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Welcome to the FourMan Podcast, where four shop teachers step out of the classroom and into the booth to talk all things building, trades, and the people behind the tools. Each week, we welcome a surprise guest from the world of construction — from seasoned pros to rising stars — to share real stories, career insights, and the kind of shop talk you won’t hear anywhere else.
Whether you're a student just picking up your first hammer or a veteran foreman with sawdust in your veins, this podcast brings you humor, heart, and a heavy dose of hands-on wisdom. Just straight-up conversations built on blue-collar pride.
Join us as we build futures, one episode at a time.
Noah (00:01.548)
Alright, so welcome to the four man podcast. We are four shop teachers. And we are going to bring with you a special guest each week. So today we're joined by Steven Casey. He started his construction career actually at Clemson if I'm not mistaken and has built it to basically incredible heights. So when we introduce this whole series about what young people should know going into the trades.
Steven Kasay (00:21.164)
Yeah.
Noah (00:31.542)
We were extremely excited when you said hey I'd love to be on it and really I don't think that there's many people that are better to handle reputation because you built your reputation from a trim contractor all the way up to a passive house certified builder and I checked you out online it's incredible the projects that you're doing it's definitely a privilege to have you on here Steven welcome to the podcast.
Steven Kasay (00:54.457)
Appreciate it. Thank you.
Noah (00:56.544)
Yeah, so when we talk about reputation a lot of times you'll hear the phrase like your reputation travels faster than you can you think back to like a time when that was like true in your career.
Steven Kasay (01:08.729)
yeah, I mean, I think reputation, it goes back even before construction would start. So I worked for an event company in Clemson. We set up tents, tables and chairs. It was, I guess, how I paid my way through college and the kind of hard work from there, the manager started catching notice. Turns out he's a property manager, had a bunch of like rental units. And so I started just kind of flipping those for him on the side, but it was just.
before I ever even got into the trades, it was kind of that hard work and like grit that you were willing to get into it that I guess almost kicked off kind of where I'm at now. So I'd say it's kind of reputation starts day one. Like it doesn't have to be like, it's my construction reputation. It's like, no, no, no, it's reputation as a whole.
Ken Shek (02:00.542)
I don't how you hear yourself.
Noah (02:00.812)
Do you feel like at that age it's hard to basically establish your reputation? Because if you were to notice somebody else at that age, I assume that you were early 20s. So early 20s, somebody walks onto your job site, what's the things that you notice that you think back to maybe affected basically your view of their reputation?
Steven Kasay (02:26.657)
I mean right now because I'm hiring those guys, it's work ethic. It's the guys that aren't looking at their phones, the ones that don't have their hands in their pockets, the ones that are constantly trying to progress the job forward or the site forward. So it's not the guys like standing in the corner and saying, don't know what the next thing to do, like pick up a broom, like get to work. I would say that's probably...
That's what I was taught as a young age, you're never bored, you never talk, you just keep going. Because if somebody's paying you, they're expecting you to be working. So if you're not, you're gonna have issues.
Noah (03:10.806)
Yeah, of course. the first person that you worked for kind of instill that? Or is that something that maybe your parents instilled in you?
Steven Kasay (03:17.097)
we had attitude camp growing up, that I think probably instilled some of that. So when we were too old to get punished by like timeouts and stuff, they would go find a local contractor or janitor or laundry service and we had to go take their job for the day. So yeah. yeah. my brother and had to do attitude camp. It was a blast. so.
Noah (03:37.494)
Your parents did that?
Adam Kennard (03:40.59)
Wow.
Steven Kasay (03:45.689)
You kind of realize like, could be a whole lot worse than how I have it now. And like, if you just, you have a good attitude and you work hard, like you stay out of attitude camp.
Noah (03:56.897)
Man, that is awesome. We have one other member that didn't show up today because he couldn't make it. We're going to send him to Attitude Camp.
Steven Kasay (03:58.386)
Adam Kennard (03:58.692)
Wow.
Steven Kasay (04:05.772)
Absolutely.
Ken Shek (04:06.063)
Yeah, 100%. Scott is going to attitude camp.
Adam Kennard (04:09.23)
Yeah, well, that is... I might have to have a parenting podcast after this one to talk about attitude camp and how that works.
