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Brandon Berry
President & CEO
Wehr Constructors, Inc.


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Faith and Family Culture Drives Results

WEHR Constructors Inc. stands out for its spiritual culture, states president and CEO Brandon Berry. Faith molded the Berry family's character and values, producing honesty, integrity, and a dedication to serving a higher calling in all operational decisions of managing construction and business operations. Their steadfast dedication to these principles in whatever they do has led to nearly eight decades of successful collaboration with project stakeholders for successful, repeatable results.

Brandon credits his predecessors of WEHR ownership, specifically his father, uncles, and grandfatherfor consistency of leading by example, always guiding he and his brother DJ Berry to do the right thing, regardless of the circumstances or potential outcomes. For this reason, He (Brandon) holds the belief that WEHR’s success is due to these principles; that in business, individuals gravitate towards dependable relationships in any industry, and construction is no different. So far, they've led and cared for families for nearly 80 years because they trusted God and leaned into this idea. Two and half years after his brother and he took over as owners and operators, they want to continue that history and are happy for their team to join them on that journey.

During periods of adversity, Brandon's situation is no exception—they may use negative situations to learn and grow, leaning into the idea of collective “Lessons Learned” across their company. Hard times and lessons learned frequently lead to their successes. Through challenging tasks and relationships, he learned to seek good advice and be open to self-reflection and change. They have improved their standard operating procedures, built up new monitoring mechanisms, promoted responsibility, and above all, continued investing in their people.

Brandon prioritizes family time when he is not working. He's trying to take advantage of his kids' early lives because he understands they only have so much time with their parents, thus he tries to make them as much a priority in his life as his commitments allow. He and his wife coach their children's softball, baseball, basketball, and church youth programs and cherish these times of learning, growth and character development.

As a leader, Brandon needs to be well-versed in all facets of the construction business to effectively relate to and understand the issues faced by employees at all levels. He wants his work ethic to set an example and intentionally tries lead by example. He thinks helping others should be a business-wide value.

Since they value relationships above projects, it is critical to instill in all employees the belief that their purpose is to serve and collaborate, which must reflect in their everyday choices. They don't care about the dollar's worth or short-term moral wins. They strive to be selfless building partners, aiming to build 5+, 10+, or 30+ year relationships with their clients.

Subsequently, they question themselves, "how can we get better?" in every element of the building site and its surroundings, with the aim of changing their methods. This helped them plan how to use their current resources to launch new business initiatives that will increase revenue and improve company performance over the next three to ten years.

Construction depends on market conditions and subcontractors, which are mostly out of their control, making it riskier. They are looking at neighboring markets that complement the construction competence they purport to demonstrate. It could be real estate, property management, equipment rental, or program management. Their ambition drives them to use their construction experience to grow into adjacent areas. This may seem hazardous, but Brandon has learned that buildings are high-risk, whether they acknowledged it when they started. About a decade ago, Brandon took on the task of establishing a regional marketoffice in Central Kentucky. He started in a new market with little support, backlog, clients, subcontractors, or partners. This was one of his hardest hurdles, but it taught him about the razor-thin difference between winning and losing.

Brandon also desires accountability for his initiatives, responsibilities, and promises. They will relentlessly learn new software before launching it. He personally creates the Standard Operating Procedures using training films, step-by-step instructions, or other methods that teach success. He encounters numerous individuals who initiate projects or have brilliant ideas, yet ultimately abandon them. Over time, this has become a pet-peeve of his, ensuring he ensures that no task remains unfinished.

They work hard to define team goals, coordinate and update team members on progress, and reward success. When they get to work, they host celebrations and ring ceremonial bells in each market, celebrate individual victories; provide financial incentives, and so on. They set company goals that everyone can track and witness them accomplish. So, it's a common vision, not just ownership; in fact, it's one of the most crucial elements of organizational culture. Since they have four offices in Kentucky and Florida, it's hard to feel connected. Two main reasons drove their efforts to centralize and exchange resources across all four offices: first, this keeps them lean and efficient; second, and most importantly, it provides them with a purpose to collaborate and stick together. Virtual meetings across all markets strengthen their family-like nature.

Brandon keeps a close watch on their competitors; they always seek to stay competitive in their markets and chase opportunities where they have an advantage. He also says, in truth, WEHR tries to focus on improving themselves and adding value to their customers much more than what their competitors are doing. They can only control themselves and look for ways to improve for their customers and employees.

In the near future, they are looking to expand both internally and externally, seeking products and services that solve customer problems. They plan to hire a full-time Virtual Design and Construction leader for 3D modeling, coordination, and design. They're delighted to bring this service in-house, and they know clients will appreciate the value.

Moving forward, they're also developing a special project division to solve project issues. In their industry, closing contracts and ensuring subcontractors complete punch lists on time have proven to be challenging tasks. As a result of this recurring issue, they are formulating a strategy within their company model to expedite and enhance the quality of project delivery. They try to look at what is important to their customers and develop initiatives around those needs.


Company

Wehr Constructors, Inc.

Management

Brandon Berry
President & CEO
Wehr Constructors, Inc.

Description

Wehr Constructors is owned and operated by the Berry family which includes five generations of general contracting and engineering experience. Headquartered in Louisville, KY with offices in Tampa, FL, Lexington, KY and Bowling Green, KY we are proud to be the largest general contractor and construction manager in the Louisville area and a leader in construction throughout Florida, Central and Southern Kentucky.


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