New Kid in Town

We’re at the halfway point of my first year with Sachse Construction as senior vice president. My experience has been more than I could have ever hoped for so far! I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for our team.

The Sachse Construction team is made up of an extraordinary group of people. This team has maintained its entrepreneurial spirit while incorporating a well-seasoned structure. Everyone is passionate and enthusiastic about what they do, and they adhere to systems that create efficiencies between team members and departments. When a group works this well together and cares as much about what they do, the opportunities are endless.

Who can say that a Monday morning meeting is their favorite part of the week? I can! More often than not, people dread meetings. Our meetings, however, provide a time where we can delve into what everyone is doing to provide clarity, direction, and continuity throughout the whole company. These meetings value everyone’s time, produce results, and keep everyone rowing in the same direction.

I love our team’s passion and enthusiasm. As someone who can’t sit still—seriously, don’t ever ask me to go fishing—I am always looking to jump right into projects and get the ball rolling. Therefore, the environment created at Sachse Construction is the perfect fit for me. We genuinely trust one another to do the right thing, and this expedites the decision-making process. I believe that’s what has contributed to the long-standing success of this company.

Why Construction?

I have always had a fascination with the construction industry. There’s something extremely satisfying about seeing a new building come to fruition. As an architect by trade, I spent 28 years in design services followed by another seven years working on the owner’s side. Now, it’s an outstanding opportunity to be on the construction side of things where I can use the knowledge I’ve gained through my experience in real estate, planning, design, and construction with our clients. When a client comes to us with a project idea, I can walk them through each step because I know what it is like to be in their shoes. Providing a holistic understanding of a project allows me to help provide clients with support that is truly unique and all-encompassing. The dedication to exceptional customer service is just another way Sachse Construction continually raises the bar.

Strategically Speaking

My new role as senior vice president puts me in a great position to contribute to our strategic goal of being the most respected and trusted construction partner in North America. Naturally, I am constantly looking for new opportunities to build relationships with companies and people. It’s the perfect fit for me today, but to give a quick story, that wasn’t always the case.

I had to work hard to conquer my fears of public speaking. After being referred to as a “dull turd” by my mentor, I knew a change needed to be made. This push encouraged me to overcome my fear. Without that push, I wouldn’t be as comfortable building relationships with others as I am today.

Thank goodness I overcame this fear because, during my first six months at Sachse Construction, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in two events that introduced me to so many new people – Sachse Construction’s Retail Summit and the 21^st annual Play It Foreward Golf Outing. These two events were incredible, for different reasons.

The Sachse Retail Summit brought together innovators in the retail industry to discuss trends impacting store design and construction. The cutting-edge summit was a great way to connect with current clients and other industry leaders. I loved having the opportunity to immerse myself among such intelligent people!

The Play It Foreward Golf Outing was another great opportunity to build connections. For the last 21 years, Sachse Construction has hosted this event to give back to organizations advancing our community. The golf outing was phenomenal! We were able to raise over $230,000 for the Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program and Junior Advancement of Southeastern Michigan’s Journey-2-Jobs program.

It’s hard to believe I used to shake with nerves before talking to a large group of people. Now, I strive to connect with new people and build relationships. This means, whether at an event or just out on the town, you may find me striking up a conversation with someone new or—more than likely—running into someone I already know. Just ask our president, Steve Berlage, about our recent trip to the Detroit Golf Club.

Up Next

As I look to the future, I can’t help but be excited! A large goal we have here is to continue to expand upon Sachse Construction’s success in the retail, multifamily, office, industrial, healthcare, and higher education sectors. We’re off to an excellent start here, but just like any great feat—as I’m currently learning  as a contestant in a Dancing with our Stars charity competition—it will be accomplished one step at a time.

As you now know, I love to connect with people. Feel free to reach out to me about anything—construction, funny mentor stories, travel, sports, dancing, etc. If you’re fascinated by the Sachse Construction team as much as I am, follow our LinkedIn page for updates on the team and our upcoming projects.