Steven Kasay (04:17.877)
So I know it was a little different, but I mean, my brother and I, both work hard and I would say in this generation, that's probably harder to find or at least has been harder for us to find. And it's really just, it's that work ethic and willingness to just get down and dirty kind of no matter what the job is that, that that would be the biggest thing we would look for in.
new people on a job site.
Noah (04:45.708)
Do you feel like because of like the labor shortage, I'm sure you feel the effects of that. Do you feel like because of the labor shortage, people still find their way through the cracks even if they're not hard working?
Steven Kasay (04:57.729)
You do, but then it starts to affect our reputation, which doesn't go over very well. So I think that a lot of people, like, yes, we're in a labor shortage. There is a shortage of people in the construction industry. There's a shortage of people in trades across it, right? Blue collar workers are experiencing a shortage. But I think there's a...
I almost fear of hard work that's been instilled in, I would say in my generation and younger, where people are just, they want the easy way out to get money to live, right? Microwave and Netflix is how we grew up. So it's that instant gratification. So yes, to a point until they start realizing that like,
Adam Kennard (05:35.554)
Yeah.
Steven Kasay (05:46.797)
Their bad reputation is going to start affecting other people's bad reputation and that's not a real good way to keep a job.
Adam Kennard (05:53.709)
Yeah, I mean, I just think about the work ethic thing, just how even like the content makers, YouTubers, the students, you know, a lot of students, I've kind of had the feeling that they think that is an easy thing to do. And literally, you know, we were just talking, Noah was talking about that, just even trying to produce stuff. And I know
just how much work that is. And that is not just a microwave solution to success either.
Steven Kasay (06:26.583)
No, it's, it's those content guys, they work their butts off. Like you've got the Kyle Stumpen horses and Matt Pennella's and like, those dudes are framing and trimming all day long. And then they're editing late into the night and waking right back up the next morning to do it again. Like those dudes are, they're working. it's, I hate producing the content side of things. So I all credit to them on it, but no, it's not, there is no easy, like, I'm going to start being a influencer and make money.
Adam Kennard (06:30.083)
Yeah.
Ken Shek (06:44.794)
by NurgleScan.
Steven Kasay (06:55.993)
is a grind for years before that ever comes up.
Adam Kennard (07:00.59)
So your bio talks about you starting work in college, and then you started, you officially founded your construction company in 2015. What did that transition look like? Okay.
Steven Kasay (07:15.315)
I actually started as a furniture company. So I made slab furniture, slab furniture and reclaimed wood furniture. I built desktables, chairs. I did a Clemson professor's desk. I got to work in the Clemson athletic facility. I built some of their stuff. So it was, it was unique products and nobody else was really doing it.
I guess in our area, like Sons of Sawdust was a big, they were in Nashville. They were big into it when, when I started getting into it. So, but there was nobody servicing kind of Charlotte. I mean, I would, I'd drive up to Asheville and I found this supplier up there that would sell reclaimed wood. So I'd wake up Saturday morning, go up there, get some wood from them, come back and work during the week. So it officially in 2015.
I think I started the LLC for the first time. and then slab furniture turned into trim carpentry turned into punch work, cabinet work. and then I realized I could probably start building better than some of the houses I was getting to trim in. so I started working with the general contractor. was a contract punch manager and then a contract project manager for him. and kind of that was, spent.
Adam Kennard (08:14.369)
Okay.
Steven Kasay (08:39.961)
three summers with him. And then when I graduated from Clemson, I I went straight into my own thing. I'd never really got the opportunity to work for anybody else because it was, I mean, I was established at that point. I would do, I would do classes Monday, Wednesday, Friday at Clemson and Tuesday, Thursdays I'd be back in Charlotte running job sites. So I think my teachers probably hated me because I was the kid in the corner of the classroom on the computer, but
Ken Shek (09:01.615)
Thank
Okay.
Steven Kasay (09:09.795)
sending estimates and answering client emails and not paying attention in engineering class. So they'll get over it.
Noah (09:17.054)
I feel like I would have loved that as a teacher, that kind of drive. That's awesome.
