snow skiing, golf, outdoor grilling, listening to live music
Favorite KC Activities
Chiefs, Royals and Sporting Kansas City games; First Fridays in the River Market area
Joe's Kansas City BBQ, Q39, Mean Mule Distilling, Waldo Thai and Charlie Hoopers
Continue reading
He’s also a big fan of the KC lifestyle—from the hometown sports teams, to the world-famous barbecue, to the thriving local art scene. “What I love about KC is that it has everything a large city has to offer, but it’s got a laid back kind of vibe to it. I really wouldn't want to live anywhere else in the Midwest,” he says.
And Wasowicz thinks McCarthy is an ideal workplace for him. “Our core purpose is to be the best builder in America, which I love,” he says. “With my sports background, I'm competitive by nature and I don't like to lose. With McCarthy, I feel like I'm winning.”
Every time Matt Wasowicz steps foot onto a construction jobsite, he’s more interested in hanging out with team members than enforcing safety policies.
“Construction is a people business, so I think it's important to get to know people in the field and demonstrate that I’m here to help and be a resource to them,” he says.
That said, as senior regional safety manager, Wasowicz also has to navigate tough conversations with colleagues. “A challenging part of being a safety professional is that you’re sometimes telling people what they don't want to hear—how to work in a safer way or do things that they might not be used to doing,” he says. “That’s why it’s important to not just tell people what they need to do, but why they need to do it. I want them to walk away from the conversation feeling positive about it.”
Prior to stepping into his current role, Wasowicz served as onsite safety manager on numerous industrial building projects—from power plants in Portage, Indiana, and Texarkana, Texas, to a Mars chocolate plant in Topeka, Kansas. These hands-on experiences equipped him with valuable perspectives on the daily challenges that team members face in the field as they strive to maintain a safe working environment.
Not only is Wasowicz passionate about safety, but he’s proud to work for a company that prioritizes it. “From our president on down, we all believe in our safety culture and live it every day,” he says.
Visiting projects throughout the region is one of his favorite parts of the job, and he’s eager to make the rounds during Construction Safety Week (May 1-5, 2023). “I'll be hitting all of the Kansas City area projects for toolbox talks, appreciation lunches and other activities,” he says.
Among the topics that Wasowicz and his safety colleagues will be emphasizing is the rollout of the company’s safety helmet program to all trade partners by July 1. “Helmets offer greater front, side and rear protection than hardhats and a chinstrap that keeps them in place,” he says.
Mental health awareness and support is another ongoing area of focus. “The construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates, so we’re committed to make information and resources available to all of our people and partners,” he says.
And Wasowicz’s positive influence extends beyond the walls of McCarthy. He’s past president of the Construction Safety Group in Kansas City and serves on the planning committee for the annual Midwest Construction Safety Conference hosted by The Builders, a chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America.
Scoring with McCarthy
Born and raised in Moberly, Missouri, Wasowicz grew up participating in a long list of sports, including wrestling, basketball, baseball and soccer.
His athletic skills secured him a soccer scholarship at Aurora University, located about 45 miles west of Chicago. But he opted to transfer to the University of Central Missouri after his freshman year. “I recognized that I wasn't going to become a professional soccer player, so I decided to transfer to UCM and be a little closer to friends and family,” he says.
At UCM, it didn’t take long for him to discover his eventual career path. “UCM is known for its safety program and I had some buddies who were in that program, so I decided to switch majors from business management…and the rest is history.”
At a career fair, he connected with McCarthy and secured a safety internship in St. Louis during summer 2008. “I got to experience the different phases of construction projects, and McCarthy felt like a place that I wanted to be,” he recalls.
But when Wasowicz graduated in 2009, The Great Recession was in full swing and construction jobs were scarce.
He ended up securing a full-time position with a small insurance company, though he truly missed working in construction. When he learned that McCarthy was managing a renewable energy project at the MU power plant in Columbia, Missouri, he reached out to his former McCarthy supervisor, Regional Vice President of Safety Steve Miller. “I was very happy to hire back on with McCarthy—and I’ve been here ever since,” he says.
Growing Roots in KC
Since relocating to Kansas City in 2015, Wasowicz has enjoyed being part of the growing McCarthy office. “I think we've got a great team here, and I've really become close with everybody in the office,” he says. “It seems like we're getting together almost every week for happy hour, celebrating someone's birthday or a baby shower.”
Business Builder
A founding father of the Kansas City office, Brad Schoen is enjoying the fruits of his labor.
He also serves on the office’s four-person leadership team that includes Market Leader Seth Kelso, Vice President of Operations Steve Meuschke and Director of Business Development Jeff Bennett.
Looking to the future, Schoen is excited about the opportunities that lay ahead for the KC team. “We've got a strong group of capable individuals, and our future here looks brighter than ever,” he says. “It’s great to know that the blood, sweat and tears that we put into this office over the last 10 years wasn’t in vain and that our partners will continue enjoying the fruits of that labor.”
While he takes pride in McCarthy’s local success, he also recognizes there’s additional work to do in building the company’s local presence. “It’s important to stay humble and remember that there are still a lot of people out there who haven't had the opportunity to know and work with us.”
Get to know Brad!
Family
Wife: Kendra
Children: McKenley (10), Madison (6), Montgomery (6), Mason (6)
Favorite Family Activities
Hobbies
Watching KC Chiefs games
Hunting & Fishing
Serving as an Awana leader
Favorite KC Restaurants
Lula Southern Cookhouse, Jack Stack Barbecue,
Q39, Ajuua Mexican Grill & Cantina
Kansas City Zoo, Science City, church activities, hanging out on their 60-acre farm
Continue reading
Hover over the photo to see my alter-ego!
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Intern Advantage
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Intern Advantage
Intern Advantage
Every summer we are excited to welcome interns to our team. At McCarthy, we take our internships very seriously, because we know we are building a foundation for our future partners. The McCarthy Intern Advantage program is designed to give participants real-world experience in the field with the nation’s best builders and the opportunity to possibly jump start a career with a 100 percent employee-owned company that values the employee experience, diversity and community impact.
McCarthy’s combination of company culture and building expertise in a variety of project types is unmatched as interns learn directly from builders and company leaders, see classroom experiences come to life and make impactful contributions to project teams. In addition to working on some of the most interesting, challenging and rewarding projects in the country, interns learn from the No. 1 ranked construction training company in America.
When the program is finished, a significant percentage of McCarthy interns return to school with a full-time offer and a quality that McCarthy cherishes most: Being a Builder. Learn more about our Intern Advantage Program here.
3039 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO 64109
Operation Breakthrough
Local Business Shout-out
This month, we'd like to shout out a location charitable organization: Operation Breakthrough; whose mission is to provide safe, loving and educational environments for children in poverty and to empower their families through advocacy, emergency aid, and education.
We chose Operation Breakthrough as the beneficiary of our Charity TopGolf Tourney this month for all the wonderful work they do in our community.
To learn more about this organization, please visit their website.
Companies turn to RS Electric Corp for reliable, quality electrical construction work performed to the highest safety standards. Their installation and design/build expertise is exceeded only by their commitment to serve and deliver for their clients.
Trade partner of the month
We are excited to recognize RS Electric this month, who are one of - if not the - longest running partnership with McCarthy since we started doing work in the Kansas City area in the 1990s - long before we established our current office here.
RS Electric is not only one of our essential teammates on many projects, but they also encompass what it means to be a true partner. They cultivate their relationships, they support our charitable events, they introduce us to clients and vouch for our integrity, and always go the extra mile when they work alongside us. They even expanded their business into the Omaha, Nebraska market to work alongside our partners in that region as well.
We are grateful for our hardworking friends and team players at RS Electric, and always look forward to working with them on new projects. They are more than deserving of this recognition feature!
McCarthy is an excellent company to work with and for. They have a great culture of work ethic, loyalty and honesty.
A hand shake still goes a long way with McCarthy. - Ryan Schultz, Business Development - RS Electric
There’s probably no one who’s cheering the 10th anniversary of McCarthy’s Kansas City office more enthusiastically than Brad Schoen.
As one of two McCarthy partners tapped to relocate from St. Louis in 2013 to manage the new office, he has overseen its steady evolution from fledgling practice to thriving local business.
“It's been really rewarding going from a two-person office to more than 65 partners today,” he says, though he’s quick to acknowledge the challenges of gaining a foothold in the competitive KC market. “It wasn’t the easiest road breaking into a market with some well-established contractors.”
Elevating McCarthy’s local presence involved grassroots relationship-building with clients, prospects, architects, trade partners and others. “Because there were only two of us, we had to spread ourselves very thin…with lots of evening networking events and industry gatherings,” he says. “My wife will tell you that she didn't see much of me during our first three years in Kansas City.”
In those formative years, Schoen also encountered a healthy dose of skepticism. “As much as we would've liked to think that our strong regional and national resume would immediately transfer to this market, people would ask us all the time, ‘What have you done in Kansas City?’”
These days, name recognition and local project experience are no longer stumbling blocks. “People know who we are, and when they ask what we’ve done in Kansas City, we can rattle off a healthy list of projects,” he says.
Fertile Ground
Schoen’s invitation to relocate to KC came on the heels of another milestone event: the birth of his first child, McKenley, in January 2013.
In fact, he learned about the opportunity on the Monday he returned to work following a one-week paternity leave. “My boss called me into his office, and I just figured it was about a new project that he wanted me to work on,” he recalls. “Instead, he closed the door and asked me if I was interested in moving to Kansas City. It definitely caught me off guard, but excited me at the same time.”
After discussing the opportunity with his wife, Kendra, he was all in. “My wife is always a trooper,” he says, noting her willingness to devote a large chunk of her eight-week maternity leave to searching for houses and planning for an impending move with an infant.
By early April, the Schoen family had settled in KC, and McCarthy was officially open for business.
A few years later, they received some further life-altering news: Kendra was pregnant with triplets. “For the next six weeks, I was like a deer in the headlights, pale and didn't talk a whole lot,” he recalls. “I just couldn't grasp the concept of how this was going to work.”
Kendra spent the final five weeks of her pregnancy at St. Luke's Hospital and gave birth at 31 weeks, after which the newborns spent six weeks in the NICU. “It was definitely a roller coaster of a ride, but they all ended up healthy and are thriving now,” Schoen says.
To accommodate the newly expanded family of six, the couple decided to purchase and renovate a home on a 60-acre farm in Tonganoxie, Kansas. “We wanted to find a place where we could let the kids go outside and play and not have to worry about a busy street,” he says. “It's very peaceful…and we love our scenic view.”
A Construction Pedigree
Schoen grew up on a cattle farm in Tipton, Missouri, a one-stoplight town located halfway between Sedalia and Jefferson City.
“My dad was a carpenter, and both my grandfathers worked in construction, so I always knew that I wanted to work in the construction industry,” he says.
Those ambitions were fueled by the many nights and weekends Schoen spent helping his dad with home renovation projects. “Anytime that I wasn't in school or playing sports, I would be his right-hand man, even if I was just grabbing tools out of his toolbox or holding the tape measure,” he says.
Initially drawn to a career in civil engineering, Schoen attended State Fair Community College and planned to complete his bachelor’s degree at Missouri S&T in Rolla. “After my first year, I decided that I wasn’t as interested in designing projects; I wanted to be on a jobsite building things,” he says. So, he transferred to the University of Central Missouri, where he earned a construction management degree.
