Author: Lein Holsboer

DANNY FACCHINA · Director, Florida

As the Director of Florida, briefly summarize your time serving that region.
While pursuing our work down in Florida, I have developed strong relationships with subcontractors and vendors, which has allowed Buch to serve our many national clients in the Florida market. With a long history and reputation up in the Mid-Atlantic, we have longstanding relationships with many subcontractors; however, down in Florida many of these relationships are in their infancy. Continuing to develop these connections in the region will be very important to the overall success of the operation. It has been an exciting time being a small part of the company’s overall growth since I have been down here, and I look forward to continuing moving forward in the region!

What do you like the most about your job?
I really enjoy the personal interactions with everyone from our clients to subcontractors to superintendents to field foreman. We deal with so many different people from different backgrounds, which makes every day exciting.

What is your main professional goal in the coming years?
My main professional goal in the coming years is to continue to learn all that I can while working alongside my team so that we can continue to grow and contribute to success of the company.

What skills and talents do you have that help you perform your work efficiently?
I feel I communicate timely and effectively, which keeps all stakeholders in the project informed and keeps the projects moving forward.

Tell us about the most important project you have worked on the Southeast region? 
We have completed several projects down here with Macy’s, including their Fulfillment Centers, Minimum Standards projects, and a Starbucks Fit Out at their Florida Mall location. These have been especially exciting projects because Macy’s has been Buch’s first ever client since we were founded in 1984.

Why is pursuing a career in the construction field important?
Construction signifies growth. When a business invests money into a construction project it shows they are intent on continued development and not content with the status quo.

What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned during your career?
The most valuable lesson I have learned is the importance of timely communication between clients and design teams to keep a project moving forward. Inevitably, there will be problems that arise in construction and jumping on them quickly mitigates their impact and minimizes schedule delays and cost changes.

What does “Beyond What’s Expected” mean to you?
Beyond What’s Expected means to use all resources at our disposal to produce a top-quality product for our clients on time and without any surprises. It means maintaining an open line of communication amongst all stakeholders to properly, and timely address the inevitable situations that arise in the construction industry.

What is the next item in your bucket list that you plan to accomplish?
Ride a mule down the Grand Canyon

What is your favorite hobby?
I enjoy getting frustrated on a golf course.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?
Teleportation. There are so many places and people to see. Although the journey is great, I prefer the destination.

RACHEL LIBERATORE · Accounts Payable Specialist

What do you like the most about working with Buch?
What I like most about working with Buch is the genuine sense of support and care that I receive each day from my team. Things come up, life happens, mistakes occur… but through it all, my team is beside me to help guide and support me.

Tell us a little bit about what your role within the company is.
My role as the Accounts Payable Specialist requires me to understand all parts of Cost Codes, Budget Change Summaries (BCS’s), and subcontract invoices and processing.  Entry of each of these documents means paying attention to detail, ensuring that the information given is in line with what is in our system and working alongside PE’s/PM’s if needed to make sure their vendors are being paid in a timely manner. I also perform numerous administrative and office duties and help to train our new team members.

What is your main professional goal in the coming years?
My main professional goal in the coming years is to continue to learn all that I can while working alongside my team so that we can continue to grow and contribute to success of the company.

Is there anyone in particular that has impacted your career in accounting?
Denise Buch has impacted my accounting career. I came in for my interview eight years ago on a Wednesday. Denise handed me a small piece of paper with a list of six job related duties and asked if I thought they were a good fit for me.  She believed in me and taught me all that I needed to know in order to be successful in my position. At the end of my interview, I asked when she would like me to start and she said, “How about tomorrow?”. I was surprised considering ‘tomorrow’ was a Thursday, but of course I said, “tomorrow is perfect”.

What is your ‘Why’?
My ‘why’ is because I am a part of a team who I do not want to let down. I know that they rely on me to get certain tasks done.
My ‘why’ is because I want to set a good example for my daughter so that she knows what a strong, hard-working, and independent woman looks like.
My ‘why’ is for my family; my Buch family and my family at home. I strive to support them each day and will always do all that I can to help them.

What’s the best career advice you have ever received?
The P.I.E. Theory of Success – Performance, Image, Exposure. Perform well, cultivate a positive image, and maintain your exposure.

What does “Beyond What’s Expected” mean to you?
To me this means to not only do what is necessary of you, but also that next step. It means to show initiative, to complete a task that you know needs to be done without being asked.

What does a typical day off look like for you?
On my days off you will likely find me with my family. We enjoy making and eating good food, being poolside in the summertime, spending time in our backyard, taking our dogs for walks or hikes, doing home projects, watching movies, vacationing, and lots more!

What is your favorite movie?
My favorite movie is Dirty Dancing! 😊 I love Patrick and I love dancing.

What is one place you haven’t traveled to yet that is on your list?
I would love to go to Ireland one day.