Steven Kasay (09:20.867)
Well, I was studying mechanical engineering and so it was kind of looked down upon to go into the remodeling construction industry coming from a mechanical engineering degree, but I just, wasn't made to sit at a desk. I got just, I can't, I've got to be up and about. I got to be talking to people. I've got to be doing something. So.
Adam Kennard (09:20.962)
Yeah.
Adam Kennard (09:44.495)
So you took on, I mean, talk about to take this back to like the reputation thing, you entered college having a couple attitude classes under your belt from your parents. You got involved with the property manager, like, yeah, through events at Clemson, started there and then.
Steven Kasay (10:05.955)
Yeah, through animals in Clemson.
Adam Kennard (10:13.406)
at probably similar time frames started doing furniture. So like your reputation just slowly built as your capacity and even as your skills built like you or at least that's how it like it seems like it you're describing that path.
Steven Kasay (10:28.77)
Yeah.
Steven Kasay (10:32.866)
So I would say opportunity kind of follows reputation. So I got, I'll give all credit to the world, to Martin Tiller He was at event rentals. He was, he was, I guess the manager for Clemson area event rentals. But I worked for him and got promoted really fast working kind of managers. Like he would, they let me load trucks at night. They let me run job sites. Like I, they let me, they saw the opportunity and handed it to me and let me.
Ken Shek (10:34.318)
up.
Adam Kennard (10:38.008)
So that's a good one.
Steven Kasay (11:02.477)
go with it. And he had he had probably some like low income type rental properties, which were just disgusting to go clean out of at the end of a school year. But somebody had to do it to get it flipped. And I guess I was dumb enough or needed the money enough to do it. But he saw the opportunity and he knew that he didn't have to be there to kind of watch the work get done. He could say, hey,
This is your scope of work on this apartment. Call me when it's done. Shoot me a bill. Here's your hourly rate. And then I'd finish and he'd come and check it out and be done. I would say that at some point the reputation had come that I was willing to put in the work. And then he gave me the opportunity and that kind of kicked off everything for me. that, but it goes back to what I was saying.
Ken Shek (11:32.173)
.
Adam Kennard (11:49.368)
Yeah.
Steven Kasay (11:57.369)
Like your reputation is day one. didn't know I was going to get into construction. I was working at vent rentals for $8 an hour, moving tents, tables and chairs.
Ken Shek (12:07.118)
And then you just naturally fell into it. Because you're a hard worker.
Steven Kasay (12:08.664)
Yeah, so, but I got the opportunity. The work was put in and the opportunity arrived, so.
Adam Kennard (12:15.672)
Yeah.
Adam Kennard (12:20.683)
I mean, I...
It's interesting. I was on a in college on a campus board that brought free events to campus and We used a local event company to set up sounds our stages and sound equipment and Getting there, you know on time at 4 a.m. To get stuff set up after after working with them through a couple events the Manager was like, hey, do you want to come like work with
So I started kind of similarly. I just started schlepping stages and setting up speakers. I'd get there at 5 a.m. We'd, you know, work from 5 to 7 and he's like, all right, you got the day off. I'll see you at, you know, 11 p.m. Show up at 11 p.m. Do it all in reverse. But just that, I guess that similar thing of like just showing up. I mean, I'm very thankful I didn't go to attitude camp. Well.
I didn't go to official attitude camp, I know my dad, like, you know, he pushed me outside. He turned off the TV and we had arguments over Saturday morning cartoons and he said, you can come back as soon as the lawns mowed. So the sooner you get it done, the sooner you come back. So, you know, I was outside mowing the yard as fast as possible.
Steven Kasay (13:29.889)
at a TCAM.
Adam Kennard (13:38.018)
But yeah, just showed up and worked. And then that reputation just kind of ended up getting me a job that helped me just have cash to spend in college, which was great. yes, they did.
Noah (13:49.591)
Steven's parents just had better marketing, I realize. Was your parents in the trades at all? Anything related to the trades? Do have any family related to the trades?
Steven Kasay (13:52.557)
Yeah.
No, not at all.