Post-graduation, he moved to Dallas and began working as a field engineer at Granite Construction, a national civil contractor. For the next three years, he worked on a roadway and bridge construction project for the George Bush Tollway Authority. “I enjoyed being out in the field and loved earthwork and concrete, so it was a rewarding experience,” he says.
But the breakneck pace of the job took its toll. “It was 100 miles an hour all the time,” he says. “After three years of working 70-80 hours a week and sleeping in my truck at times, I made the decision that roadway construction wasn't what I wanted to do the rest of my life.”
Eager to return to the Midwest, he got introduced to a McCarthy business development director and flew to St. Louis to meet with him. “We had a great conversation, and a couple of weeks later, I got a call from him offering me a preconstruction position in St. Louis,” he says.
Schoen jumped at the opportunity, though he only intended to spend a year or two in preconstruction before shifting back to the field. That is, until he discovered that he had a knack for precon work. “I was good with numbers, and I liked working with client, designers and trade partners early in a project and guiding them through the construction process,” he says. “Eighteen years later, I’m still sitting on the preconstruction side.”
Energized for the Future
As senior preconstruction director, Schoen leads a five-person team that includes a preconstruction manager, estimating manager, senior estimator, estimator and mechanical/plumbing estimator.
Business Builder
A founding father of the Kansas City office, Brad Schoen is enjoying the fruits of his labor.
Click the photo to see my alter-ego!
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Intern Advantage
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Intern Advantage
Companies turn to RS Electric Corp for reliable, quality electrical construction work performed to the highest safety standards. Their installation and design/build expertise is exceeded only by their commitment to serve and deliver for their clients.
We are excited to recognize RS Electric this month, who are one of - if not the - longest running partnership with McCarthy since we started doing work in the Kansas City area in the 1990s - long before we established our current office here.
RS Electric is not only one of our essential teammates on many projects, but they also encompass what it means to be a true partner. They cultivate their relationships, they support our charitable events, they introduce us to clients and vouch for our integrity, and always go the extra mile when they work alongside us. They even expanded their business into the Omaha, Nebraska market to work alongside our partners in that region as well.
We are grateful for our hardworking friends and team players at RS Electric, and always look forward to working with them on new projects. They are more than deserving of this recognition feature!
3039 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO 64109
Operation Breakthrough
This month, we'd like to shout out a location charitable organization: Operation Breakthrough; whose mission is to provide safe, loving and educational environments for children in poverty and to empower their families through advocacy, emergency aid, and education.
We chose Operation Breakthrough as the beneficiary of our Charity TopGolf Tourney this month for all the wonderful work they do in our community.
To learn more about this organization, please visit their website.
Every summer we are excited to welcome interns to our team. At McCarthy, we take our internships very seriously, because we know we are building a foundation for our future partners. The McCarthy Intern Advantage program is designed to give participants real-world experience in the field with the nation’s best builders and the opportunity to possibly jump start a career with a 100 percent employee-owned company that values the employee experience, diversity and community impact.
Learn more about our Intern Advantage Program here.
Intern ADvantage
Get to know Brad!
Family
Wife: Kendra
Children: McKenley (10), Madison (6), Montgomery (6), Mason (6)
Favorite KC activities
Hobbies
Watching KC Chiefs games
Hunting & Fishing
Serving as an Awana leader
Favorite KC restaurants
Lula Southern Cookhouse, Jack Stack Barbecue,
Q39, Ajuua Mexican Grill & Cantina
Kansas City Zoo, Science City, church activities, hanging out on their 60-acre farm
Continue reading
Champion of Healthcare Construction
Superintendent Josh Halvorsen is making his mark on hospitals across Kansas City.
Get to know Josh!
Family
Wife - Amanda
Daughters - Charlotte (5), Nora (4), Audrey (18 mon)
Pets - yellow lab, Belle (12); beagle mix, Colby (13)
Favorite Family hangouts
Meaningful venues
Van Till Family Farm Winery (where he got engaged),
The Elms Hotel and Spa (where he got married)
Favorite KC watering holes
Craft Putt, Transport Brewing, Brew Lab, ExBEERiment
Kansas City Zoo
Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead
Continue reading
Hover over the photo to see my alter-ego!
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
2023 summer interns
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
2023 summer interns
2023 Summer Interns
McCarthy summer interns make impactful contributions to some of the most interesting and challenging projects by learning from and working alongside the best builders in the business, kick-starting their careers in construction.
We are lucky to have some exceptional interns working with us in Kansas City this summer!
Abby S - University of Nebraska - Lincoln, May '25
Merck Project
2nd Internship with McCarthy!
Jack D - Iowa State University S&T, Dec '23
Nelson WWTF Project
Joining McCarthy full-time after graduation!
Rylee G - Pittsburg State University, May '24
Nelson WWTF Project
2nd Internship with McCarthy!
Luke B - University of Kansas, May '24
Kansas River Project
Kristen K - University of Missouri S&T, May '24 | AdventHealth Project
Kenzie R - Missouri State University, Dec '25
St. Luke's Project
Learn more about our Intern Advantage Program.
6040 Slater St., Merriam, Kansas 66202
Merriam Community Center
Local Business Shout-out
This month's local shout-out is a special one for us, not only because we love visiting this location, but also because we built it!
Merriam Community Center is a one-of-a-kind, year-round destination for fitness, aquatics, classes, and events. It’s where you’ll find beautiful, state-of-the-art spaces to gather and play, designed for you and your family.
We frequently host our all-team meetings at Merriam because of their exceptional service and accommodation to our large group! We always love coming back and visiting one of our projects! (The group photo on the Team page was taken at Merriam!)
Learn more about the construction of this project on the "Heart of Our Business" page.
MVP and Capitol Painting have merged with over 50 years combined commercial and industrial painting experience in the Kansas City area.
Trade partner of the month
MVP Painting never misses a spot, and that's why they're our Trade Partner of the Month!
MVP are the ultimate team players here in KC. Their values align with ours, and they are all-in on every project. They have worked on a wide variety of projects with us, including the recently completed NBAF, Johnson County Tomahawk WWTF, Elanco, Merck, KCUC Proton Therapy and Dairy Farmer's of America.
We are fortunate to be a preferred partner with MVP and look forward to our continued relationship on many projects to come.
McCarthy is an excellent company to work with and for. They have a great culture of work ethic, loyalty and honesty.
A hand shake still goes a long way with McCarthy. - Ryan Schultz, Business Development - RS Electric
At Home in KC
When the family arrived to town, they temporarily moved in with Amanda’s parents before eventually purchasing a home in Shawnee. They currently live in Gardner, about 30 miles from McCarthy’s Overland Park office.
“I love where our Kansas City office is located. It's so much fun when we go to downtown Overland Park and the girls see the McCarthy dude and know that's where the office is,” Halvorsen says.
He’s also a fan of the McCarthy culture. “I always say the best part about McCarthy in Kansas City is that it feels like a startup, but it's got the backing of a huge company,” he says. “I think it’s so cool we still have that entrepreneurial spirit here.”
As the local office continues to grow and take on larger projects, he is committed to continuing to deliver exceptional experiences for clients on projects at every scale. “We run one program whether we’re building an entire ED or renovating a small space in a basement.”
Champion of Healthcare Construction
Superintendent Josh Halvorsen is making his mark on hospitals across Kansas City.
Click the photo to see my alter-ego!
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
2023 interns
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
2023 interns
MVP and Capitol Painting have merged with over 50 years combined commercial and industrial painting experience in the Kansas City area.
MVP Painting never misses a spot, and that's why they're our Trade Partner of the Month!
MVP are the ultimate team players here in KC. Their values align with ours, and they are all-in on every project. They have worked on a wide variety of projects with us, including the recently completed NBAF, Johnson County Tomahawk WWTF, Elanco, Merck, KCUC Proton Therapy and Dairy Farmer's of America.
We are fortunate to be a preferred partner with MVP and look forward to our continued relationship on many projects to come.
6040 Slater St., Merriam, Kansas 66202
Merriam Community Center
This month's local shout-out is a special one for us, not only because we love visiting this location, but also because we built it!
Merriam Community Center is a one-of-a-kind, year-round destination for fitness, aquatics, classes, and events. It’s where you’ll find beautiful, state-of-the-art spaces to gather and play, designed for you and your family.
We frequently host our all-team meetings at Merriam because of their exceptional service and accommodation to our large group! We always love coming back and visiting one of our projects! (The group photo on the Team page was taken at Merriam!)
McCarthy summer interns make impactful contributions to some of the most interesting and challenging projects by learning from and working alongside the best builders in the business, kick-starting their careers in construction.
We are lucky to have some exceptional interns working with us in Kansas City this summer!
Abby S - Merck Project
Jack D - Nelson WWTF Project
Rylee G - Nelson WWTF Project
Luke B - Kansas River Project
Kristen K - AdventHealth Project
Kenzie R - St. Luke's Project
2023 interns
Get to know Josh!
Family
Wife - Amanda
Daughters - Charlotte (5), Nora (4), Audrey (18 mon)
Pets - yellow lab, Belle (12); beagle mix, Colby (13)
Favorite family hangouts
Meaningful venues
Van Till Family Farm Winery (where he got engaged)
The Elms Hotel and Spa (where he got married)
Favorite KC watering holes
Craft Putt, Transport Brewing, Brew Lab, ExBEERiment
Kansas City Zoo
Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead
Continue reading
At Home in KC
When the family arrived to town, they temporarily moved in with Amanda’s parents before eventually purchasing a home in Shawnee. They currently live in Gardner, about 30 miles from McCarthy’s Overland Park office.
“I love where our Kansas City office is located. It's so much fun when we go to downtown Overland Park and the girls see the McCarthy dude and know that's where the office is,” Halvorsen says.
He’s also a fan of the McCarthy culture. “I always say the best part about McCarthy in Kansas City is that it feels like a startup, but it's got the backing of a huge company,” he says. “I think it’s so cool we still have that entrepreneurial spirit here.”
As the local office continues to grow and take on larger projects, he is committed to continuing to deliver exceptional experiences for clients on projects at every scale. “We run one program whether we’re building an entire ED or renovating a small space in a basement.”
A chance encounter in an elevator opened the door to a career-changing opportunity for Josh Halvorsen to join McCarthy’s Kansas City office.
This impromptu interaction occurred in October 2018 at the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 3 student competition in Downers Grove, Illinois. Halvorsen was working for another large general contractor at the time, and he unexpectedly ran into McCarthy’s Ryan Sawall, a casual acquaintance he knew from career fairs and ASC competitions.
“He said, ‘Hey, how's it going?,’ Halvorsen recalls, “and I told him I was unhappy at work and looking for more opportunities for growth. I don't think he expected the brutal honesty I gave him, and he suggested we grab a cup of coffee in the hotel lobby and talk further.”
That hour-long conversation set the wheels in motion for Halvorsen and his family to relocate to Kansas City in early 2019 so he could join McCarthy’s growing local team as a superintendent.
Since joining McCarthy, Halvorsen has made his mark on a wide range of healthcare projects—from modest renovations to full-scale transformations.
He’s currently overseeing an extensive four-floor renovation of Tower 2 at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission, a hospital building originally constructed in 1972. Updates include replacing the plumbing system, installing new windows and painting the concrete exterior to restore its original white color.
