Hammr

The next wave of talent doesn’t want your grandpappy’s company. When Keaton over at Turner Mining Group posted this, it hit the nail on the head. Today’s Toolbelt Generation and second-gen owners are flipping the script. Adopting tech? Full renovation. Social media? Already on it. Digitizing? Most are. They're coming in and revamping the ENTIRE business. On our most recent podcast, our guest basically started raking asphalt as a toddler and grew up working alongside his pops. Landon and the family business went from... ? No social media -> amassing a massive following on social. ? Paper/minimal tech -> completely digitizing their entire payroll, HR, and field operations. When I first met Landon, his go-to line was, “I gotta check with Dad on this.” Now that he’s running the show, he mentioned on the podcast, "We wouldn't be able to do it without Hammr." Dropping Episode 48 next week: ? Transitioning the family business ? Team building & its challenges ? Leveling up efficiency This second-generation takeover is a hot topic. This next wave of talent won't be building the same company as their grandpappy... nor will they want to be working for one. -- Bred To Build - Construction Podcast

Why would a contractor choose Hammr over a billion-dollar company... I was talking with a customer the other day and asked them: "What made you go with us?" He mentioned a few features, but one of the biggest reasons is because of our commitment to their team. That reminded me of something else a customer said that I'll never forget... "ADP should stand for Always Damn Problems." Unfortunately, that's the experience when you're just another number. As a startup founder, I always figured caring about your customer was table stakes. But apparently in the payroll world, that bar is about as high as a curb. Growing up in the construction industry, taking pride in our work and serving customers well was the standard. That's exactly what we're doing here. And it's so much better when both sides win.

Seattle was the place to be! ?? Last week, CNBA and The Pavement Network hosted an incredible event packed with learning, networking, and industry insights. ?? Engaging discussions and presentations from top contractors. ?? Great food, great people, and even better conversations. ??? Toured Rainier Asphalt & Concrete's new facility and poured some concrete. Big shoutout to CNBA and The Pavement Network for bringing together a strong community of contractors committed to growing, learning, and pushing this industry forward. And shoutout to all the awesome vendors we connected with: Lawson Products, Cemen Tech, DEWALT, Elemental Design, The Merlin Group, Assignar, NAPA Auto Parts. #CNBA #PavementNetwork

The Best-Kept Secret to a Lucrative Career Path? Construction Apprenticeships. We’re sitting on one of the best career opportunities out there, and barely anyone talks about it. The numbers: ? 98% of apprenticeship graduates can cover their basic living expenses. ? 82% can afford a 2-bedroom apartment by the time they finish the program. ? 95% of apprenticeship grads start making at least $15/hr immediately. ? Union-affiliated apprenticeships add +$10/hr to exit wages on average. ? Prevailing wage laws boost apprenticeship wages by an extra +$3/hr. Let’s compare that to the average college grad: ?? Buried in debt, struggling to find jobs that pay over $20/hr. ?? The average four-year college graduation rate? Only 45%. Construction apprenticeships? 59% completion rate — and union programs hit 61%. That's HIGHER than the average four-year college graduation rate. And they're not in the hole paying back $50K+ in student loans. Here's where it gets interesting... Construction apprenticeships are DOMINATING the workforce. ?? In 2020, there were 275,000+ active apprentices across industries. Construction lead the pack. ?? From 2015 to 2021, construction apprenticeship registrations grew by +17%. ?? Apprenticeship grads don’t just make more — they gain real upward mobility. ?? Only 35% of apprentices could afford a two-bedroom apartment when they started. By graduation? That number jumps to 74%. (Big flex these days.) What blew my mind... ??♂ In 2006, the avg. US construction apprenticeship completion rate was 34%. ?? Today? Closer to 60%. We used to think construction was something you "ended up in." Seems like that story is getting buried real quick these days. ?? Construction doesn’t just provide jobs — it provides careers. Apprenticeships are becoming one of the most financially stable, skill-building career paths out there. The numbers prove it. ?? If you could give one piece of advice to a young apprentice just starting out, what would it be? -- #Construction #Apprenticeships

