Business is about human relationships

September 21, 2019

Business is about human relationships.

 

According to Dr. Brian Engelland, Pryzbyla Chair of Business and Economics at the Catholic University of America, in his book Force For Good, people are most fulfilled when their life consists of positive interactions with other individuals. It’s otherwise known as the principle of solidarity.

 

Not surprisingly, as I reflect back on my nearly 20-year career in the construction industry, the projects that I am most fond of are those where I developed close personal bonds with clients, design teams and subcontractors. All construction projects encounter difficulties at some point. Most require that hard decisions be made. At times tempers can flare. Despite those realities, those project teams built on trust can weather the storm and come out on the other side with a finished project that all can be proud of.

 

I deeply cherish the relationships I have built with my colleagues at Wehr Constructors. As part of a strategic planning session in 2017, our leadership team decided to establish a written set of core values that would guide our company into the future. For decades we have been guided by Christian business principles that, at their core, required us to treat people with dignity and respect. These principles were not written down as a matter of policy but were displayed through the actions of our former owner, Claude Berry, Jr. and his three sons.

 

After Mr. Berry’s passing, the next generation of leadership felt that it was of vital importance to memorialize his leadership philosophy for future generations of Wehr Constructors employees. The process led to the establishment of seven core values:

 

  1. Wehr Faithful
  2. Wehr Character-driven
  3. Wehr Building Relationships
  4. Wehr Committed to Excellence
  5. Wehr Fun
  6. Wehr Stewards of Our Community
  7. Wehr One

 

The wording of these core values is an obvious play on our company name, but their placement, particularly 1 and 7, are not. ‘Wehr Faithful’ is number one because the decisions our company makes will always be rooted in our faith in Jesus Christ. ‘Wehr One’ is not last on the list because it’s the least important, but rather at the end of the day we are one team, one company and one family, committed to building the best team of construction professionals in our industry. When all else fails, your family will be there to pick you up.

 

The Wehr team has been building relationships since 1945. If you’re interested in hearing more about our philosophy or partnering with us on a project, please visit www.wehrconstructors.com.

 

Nick Fears – C.C.M.

President of Business Development

Wehr Constructors, Inc.