“It's almost like a total rebuild without tearing down the building,” says Halvorsen, who manages a team of nine onsite foremen. “I think we've quadrupled the amount of glass that was in the building and removed over 300,000 pounds of precast.”
Renovating an active, 50-year-old hospital is replete with logistical and operational challenges. “The number one thing we have to do is to plan for the worst-case scenario and identify a path out of it,” he says.
Because the assignment requires shutting down portions of the building to complete the renovations, Halvorsen says it’s vital to develop a methodical plan and consistently communicate with stakeholders. “For a hospital, even closing a single corridor is a big deal,” he says. “What may be very simple in any other building can be incredibly difficult in a hospital if you're not willing to communicate early and get everyone on board.”
Working on the hospital campus is particularly meaningful to Halvorsen because it’s where his wife gave birth to two of their three daughters. In fact, he was involved in renovating an imaging room on campus when his daughter Audrey was born in 2021. “She was born at 5:30 a.m., and at 10 a.m. I walked to the job site and held a meeting—with my wife's blessing, of course. The whole department was floored that I was there.”
Family connections
Growing up just outside of Chicago, Halvorsen was heavily influenced by his grandfather, a Teamster and devoted Green Bay Packers fan. Construction runs deep in his family: his dad was an electrician, his stepdad is a mason, and he has uncles who are electricians and pipefitters.
Several other family members work in the healthcare field: his brother's a doctor, his wife is a nurse and his mom is a medical professional.
“In my family you either do construction or you do healthcare…I guess that’s why I chose healthcare construction,” he laughs.
In high school, Halvorsen’s aptitude for math, physics and drafting provided early clues to his eventual vocation. “I really fell in love with computer-generated imaging and thought I was going to become a draftsman,” he says.
But a postcard he received from the Milwaukee School of Engineering convinced him to check out the private college’s offerings. “My mom and I took a trip out there and we just loved it,” he says. “It was small, which was a good learning environment for me.”
He completed a five-year program, earning dual bachelor’s degrees in architectural engineering and construction management.
After graduation, he signed on with a national construction firm and moved to Kansas City, though he primarily worked on powerhouse projects in other cities. He loved his job, but wasn’t a fan of the company culture, long hours and frequent relocations.
Seeking companionship—and an excuse to take daily lunch breaks—he adopted Belle, a yellow labrador retriever.
Lucky for him, the woman who would become his wife—Amanda—also had a dog and lived in his neighborhood. “We met outside a lot with the dogs, and that's how we got to know each other,” he says, noting that the casual nature of those interactions actually put the couple’s relationship on an accelerated track.
On September 20, 2014—less than two years after they met—they got married.
Before tying the knot, Halvorsen had secured a new position with a large general contractor, with the primary goal of limiting the number of times his family would be required to relocate.
But the position was located in Milwaukee, so the newlyweds immediately had to uproot their lives. “During our honeymoon, the movers came and packed up our apartment so we could move when we returned,” he recalls.
In his four-year tenure with that firm, Halvorsen progressed from project engineer to superintendent and gained experience managing commercial and healthcare projects.
While in Wisconsin, the couple also welcomed their first daughter, Charlotte.
About a year after she was born—and shortly after Josh had accepted the McCarthy job offer—the Halvorsens learned they were pregnant again. “Had we known we were pregnant before I accepted the offer, we probably wouldn’t have made the jump,” he says.
An Arctic blast further complicated the family’s return to Kansas City. “It was so cold outside that the washer and sink in our laundry room froze because of all the traffic coming in and out of the garage,” Halvorsen recalls.
A chance encounter in an elevator opened the door to a career-changing opportunity for Josh Halvorsen to join McCarthy’s Kansas City office.
This impromptu interaction occurred in October 2018 at the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 3 student competition in Downers Grove, Illinois. Halvorsen was working for another large general contractor at the time, and he unexpectedly ran into McCarthy’s Ryan Sawall, a casual acquaintance he knew from career fairs and ASC competitions.
“He said, ‘Hey, how's it going?,’ Halvorsen recalls, “and I told him I was unhappy at work and looking for more opportunities for growth. I don't think he expected the brutal honesty I gave him, and he suggested we grab a cup of coffee in the hotel lobby and talk further.”
That hour-long conversation set the wheels in motion for Halvorsen and his family to relocate to Kansas City in early 2019 so he could join McCarthy’s growing local team as a superintendent.
Since joining McCarthy, Halvorsen has made his mark on a wide range of healthcare projects—from modest renovations to full-scale transformations.
He’s currently overseeing an extensive four-floor renovation of Tower 2 at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission, a hospital building originally constructed in 1972. Updates include replacing the plumbing system, installing new windows and painting the concrete exterior to restore its original white color.
“It's almost like a total rebuild without tearing down the building,” says Halvorsen, who manages a team of nine onsite foremen. “I think we've quadrupled the amount of glass that was in the building and removed over 300,000 pounds of precast.”
Renovating an active, 50-year-old hospital is replete with logistical and operational challenges. “The number one thing we have to do is to plan for the worst-case scenario and identify a path out of it,” he says.
Because the assignment requires shutting down portions of the building to complete the renovations, Halvorsen says it’s vital to develop a methodical plan and consistently communicate with stakeholders. “For a hospital, even closing a single corridor is a big deal,” he says. “What may be very simple in any other building can be incredibly difficult in a hospital if you're not willing to communicate early and get everyone on board.”
Working on the hospital campus is particularly meaningful to Halvorsen because it’s where his wife gave birth to two of their three daughters. In fact, he was involved in renovating an imaging room on campus when his daughter Audrey was born in 2021. “She was born at 5:30 a.m., and at 10 a.m. I walked to the job site and held a meeting—with my wife's blessing, of course. The whole department was floored that I was there.”
Family connections
Growing up just outside of Chicago, Halvorsen was heavily influenced by his grandfather, a Teamster and devoted Green Bay Packers fan. Construction runs deep in his family: his dad was an electrician, his stepdad is a mason, and he has uncles who are electricians and pipefitters.
After graduation, he signed on with a national construction firm and moved to Kansas City, though he primarily worked on powerhouse projects in other cities. He loved his job, but wasn’t a fan of the company culture, long hours and frequent relocations.
Seeking companionship—and an excuse to take daily lunch breaks—he adopted Belle, a yellow labrador retriever.
Lucky for him, the woman who would become his wife—Amanda—also had a dog and lived in his neighborhood. “We met outside a lot with the dogs, and that's how we got to know each other,” he says, noting that the casual nature of those interactions actually put the couple’s relationship on an accelerated track.
On September 20, 2014—less than two years after they met—they got married.
Before tying the knot, Halvorsen had secured a new position with a large general contractor, with the primary goal of limiting the number of times his family would be required to relocate.
Several other family members work in the healthcare field: his brother's a doctor, his wife is a nurse and his mom is a medical professional.
“In my family you either do construction or you do healthcare…I guess that’s why I chose healthcare construction,” he laughs.
In high school, Halvorsen’s aptitude for math, physics and drafting provided early clues to his eventual vocation. “I really fell in love with computer-generated imaging and thought I was going to become a draftsman,” he says.
But a postcard he received from the Milwaukee School of Engineering convinced him to check out the private college’s offerings. “My mom and I took a trip out there and we just loved it,” he says. “It was small, which was a good learning environment for me.”
He completed a five-year program, earning dual bachelor’s degrees in architectural engineering and construction management.
But the position was located in Milwaukee, so the newlyweds immediately had to uproot their lives. “During our honeymoon, the movers came and packed up our apartment so we could move when we returned,” he recalls.
In his four-year tenure with that firm, Halvorsen progressed from project engineer to superintendent and gained experience managing commercial and healthcare projects.
While in Wisconsin, the couple also welcomed their first daughter, Charlotte.
About a year after she was born—and shortly after Josh had accepted the McCarthy job offer—the Halvorsens learned they were pregnant again. “Had we known we were pregnant before I accepted the offer, we probably wouldn’t have made the jump,” he says.
An Arctic blast further complicated the family’s return to Kansas City. “It was so cold outside that the washer and sink in our laundry room froze because of all the traffic coming in and out of the garage,” Halvorsen recalls.
Drinking it IN
Project Director Chad Wolfe is enjoying his role overseeing the Nelson Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements project.
As the KC office continues to expand, Wolfe believes it’s important to retain the close-knit, family atmosphere among team members. “I love knowing people’s names, their kids' names and their families,” he says. “We definitely have something special here.”
Ultimately, Wolfe views his decision to work at McCarthy as beneficial for his career and family. “There hasn't been a day that I've regretted my decision to join McCarthy,” he says. “I've really enjoyed the experience…and I'm home every night for dinner.”
Get to know CHad!
Family
Wife - Tiffany
Daughters - Aliya (12) & Rylee (7)
Favorite hangouts
Favorite KC Restaurants
Stock Hill, Quentin's BBQ & Sides, Jack Stack BBQ, KMacho’s Mexican Grill
Hobbies
Cycling, fishing, restoring cars
Kansas City Chiefs games, kids sports activities, trips to Lake of the Ozarks with friends
Continue reading
Hover over the photo to see my alter-ego!
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Craft Appreciation Week
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Craft Appreciation Week
Craft APpreciation Week
“The ingenuity and skill of our dedicated craft professionals are key to our success as a self-performing builder,” McCarthy Chairman and CEO Ray Sedey said. "You each not only contribute to the success of our company, but to the communities where we all live and work. Thank you for everything you do.”
With a team of 20 full-time craft development professionals on staff, McCarthy is dedicated to enhancing its craft workforce with opportunities for classroom and on-the-job training year-round. The craft training department offers approximately 50 courses combining safety, skills-based, and field leadership development to develop a skilled workforce prepared for safe, productive and quality construction.
McCarthy employs a broad range of craft professionals, including carpenters, equipment operators, laborers, foremen, plumbers, pipefitters, electricians, ironworkers, millwrights and more. As a community builder, McCarthy also supports armed services members and veterans in their transition back into the workforce. McCarthy has leveraged several partnerships with outside organizations, including Adaptive Construction Solutions, Army PaYs, and Hiring Our Heroes, to recruit veterans and provide on-site technical and safety training.
7950 Marty St, Overland Park, KS 66204
Overland Park Farmers Market
Local Business Shout-out
Eat (and shop) local at the Overland Park Farmers’ Market! Over 100 vendors offer everything from fresh local produce and gorgeous flowers to artisan foods and unique handmade items on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. A Kansas City favorite, the Overland Park Farmers Market was voted "Best Farmers Market in the Nation" in 2022. Located in the downtown pavilion directly across the street from the McCarthy office, the farmer’s market is a go-to for McCarthy team members for fresh, farm-to-table food and unique gifts. Learn more about what the Overland Park Farmers’ Market has to offer here.
KCSS bridges the gap between steel fabrication and erection. Our focus, now and always, is to support our clients with quality workmanship, timely responsiveness, and cost efficiencies in pursuit of a successful project.
Trade partner of the month
We are excited to regognize KCSS this month for their commitment to excellence and client satisfaction, their versatility, and willingness to travel. No project is too complex or technically challenging for their team. KCSS has worked alongside McCarthy on many of our KC projects, including Johnson County Tomahawk WWTF, NBAF, and MARS.
