Aaron Anderson: Providing Commercial Construction and Construction Management Services at Swinerton

By Luke Lightning

April 17, 2023 

We're a few months into 2023, and halfway through Season 3 of the Future Construct Podcast! This week, for Season 3, Episode 12, our host Amy Peck (@AmyPeckXR) was elated to be joined by Aaron Anderson, the Director of Innovation at Swinerton, to the show (30-minute interview). The conversation between Aaron and Amy took an introspective look into an array topics, from Aaron's philosophy on innovation in construction and how Swinerton divides it's focus on future tech and current implementation, to also discussing how owners play a pivotal role in the cohesion of the construction process.

Click to listen to our interview on Apple, Spotify, or Google, or watch on our Facebook or YouTube channels.

About Aaron Anderson Aaron joined Swinerton in 2018 to work with their self-perform services in order to exploit his passion for connecting design to business processes using automation and standardization. His work today centers around balancing innovation with the objectives of the business model and Swinerton’s talented people. In his tenure with Swinerton, he has helped develop the application technology and repeatable elements for their parking structure product, Perq. Aaron is also a founding member of Swinerton’s Sustainability Task Force and a contributor to the growth of the Self-Perform Hub.

As Director of Innovation, Aaron leads the innovation strategy at Swinerton, redefining and transforming how Swinerton builds by applying R&D principals and collaborating with business groups to evaluate challenges and implement solutions. Having started out a carpenter, he has over 20 years of diverse experience in quality control, constructability, business analytics, and field and project management; and holds a degree from the UVA McIntire School of Commerce in IT as a Global Commerce Scholar. Aaron looks forward to enabling the next wave of construction project delivery through listening, learning, and getting deep into details.

Over the course of the interview, Aaron discussed numerous topics with our host Amy Peck (@AmyPeckXR), including:

- Industry parallels with moving from these 2D screens to 3D, to the metaverse, and Web3

- A breakdown of Aaron's personal philosophy in regards to innovation in the construction industry

- How Swinerton spends their time in the arenas of ideating future technology and the daily, incremental advancements

- The role that owners will need to play in making the demands in the construction process, to start tying all of the elements together

Swinerton provides commercial construction and construction management services throughout the United States and is a 100% employee-owned company. Recognized nationally since 1888, Swinerton is the preferred builder and trusted partner in every market it serves—proudly leading with integrity, passion, and excellence. Since their inception, Swinerton has been on the cutting edge of innovation, operating with accountability and integrity. With 19 regional offices across the United States, their ability to respond to unique project challenges, regardless of size, location, or complexity, is how they provide peace of mind to their clients. Thanks to their deep local roots and a strong national presence, their clients benefit from their market knowledge and track record of stability.

The company has helped build communities from the Rocky Mountains to the Hawaiian Islands, from the Gulf of Alaska to Colombia. The company still operates under California contractor’s license number 92-the one it obtained in 1927 when the state first began issuing licenses. Many Swinerton-built structures now claim a spot on the National Register of Historic Places and other architectural preservation lists.

Click to listen to our interview with Aaron on Apple, Spotify, or Google, or watch on our Facebook or YouTube channels.

SHOW NOTES

0:12  - Amy Peck introduces Aaron Anderson, the Director of Innovation at Swinerton.

2:16  - Amy: "Do you see any parallels where we are today, moving from these 2D screens to 3D, to the metaverse, and Web3? I think we're at another nexus."

5:48  - Amy: "So I'd love quote your LinkedIn profile, because you don't talk about your experience the way everyone else does...You say 'Inventing the next wave of construction project delivery through a cycle of wisdom, wonder, and getting deep in the weeds.' So where does that come from, because I think those are words to live by?" 

10:30  - Amy: "In your day-to-day in innovation, what percentage off your day is about 'what can technology do for us' and what is 'how do we incrementally improve what we do on a daily basis,' because there is an incremental component to it?"

13:30  - Amy: "What are the things that are exciting you today? Is it technology, is it new process? What makes you leap out of bed in the morning?"

18:21  - Amy: "Do you think it's the owners that are going to have to make the demands in the process, to start tying all of the elements together? Because it seems obvious to have a singular system and a standardization process, but the problem is that the SaaS companies that are delivering to the construction industry, there's a cause and effect right, where there's blockers everywhere."

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