Steven Kasay (14:05.217)
Maybe. I have a grandfather that owned the auto parts store growing up. So like I'd go spend summers hanging out with him. I have another granddad on my dad's side of the family that he had an industrial arts degree, which is, I guess, modern day construction. So he was very handy. But no, my parents are probably the least handy people you'll ever meet. And they'd be the first one.
let you know. So like my Christmas morning was building all the presents. Like that was fun for me for all my siblings. But no, nothing. And in fact, the whole reason that I even got in with the contractor I got in with we had so I transferred to Clemson. I started at Samford University, and they had a Jan term, and I was not going to take another class for six weeks. So I came home, my dad's like, you have to do something for six weeks. You can't sit at the house.
Adam Kennard (14:40.782)
That's awesome.
Steven Kasay (15:03.315)
And they were doing an edition on their house. And so I walked up to the GC and I said, Hey, I'm going to be here for six weeks. live here free transportation. Like, I work? And I ended up framing for six weeks and never really stopped. Like that kind of was the transition from furniture to trim and framing contractor. I still use this framers today. So it's awesome.
Ken Shek (15:11.588)
.
Noah (15:27.372)
Nice.
Ken Shek (15:27.446)
I think that's probably like a big part of it is your just your willingness to try new things and then having the work ethic to back it up. Like from my experience in the trades, I feel like that's what kids are missing today is they've been told their whole life don't fail and in construction, like you have to fail in order to learn and it's not really failing. You're just learning how not to do things. And I think that
Adam Kennard (15:27.642)
that's awesome.
Ken Shek (15:57.046)
that's holding kids back from trying out the trades and trying new things because it's scary, it's the fear of unknown, but I mean you've literally built a very successful career out of just being willing to say yes, I'll try it and then see what happens.
Steven Kasay (16:15.767)
Yeah, well, and how you handle the mistakes too probably plays into reputation as much as anything. Like there's nothing more aggravating for me than having somebody working for you and I'm seeing a mistake and then being like, well, I don't know, not my fault. Like, no, own it. You messed up. You did this. And like, like that reputation, like I'd promote that a person that owns up to the mistake, asks how to fix it and wants to learn from it way before someone who tries to
Adam Kennard (16:16.578)
Yeah.
Steven Kasay (16:45.301)
I did blame someone else. Yeah, I thought there's nothing that will hurt a reputation more than I just own it dude. It's fine It's construction like we're gonna mess up
Ken Shek (16:45.419)
avoid it.
Adam Kennard (16:55.437)
Right.
Noah (16:56.448)
percent.
Yeah, so also that's crazy that you slipped in there that like you still use the same framing crew that you used. That's an impressive reputation on their part too.
Steven Kasay (17:07.033)
They're the best. I ship them all over the southeast. I very rarely use another framing crew. mean, we've done jobs in Charlotte, Florida, Virginia. I don't fly them, but I ship them wherever they're needed. mean, they're just incredible. They think through it. They understand it.
and they work their butts off. the dad comes in there, it's a dad and two sons and then a bunch of other workers and like the dad whips those boys into shape. It's awesome.
Noah (17:40.301)
How is it? How do you feel like as far as like reputation when you have contractors and stuff like obviously your reputation is relying on their work? What are things that like basically I guess I think like is did they have to like change the way that they did their work to meet the way that you did your work to basically match your reputation? I understand that they're hard working, but you're passive house. I mean like I would assume that there's a learning curve.
Steven Kasay (18:04.341)
I-
Steven Kasay (18:08.313)
Passive house is another level. it is, I guess there's kind of two philosophies when you get to passive house. So yes, it is a completely different way of building and it is way more detail oriented. So we are going to hire people that are detail oriented over guys who maybe understand what a passive house is.
and then it's our job as general contractor to take these complex ideas and, I don't want to say dumb them down, but make them simple enough where everyday guys can come in and execute. So like, if you can frame a tight house, like you can frame a passive house, like we might change up what material you're putting on it. Like instead of using zip sheathing, I might be using the zip R sheathing. It doesn't affect.
You guys one bit, cuts the same, it installs the same, but like we've just swapped out the material real quick for you. Or we might be using, a peel and stick water air barrier instead of Tyvek. It rolls out the same. It doesn't do anything different, but we're just, we just, we see you do really well with this material and now let's swap it in for this other material. and so they, they want to do a good job because.