They go above and beyond to understand the unique needs and goals of every project. Their proactive communication and collaborative approach always exced expectations.
Their expertise, adaptability, and commitment to excellence make them a true asset in the construction industry. We look forward to continuing our successful collaboration with KCSS in the future.
McCarthy is an excellent company to work with and for. They have a great culture of work ethic, loyalty and honesty.
A hand shake still goes a long way with McCarthy. - Ryan Schultz, Business Development - RS Electric
Recognizing the dedicated professionals who are building our communities
Drinking it in
Project Director Chad Wolfe is enjoying his role overseeing the Nelson Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements project.
Click the photo to see my alter-ego!
As the KC office continues to expand, Wolfe believes it’s important to retain the close-knit, family atmosphere among team members. “I love knowing people’s names, their kids' names and their families,” he says. “We definitely have something special here.”
Ultimately, Wolfe views his decision to work at McCarthy as beneficial for his career and family. “There hasn't been a day that I've regretted my decision to join McCarthy,” he says. “I've really enjoyed the experience…and I'm home every night for dinner.”
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Craft Appreciation Week
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Craft Appreciation Week
KCSS bridges the gap between steel fabrication and erection. Our focus, now and always, is to support our clients with quality workmanship, timely responsiveness, and cost efficiencies in pursuit of a successful project.
We are excited to regognize KCSS this month for their commitment to excellence and client satisfaction, their versatility, and willingness to travel. No project is too complex or technically challenging for their team. KCSS has worked alongside McCarthy on many of our KC projects, including Johnson County Tomahawk WWTF, NBAF, and MARS.
They go above and beyond to understand the unique needs and goals of every project. Their proactive communication and collaborative approach always exced expectations.
Their expertise, adaptability, and commitment to excellence make them a true asset in the construction industry. We look forward to continuing our successful collaboration with KCSS in the future.
7950 Marty St, Overland Park, KS 66204
Overland Park Farmers Market
Eat (and shop) local at the Overland Park Farmers’ Market! Over 100 vendors offer everything from fresh local produce and gorgeous flowers to artisan foods and unique handmade items on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. A Kansas City favorite, the Overland Park Farmers Market was voted "Best Farmers Market in the Nation" in 2022. Located in the downtown pavilion directly across the street from the McCarthy office, the farmer’s market is a go-to for McCarthy team members for fresh, farm-to-table food and unique gifts. Learn more about what the Overland Park Farmers’ Market has to offer here.
“The ingenuity and skill of our dedicated craft professionals are key to our success as a self-performing builder,” McCarthy Chairman and CEO Ray Sedey said. "You each not only contribute to the success of our company, but to the communities where we all live and work. Thank you for everything you do.”
Craft Appreciation Week
Get to know Chad!
Family
Wife - Tiffany
Daughters - Aliya (12) & Rylee (7)
Favorite hangouts
Favorite KC Restaurants
Stock Hill, Quentin's BBQ & Sides, Jack Stack BBQ, KMacho’s Mexican Grill
Hobbies
Cycling, fishing, restoring cars
Kansas City Chiefs games, kids sports activities, trips to Lake of the Ozarks with friends
Continue reading
Chad Wolfe drove more than 1,600 miles to discover his career in construction.
In 2001, he journeyed from Kansas City to Los Angeles to begin a college internship in the equipment maintenance department of a national construction and engineering firm. Hoping the experience would help him launch a career in the automotive field, his plan was foiled when the company didn’t have enough work to sustain its summer interns.
“They asked me how I felt about going back home, and I told them I’d sweep the floors or do anything else they needed,” he recalls. “I was a college kid and wanted to earn money.”
The firm agreed to look for another opportunity for Wolfe and assigned him to work as a field engineer on a bridge construction project for Union Pacific Railroad in East L.A.
“My superintendent was a little confused why he got a mechanic for a field engineer,” he laughs, “but he was really impactful in teaching me and making things relatable. I spent the rest of the summer getting my hands dirty ordering concrete, pouring concrete and doing QC on concrete formwork. I really enjoyed it.”
The following summer, Wolfe returned to complete another internship with the same company. While working on mechanical and piping systems at a water treatment plant, he realized the similarities between constructing a water treatment facility and working on an automobile engine. “The superintendent explained the importance of understanding how the overall plant operates so you can focus on your piece of the puzzle,” he says. “I repeat a lot of what he told me to the young people who work with me today.”
Wolfe’s job performance secured him an opportunity to join the company full-time after he graduated. Two days after earning an automotive technology degree from Pittsburg State University, he hopped in his car and returned to L.A. to start his professional construction career. “I spent 15 years out in the field working on everything from a $100 million wastewater job to a $1.5 billion freeway job with 23 bridges and 11 miles of roadway expansion.”
While living on the West Coast, he also met his future wife, Tiffany, a native of Anchorage, Alaska, who was working as director of finance for Warner Brothers at the time.
KC-Bound
A few years after becoming parents, the couple decided to relocate to Kansas City. “We always wanted a second child and didn't think California was the best place to raise our family,” Wolfe says.
He transferred to his employer’s KC office in 2015, but ended up spending the bulk of his time working on projects in Guam, New Orleans and Chicago. “We had our second daughter, and I was traveling nonstop,” he recalls. “Having to leave my family on a Sunday was particularly rough.”
Eager to find a new position that would keep him closer to home, Wolfe began reaching out to his professional network. “I was sitting in the airport one day waiting for a flight, and I decided to call a friend from McCarthy and send him my resume,” he says.
Lucky for him, McCarthy had just been awarded the Nelson Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements project, a seven-year assignment to modernize and expand Johnson County’s oldest water treatment plant.
In November 2021, Wolfe joined McCarthy’s national Water & Wastewater team as project director. “My day-to-day role is to provide the overall structure and guidance for the Nelson job,” he says. “I work with the project team on coaching, mentoring, training and helping folks understand the project and their role within it. One of my greatest pleasures is watching our team members grow and take on more impactful roles on the project.”
With a personable leadership style, Wolfe enjoys building close relationships with teammates and sharing lots of laughs with them. “It's gotten to the point where if there's not a dad joke at the end of a meeting, people are asking for one,” he notes.
The McCarthy team is currently upgrading and expanding the existing 1947 plant to increase its wet weather treatment capacity and equp the facility to meet increasingly stringent water quality regulations. “What we're building will give Johnson County a lot more options to expand in the future,” Wolfe says.
As the sole facility in its service area—serving about 120,000 Johnson County residents—the plant must remain operational throughout construction. “Our approach must be very precise and strategic,” Wolfe says. “We have to keep flow coming through the plant, which means we can only build a certain portion of the plant at a time.”
The technical challenges of water projects have always appealed to Wolfe. “At the end of the project, you get this huge reward of stepping back and saying, ‘We overcame some really big obstacles and have a great facility, a happy owner, and everybody walks away with some good experiences.’”
The Nelson project comes on the heels of McCarthy’s successful completion of the Tomahawk Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility improvements, another Johnson County Water project that wrapped up in early 2022.
The McCarthy difference
Since signing on with McCarthy, Wolfe has been particularly impressed by the people and culture. “It’s a very welcoming environment…everyone's personable, super friendly and supportive,” he says, attributing the unique culture to McCarthy’s status as an employee-owned company. “Because all of us own the company, there’s built-in incentive to do our best work and make sure others around us are successful as well,” he notes.
Chad Wolfe drove more than 1,600 miles to discover his career in construction.
In 2001, he journeyed from Kansas City to Los Angeles to begin a college internship in the equipment maintenance department of a national construction and engineering firm. Hoping the experience would help him launch a career in the automotive field, his plan was foiled when the company didn’t have enough work to sustain its summer interns.
“They asked me how I felt about going back home, and I told them I’d sweep the floors or do anything else they needed,” he recalls. “I was a college kid and wanted to earn money.”
The firm agreed to look for another opportunity for Wolfe and assigned him to work as a field engineer on a bridge construction project for Union Pacific Railroad in East L.A.
“My superintendent was a little confused why he got a mechanic for a field engineer,” he laughs, “but he was really impactful in teaching me and making things relatable. I spent the rest of the summer getting my hands dirty ordering concrete, pouring concrete and doing QC on concrete formwork. I really enjoyed it.”
The following summer, Wolfe returned to complete another internship with the same company. While working on mechanical and piping systems at a water treatment plant, he realized the similarities between constructing a water treatment facility and working on an automobile engine. “The superintendent explained the importance of understanding how the overall plant operates so you can focus on your piece of the puzzle,” he says. “I repeat a lot of what he told me to the young people who work with me today.”
Wolfe’s job performance secured him an opportunity to join the company full-time after he graduated. Two days after earning an automotive technology degree from Pittsburg State University, he hopped in his car and returned to L.A. to start his professional construction career. “I spent 15 years out in the field working on everything from a $100 million wastewater job to a $1.5 billion freeway job with 23 bridges and 11 miles of roadway expansion.”
While living on the West Coast, he also met his future wife, Tiffany, a native of Anchorage, Alaska, who was working as director of finance for Warner Brothers at the time.
KC-Bound
A few years after becoming parents, the couple decided to relocate to Kansas City. “We always wanted a second child and didn't think California was the best place to raise our family,” Wolfe says.
He transferred to his employer’s KC office in 2015, but ended up spending the bulk of his time working on projects in Guam, New Orleans and Chicago. “We had our second daughter, and I was traveling nonstop,” he recalls. “Having to leave my family on a Sunday was particularly rough.”
Eager to find a new position that would keep him closer to home, Wolfe began reaching out to his professional network. “I was sitting in the airport one day waiting for a flight, and I decided to call a friend from McCarthy and send him my resume,” he says.
Lucky for him, McCarthy had just been awarded the Nelson Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements project, a seven-year assignment to modernize and expand Johnson County’s oldest water treatment plant.
In November 2021, Wolfe joined McCarthy’s national Water & Wastewater team as project director. “My day-to-day role is to provide the overall structure and guidance for the Nelson job,” he says. “I work with the project team on coaching, mentoring, training and helping folks understand the project and their role within it. One of my greatest pleasures is watching our team members grow and take on more impactful roles on the project.”
With a personable leadership style, Wolfe enjoys building close relationships with teammates and sharing lots of laughs with them. “It's gotten to the point where if there's not a dad joke at the end of a meeting, people are asking for one,” he notes.
The McCarthy team is currently upgrading and expanding the existing 1947 plant to increase its wet weather treatment capacity and equp the facility to meet increasingly stringent water quality regulations. “What we're building will give Johnson County a lot more options to expand in the future,” Wolfe says.
As the sole facility in its service area—serving about 120,000 Johnson County residents—the plant must remain operational throughout construction. “Our approach must be very precise and strategic,” Wolfe says. “We have to keep flow coming through the plant, which means we can only build a certain portion of the plant at a time.”
The technical challenges of water projects have always appealed to Wolfe. “At the end of the project, you get this huge reward of stepping back and saying, ‘We overcame some really big obstacles and have a great facility, a happy owner, and everybody walks away with some good experiences.’”
The Nelson project comes on the heels of McCarthy’s successful completion of the Tomahawk Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility improvements, another Johnson County Water project that wrapped up in early 2022.
The McCarthy difference
Since signing on with McCarthy, Wolfe has been particularly impressed by the people and culture. “It’s a very welcoming environment…everyone's personable, super friendly and supportive,” he says, attributing the unique culture to McCarthy’s status as an employee-owned company. “Because all of us own the company, there’s built-in incentive to do our best work and make sure others around us are successful as well,” he notes.
