Kyle Eberts is the guy who gets the call for flooded basements, house fires, and unattended deaths. He tells Taylor today how slowly insurance money arrives, why he and his father nearly came to blows over the company name, and what he built in Claude in 30 minutes.

Kyle runs Crew Restoration & Construction in Sioux Falls, SD, with 40 teammates across a 100-mile corridor. His crews handle water, fire, hail, mold, asbestos, lead, and trauma cleanup, plus the rebuilds. He started as a stockbroker to avoid working for his dad before joining the family construction firm, pivoting to insurance restoration, and rebranding the company. In this episode, Taylor asks how techs move up, how Crew staffs a 24/7 emergency line without burning people out, why insurance jobs cost more, and how bi-weekly personal goal meetings changed his team. They finish by discussing the call-grading bot Kyle built for his new retail roofing center and why he thinks people will stop using Google within a year.

🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

🏗️ TAKING DAD'S NAME OFF THE COMPANY [6:27]:

Would you change the name your father built his business under?

"What he didn't want was for me to change the name. It was Eberts Construction, our last name."

Kyle needed a descriptive name, but his dad resisted. Taylor faced similar family clashes. Must-watch! 👀

🗓️ PERSONAL GOALS, EVERY TWO WEEKS [22:58]:

Do you know what your crew wants out of the next five years?

"They do it with their employees and they call them PPF goals. So personal, professional and financial goals."

Borrowing from Cardone Ventures, Kyle holds bi-weekly 15-minute goal meetings. Despite a clunky start, managers now know their teams deeply.

🤖 A CALL-GRADING BOT BUILT IN 30 MINUTES [35:37]:

Is your office using AI for anything more than search yet?

"I literally had that entire thing built in 30 minutes."

Kyle linked Claude and RingCentral to record and score all calls, exposing surprisingly low ratings. Taylor shares his daily AI briefing. A must for AI skeptics

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - How AI Is Changing the Construction Industry

02:53 - From Stockbroker to Construction Business Owner

06:11 - Rebranding the Family Construction Business

08:58 - Applying Sales and Finance Skills to Construction

11:22 - Building a Strong Construction Company Culture

13:41 - Managing a 24/7 Emergency Restoration Business

18:34 - Working With Insurance Companies and Managing Cash Flow

22:51 - Setting Employee Goals and Building Stronger Teams

29:17 - Why Mindset Matters in Construction Leadership

31:01 - Turning Employees Into Intrapreneurs

32:32 - Expanding Into Retail Roofing

35:07 - Using AI to Automate Construction Operations

41:21 - How AI Is Transforming SEO and Construction Marketing

CONEXPO-CON/AGG: CONEXPOCONAGG.com

CONEXPO-CON/AGG Newsletter: https://www.CONEXPOCONAGG.com/industry-news#sign-up

🔗 CONNECT WITH KYLE EBERTS AND

CREW RESTORATION AND CONSTRUCTION:

• Website: https://www.crew3r.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrewSiouxFalls/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Crew3r
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crew3r/

#Restoration #ConstructionBusiness #AIinConstruction

Remote operation is coming to the job site! Bryan Furnace has tested the Cat Command chair and brought back a timeline that might make contractors nervous. Taylor pushes back hard, and their debate is one of the many highlights of this episode.

Having spent twenty years in the dirt doing finished grade, septics, and sewer taps, Bryan’s operating videos have led to a career hosting Equipment World's The Dirt and beyond. Today, he explains what surprised him about remote operation and where he feels the technology still fails. He and Taylor also tackle the questions most people ignore: who buys the gear, what happens to crew sizes, and whether a 22-year-old would ever trade his pickup for a remote seat.

🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

🕹️ THE ‘FEEL’ OBJECTION EVERY OPERATOR RAISES [7:36]:

Convinced you cannot run a machine without ‘seat of the pants’ feel?

As a traditional operator, I had the exact same knee-jerk reaction as pretty much every operator out there: “There's no way you're going to be able to do that without ‘feel’.” And what surprised me is just how intuitive it was and how quickly your brain just adapts."

If you have been dismissing this technology on instinct, start here. Must-watch segment!