They know that if we get do a really good job and they do a good job on the project, we're going to get hired again. try to pay fast. Like it's, going to benefit them in the long run. so most of them had been willing to work with us. Most of most of our trades.
Noah (19:52.557)
Gotcha now now basically you had brought up that which is also impressive. I feel like this is beyond interesting to me the your are you traveling because you are passive house certificate certified or are you traveling because like I said you kind of threw in there. Hey travel to Florida travel to all these states, Virginia, which is where I'm located. Feel free to stop by and teach any of my students at any time. What's the call of the?
Steven Kasay (20:15.865)
Okay.
Steven Kasay (20:19.214)
Bye.
Noah (20:21.152)
You're traveling all around. that like how you built the reputation to be able to do that? I mean, are you advertising? Is it word of mouth? How does that happen?
Steven Kasay (20:27.577)
We've been all word of mouth the last 10 years. This is actually the first year, last year and this year is probably the first year that I've spent any true marketing money. But we were very blessed to work with some pretty high net worth individuals pretty early on in the evolution of the business. And so once you start working with
that type clientele and they feel like they can trust you with it. Now it becomes like, Hey, I've got this house that you worked on, but I also have this other house in Florida or this other house in Virginia or up in the mountains. And it's, would rather pay you knowing that it's going to be done correct to go there and do the work. Then risk it with some local contractor that they've never heard of that might see a big name come across. so
Ken Shek (21:22.115)
and the fact that they have multiple friends too, that can help.
Steven Kasay (21:25.687)
Yeah. Yeah. So it's, kind of, we were very blessed to kind of get into that early. and that, that high net worth kind of group. mean, once you do a good job on one of them, it's kind of off to the races.
Ken Shek (21:46.824)
Right.
Adam Kennard (21:48.28)
Yeah.
Noah (21:50.56)
That ding is another client from another state reaching out right now.
Steven Kasay (21:54.039)
That is my life. There's only person that dings right now. So...
Noah (21:57.741)
Well, what's it called? Sorry if we're keeping you later than you should be.
Steven Kasay (22:03.063)
No, you're good. She's in Bluffton and I'm in Charlotte, so she's good. She'll be fine.
Noah (22:07.5)
Okay, awesome. I don't know where Bluffton is, honestly. We're in Dayburying. I'm in Virginia.
Steven Kasay (22:12.545)
Hey, She's on the coast. So I am not.
Noah (22:17.142)
Gotcha. What's it called? So I did have one question, but I think that's what basically, did you guys have, we can edit this too. Did you guys have any other questions that you wanted to ask?
Ken Shek (22:35.366)
My biggest question is, so when you're hiring, like, is it, you said, most important is the work ethic. So do you like have a trial period? Like, hey, come work with us for a week or two or four weeks and we'll see if it works out or is it, is there like a vetting process where like people recommend, like, especially if it's like a younger kid.
Like, I know that's kind of our struggle teaching these kids is trying to convey to them. Someone brought up like their employability score. Like what are you doing to make other people know how employable you are by like how hard you work? If you just keep moving, if you stand around with your hands in your pocket, you need a lot of direction. Or if you can like think through.
processes and anticipate needs. I knew that was when I grew up, like that's the only way I got to work with my dad is if I was five steps ahead of him. And if I wasn't, I was getting something thrown at me. So.
Steven Kasay (23:48.406)
I'm
Ken Shek (23:52.037)
Is that kind of challenging finding those?
Steven Kasay (23:54.337)
It is, it is. So we've kind of done it, we've done it both ways. I have hired a couple of subcontractors to come work for us. Like we've seen the work ethic. We've seen how hard they work and it just, it became to the point it's like, we'd work here on our jobs five days a week, like just come work for us. We've done it that way. That was when we ran more in-house like labor crews.
COVID kind of killed that for us. was just, it was hard to keep people showing up on a day-to-day basis. So we switched to project management primarily, I project management only. And we started going after more college educated, trade educated type employees. So all of them were brand new.
the guy that's been with me the longest has been with me just over three years. Like I recruited him out of college. It was at a career fair. but you get to know, you get to know the professors at these different schools. so you might say like, Hey, like I interviewed Jason today. Like very communicate, like in communicate and talk to clients, knew how to handle himself was professional and all of that. Like what's his work ethic like.