AI Won't Fix Your Pipes ?? For years, people thought “making it” meant drowning in student debt and grinding away in an office. Meanwhile, some folks have been building businesses, stacking cash, and staying out of the spotlight. Now? The narrative is shifting. Fast. 1?? AI Won’t Fix Your Pipes: ChatGPT might replace some jobs, but it won’t wire a house, fix a water main, or build a bridge. There’s a real concern around “safe” jobs. 2?? Dirt Pays: Construction wages jumped 4.2% in 2024, with some states seeing 8-9% increases. A 23-year-old tradesperson could out-earn a college grad in just a few years—without the debt. Blue-Collar Millionaires? It’s a thing. 3?? The “Toolbelt Generation” Is Here: 56% of Gen Z would rather swing a hammer than push paper. College is overpriced, trades pay well, and the stigma around working with your hands is disappearing. 4?? Questionable College ROI: 40-50% of grads aren’t even using their degrees. Meanwhile, trade school grads are walking into solid careers — without the student debt hangover. 5?? Trade Schools Are Booming: Enrollment spiked 16% last year. The stigma around skilled labor is fading, and people are figuring out that real skills = real money. 6?? Boomers Are Retiring (Fast): The trades are bleeding talent faster than we can replace it. For every retiring Boomer, we need 2-3 new tradespeople just to keep up. That's a BIG opportunity. Demand is at an all-time high. 7?? Tradespeople Are Getting Younger: The average age of electricians, plumbers, and other trades are dropping. Gen Z isn’t just filling jobs — they’re reshaping the industry. Median age of Electricians in 2013: 42.8 Median age in 2023: 39.9 8?? Tech Is Leveling Up The Trades: Automation, safety, and robotics are making blue-collar jobs more advanced, efficient, and attractive than ever. The “this is how we’ve always done it” mindset? Fading fast. 9?? Industry Role Models: Social media has completely flipped the perception of the trades. No more stock photos of people pointing at a jobsite — Gen Z is looking up to real tradespeople who are building, leading, and proving that success doesn’t require a suit and tie. ?? Trade Businesses Are The New Startups? Next Gens aren’t just joining the trades — they’re building, buying, and modernizing businesses instead of doing things the old way. We’re seeing this firsthand at Hammr — young owners and decision makers are taking over, using tech to scale, and refusing to accept “this is the way it’s always been done.” This shift reminds me of when YouTube blew up — everyone wanted to be a YouTuber. Now? "Ending up in construction" might just become a blue-collar gold rush. It might not be flashy… but dirt pays ?? -- ?Which of these 10 is the biggest game-changer in your opinion?

? The biggest mistake in construction? Thinking old-school vs. new-school is an either/or choice... On one side, we have seasoned pros with decades of hard-earned wisdom, running jobs and operating equipment. On the other, we’ve got fresh newcomers bringing tech-savvy skills, always looking for efficiencies at every step But here’s the kicker… Keith said it best — these worlds need to collide… not clash. If we don’t get better at passing down knowledge AND embracing innovation, we’re setting ourselves up for failure. We’ve all heard the grumbling… The old guards say: “This new generation doesn’t want to work.” “They’re too soft.” The next gens fire back: “The old guards won’t teach us anything.” “They won’t explain why we do things.” When this clash takes over a jobsite, it’s no longer a team — it’s a standoff. We need our veterans sharing their knowledge… not gatekeeping it. And we need our younger crews pushing boundaries with fresh ideas and efficiencies. Both sides have value, and when they work together, the industry levels up. We should've have a battle between generations. We need a commitment to passing down real-world wisdom while making room for new ideas. The future of construction isn’t about picking sides. It’s about combining old-school grit with new-school innovation to build something better. Grit built this industry. Innovation will take it further. — Experience teaches. Innovation transforms. The best crews know how to do both ?? — What’s your take on this generational gap? — We go all in on this topic in Ep. 46 of the Bred To Build Podcast Dropping next week

Introducing... Workers' Comp Codes ?? In most industries, tracking workers' comp is simple… assign a code to an employee and call it a day. But for contractors? We wish it was that easy. Field workers are hopping from one activity to another — and each of these tasks can comes with its own workers’ comp code and level of risk. Bottom line: Nobody likes overpaying on workers' comp premiums. And nobody wants an auditor knocking on their door because of misreporting. That’s where Hammr's new feature comes in. We’ve made it simple for contractors to: ???Track workers' comp codes on a per-timesheet basis for every task being performed. ?? Map workers' comp codes to cost codes, so every task gets tracked with precision. ?? Assign workers' comp and cost codes to individual workers, streamlining the process even more. Why does this matter? By tracking workers' comp codes at the task level, contractors can: ? Get Accurate Reporting — No more guesswork or shortcuts. Map each task to the correct code or employee for precision. ? Pay Fair Premiums — No more overpaying for blanket risk classifications. ? Gain Enhanced Insights — See exactly how many hours went into each workers' comp code with detailed reports. This helps our contractors stay compliant, save money, and focus on the job without hopping from system to system and living in spreadsheet hell. — Dead simple for the field & powerful for the office #ConstructionPayroll #HR #Software #ConTech #PevailingWage #CertifiedPayroll #WorkersComp

