Webcorians have heard it everywhere from Operations Meetings to All-Company Updates—at Webcor, we are builders. We don’t just push paper; we physically bring structures to life.

But how many first-year/recently hired project engineers can confidently say they understand what it takes to actually build a building? How many have personally experienced the physical difficulty of hanging drywall, the overwhelming frustration of tackling late changes, or the demoralizing consequences of incorrect information?

Thanks to New Engineers Will Build (NEWB), that number is increasing every year.

• Since 2017, NEWB has immersed early-career Webcorians (generally PEs) in the demanding, eye-opening world of Webcor Craft.
• This year, 24 Webcorians joined NEWB for a five-day crash course in Webcor’s three self-perform specialties (concrete, framing & drywall, and carpentry & specialties) at UCSF Health Helen Diller Hospital's pre-fabrication yard.

NEWB’s continued to evolve each year as leaders incorporate lessons learned to improve the next NEWB class’s experience. Notably, this year’s NEWB leaders determined the optimal building size for each NEWB team and all required materials/equipment for the week in partnership with Webcor Equipment and Craft.

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Why NEWB Matters: This year, NEWB centered on three vital topics: contract document comprehension, peer bonding, and of course, field experience and appreciation.

• Contract documents: On their first day, NEWB participants were given plans, specs, a prime contract, a subcontract, and project exhibits to read and refer to throughout the week.
  • As “subcontractors,” participants were responsible for determining the exact information the general contractor still owed them, then outlining any unclear and/or missing information in a detailed Request for Information (RFI).
  • “This exercise emphasized the significance of a well-written RFI and thorough document review prior to performing work,” says former Assistant Superintendent Kristina Reyna, who spearheaded NEWB this year.

• Peer bonding: Between the daily team challenges and post-work activities, NEWB participants inevitably finish the week feeling much closer to their teammates than when they started. “Building connections that will carry you through your career is a special takeaway from the NEWB experience,” Kristina says.
  • “I really enjoyed the after-work activities with other PEs,” says Sr. Project Engineer Parker Jones. “It’s easy to feel isolated from those outside your project. NEWB was a great opportunity to meet other people from my PE class and form genuine friendships.”

• Hands-on Webcor Craft experience: Field exposure has always been at the heart of NEWB. This year, each team dove into all three Craft scopes by building a 5’ x 8’ concrete pad with interior and perimeter sheetrock walls.
  • Each room included a door, fire extinguisher cabinet, window opening, wood baseboard, and grab bar.
  • “Not only did participants gain a better understanding of the challenges field workers face each day, but they learned to use equipment and tools they might not have otherwise been exposed to,” Kristina says. “Overall, the work flowed well, but I’d recommend some expanded scope on the concrete and carpentry days in the future.”

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“In my opinion, the most valuable lesson NEWB participants can take from the experience is a better understanding of how difficult it is to be the one putting work in place,” says Robert Lim, Webcor Concrete assistant superintendent and NEWB 2024 mentor. “It’s not easy to make something perfect in the field. Being personally tested by all the difficulties that come with last-minute changes or missing information is a great learning experience for those who will be managing those scopes in the future.

“It was great to see so many Webcorians rise to the occasion and learn to work together as a team. I think most teams started off slow on day one, but everyone gained momentum throughout the week and really put in the work."

Exceeding Participants’ Expectations: After hearing their coworkers’ nostalgic stories of valuable lessons learned and years-long friendships built at NEWB, Project Engineer Bella Vasquez and Sr. Project Engineer Parker Jones went into the week with fairly high expectations.

They were not disappointed. “The program was so well-organized and taught me more than I could have imagined!” Bella says.

• “The whole week exceeded my expectations and felt more like a vacation than another week at work,” Parker adds.

Sr. Project Engineer Mac Hammitt joined NEWB eager to gain hands-on building experience and learn more about the craft itself. “The entire week, I was pushed beyond my limits in the best way possible!”

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Biggest Takeaway? Craft Experience & Perspective: While Bella, Parker, and Mac were never under the impression that field work was simple, their respect for craft professionals’ expertise soared to new heights over the course of NEWB. Everything from the physical labor to the problem-solving was more time-consuming, complicated, and stressful than they’d imagined.

• “Our self-perform groups make everything look incredibly easy, so trying to do what they do was a humbling experience,” Parker says. “It gave all of us much-needed perspective on how late changes and added work can affect our crews.”
• “Working in the field for five days was tough—I can’t imagine doing it every week!” Mac says. “When we were handed late changes, it was gut-wrenching to have to rework those items just because the owner said so.”

Although disheartening at times, the tremendous level of effort and energy poured into their projects made even the “small” accomplishments worth celebrating.

• For Mac, the most rewarding part of the week came during metal stud framing assembly. “I’ve never felt more accomplished than I did after building a rigid structure that didn’t immediately fall over!”

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Final Words From Kristina: “Thank you to the following people for making NEWB 2024 a reality. It takes a village!

• Sarah Wayland (senior project engineer): My right-hand woman! Thank you for everything you did to support me and provide necessary assistance throughout the week.
• Michael Kremko (senior construction manager): For allowing us the space and resources to make NEWB possible
• Madison Hildenbrand (assistant superintendent – Webcor Concrete ): Our lovely NEWB architect and structural engineer
• NEWB 2024 mentors:

• Cibele Ortiz (assistant project manager)
• Samantha Dumalig (assistant project manager)
• Issac Hernandez (assistant superintendent, Concrete)
• Robert Lim (assistant superintendent, Concrete)
• Zach McKellips (senior project engineer, Drywall)

• Concrete, Drywall & Carpentry Craftworkers – Thank you for supporting us and providing your expertise!
• Webcor Concrete BBQ Team – Thank you to Webcor Concrete’s grillmasters for providing us with a delicious lunch!
• Dante Feliciano (assistant project manager – Webcor Drywall)
• Robert Brown (senior superintendent – Webcor Carpentry)
• Krishna Rathi (senior project engineer – Webcor Carpentry)
• Emily Schmitt (senior department coordinator – Safety)
• Mario Rodriguez (safety director – Safety)
• Dora Orozco (safety manager – Safety)
• Enrique Ramirez (carpenter lead foreman – Safety)
• Marco Montejano (senior safety manager – Safety)
• Kelly Martz (superintendent – Webcor Concrete)
• Todd Mercer (senior vice president)
• Seif Abdelghaffar (project manager – Webcor Drywall)
• Adam Martin (senior project manager – Webcor Drywall)
• Greg Miller (senior vice president)
• Sarah Rege (senior sustainability director – Sustainability)
• Brandon Blum (senior marketing specialist – Marketing)
• Diane Oliver (senior department support manager)
• Greg Chauhan (senior vice president)
• Allison McCue (senior vice president, Project Planning)
• Pat Haley (senior superintendent)
• Ivan Ramos (construction manager, Concrete)
• Dennis Heimer (construction manager, Concrete)"

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