I mean, the professors will tell you just as fast as anybody like, no, he turns in his papers later. He's always requesting a, extension last minute or like not that dude's in the lab till eight, nine o'clock. Like he's, he's eager, he's active, he's ready to go. I mean, that is kind of our biggest, probably what we look for the most in it. but I mean, we don't even hire based on
Like Jason's been a project manager with me for three years. has a business degree. Maddie, our project coordinator, she has a communications degree. She worked at a milk company before she came and worked for us. So the two things that we look for, my brother is our other project manager and he did the attitude camp. So I know he's willing to work hard. So it is, it's for us, it's communication.
Steven Kasay (26:12.185)
and the ability to communicate with both ends of the spectrum, right? The subcontractors and the clients and then the work ethic. I can teach construction. That's not, that's not terribly hard. It's hard to teach work ethic and the ability to communicate clearly.
Ken Shek (26:24.048)
for a minute.
Adam Kennard (26:30.254)
What do you hire? what, mean you're talking about you have a framing subcontractor. So what is your team?
Steven Kasay (26:41.563)
so we, we're just project managers. we handle, we handle clients designs and then the execution of projects. so we, we sub out a hundred percent of the work now. I still have the ability to do some of the stuff in house, but it just, we could do a lot better work hiring professionals that did their job day in and day out than we could by trying to have some, excuse me, some jack of all trades guys come in.
So you get a framer that frames all day, get a trim carpenter that trims all day and a tile guy that tiles all day. They're going to do a way better job than somebody who can handle all three of them just because they've been perfecting their craft. So for us, it's our job to make their life easy, make sure materials are on site, sites clean, and keep clients happy.
Ken Shek (27:19.333)
Great.
Adam Kennard (27:32.877)
Yeah. How have like, I mean, you're talking about a couple of the guys that you've in the gallery that you've hired, like have come through this college track. Have you, how have like non-college track kids, like connecting with your like subs, have you seen, I mean, I imagine, you know, like what their hiring has looked like or, you know, your framing crew, like them getting a new guy.
Steven Kasay (27:58.105)
So, so we hire them too. We've had, we've actually lost quite a few that we've hired that have been stolen by subs. But it is...
I think again, when there's an opportunity and the reputation is there, like the opportunity is going to present itself. So we hire, yes, we hire based on project load, but we hire based on opportunity that we find in the people that we've hired. Like I hired a couple of people earlier this year that probably was a little bit aggressive with our current project workload, but the person was there.
Adam Kennard (28:22.648)
Yeah.
Adam Kennard (28:42.861)
Yeah.
Steven Kasay (28:42.885)
and I would rather hire for that and eat salary for a little bit, knowing that I can turn it into something. so, and I think all of our, our trades do the same thing, right? Our electrician or HVAC guy, if they get the opportunity, somebody comes across their path that fits the work ethic fits, like has the reputation and has the recommendation, like they're going to hire them. it's, it's.
The guys out there that don't have any of that behind them that I feel like are struggling to find work. Like all of our subs are hiring right now. They just can't find anybody willing to come in and do the work and that wants to continue doing the work past the first paycheck.
Ken Shek (29:29.188)
Thank
Noah (29:29.834)
Yeah, I think there's a lot I feel like to unpack on that. But one thing that was cool was you said that I get asked when people get hired out of our classrooms, high schoolers get hired for these subcontractors and stuff like that. Maybe not for obviously for project management positions. But I always think it's funny you have the students that will just say, hey, do you mind talking to this company for me? And then you have the students that are basically asking you to lie for them.
And that's never going to happen because when it comes back to reputation, I can't risk my reputation for somebody else's reputation.
Steven Kasay (30:05.657)
Well, yeah, like if I, if, if you send me somebody that doesn't work out, like I'm not going to listen to your next recommendation. Um, the question is if you call me up and you're like, Hey, Steven, I've got this kid Chad, he works his butt off. Like, I think you should hire him. think he'd be a good fit in what y'all do, who y'all work with. Like, okay, we're hiring. Well, and if it works out, that's awesome. And we're going to come back and do it again. But like, yeah, I mean, again, if I go back, like reputation starts.