Storyteller in Chief
Marketing Manager Lauren Schach loves to showcase the people, projects and expertise of McCarthy in Kansas City.
As a result, McCarthy has amassed a deep bench of specialized expertise locally. “Our folks have worked on some of the most complex healthcare and science & technology projects across the country, and they all jumped at the opportunity to get back to their roots in Kansas City and the Midwest.”
As the office continues to expand and evolve, Schach is thrilled that the collaborative culture that took root during its early years remains intact. “It’s great to see that our people still have an all-hands-on-deck mentality here,” she says. “I think we've done an excellent job of maintaining a tight-knit group.”
She credits the office’s leadership team for preserving that collaborative spirit as the office has grown to more than 70 partners. “They recognize that our close-knit team has been a key to our success, and they allocate the time and resources to make sure we stay connected,” she says.
In looking back on her 10-year tenure, Schach is grateful for the opportunity to build a fulfilling career. “My dad always told me to pick a job that you really enjoy and stick with it,” she says. “I feel pretty lucky that I joined McCarthy when I did. I’ve loved it and it's helped me grow—both professionally and personally.”
Get to know Lauren!
Family
Husband - Alex
Son - Lewis (1)
Favorite hangouts
Favorite Family Activities
Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, Snow Creek
Hobbies
Traveling, Hiking, Snowboarding
Overland Park Farmers' Market, Martin City Brewing Company, Grünauer, Shagan's, KC Bier Co.
Continue reading
Hover over the photo to see my alter-ego!
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Craft Appreciation Week
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
McCarthy Fall Seminar
Fall Seminar 2023
As an employee-owned company, transparently and openly communicating with all our employee partners is an important responsibility that we take very seriously. Twice a year, we gather together to discuss company updates, learn more about our current projects, share best practices and lessons learned, and network with our peers. In the Spring, we focus on our national business and hear directly from company leadership. In the Fall, our focus shifts to our five individual regions which make up our national business in our shareholder event called Fall Seminar. Our Kansas City team is part of our Central Region, which is made up of a 28-state territory and is supported by three regional offices (St. Louis and Omaha, the others).
At Seminar, we dive deeper into the topics and best practices that matter to our region most, as well as celebrate our Central people. This event is a great opportunity for our teams to connect and network with our partners, ask questions of our leaders, stay up to date on what's happening in our region and learn from one another.
Fall Seminar is a highly anticipated event that showcases our unique company culture, and is a great annual revival of our core values and business goals.
7909 Santa Fe Dr, Overland Park, KS 66204
Big Dave's Downtown Liquor
Local Business Shout-out
Big Dave's is our favorite go-to destination for party "favors" and celebratory spirits. Since we're celebrating 10 years in Kansas City this year, we are thankful to have such a great OP neighbor right down the street in Big Dave's, who always has fun on hand ready anytime for a celebration!
In September, our partners from across our Central region territories get together for an annual Shareholder meeting to celebrate teamwork, collaboration, and partnership, as well as share best practices. Big Dave's is the perfect place to pick up supplies for a toast to our hardworking teammates across the company!
Cheers to Big Dave's!
Rand Construction is a full service general and mechanical contractor with wide-ranging capabilities whose mission is to provide Owners with a positive construction experience at a great value.
Trade partner of the month
We have established a solid relationship and an impressive and growing book of work performed successfully with Rand. They have partnered with us on several KC projects including St. Luke’s, Merck, KCUC, Johnson Co Medical Examiner, and Tomahawk.
Rand also has a growing track record working with our preconstruction team and can be relied upon to help bring quality and competitive mechanical input to our new work pursuits.
"Rand has been a proven and solid partner that we have come to rely on in KC and most recently they have been awarded the largest and most significant project to date for Citizens Medical Center in Colby, KS. They were selected for this project to provide Design Assist services as part of a significant preconstruction effort."
- Tate Jacobitz, McCarthy Project Director
McCarthy is an excellent company to work with and for. They have a great culture of work ethic, loyalty and honesty.
A hand shake still goes a long way with McCarthy. - Ryan Schultz, Business Development - RS Electric
As the first marketing professional—and fifth employee—to join McCarthy’s fledgling KC team in 2013, Lauren Schach has served as the office’s chief storyteller for more than a decade.
“My role is to elevate the people and projects around me,” she says. “We want to win great work, and we also want to share the amazing work of our field teams. They're always going above and beyond, and they don't always get the credit they deserve.”
Schach’s marketing responsibilities have expanded significantly from her early days on the job, when she sat at the front desk and doubled as an office receptionist.
Today, the KC office is served by a robust marketing team that includes individuals who sit in Kansas City and throughout the Central Region. “It’s great to have extra hands and brains to bounce ideas off,” Schach says. “We collaborate a ton.”
Collectively, these colleagues focus on qualifying and pursuing new projects; coaching and supporting project teams; and elevating the stories that distinguish McCarthy in the marketplace. Each team member juggles a variety of tasks—from meeting with field teams, to planning events and campaigns, to posting content on social media.
“The marketing team is engaged on every level,” Schach says. “We're constantly being brought to the table to help brainstorm ideas and discuss how we can help execute them. We also get involved in project kickoff meetings and connect with clients directly. I feel like we're a valued team member, which is awesome.”
Curiosity and a willingness to learn have been keys to Schach’s success. “You have to be willing to ask questions—and there isn't such a thing as a stupid question,” she notes.
And one of her favorite parts of the job is visiting jobsites. “Taking the time to actually go out and see what construction teams are building makes all the difference in how you can tell the story and understand how deeply connected everyone is to their work.”
Connecting with Construction
Schach hails from Belleville, Illinois, located about 20 miles southeast of St. Louis.
Her love of creative writing, drawing and reading convinced her to enroll in the University of Missouri’s journalism program and opt for the strategic communication track. “I felt like that was a really good fit for me because it gave me creative freedom and opened a lot of doors,” she says.
As a student, Schach completed a marketing internship at Precoat Metals, a coil coating company that had a lean in-house marketing team. It proved to be an ideal training ground for her future role at McCarthy’s young KC office.
While at Mizzou, Schach also met her future husband, Alex, a Kansas City native. “When it came time to graduate and find jobs, we were trying to decide whether we wanted to settle in St. Louis or Kansas City,” she says, admitting that she was keeping her fingers crossed for KC. “When I found the McCarthy opportunity, I thought it was great because I saw a lot of opportunity to grow my career here along with the office…and that has definitely been the case.”
Not long after signing on with McCarthy, she joined the Kansas City chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), a professional association that serves the architecture, engineering and construction industry. “SMPS helped me get plugged in and advance my career as I built a great network of other marketers,” says Schach, who served on the chapter’s Board of Directors for several years and was named 2021 Volunteer of the Year. “Having a group of peers who are outside of McCarthy has just been phenomenal.”
In 2022, she and her husband welcomed their son, Lewis. “Being a working mom is definitely challenging, but I feel like I'm getting the hang of it, and everyone has been super supportive and flexible,” she says. “I'm excited for him to grow up and see the work that McCarthy and I are doing, and to drive around with him and point out projects that we're building.”
‘All In’ on KC
Since laying down roots in Kansas City, Schach’s love for her adopted hometown has only intensified. “Kansas City is a gem,” she says. “It’s creative, it's vibrant, it’s family friendly and there's something for everyone here. It's got this small-town vibe, but there’s also a hunger for culture. And the people are so welcoming, genuine and caring.”
Those assets, she says, serve as a talent magnet. “A lot of our folks have roots or connections back to Kansas City, so they deeply care about our success here because it’s where they choose to live and work.”
Storyteller in Chief
Marketing Manager Lauren Schach loves to showcase the people, projects and expertise of McCarthy in Kansas City.
Click the photo to see my alter-ego!
In looking back on her 10-year tenure, Schach is grateful for the opportunity to build a fulfilling career. “My dad always told me to pick a job that you really enjoy and stick with it,” she says. “I feel pretty lucky that I joined McCarthy when I did. I’ve loved it and it's helped me grow—both professionally and personally.”
Get to know Lauren!
Family
Husband - Alex
Son - Lewis (1)
Favorite hangouts
Favorite Family Hangouts
Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, Snow Creek
Hobbies
Traveling, Hiking, Snowboarding
Overland Park Farmers' Market, Martin City Brewing Company, Grünauer, Shagan's, KC Bier Co.
Continue reading
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Craft Appreciation Week
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Fall Seminar 2023
Rand Construction is a full service general and mechanical contractor with wide-ranging capabilities whose mission is to provide Owners with a positive construction experience at a great value.
We have established a solid relationship and an impressive and growing book of work performed successfully with Rand. They have partnered with us on several KC projects including St. Luke’s, Merck, KCUC, Johnson Co Medical Examiner, and Tomahawk.
Rand also has a growing track record working with our preconstruction team and can be relied upon to help bring quality and competitive mechanical input to our new work pursuits.
"Rand has been a proven and solid partner that we have come to rely on in KC and most recently they have been awarded the largest and most significant project to date for Citizens Medical Center in Colby, KS. They were selected for this project to provide Design Assist services as part of a significant preconstruction effort."
- Tate Jacobitz, McCarthy Project Director
7909 Santa Fe Dr, Overland Park, KS 66204
Big Dave's Downtown Liquor
Big Dave's is our favorite go-to destination for party "favors" and celebratory spirits. Since we're celebrating 10 years in Kansas City this year, we are thankful to have such a great OP neighbor right down the street in Big Dave's, who always has fun on hand ready anytime for a celebration!
In September, our partners from across our Central region territories get together for an annual Shareholder meeting to celebrate teamwork, collaboration, and partnership, as well as share best practices. Big Dave's is the perfect place to pick up supplies for a toast to our hardworking teammates across the company!
Cheers to Big Dave's!
As an employee-owned company, transparently and openly communicating with all our employee partners is an important responsibility that we take very seriously. Twice a year, we gather together to discuss company updates, learn more about our current projects, share best practices and lessons learned, and network with our peers. In the Spring, we focus on our national business and hear directly from company leadership. In the Fall, our focus shifts to our five individual regions which make up our national business in our shareholder event called Fall Seminar. Our Kansas City team is part of our Central Region, which is made up of a 28-state territory and is supported by three regional offices (St. Louis and Omaha, the others).
At Seminar, we dive deeper into the topics and best practices that matter to our region most, as well as celebrate our Central people. This event is a great opportunity for our teams to connect and network with our partners, ask questions of our leaders, stay up to date on what's happening in our region and learn from one another.
Fall Seminar 2023
As the first marketing professional—and fifth employee—to join McCarthy’s fledgling KC team in 2013, Lauren Schach has served as the office’s chief storyteller for more than a decade.
“My role is to elevate the people and projects around me,” she says. “We want to win great work, and we also want to share the amazing work of our field teams. They're always going above and beyond, and they don't always get the credit they deserve.”
Schach’s marketing responsibilities have expanded significantly from her early days on the job, when she sat at the front desk and doubled as an office receptionist.
Today, the KC office is served by a robust marketing team that includes individuals who sit in Kansas City and throughout the Central Region. “It’s great to have extra hands and brains to bounce ideas off,” Schach says. “We collaborate a ton.”
