President's Message - May '26

Growing Stronger: Building Momentum in Our Companies and Our People

With the MBCEA Conference behind us and the month of May already here, the jobsite isn’t the only place where things start to take off. This time of year reminds us that real progress is rarely instant - it’s the result of steady, intentional growth. For MBCEA members, that growth shows up in stronger planning, sharper execution, and most importantly, in the development of our people. Now is the time to invest in the practices that help your company - and your employees - grow in capability and confidence.

1. Growing Better Systems:

At the MBCEA Conference in Colorado Springs, one message came through clearly: growth in 2026 will favor companies that standardize how they work, modernize their tools, and keep raising the bar on quality. Here are a few key takeaways to put into action this month:

• Using AI (With Guardrails): Use AI to reduce repetitive admin work (summaries, draft emails, meeting notes, submittal logs) and to support estimating/scheduling—while ensuring a human reviews outputs before they drive decisions in the field.
• Project Management Software—Pick It and Standardize It: Whether you’re selecting a new platform or reinforcing the one you already have, consistent use across the team improves visibility, documentation, and accountability as you scale.
• AC478 Focus: The Conference also reinforced the value of aligning installation practices with manufacturer requirements and moving toward AC478 accreditation—helping ensure consistent quality as crews grow and new employees come onboard.

2. Growing Your Culture:

Culture isn’t what’s written on a wall - it’s what people experience, repeat, and talk about when you’re not in the room. In a growth season, perception matters because it shapes behavior, retention, and your reputation in the market. Ask three groups what your culture feels like: your employees, your customers, and your vendors/partners. Then decide what you want to be known for - and put actions behind it.

• Safety (How it’s perceived): People can tell the difference between a company that “talks safety” and one that works safely. If production pressure is perceived to win, incidents and turnover follow. Make field leadership visible on safety walks, recognize safe decisions (not just speed), stop work without punishment, and close the loop on near-miss reporting so crews see action—not just paperwork.
• Internal Relationships: Growth strains communication. If the office is perceived as disconnected - or the field is perceived as “hard to work with” - you’ll feel it in rework, finger-pointing, and missed handoffs. Set clear roles/ownership, run short weekly alignment huddles (ops/PM/field), standardize handoffs (pre-con to field; field feedback to PM/CM), and coach supervisors on respectful, direct communication.
• External Relationships: Customers and partners remember how you show up under pressure: responsiveness, documentation, schedule reliability, and how you handle issues. Communicate early, document decisions consistently, follow through on commitments, and make it easy to do business with you - especially when problems arise.

3. Enjoy the Season of Growth:

Take the energy and knowledge from the MBCEA Conference and bring that energy back home. Share the takeaways with your crews, your office team, and your field leaders - then pick a few changes you can put in place right away. When your team can see the direction, the purpose, and the payoff, growth becomes something they’re excited to be part of - not something that just happens to them.

• Bring the learning back: Hold a short “Conference Recap” with your team - what we learned, what we’re trying next, and what success looks like. Clarity builds buy-in.
• Turn takeaways into opportunities: If you’re rolling out AI, PM software standards, or tighter quality processes, explain how it helps each person - less rework, fewer surprises, better planning, and a smoother day on the job.
• Grow the next leaders: Invite employees to own a small improvement (a checklist, a training moment, a workflow update). When people contribute to the growth, they grow too.
• Celebrate progress: Recognize the small wins - cleaner documentation, safer choices, better handoffs, higher quality installs. Momentum is built by noticing what’s improving.

May is a reminder that growth is built—one decision, one habit, and one person at a time. As we move into the busiest stretch of the year, let’s keep growing: safer, more efficient, more professional, and more committed to developing the next generation of leaders in our industry. Enjoy the ride.

David Leinbach

President, MBCEA

President, Kaiser-Martin Group