KEVIN SCHWARTZ · Superintendent

What was the last project you worked on? What was exciting about it?
The last project I worked on was the Capital One Café in Kansas City. The most exciting part about it was the feeling of accomplishment after demolishing the former retail space to a white box space and then rebuilding it into a Capital one Café. Also, traveling to the Midwest where I had never been before. During my time there I visited some of the museums there and made friends with plans to visit next fall.

What has been the most valuable lesson learned in your 19 years of career?
The most valuable lesson I have learned is that everyone involved on the project, including our subcontractor partners, is considered a part of our team. Helping all team members in any way possible is crucial for a successful project!

Tell us what a typical day looks like on-site for a Superintendent.
Typically, I spend the first 30 minutes of the morning looking through the project drawings to ensure all project scope items are being performed by the trades. After the safety paperwork and procedures are complete in the morning, I move to each area of work on the project to see if any issues arise and to coordinate work between the different trades that are on site.

What was one of your proudest moments in your career?
Capital One Café Georgetown. That was the toughest project I’ve ever done! It was a high detail project since it was a very old historic building.

What skills have you developed throughout the years that make you better at the work you perform?
A skill that I have developed over the years is my attention to detail. Learning to visualize what the finished product will look like has helped me make detailed decisions in the field.

What does “Beyond What’s Expected” mean to you?
Not only completing a project to the clients and Buch’s expectations, but also building relationships with the clients so that they trust us to continue the partnership for future projects.

Tell us a fun fact about you!
An outdoor firearm company once offered me a sponsorship when I was big into skeet shooting.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
Canada. I would like to go fishing with my wife and our boys, and we would love to see the Northern lights.

If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Don’t settle just because you’re comfortable.  You’ll regret not taking the leap sooner.

NIC FLICKINGER · Senior Estimator

Tell us a little bit about what your role within the company is:
As an estimator, I assist the project management teams with bid and budget requests they receive. Along with my team, our focus is on the Interiors division. Subcontractor interactions, site visits, proposal scoping, and finalizing of pricing are just a few of the tasks that can be handled by the estimator assigned to the project.

What made you pursue a career as an Estimator?
Prior to working at Buch, I was in a career outside of construction. The Buch Family was gracious enough to offer me an opportunity in their company. I started out as a Project Engineer at AZ in Frederick before coming to the main office. My knowledge of construction began to expand working alongside other team members. I started to assist others with bids as well and then I was offered to fill an upcoming need as an estimator. It definitely was not a position I saw myself landing in when I first started but I truly love what I do.

What do you like the most about working with Buch?
The people. When I think of Buch, the word that immediately comes to mind is family. Everyone is very passionate about what they do and they support one another in their efforts to make sure that all are successful. It is a unique and amazing work environment, one that doesn’t exist many places. It’s a lot of hard work and a lot of laughs with a lot of great people!

What would you say has been your biggest accomplishment so far?
I would have to say being part of the team that helped to secure our first Erickson interiors project back in 2018. It was on of the bigger and more intricate interiors projects I had assisted with, and it involved detailed scopes, a lot of collaboration, and significant attention to detail. It was one of my first in-person interviews I had attended as well. It was a great team effort all around and I feel it was one of the first steps in growing a great partnership with Erickson Senior Living.

What is your main professional goal in the coming years?
I would like to continue to grow the estimating department for the Interiors team. As the company continues to grow, the number of pricing opportunities continues to expand. In order to better assist the Interiors division, it would be great to add to the estimating team to help meet the demand and exceed expectations.

What would be your best advice to the younger corporate generation?
Surround yourself with amazing people. Where I am in my life right now has been brought about by this statement. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the guidance, assistance, teachings, patience, and understanding of those around me.

What does “Beyond What’s Expected” mean to you?
From an estimating standpoint, providing as much valuable information as possible when providing a bid or budget. Whether it is providing a quick-ship option on a long lead item or providing an alternate way of doing something passed on subcontractor input or supplying a client with detailed takeoffs for budget pricing, it’s anything that can be done to differentiate Buch from other general contractors. The first steps we have with clients and initial interactions we have with pricing strategies help to lay the groundwork moving forward. Showing them early on ‘beyond what’s expected’ really helps to separate us as a company.

What does a typical day off look like for you?
I’m not sure I know what a typical day off looks like, lol! My kids are very busy with their activities and that consumes a lot of our time. Rudy is currently playing hockey and basketball; Josephine is learning to ice skate and has dance classes. The kids love playing with Legos too, so we spend a fair amount of time building things together. I try to squeeze in my ‘to-do’ list for things around the house and some golf time, as I am able. I love the time I get to be with my wife and kids.

If you had to choose one meal to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Thanksgiving dinner!

Share some fun facts about you that most people don’t know:
>>> I don’t have a middle name.
>>> My only sibling, my sister, was born 2 years, 2 days, and 2 hours after me.
>>> I have played hockey with Mario Lemieux.