Collectively, these colleagues focus on qualifying and pursuing new projects; coaching and supporting project teams; and elevating the stories that distinguish McCarthy in the marketplace. Each team member juggles a variety of tasks—from meeting with field teams, to planning events and campaigns, to posting content on social media.
“The marketing team is engaged on every level,” Schach says. “We're constantly being brought to the table to help brainstorm ideas and discuss how we can help execute them. We also get involved in project kickoff meetings and connect with clients directly. I feel like we're a valued team member, which is awesome.”
Curiosity and a willingness to learn have been keys to Schach’s success. “You have to be willing to ask questions—and there isn't such a thing as a stupid question,” she notes.
And one of her favorite parts of the job is visiting jobsites. “Taking the time to actually go out and see what construction teams are building makes all the difference in how you can tell the story and understand how deeply connected everyone is to their work.”
Connecting with Construction
Schach hails from Belleville, Illinois, located about 20 miles southeast of St. Louis.
Her love of creative writing, drawing and reading convinced her to enroll in the University of Missouri’s journalism program and opt for the strategic communication track. “I felt like that was a really good fit for me because it gave me creative freedom and opened a lot of doors,” she says.
As a student, Schach completed a marketing internship at Precoat Metals, a coil coating company that had a lean in-house marketing team. It proved to be an ideal training ground for her future role at McCarthy’s young KC office.
While at Mizzou, Schach also met her future husband, Alex, a Kansas City native. “When it came time to graduate and find jobs, we were trying to decide whether we wanted to settle in St. Louis or Kansas City,” she says, admitting that she was keeping her fingers crossed for KC. “When I found the McCarthy opportunity, I thought it was great because I saw a lot of opportunity to grow my career here along with the office…and that has definitely been the case.”
Not long after signing on with McCarthy, she joined the Kansas City chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), a professional association that serves the architecture, engineering and construction industry. “SMPS helped me get plugged in and advance my career as I built a great network of other marketers,” says Schach, who served on the chapter’s Board of Directors for several years and was named 2021 Volunteer of the Year. “Having a group of peers who are outside of McCarthy has just been phenomenal.”
In 2022, she and her husband welcomed their son, Lewis. “Being a working mom is definitely challenging, but I feel like I'm getting the hang of it, and everyone has been super supportive and flexible,” she says. “I'm excited for him to grow up and see the work that McCarthy and I are doing, and to drive around with him and point out projects that we're building.”
‘All In’ on KC
Since laying down roots in Kansas City, Schach’s love for her adopted hometown has only intensified. “Kansas City is a gem,” she says. “It’s creative, it's vibrant, it’s family friendly and there's something for everyone here. It's got this small-town vibe, but there’s also a hunger for culture. And the people are so welcoming, genuine and caring.”
Those assets, she says, serve as a talent magnet. “A lot of our folks have roots or connections back to Kansas City, so they deeply care about our success here because it’s where they choose to live and work.”
As a result, McCarthy has amassed a deep bench of specialized expertise locally. “Our folks have worked on some of the most complex healthcare and science & technology projects across the country, and they all jumped at the opportunity to get back to their roots in Kansas City and the Midwest.”
As the office continues to expand and evolve, Schach is thrilled that the collaborative culture that took root during its early years remains intact. “It’s great to see that our people still have an all-hands-on-deck mentality here,” she says. “I think we've done an excellent job of maintaining a tight-knit group.”
She credits the office’s leadership team for preserving that collaborative spirit as the office has grown to more than 70 partners. “They recognize that our close-knit team has been a key to our success, and they allocate the time and resources to make sure we stay connected,” she says.
hitting the Ground Running
Since joining McCarthy last year as a civil project manager, Hannah Metcalf, P.E., has been making her mark on the Nelson Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements project.
Born and raised in Olathe, Metcalf is proud to call herself a lifelong Kansas Citian. “KC is a hidden gem,” she says. “There’s a lot of fun stuff to do, people are nice and it’s so affordable to live here.”
When she’s not working, Metcalf enjoys exploring the region’s eclectic neighborhoods and evolving restaurant scene. “I'm kind of notorious for being the unofficial restaurant guide of the jobsite, and I very much pride myself on being in the know on the local restaurant scene.”
Get to know Hannah!
Family
Fiance, Kelly
Dog, Kevin (4)
Favorite hangouts
Residence
Overland Park
Hobbies
Travel (recent destinations include Switzerland, Maui, Dominican Republic, Bali and Tokyo); playing board games; overseeing home improvement projects.
Overland Park Farmer's Market; Bar K; Kansas City Taco Company; Maloney’s; anyplace with a dog-friendly patio
Continue reading
Hover over the photo to see my alter-ego!
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Employee Ownership Month
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Employee Ownership Month
Employee Ownership Month
Throughout October, McCarthy joins with other businesses across the country in celebration of National Employee Ownership Month. As one of America’s largest employee-owned companies, McCarthy is proud to be 100 percent employee-owned and ranked among The Employee Ownership 100.
At McCarthy, we believe ownership connects our employees and creates a heightened level of accountability, inspiring all our employee-owners to deliver exceptional experiences for the benefit of our clients, communities and each other.
“A strong ownership culture based on trust and accountability sits at the heart of our organization,” said McCarthy Chief Executive Officer Ray Sedey. “This commitment helps us deliver exceptional results for our clients, industry partners and employees. It’s an honor to be included among so many well-respected employee-owned companies across all industries.”
Proudly Employee-Owned Since 1996
Founded as a family-owned business in 1864, McCarthy established its Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in 1996. The company became 100 percent employee-owned in 2002.
7522 W 80th St, Overland Park, KS, 66204
Overland Park
Shoe Repair
Local Business Shout-out
If it’s leather and in need of care or repair, look no further than Overland Park Shoe Repair in downtown Overland Park. Henry has repaired all types of leather goods for our team and delivers beyond expectations every time.
Open Wednesday – Friday from 10am-6pm and Saturdays from 8am-3pm, you can trust Henry to provide friendly, knowledgeable, and exceptional repair services. With one visit to Overland Park Shoe Repair, you’ll be walking tall again in no time.
PCI offers quality services and products to the industrial, commercial and non-residential markets
Trade partner of the month
In October, we celebrate Employee Ownership Month, so we wanted to make sure we highlighted another ESOP company for this month's feature - PCI!
As a fellow employee-owned company, McCarthy shares many of the same company values and culture as PCI. That unique characteristic instills pride in ownership and shared responsibility among team members. And that is evident in PCI's quality of work and their commitment to delivering exceptional results.
Also like McCarthy, PCI has both a national presence, but also a strong local commitment in their community offices. They have worked with McCarthy on several projects in the KC area, including Elanco, Merck, and our very own McCarthy office!
PCI's culture of integrity, teamwork, and client-centricity is ingrained in every aspect of their operations, and we are proud to partner with them on many projects, not just in Kansas City, but all over the country.
We appreciate McCarthy's attention to detail and dedication to jobsite safety. Working with a partner like McCarthy makes it easier to do our jobs knowing safety is just as important to them as it is us. - Matt Osborne, General Manager - PCI
She relishes the opportunity to pay it forward by mentoring young women who join the team. “That's something I definitely lacked when I graduated college,” she says. “It's great to see McCarthy blazing a trail for every woman who wants to work in construction.”
Born and raised in Olathe, Metcalf is proud to call herself a lifelong Kansas Citian. “KC is a hidden gem,” she says. “There’s a lot of fun stuff to do, people are nice and it’s so affordable to live here.”
When she’s not working, Metcalf enjoys exploring the region’s eclectic neighborhoods and evolving restaurant scene. “I'm kind of notorious for being the unofficial restaurant guide of the jobsite, and I very much pride myself on being in the know on the local restaurant scene.”
Before joining McCarthy in May 2022, Metcalf amassed a decade of hands-on construction project experience that ranged from highway and bridge expansion projects, to installation of underground utilities, to a brief stint in the world of vertical construction.
Those experiences affirmed her preference for working on heavy civil projects at an employee-owned company. “I had previously worked for an employee-owned company, but ended up at a different civil contractor and realized how much I missed the culture and dynamic of working for a company with an ESOP,” she says.
Metcalf’s priorities led her straight to McCarthy’s doorstep…but only after she spotted the tower cranes positioned on the Tomahawk Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility jobsite from the interstate.
“I knew who McCarthy was,” she recalls, “but I didn't know the breadth of work they did and wasn't aware they had a whole water/wastewater team. That got my wheels turning.”
While perusing the McCarthy website, Metcalf discovered a civil project manager job listing and decided to reach out to one of her professional contacts—McCarthy Director of Business Development Jeff Bennett—to learn more.
“After connecting with Jeff, I realized that the job was exactly what I was looking for in my next career move, and it aligned with my values,” she says. “It just checked all the boxes for me.”
Bennett encouraged Metcalf to submit her resume, and within a day, she had secured a job interview. Shortly after, she received an invitation to join the newly assembled team overseeing the Nelson Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements project.
Kicking Into High Gear
In her role as civil project manager, Metcalf is leading McCarthy’s civil self-perform work on the seven-year Nelson project. She’s one of six project managers overseeing the modernization and expansion of Johnson County’s oldest water treatment plant.
During the project’s preconstruction phase, she leveraged her extensive precon experience and familiarity with Kansas City trade partners.
Now, as the Nelson team transitions into the construction phase, Metcalf’s role is truly kicking into high gear. “It's been great to be engaged in the project early so I can fully understand the scope and then transition into construction. It makes me feel like I have full ownership of the project.”
These days, she’s consumed with tasks ranging from reviewing submittals, work plans and documents; to overseeing material procurement and processing invoices. She’s also getting plenty of exercise as she walks the expansive site to check progress and connect with crew members. “Every day is a little different, and I feel like I’m always juggling 100 different things, which I like because it's never monotonous,” she says.
The Nelson project ranks as the most challenging construction assignment Metcalf has ever undertaken. The project involves the rebuilding of two existing wastewater plants into a combined new facility. “We have to keep the current plants operational the entire time as we build a new facility on a very small, rocky site with a huge grade change, so it's extraordinarily complicated,” she says.
‘All In’ on McCarthy’s Culture
Since signing on with McCarthy, Metcalf has been struck by the company’s distinctive culture. “The people we attract and retain are really second to none,” she notes. “We have over 30 people currently staffing the Nelson project, and everyone is truly so kind and committed to helping everyone on the team be successful.”
What’s more, for the first time in Metcalf’s career, she’s not the sole female in a project leadership position. “Almost a third of our current project staff is women, and it's been really exciting and fun to have women in the same space and doing the same kind of work,” she says. “That’s something I’ve never experienced before.”
She relishes the opportunity to pay it forward by mentoring young women who join the team. “That's something I definitely lacked when I graduated college,” she says. “It's great to see McCarthy blazing a trail for every woman who wants to work in construction.”
Hannah Metcalf nailed down her career path by the time she entered kindergarten.
Unlike most 5-year-olds, who dream of future vocations as doctors, athletes or superheroes, Metcalf aspired to follow in the footsteps of her dad and become a civil engineer.
One of her earliest childhood memories was shadowing her dad on a jobsite as he inspected a new high school under construction in the KC region. “I got to wear a hardhat and thought it was a really cool experience,” she recalls. “From then on, I wanted to work in construction like my dad…and I never wavered.”