Noah (30:13.483)
Right, 100%.
Adam Kennard (30:13.538)
Right.
Adam Kennard (30:26.894)
Right.
Steven Kasay (30:35.661)
day one, if they screw around with you guys, like they're gonna get a screw around referral and a screw around job.
Noah (30:44.15)
Yeah, 100%.
Adam Kennard (30:44.995)
Yeah.
Ken Shek (30:47.319)
I think that's one of the hardest things to convey to these. I teach at the college level, so I'm dealing with a lot of these guys are electrical apprentices and stuff, but they just don't get the fact that like you could literally set them up with people that they can have a very satisfying career and make a lot of money. But it's all of that just the attitude and mentality of
Like you're not owed anything, but a lot of these kids think that they are. And it's more of like you've been saying this whole time, like you grew up just being willing to work hard. Like a lot of people don't understand how valuable just having that single skill and how far that will take you in life. If you're just willing to put in a little more effort than everybody else. And then it doesn't even take that much effort. It's just a little bit more.
Steven Kasay (31:41.262)
No, some effort is what we're looking for. No, it actually, we got very, I got very blessed in this one too. So my brother played football in college. He got a scholarship to go play football out at Dort University. It's a small Christian college in middle of nowhere, Western Iowa. So I was like, I'm going to fly out there and see him and went to the career fair. And you end up finding these kids who grew up on
Ken Shek (31:43.171)
Right.
Steven Kasay (32:10.713)
cattle farms and corn farms and dairy farms that now have engineering and construction science degrees. And it's like these kids from day one have been working their butt off and now they're highly educated and they're looking for a job. So we started recruiting down to the South. I mean, it's, it's, got Southern women, fried chicken, like come on. So like they did. And that's been one of our biggest.
Ken Shek (32:20.355)
been working.
Adam Kennard (32:21.997)
Yeah.
Steven Kasay (32:38.935)
That's been one of our biggest kind of like trains of employees. Like we'll get a call every once in a while from a professor up there and be like, Hey, this guy, this girl, like, I think they'd be a good fit and we'll interview and kind of see where it goes.
Adam Kennard (32:53.003)
awesome.
Noah (32:54.388)
Yeah, I live out in farm country basically and you can tell the kids that were raised on a farm. That mentality is awesome.
Steven Kasay (32:59.319)
yeah. You don't see that. We don't find it in South Charlotte.
Noah (33:03.86)
Yeah. All right, well, we're going to wrap it up, but I don't think we can wrap it up without first of all thanking you. This has been incredible. Well, I guess we should actually get your parents on here to thank them for attitude camp because that just gave me a lot of ideas for my my kids. This has actually been incredible. It's incredible to see what you've accomplished and it's cool to, you know, just be.
Adam Kennard (33:12.515)
Yeah.
Noah (33:31.148)
able to ask you questions and seek insight so we really appreciate you taking the time it's extremely valuable to us so thank you so much for that but. Wrap it up I just got one question and that's the question that you ask people on the trade show floor if there was a few at a dating profile for KC construction. What would be on the profile.
Steven Kasay (33:39.476)
yeah.
Steven Kasay (33:49.38)
Steven Kasay (33:53.977)
man, a little bit luxury, a little bit nerdy, whole lot of fun.
Noah (33:59.213)
That's pretty good. That is good. That's a better response than most of those other people gave.
Adam Kennard (34:00.59)
That's good.
Steven Kasay (34:07.225)
I did. So you hit them on day three of IBS and like they're already brain fried from all of these like construction and building science stuff. And like you hit that question and they were all just like, I don't even know what to say. So we had to edit a lot of them out.
Ken Shek (34:12.386)
It's
Noah (34:15.573)
Yeah.
Noah (34:20.607)
Hahaha
Nice. That's funny. It was quality. didn't think that was funny. Quickly, are you going to JLC Live? Okay.
Steven Kasay (34:30.423)
I'm not. No, I got paid to be out at IBS and did not get paid to be at JLC. So I'm in trouble for not being at home working. So I am on a site, offsite working.