How would you respond if you received a phone call that: Your equipment is flipped on its side... Your loader is stuck... A company vehicle is wrecked... Growing up in the industry, many of us have likely made a costly mistake at some point in our careers. Or you have surely witnessed one. It sucks. You might have the courage to call the boss, but you know you're about to get ripped apart and feel about an inch tall. Unfortunately, ripping people to shreds can be common in the industry. It's a terrible way to lead because it creates a culture of fear and resentment. Mistakes happen, but no one wants to continue working for an a**hole. If anything, it'll show them exactly who they don't want to become. Like my friend John Scepaniak says: "As a leader, you have to handle the bad news with with grace and help people learn from these situations. How you respond to these negative situations will show your people how much you support them regardless of the circumstances." We just dropped a dense podcast on this topic: How to lead when sh*t hits the fan. How To: - Handle the bad news - Develop a better leadership style - Communicate and support - Balance accountability - Keep (your) composure What I love about this episode is not only that John is real and raw about the topic but that he didn't always lead this way... It's been a process of pain, reflection, and growth that got him to develop this leadership style. -- How to lead when SHTF w/ John Scepaniak Check comments for Apple & Spotify ?? ?? Bred To Build -- Episode 45

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about: many apps seem to die in construction when it comes to fieldworkers... I bring it up because we've been obsessed with this phrase: "Simple for the field, Powerful for the office." It's not an easy thing to do. Especially when you’re building tools for people running around jobsites and also for HR/office managers who use those tools from their desks. Two completely different worlds with how they interact with products and what they value as important jobs-to-be-done. Every time we’re building a new feature (especially the field side), I remind myself of a guy that used to work at my dad's drywall company and ask, "would Mike find this helpful and simple to use?" As a result, this is an email we received from a new contractor implementing Hammr this week. Makes our day when we receive emails like this from our customers ??

Are you noticing a dilemma in construction training? ??? Hear me out. Construction seems to be at the crossroads... Where the pursuit of short-term profits threatens long-term quality & sustainability. I can't tell you how many times I've heard these over the years: "We don't have time to train." "We can't afford to train." "It'll slow us down." I don't think I'm alone here in noticing how the lack of training is hurting our industry's quality and leading to more turnover. What's slowing us down - contractors padding their pockets and prioritizing immediate profits over long-term investing into people and training. You might save some money in the short-term... but this only accelerates the cycle of shoddy work and price-driven competition. An absolute race to the bottom. Contractors that continue to neglect green workers or refuse to train will eventually go belly up. People won't want to work for them because there's nothing to learn. Since it usually comes down to money for contractors, let's put the financial implications in perspective... Without training: * Higher turnover * Decrease in quality * Increase in callbacks * Questionable safety * Lost profits In the long-term it's a big "L". Both in profits and reputation. But it's not too late... We still have industry veterans for the next 5-10 years who can pass along the knowledge to set our industry up for success. And we have contractors like Sargent who are leading by example with their Construction Academy, which is a (paid) training program providing high school seniors with an intro to heavy civil and training from Sargent mentors. Getting paid to learn? Sounds like something the Toolbelt Generation is getting behind. AKA Gen Z. Peter Parizo said it best: "Anyone can rent equipment, purchase materials, and build a project. What makes Sargent successful and a leader in the industry is our commitment to Invest In People. To be a mentor does not require a specific title or status, rather, it is an attitude and a choice." Contractors like Sargent will reap the long-term rewards of training. Hell, 25% of their field is now under the age of 25. I hope to see many contractors follow a similar path in creating a culture of mentorship. Investing in training isn't just about quality or profits. It's about securing a future for the industry. We can't fumble Gen Z. What are your thoughts on this issue / topic? -- If you like this topic, don't miss Herb Sargent on episode 41. Bred To Build Podcast