Metcalf followed that ambition to the University of Kansas in Lawrence, where she completed a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and returned a couple of years later to secure a master’s degree in engineering management. She further bolstered her credentials by earning a professional engineering license.
“I grew up in a very hands-on, do-it-yourself kind of family, so building things was very much in my nature,” says Metcalf, whose mom served as a math teacher for 15 years and brother chose a career as a structural engineer.
Before joining McCarthy in May 2022, Metcalf amassed a decade of hands-on construction project experience that ranged from highway and bridge expansion projects, to installation of underground utilities, to a brief stint in the world of vertical construction.
Those experiences affirmed her preference for working on heavy civil projects at an employee-owned company. “I had previously worked for an employee-owned company, but ended up at a different civil contractor and realized how much I missed the culture and dynamic of working for a company with an ESOP,” she says.
Metcalf’s priorities led her straight to McCarthy’s doorstep…but only after she spotted the tower cranes positioned on the Tomahawk Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility jobsite from the interstate.
“I knew who McCarthy was,” she recalls, “but I didn't know the breadth of work they did and wasn't aware they had a whole water/wastewater team. That got my wheels turning.”
While perusing the McCarthy website, Metcalf discovered a civil project manager job listing and decided to reach out to one of her professional contacts—McCarthy Director of Business Development Jeff Bennett—to learn more.
“After connecting with Jeff, I realized that the job was exactly what I was looking for in my next career move, and it aligned with my values,” she says. “It just checked all the boxes for me.”
Bennett encouraged Metcalf to submit her resume, and within a day, she had secured a job interview. Shortly after, she received an invitation to join the newly assembled team overseeing the Nelson Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements project.
Kicking Into High Gear
In her role as civil project manager, Metcalf is leading McCarthy’s civil self-perform work on the seven-year Nelson project. She’s one of six project managers overseeing the modernization and expansion of Johnson County’s oldest water treatment plant.
During the project’s preconstruction phase, she leveraged her extensive precon experience and familiarity with Kansas City trade partners.
Now, as the Nelson team transitions into the construction phase, Metcalf’s role is truly kicking into high gear. “It's been great to be engaged in the project early so I can fully understand the scope and then transition into construction. It makes me feel like I have full ownership of the project.”
These days, she’s consumed with tasks ranging from reviewing submittals, work plans and documents; to overseeing material procurement and processing invoices. She’s also getting plenty of exercise as she walks the expansive site to check progress and connect with crew members. “Every day is a little different, and I feel like I’m always juggling 100 different things, which I like because it's never monotonous,” she says.
The Nelson project ranks as the most challenging construction assignment Metcalf has ever undertaken. The project involves the rebuilding of two existing wastewater plants into a combined new facility. “We have to keep the current plants operational the entire time as we build a new facility on a very small, rocky site with a huge grade change, so it's extraordinarily complicated,” she says.
‘All In’ on McCarthy’s Culture
Since signing on with McCarthy, Metcalf has been struck by the company’s distinctive culture. “The people we attract and retain are really second to none,” she notes. “We have over 30 people currently staffing the Nelson project, and everyone is truly so kind and committed to helping everyone on the team be successful.”
What’s more, for the first time in Metcalf’s career, she’s not the sole female in a project leadership position. “Almost a third of our current project staff is women, and it's been really exciting and fun to have women in the same space and doing the same kind of work,” she says. “That’s something I’ve never experienced before.”
Get to know Hannah!
Family
Fiance, Kelly
Dog, Kevin (4)
Favorite hangouts
Hobbies
Travel (recent destinations include Switzerland, Maui, Dominican Republic, Bali and Tokyo); playing board games; overseeing home improvement projects.
Residence
Overland Park
Overland Park Farmer's Market; Bar K; Kansas City Taco Company; Maloney’s; anyplace with a dog-friendly patio
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Employee Ownership month
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Employee ownership month
PCI offers quality services and products to the industrial, commercial and non-residential markets
In October, we celebrate Employee Ownership Month, so we wanted to make sure we highlighted another ESOP company for this month's feature - PCI!
As a fellow employee-owned company, McCarthy shares many of the same company values and culture as PCI. That unique characteristic instills pride in ownership and shared responsibility among team members. And that is evident in PCI's quality of work and their commitment to delivering exceptional results.
Also like McCarthy, PCI has both a national presence, but also a strong local commitment in their community offices. They have worked with McCarthy in the KC area on several projects, including Elanco, Merck, and our very own McCarthy office!
PCI's culture of integrity, teamwork, and client-centricity is ingrained in every aspect of their operations, and we are proud to partner with them on many projects, not just in Kansas City, but all over the country.
7522 W 80th St, Overland Park, KS, 66204
Overland Park Shoe Repair
If it’s leather and in need of care or repair, look no further than Overland Park Shoe Repair in downtown Overland Park. Henry has repaired all types of leather goods for our team and delivers beyond expectations every time.
Open Wednesday – Friday from 10am-6pm and Saturdays from 8am-3pm, you can trust Henry to provide friendly, knowledgeable, and exceptional repair services. With one visit to Overland Park Shoe Repair, you’ll be walking tall again in no time.
Throughout October, McCarthy joins with other businesses across the country in celebration of National Employee Ownership Month. As one of America’s largest employee-owned companies, McCarthy is proud to be 100 percent employee-owned and ranked among The Employee Ownership 100.
At McCarthy, we believe ownership connects our employees and creates a heightened level of accountability, inspiring all our employee-owners to deliver exceptional experiences for the benefit of our clients, communities and each other.
“A strong ownership culture based on trust and accountability sits at the heart of our organization,” said McCarthy Chief Executive Officer Ray Sedey. “This commitment helps us deliver exceptional results for our clients, industry partners and employees. It’s an honor to be included among so many well-respected employee-owned companies across all industries.”
Proudly Employee-Owned Since 1996
Founded as a family-owned business in 1864, McCarthy established its Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in 1996. The company became 100 percent employee-owned in 2002.
Employee ownership month
Embracing the Heartland
For Senior Project Manager and healthcare specialist Colin Halsey, Overland Park is an ideal place to live, work and raise a family.
Touchdowns and Home Runs
Since relocating to Overland Park in 2020, Halsey has quickly acclimated to his new Midwest home. “Kansas City is a great city and a top place to raise my family,” he says. “The people here are awesome and it's easy to get around. It's been a nice blend of the different places we've lived.”
Not surprisingly, it didn’t take long for Halsey to become a fervent fan of KC’s professional sports teams. “I grew up in Michigan as a Detroit Lions fan watching Barry Sanders play, but the team could never win,” he says. “Since moving to Kansas City, the Chiefs are competing at the highest level and always one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. And the fan base is insane.”
Attending Royals games with his family is also a highlight. “My son is big into baseball, and we were there a few weeks ago when the Yankees were in town, and he got to see his favorite player: Aaron Judge.”
On the work front, Halsey is proud of McCarthy’s growth and success in KC. “In the three-and-a-half years I've been here, our office has nearly doubled in size,” he says. “We're executing work for most of the region’s major healthcare systems, our water and wastewater group is building two huge projects, and our science and technology projects are really gaining momentum. The sky's the limit for McCarthy in Kansas City.”
Get to know Colin!
Family
Wife, Erika
Son, Connor (8)
Daughter, Kaylee (6)
Favorite hangouts
Favorite Sports memories
Cheering on the Michigan State Spartans at the Final Four, a couple of Big 10 championships and the Rose Bowl
Hobbies
Watching Michigan State sports; golf; coaching his kids’ sports teams; traveling
Tanner’s Bar and Grill; Chicken N Pickle; Scheels Overland Park Soccer Complex; Blue Valley Recreation Sports Complex; family movies at a local AMC Theater
Continue reading
Hover over the photo to see my alter-ego!
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Construction Inclusion Week
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Construction Inclusion Week
Construction Inclusion Week 2023
In late October, McCarthy joined more than 5,000 other AEC firms to participate in the third-annual Construction Inclusion Week, which amplifies awareness while celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) throughout the industry to spearhead change.
As a founding member of Time for Change and leader in launching Construction Inclusion Week, McCarthy hopes the week helps foster conversations that create alignment and advance inclusion throughout our company and among our industry partners.
Construction Inclusion Week was created to be a catalyst to get these conversations started, but it is just the beginning. If we genuinely want to attract, retain, and develop the best talent and maximize supplier diversity, we must grow our industry’s culture to be truly inclusive every day.
Our KC team hosted a Supplier Diversity Open House where we welcomed supplier partners into our office for a fun afternoon of networking.
8155 Santa Fe Dr, Overland Park, KS 66204
Local Business Shout-out
Growing Futures Early Education Center, a Head Start for children and families, is a non-profit organization, providing quality early education opportunities and family support services for children in Johnson County, Kansas.
Their Early Head Start and Head Start programs are for children 0-5 and their families. Enrolled families also have access to a variety of comprehensive support services, including health and nutrition services, onsite play therapy, parent education, mental health, medical and dental health, family support and engagement opportunities.
Their education program focuses on developing a child’s academic readiness, along with an emphasis on social and emotional development.
Today, Growing Futures serve 223 low-income children and their families with Early Head Start and Head Start programs and regularly maintain a waitlist of more than 200 children.
Our McCarthy KC team has been proud to support Growing Futures this year with multiple Heart Hat volunteer and donation opportunities. Visit the "Close to our Hearts" page to learn more about this year's contributions.
Trade partner of the month
We couldn't get all the way through our At Home in the Heartland campaign without recognizing our friends at Doherty Steel, family-owned and serving our community since the 1950s.
Our history of collaboration on multiple projects (including KCUC, Merriam Community Center, Johnson County Medical Examiner, and Mercy Joplin) has demonstrated their exceptional commitment to excellence, innovative use of technology, and deep-rooted family values.
Their unwavering willingness to travel with us to projects is a testament to their dedication. It underscores their commitment to our mutual success and client satisfaction.
Their proficiency in handling complex steel projects is truly remarkable, and their use of prefabrication and cutting-edge technology adds an innovative edge to their services, leading to increased efficiency and top-tier results.
Their technical expertise and commitment to client success, coupled with their long-standing community presence, make them an indispensable asset to our projects, and we look forward to our continued relationship.
We appreciate McCarthy's attention to detail and dedication to jobsite safety. Working with a partner like McCarthy makes it easier to do our jobs knowing safety is just as important to them as it is us. - Matt Osborne, General Manager - PCI
Coming Soon! Check back in November!
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Construction Inclusion Week
trade partner of the month
Local Business Shout Out
Construction Inclusion Week
Doherty Steel has been a provider of quality products and services since 1959.
We couldn't get all the way through our At Home in the Heartland campaign without recognizing our friends at Doherty Steel, family-owned and serving our community since the 1950s.
Our history of collaboration on multiple projects (including KCUC, Merriam Community Center, Johnson County Medical Examiner, and Mercy Joplin) has demonstrated their exceptional commitment to excellence, innovative use of technology, and deep-rooted family values.
Their technical expertise, commitment to client success, and deep-rooted family values, coupled with their long-standing community presence, make them an indispensable asset in the construction industry, and we look forward to our continued relationship.
8155 Santa Fe Dr, Overland Park, KS 66204
Growing Futures Early Education Center, a Head Start for children and families, is a non-profit organization, providing quality early education opportunities and family support services for children in Johnson County, Kansas.
