Paul McLaughlin, Manager of Continuous Improvement for the Butz Family of Companies, which includes GBCA member Shoemaker Construction Co., has been a member of GBCA’s Construction Leadership Council Steering Committee since 2020. Representing the CLC, he has also served on GBCA’s Government Affairs and Education Committees.
While he was introduced to the construction trades from his family, it was during his freshman year at Drexel University that he cemented his pursuit of a career in construction. Upon learning that Construction Management was a major and after sitting in on a class, he immediately changed his major. Now in the industry, he values seeing the tangible results: The most rewarding thing for him is being able to see a project materialize from design through to a finished product.
As a member of GBCA’s CLC, Paul takes advantage of activities that introduce him to other professionals and that help him become a better industry leader. Recently, he has taken advantage of the GBCA CLC’s Coffee Chats, which have given him direct access to industry leaders in an informal setting, something that is difficult to do in most professional organizations. These activities have reaffirmed lessons that he’s learned in the industry, such as how being a good follower is as important as being a strong leader. He has also built strong relationships with trade partners and other GBCA members and has already found that when his team needs assistance or a dispute arises, these relationships are incredibly valuable.
Paul’s business mottos is “Continuous Improvement and Learning.” While he appreciates and respects tradition, he also thinks that there are much needed changes to project delivery with methods such as lean construction and the use of new technologies. When the Butz Family of Companies created a new department focused on advancing the use of innovative solutions on projects, he jumped on the opportunity to participate. He now helps all employees in project teams apply new value-adding tools and techniques.
In addition to his success in the construction industry, he was an active duty officer in the United States Marine Corps from 2012 to 2019 and is currently in the Marine Corps Reserves. He also has a young, growing family and is finishing up his MBA at Drexel University.
“Just because you are “inexperienced” or “young” doesn’t mean that you can’t do a better job or figure out a new way to solve a problem. Take on a new project or leadership role whenever you get a chance. Be willing to fail. Failure doesn’t define you but how you react to or learn from failure does.” – Paul McLaughlin, Manager of Continuous Improvement, The Butz Family of Companies