#35 Training Your People To Spot Warning Signs With Vince Hafeli, DBA, Ajax Paving Co.

#35 Training Your People To Spot Warning Signs With Vince Hafeli, DBA, Ajax Paving Co.

In this episode, Kerry Smith welcomes Dr. Vince Hafeli, DBA, president of Ajax Paving Industries and a nationally recognized leader in construction mental health advocacy. Dr. Hafeli shares his deeply personal journey into mental health leadership, shaped by lived experience, industry loss, and decades in construction, and explains why meaningful mental health initiatives must begin in the C-suite to truly change culture. Drawing from his doctoral research and real-world implementation, he discusses leadership responsibility, vulnerability, suicide prevention, and how programs like peer “warrior” teams and construction-specific training can save lives. This conversation challenges outdated ideas of toughness in construction and reframes mental health as a core leadership and safety issue that directly impacts people, performance, and long-term industry sustainability.

#34 Moving the Mental Fitness Conversation Upstream with Cal Beyer

In this episode, Kerry Smith Buck welcomes Cal Beyer, Senior Director of Safe Workplaces at the SAFE Project, as part of the show’s mental health, wellbeing, and construction series. Cal unpacks the critical intersection of substance use, mental health, suicide, and overdose in the construction industry, explaining why these issues must be addressed together rather than in isolation. Drawing from decades of experience, he emphasizes recovery-focused workplace strategies, peer support, psychological safety, and a shift from “mental illness” to “mental fitness,” offering a hopeful, practical roadmap for how construction leaders and crews can better support one another and reduce risk across job sites.

#33 Why Building a Safety Culture Is Important with Mike Cox

In this episode, Kerry Smith Buck speaks with Mike Cox, CEO of Crete United, about why safety is not a stand-alone program but a direct reflection of company culture. Mike shares how Crete United built an industry-leading safety record by focusing on non-punitive learning, near-miss reporting, field-first decision making and mental health awareness, while investing in dedicated safety leadership as the company scaled to over $1B in revenue. The conversation highlights how strong safety culture improves retention, reduces costs, strengthens acquisitions, and ultimately proves that when companies genuinely care for their people, safety performance and business results follow.

#32 Construction Does Not Reward Chaos - It Rewards Discipline with AJ Waters, Chief EngiNerd

In this episode of BUILD America, host Kerry Smith Buck sits down with AJ Waters, Chief Evangelist at Kahua and the self-proclaimed “Chief Engine-Nerd” behind TheEngiNerdLife blog. Together, they explore the power of process, discipline, and authenticity in an industry that’s constantly racing to meet deadlines.   Borrowing a phrase from the U.S. Marines - “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast” - AJ unpacks how thoughtful, consistent processes can make projects more efficient, safer, and ultimately more successful.

#31 Employee Ownership: Everyone Has a Stake in Hiring, Keeping the Best People” with Tyler Myers, Asst. Vice President, Emery Sapp & Sons

In this episode of BUILD America, host Kerry Smith Buck talks with Tyler Myers, Assistant Vice President at Emory Sapp & Sons (ESS), a 100% employee-owned heavy civil contractor based in Missouri. Tyler shares how ESS attracts and retains top talent through employee ownership, hands-on training, and early engagement with students through trade schools and the ESS Foundation.   He also discusses how culture, leadership, and clear career paths keep their teams strong across hundreds of infrastructure projects each year.