Enrolled families also have access to a variety of comprehensive support services, including health and nutrition services, onsite play therapy, parent education, mental health, medical and dental health, family support and engagement opportunities. Today, Growing Futures serve 223 low-income children and their families.
Our McCarthy KC team has been proud to support Growing Futures this year with multiple Heart Hat volunteer and donation opportunities. Visit the "Close to our Hearts" page to learn more about this year's contributions.
In late October, McCarthy joined more than 5,000 other AEC firms to participate in the third-annual Construction Inclusion Week, which amplifies awareness while celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) throughout the industry to spearhead change.
As a founding member of Time for Change and leader in launching Construction Inclusion Week, McCarthy hopes the week helps foster conversations that create alignment and advance inclusion throughout our company and among our industry partners.
Construction Inclusion Week was created to be a catalyst to get these conversations started, but it is just the beginning. If we genuinely want to attract, retain, and develop the best talent and maximize supplier diversity, we must grow our industry’s culture to be truly inclusive every day.
Our KC team hosted a Supplier Diversity Open House where we welcomed supplier partners into our office for a fun afternoon of networking.
Construction Inclusion Week
The cities where Colin Halsey has lived during his 15-year McCarthy career read like the Midwest leg of a concert tour.
Omaha. Oklahoma City. Joplin. St. Louis. Des Moines.
In all of those locales, Halsey gained hands-on experience building an array of healthcare projects—from a replacement hospital in Joplin in the aftermath of a devastating tornado to several facility expansions for prominent regional health systems.
“I spent my first 12 years traveling counterclockwise around the greater Midwest,” he jokes.
Since migrating to Overland Park with his family in 2020, Halsey has broadened his healthcare expertise as senior project manager on the KCUC Kansas City Proton Institute, the region’s first privately owned, physician-led proton therapy center. Expected to treat its first patient by Thanksgiving, the facility specializes in advanced radiation therapy treatments for cancer—helping to make lifesaving care more accessible and affordable for the community.
“I like to say that proton therapy is a linear accelerator on steroids,” says Halsey. “We're dealing with thicker concrete walls, taller structures, tight tolerances and a very slim margin for error.”
One of a few dozen proton therapy centers in the U.S., the 34,000-square-foot clinic is only the second facility that is owned and operated by a private doctors’ group rather than a hospital system. “What that means for the community is that treatment costs are usually less because they’re delivered in a clinic setting rather than at a downtown hospital,” he explains.
Currently, Halsey is overseeing an expansion of the South Medical Pavilion Infusion Clinic for The University of Kansas Health System to double its capacity. “It's McCarthy’s first project for the KU Health System, and we're really excited about getting an opportunity to be a trusted construction partner to them,” he says.
Originally scheduled to wrap up in September 2024, the 18,000-square-foot expansion is now expected to complete more than a month in advance and begin treating patients three months earlier than expected, thanks to a rephasing effort led by Halsey and other McCarthy team members.
Halsey loves working on healthcare projects because of their technical complexities and community impact. “Technology has advanced to where these buildings now function like living, breathing organisms,” he says. “When people visit hospitals, they may be having the best day of their life if they're welcoming a new baby or the worst day of their life if they're saying goodbye to a loved one. It’s really rewarding to work on buildings that have such a profound impact on our communities.”
Solid Foundation
Born and raised near Grand Rapids, Michigan, Halsey grew up surrounded by strong construction influences. His grandfather was a civil engineer who designed and built his own home, and his dad was a carpenter who worked in the trades before shifting to electrical wholesale distribution sales.
Many of his childhood memories recall collaborations with his dad on home improvement projects. “With my dad’s skills as a carpenter, he was always tinkering on projects around the house, and I'd be there right next to him swinging a hammer, helping him cut boards and putting stuff in place,” he says.
At a young age, Halsey also discovered his mechanical aptitude. “I used to love taking my toys apart to see how they worked and how they went back together,” he says, admitting that he broke his fair share of possessions while attempting to reassemble them.
As a high school senior, Halsey worked for a general contractor that specialized in concrete work. “I'd go to school until lunchtime, and then work for three or four hours in the afternoon,” he recalls. “It was great because it helped me save for college and learn the trade.”
When it came time to select a college, Michigan State University topped Halsey’s list of prospects because of its strong construction management program and reputation as a sports powerhouse. “It’s a beautiful campus with a ton of stuff to do, and I think the Big 10 sports connection was also a huge selling point,” he says.
As a freshman, Halsey met the woman who would become his future wife, and as a junior, he met the company that would become his future employer.
His introduction to McCarthy came at a MSU career fair where he met representatives from the company’s Southern California region. “I went to an information session one evening, had an interview the next day, and they offered me a summer internship opportunity to work on the $503 million Los Angeles International Airport Terminal Renovation project.”
Relocating to Redondo Beach in summer 2007, Halsey shared a small apartment with a fellow Michigan State classmate hired as an intern on a different McCarthy project. “The apartment was basically unfurnished except for a beanbag chair and a couple of blowup mattresses for two guys in college,” he recalls. “But we were right on the Pacific Ocean and a six-block walk from the Strand. It was a ton of fun.”
The 12-week internship provided Halsey with hands-on experience managing the details of a major construction project, including submittals, RFIs, document control and coordination with trade partners. “I got to know a lot of great people, and I loved the culture and how we worked together as a team,” he says.
At the conclusion of the internship, McCarthy offered Halsey a full-time position to join its Southern California team. But he wanted to launch his career in the Midwest and asked about opportunities in the St. Louis office instead. After completing a round of interviews, he accepted a job offer and joined McCarthy’s St. Louis office as a project engineer in 2008.
The cities where Colin Halsey has lived during his 15-year McCarthy career read like the Midwest leg of a concert tour.
Omaha. Oklahoma City. Joplin. St. Louis. Des Moines.
In all of those locales, Halsey gained hands-on experience building an array of healthcare projects—from a replacement hospital in Joplin in the aftermath of a devastating tornado to several facility expansions for prominent regional health systems.
“I spent my first 12 years traveling counterclockwise around the greater Midwest,” he jokes.
Since migrating to Overland Park with his family in 2020, Halsey has broadened his healthcare expertise as senior project manager on the KCUC Kansas City Proton Institute, the region’s first privately owned, physician-led proton therapy center. Expected to treat its first patient by Thanksgiving, the facility specializes in advanced radiation therapy treatments for cancer—helping to make lifesaving care more accessible and affordable for the community.
“I like to say that proton therapy is a linear accelerator on steroids,” says Halsey. “We're dealing with thicker concrete walls, taller structures, tight tolerances and a very slim margin for error.”
One of a few dozen proton therapy centers in the U.S., the 34,000-square-foot clinic is only the second facility that is owned and operated by a private doctors’ group rather than a hospital system. “What that means for the community is that treatment costs are usually less because they’re delivered in a clinic setting rather than at a downtown hospital,” he explains.
Currently, Halsey is overseeing an expansion of the South Medical Pavilion Infusion Clinic for The University of Kansas Health System to double its capacity. “It's McCarthy’s first project for the KU Health System, and we're really excited about getting an opportunity to be a trusted construction partner to them,” he says.
Originally scheduled to wrap up in September 2024, the 18,000-square-foot expansion is now expected to complete more than a month in advance and begin treating patients three months earlier than expected, thanks to a rephasing effort led by Halsey and other McCarthy team members.
Halsey loves working on healthcare projects because of their technical complexities and community impact. “Technology has advanced to where these buildings now function like living, breathing organisms,” he says. “When people visit hospitals, they may be having the best day of their life if they're welcoming a new baby or the worst day of their life if they're saying goodbye to a loved one. It’s really rewarding to work on buildings that have such a profound impact on our communities.”
Solid Foundation
Born and raised near Grand Rapids, Michigan, Halsey grew up surrounded by strong construction influences. His grandfather was a civil engineer who designed and built his own home, and his dad was a carpenter who worked in the trades before shifting to electrical wholesale distribution sales.
Many of his childhood memories recall collaborations with his dad on home improvement projects. “With my dad’s skills as a carpenter, he was always tinkering on projects around the house, and I'd be there right next to him swinging a hammer, helping him cut boards and putting stuff in place,” he says.
At a young age, Halsey also discovered his mechanical aptitude. “I used to love taking my toys apart to see how they worked and how they went back together,” he says, admitting that he broke his fair share of possessions while attempting to reassemble them.
As a high school senior, Halsey worked for a general contractor that specialized in concrete work. “I'd go to school until lunchtime, and then work for three or four hours in the afternoon,” he recalls. “It was great because it helped me save for college and learn the trade.”
When it came time to select a college, Michigan State University topped Halsey’s list of prospects because of its strong construction management program and reputation as a sports powerhouse. “It’s a beautiful campus with a ton of stuff to do, and I think the Big 10 sports connection was also a huge selling point,” he says.
As a freshman, Halsey met the woman who would become his future wife, and as a junior, he met the company that would become his future employer.
His introduction to McCarthy came at a MSU career fair where he met representatives from the company’s Southern California region. “I went to an information session one evening, had an interview the next day, and they offered me a summer internship opportunity to work on the $503 million Los Angeles International Airport Terminal Renovation project.”
Relocating to Redondo Beach in summer 2007, Halsey shared a small apartment with a fellow Michigan State classmate hired as an intern on a different McCarthy project. “The apartment was basically unfurnished except for a beanbag chair and a couple of blowup mattresses for two guys in college,” he recalls. “But we were right on the Pacific Ocean and a six-block walk from the Strand. It was a ton of fun.”
The 12-week internship provided Halsey with hands-on experience managing the details of a major construction project, including submittals, RFIs, document control and coordination with trade partners. “I got to know a lot of great people, and I loved the culture and how we worked together as a team,” he says.
At the conclusion of the internship, McCarthy offered Halsey a full-time position to join its Southern California team. But he wanted to launch his career in the Midwest and asked about opportunities in the St. Louis office instead. After completing a round of interviews, he accepted a job offer and joined McCarthy’s St. Louis office as a project engineer in 2008.
Touchdowns and Home Runs
Since relocating to Overland Park in 2020, Halsey has quickly acclimated to his new Midwest home. “Kansas City is a great city and a top place to raise my family,” he says. “The people here are awesome and it's easy to get around. It's been a nice blend of the different places we've lived.”
Not surprisingly, it didn’t take long for Halsey to become a fervent fan of KC’s professional sports teams. “I grew up in Michigan as a Detroit Lions fan watching Barry Sanders play, but the team could never win,” he says. “Since moving to Kansas City, the Chiefs are competing at the highest level and always one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. And the fan base is insane.”
Attending Royals games with his family is also a highlight. “My son is big into baseball, and we were there a few weeks ago when the Yankees were in town, and he got to see his favorite player: Aaron Judge.”
Campaign Recap Video Coming Soon!
Wrap!
That's a
We have really enjoyed taking time to recognize our partners, trade partners and local businesses as we celebrate our 10-year anniversary in Kansas City. Our core values of Genuine, We Not I, and All-In closely aligns with the Kansas City Culture and truly makes it easy for our partners to be At Home in the Heartland. We hope you have enjoyed celebrating with us and getting to know some of our partners on a deeper level. We are extremely excited about the future and continuing to serve the community that we call home!
Cheers! - KC Leadership Team
