Master Builders of Iowa

The MB EYE on the Future Class of 08-09 began a new trend for the industry by telling a Success Story of their own careers or of someone they know. Here we share the submitted stories on a "first come, first serve basis" with the industry personnel and the public. We encourage you to submit your story with a photo of the person you are portraying by emailing Fernando Aveiga at faveiga@mbionline.com. Leaders are inspired by leaders and by collecting and sharing all these amazing stories of the people who build Iowa, we feel that our commitment to serve our communities is all worth it.

The Seasoned Superintendent by Kent Brcka (Henkel Construction)

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with a veteran construction superintendent with over 44 years of experience in the construction industry working for the same company, Henkel Construction Company in Mason City, IA.  Making his way through the ranks of the trades has been a long but rewarding career for Bill Coe and one that he would not trade for anything.

Growing up on a farm, Bill learned the value of hard work and what an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay meant.  He helped an uncle who was involved with construction while in school and gained an interest in the trades during this time.  After graduating from high school in 1960, Bill went to work as a local meat cutter for a few years but was lured to the construction trade in 1964 by higher wages, better variety of work, and accomplishments that are more rewarding.

During the early years of his construction career, Bill was able to expand his skills by working part time on weekends for a local land surveyor.  This was a great opportunity to gain additional experience and hone skills that would become more valuable later in his career laying out buildings and worksites.

Starting out as a laborer working for Henkel Construction, Bill had a variety of duties on many different construction projects.  Not long into his career with Henkel, Bill was approached to be a labor foreman, but all along knew he had higher aspirations for himself.

In 1965, Bill got into the local apprentice program for carpenters.  This program met two nights per week and on Saturdays periodically.  As is typical for most craft training, he was not paid for the time spent in after-hours training, but it gave him an opportunity to learn new skills from more experienced carpenters and increase his wage.  It was a four-year program, but time spent working as a laborer was applied to his training requirements.  His wage increased during this time since the apprentice wage was based on a percentage of the carpenter wage, which was higher than the laborer wage he had been making.

In 1968, Bill was promoted to a carpenter supervisor.  Work included various duties on numerous projects including  wood frame buildings at a local college; concrete forming for large structures at a local cement plant and a new concrete stadium for the local high school football field.  Bill also spent time working on a couple large projects in Sioux City, Iowa during this period.

Then in the 1970’s, Bill achieved the goal he was working towards, which was to be a Project Superintendent.  He was given the opportunity to finish a new Hospital project when the Superintendent needed to go to a different job.  His many years of laboring, training and hard work had finally paid off.  This project set the stage for many more to come.

Looking back on his career and accomplishments, the most memorable projects were school projects.  This is because of the appreciation the kids showed towards the finished product.  They were always thrilled to be able to move into a new building, a new addition, or a use a new stadium for the first time.  Over the years, school projects took Bill to many towns in Iowa such as Sheffield, Eldora, Hampton, Clear Lake and Mason City. 

One thing about construction that makes it different from some other industries is that you need to go where the work is.  The projects Bill supervised took him to many interesting places throughout the country that he would not have been able to see otherwise.  This includes such places as Gastonia, North Carolina and St. Joseph, Missouri to build manufacturing plants; North Dakota to build a pipeline pumping station; Brainerd, Minnesota to build a new State Service Center, Mora, Minnesota to build a new bank and Mankato, Minnesota to build a new retail store just to name a few.

Other interesting projects Bill has been involved with:  adding on to a jail in Clarion, Iowa.  Seeing the special security systems in this building was something unique; constructing a 6-story elevator shaft and renovating a surgery area at local Hospitals was also challenging yet rewarding to know that patients will use these buildings on their paths to recovery.  Putting in foundations for a local 100,000 sqft manufacturing plant was also a memorable project given the massive size of the building.

Another rewarding part of working in construction is getting to know all the different people that you deal with on various projects.  According to Bill, construction workers become like family, and are people you can rely on for help when you need something.  Bill has stayed with the same company for over 40 years because he has always been treated fairly with competitive wages and benefits along with steady work.

Many changes have occurred in the construction industry over Bill’s career that has taught him the importance of lifelong learning and continuing education.  In the early days, a two-man crew with a rod and transit did surveying.  Now, global positioning systems (GPS) have changed everything.  Dozers and excavators are equipped with electronic equipment that guides the machines and controls the elevations they are grading.  A one-man survey crew can now lay out anything from roads to water mains with a small hand-held device in a fraction of the time it used to take.  Lasers are used to set grades for footings, screed concrete, layout walls and much more.  Plans that used to be drawn with a ruler and pencil are now done on a computer with CAD.  Cranes have gotten much bigger and safer.  Now they are equipped with computers that monitor how much they can lift and how far they can reach.  Temperatures in buildings were once only controlled by a thermostat on the wall but are now controlled by a central computer that monitors everything from humidity levels to security and lighting.  New and improved admixtures make concrete easier to work with and stronger.  The list of changes is endless.

With all the changes and improvements that have occurred over the years, the one thing that remains constant in the construction industry is the reward of seeing the accomplishments of your work.  For Bill to be able to travel around and know that he played a key role in building many very important structures is something he will be proud of for the rest of his life.  That is what makes the construction industry so great and what makes the people involved with it so special!