Meet Marcin Plichcinski, COO of Omnibuild

Marcin Plichcinski is the Chief Operating Officer of Omnibuild with over 25 years in the industry.?

His journey into construction began in his youth. As the son of a Finnish carpenter, he was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and work in cabinetry making. Marcin, however, believed there was a future for him elsewhere. After immigrating to the United States, he worked as a laborer and carpenter's assistant. After that, he steadily climbed the career ladder, progressing from carpenter helper to carpenter, then to lead carpenter. Eventually, the company he worked for recognized his potential and promoted him to supervisor, overseeing multiple crews and projects.?

During this time, Marcin delved into the finer details of construction, looking beyond the tools and tasks. He began exploring how projects were awarded, understanding the financial side of construction, and evaluating how market dynamics influenced decision-making. This holistic approach allowed him to be promoted into management, a sphere in which he thrives. Having only worked for three companies throughout his career, he prides himself on starting from the bottom and working his way up, never having been terminated from a role. His extensive field experience was instrumental in reaching his current position, which he now holds with pride.

Because of the circumstances of his early career, Marcin has developed a unique perspective on how to empower the next generation. Early on, he realized the importance of financial literacy in construction, noticing that many field personnel lacked a deep understanding of the monetary implications of their actions. Additionally, Marcin has always liked to have an open-door policy with his teams. Regardless of a person's position, from entry-level to executive, he is willing to have a conversation to ensure all voices are heard. He also offers everyone a chance to participate in meetings, including those with the owners and subcontractors. He believes that even though those conversations discuss sensitive information like finances and project management, everyone can learn from these meetings that they might not otherwise have access to.?

When asked where he sees the company in five years, it’s no surprise Marcin immediately spoke about mentoring. He’d like to see more coaching and information sharing with the junior staff and vows to try to do whatever is in his power to encourage the experienced leaders to invest time each day to ensure that young hires feel supported and empowered in their roles. Marcin and other leaders have initiated a program aimed at assessing the satisfaction of new hires, regardless of their position,? with the company's programs, systems, work environment, and teams. This proactive approach is designed to foster a positive work culture and synergy within the organization. Looking ahead, he envisions a continuous improvement in the overall company dynamics.?

Marcin works in and supports the “modular” construction division; he believes it is a beneficial construction method compared to the conventional approach in some applications and projects. He describes that in conventional construction,? depending on how smoothly the job progressed, the “punch list” could be 10 to 150 pages and you have to bring all of those trades to mostly finished apartments, hotel rooms, or other new construction spaces.? You could be faced with a massive challenge trying to fit it all together.?

Marcin? went on to say, “You end up with hundreds of workers in the finished building with all of their tools, banging the walls,? and it’s very, very hard to manage. With modular construction, on the other hand, everything is done in a controlled environment that is offsite, which offers better control of finishing those rooms or the sections. They are one hundred percent done to the point that, in some cases, you can see the furnished room including the sheets on the bed and TV.”

Those finished rooms are essentially stacked on top of each other and, depending on the size of the building, you end up with substantially fewer people on-site and much smaller crews, as well as fewer concerns with weather since the modules can be housed in controlled environments. The benefit being preemptively mitigating risks. He admits the modular method is not for every client, because it brings its own set of logistics and challenges. For example, if you wanted to put the modular in the middle of 42nd Street, then you would have to bring those cages, along with cranes and tractor-trailers, which is almost logistically impossible.

In 2023, Omnibuild, under Marcin's leadership, achieved notable success with several projects. One standout achievement was the completion of the Queens Boulevard project, which featured a complex foundation and school component. Despite initial delays, Marcin's team managed to accelerate the construction, delivering the project ahead of schedule.

Another major accomplishment was the successful construction of a 1,200-room hotel with three distinct brands. This challenging project demonstrated Omnibuild's expertise in managing complex and diverse specifications, delivering a remarkable outcome.

Omnibuild continues to expand its team, welcoming new members and embracing pre-construction opportunities. Marcin believes in fostering long-term client relationships, a testament to their commitment to excellence and client satisfaction.

In closing, Marcin's journey from humble beginnings to a top management position at Omnibuild is an inspiring journey of dedication and continuous learning. His commitment to knowledge transfer and openness within his teams reflects his passion for developing the next generation of construction professionals. As the industry evolves, Marcin and Omnibuild remain poised to embrace the future, including the exciting possibilities offered by a variety of construction methods. Their recent successes prove their unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation in the construction industry.