Noah (34:37.056)
Gotcha.
Noah (34:44.118)
There you go. Awesome. Yeah, where we might send me and Ken might go, but I've never been before.
Steven Kasay (34:45.837)
No, I will. Maybe next year.
Steven Kasay (34:53.335)
I haven't been either. So I made it at IBS last year and this year. Everybody says I need to go to JLC, but my wife's due in two months with baby number three. So I don't think I'm going to need it. Thank you.
Adam Kennard (35:03.16)
Awesome, congratulations. That's awesome.
Noah (35:05.068)
Nice, that is very cool. I offer this to everybody and just so you know, I give out $20 if you name them Noah, if it's a boy. If it's a girl, I'll give you 20 bucks too. Alright, so hey, that's a cool $20 for somebody that does multi-million dollar projects. I don't know, but.
Adam Kennard (35:11.468)
Ha!
Steven Kasay (35:12.737)
I'll let you know.
Steven Kasay (35:21.241)
You get to run by Chandler. We'll see how that one goes.
Noah (35:24.78)
Alright, sounds good. Chris, put a $20 bill in there for you. Thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it.
Steven Kasay (35:28.835)
So, you know, I also, anytime, and I mean, and this gets out to y'all's classes. Like if y'all ever want to talk about it, I'm down. This is, it's a big thing for me. We sponsor a local trade school scholarship here in Charlotte. So anything I can do to kind of help you guys, even talking to a class or if you have a student that's looking for something, I'm, my cell phone number's in my email signature, so.
Adam Kennard (35:44.354)
awesome.
Steven Kasay (35:56.499)
feel free to shoot me a text or give me a call if y'all ever have somebody looking for something.
Noah (36:02.782)
Awesome, that means a lot. Thank you very much.
Adam Kennard (36:03.128)
Will do. Yeah, yeah, that's awesome.
Steven Kasay (36:04.909)
So appreciate y'all. Yes, sir.
Noah (36:07.318)
Alright cool, thank you very much. See ya.
Ken Shek (36:09.089)
Thanks, Steven.
Adam Kennard (36:10.36)
Yeah, thank you so much.
Noah (36:14.794)
That guy was what's up.
Adam Kennard (36:16.418)
That's awesome. Yeah.
Ken Shek (36:16.459)
Just like that.
Noah (36:18.39)
just like that. All right.
Adam Kennard (36:20.28)
Dude, his projects are nuts.
Noah (36:23.252)
Yeah, his projects are insane.
Adam Kennard (36:25.164)
Yeah. So, yeah.
Noah (36:26.614)
pretty humble guy. What's it called? said you wanted to record something for the...
Adam Kennard (36:33.132)
Yeah, I just got to thank Paulman. I mean, technically they're our first sponsor. So, Paulman floor ceiling.
Noah (36:37.611)
Yeah.
Adam Kennard (36:42.584)
me see it's P-A-L-A-M-N-A my gosh who cares how to spell it. Palmer floor ceiling. We'll put the contacts they're out of Colorado they are our first official sponsor we just want to say thank you and I'll report back on how it all goes hopefully I'm sealing this weekend.
Ken Shek (37:06.378)
tweet.
Noah (37:07.168)
We should if you if you just record stuff I'll post it online.
Adam Kennard (37:10.488)
Yeah, I'll do a little bit of a before video and after and during and send you all that stuff. So that way we can, I just wanna talk about reputation. I just wanna like come through 100 % on talking about them. Just so that way, yeah, it's just, we just honor that.
Noah (37:18.539)
Yeah.
Noah (37:31.766)
Do we promise them anything? I'm not saying that we not. I'm just saying.
Adam Kennard (37:35.854)
I think we just, I don't think we promised them. I mean, if you don't remember promising them anything, I don't remember promise. I mean, you did all the communication.
Noah (37:43.348)
just it's I just copied and pasted your thing Instagram post we'll do Instagram post that's more valuable to them I think than the small amount of listeners we have but I do think that this would be good as far as having
Adam Kennard (37:48.172)
Yeah. Yeah.
Ken Shek (37:54.88)
We have a ton of listeners.
Noah (37:58.434)
We do.
Adam Kennard (37:59.619)
literal time.