🏗️ YOU ALREADY TRUST STRANGERS WITH $700,000 MACHINES [11:16]:

Worried about putting an unknown operator on your site remotely?

"You're going to throw some guy that says he's got experience into a $700,000 piece of equipment on an active job site, and you don't really know what his credentials are."

The trust problem people raise about remote operation is the trust problem the industry already has with every new hire. Bryan flips the objection completely, and it reframes the whole risk conversation.

🛻 TRADE THE TRUCK FOR THE CHAIR [34:21]:

Still paying for a truck to drive to a site you would not need to visit?

"I would argue trade in the truck and put it into one of these Cat Command chairs. Because now you can work when you want, you can work where you want, you can work the hours you want."

This is where Taylor draws the line and tells him his crew would never do it. Two people who both love this industry landing in completely different places. Game changing insight 🎯

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Bryan Furnace’s Journey From Operator to Creator

04:55 - How Remote Heavy Equipment Operation Works

09:37 - Making Remote Construction Equipment Safer

11:11 - Building an On-Demand Remote Operator Workforce

13:33 - How Remote Operation Could Transform Construction Jobs

20:48 - How AI Could Automate Heavy Equipment Operation

22:27 - Building the Remote Equipment Operator Business Model

29:05 - Cutting Labor Costs With Remote Operators

34:04 - Attracting the Next Generation of Equipment Operators

38:39 - Balancing Blue-Collar Culture With Remote Work

44:06 - When Remote Equipment Operation Could Go Mainstream

CONEXPO-CON/AGG: CONEXPOCONAGG.com

CONEXPO-CON/AGG Newsletter: https://www.CONEXPOCONAGG.com/industry-news#sign-up

🔗 CONNECT WITH BRYAN FURNACE:

• Bryan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-furnace/
• The Dirt: https://www.equipmentworld.com/the-dirt
• Diesel and Iron YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/dieselandiron
• Diesel and Iron Academy: https://diesel-iron-academy.teachable.com

#ConstructionTechnology #RemoteOperation #FutureOfWork

Heavy civil contractors across North America are desperate for talent, but many wait until high school graduation to start recruiting. Amy Henningfield, Director of Workforce Development at Superior Construction, argues the industry doesn't have a labor shortage - it has a visibility shortage. By the time students reach their senior year, they have often been told construction is a "dirty" fallback plan for those who can't make it in college.

Superior Construction breaks this cycle by reaching kids in middle school and exposing young women to heavy equipment early. Amy explains why treating people like high-value infrastructure - using preventative maintenance and mentorship - is the only way to secure the industry's future. By showing students technology like drones and VR, contractors can replace outdated stereotypes with a high-tech career path.

🎯 BIGGEST TAKEAWAY [4:10]:

"It’s not just a workforce shortage, but again, it’s a visibility shortage. Getting people in the workforce doesn’t happen when you fill out an application. We have to bring awareness to it."

🎯 OTHER KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYS:

⚠️ PIPELINE RISK [9:40]:

Amy explains why human assets matter more than iron for long-term survival.

"You can buy another piece of equipment, but you can’t buy that generation of skilled workers. We have to invest in those people."

✨ GROWTH OPPORTUNITY [25:52]:

Paychecks don't stop turnover. Amy highlights how genuine support and inclusion build loyalty.

"Recruiting will get them here, but I think what our leadership does is what will keep them here. You have to give them a reason to stay. You’ve got to believe in them."

⚡ PERSONAL BREAKTHROUGH [33:55]:

Shrinking to fit in sabotages potential. Amy discusses the power of authenticity in a male-dominated field.

"Just be you. Don't change for anyone. There are so many opportunities out there for women in construction… just believe in yourself."

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - How Amy Found Her Purpose in Construction

02:24 - Solving the Construction Labor Shortage Through Visibility

05:08 - Workforce Development Ideas Every Contractor Can Use

08:44 - Why Investing in People Drives Long-Term Success

12:54 - How Girls’ Construction Camps Inspire Future Tradeswomen

18:06 - Recruiting the Next Generation of Construction Talent

25:08 - How to Build a Culture That Retains Great Employees

28:36 - Why Mentorship Creates Future Construction Leaders

34:24 - Why Construction Is a Career Full of Opportunity

39:58 - How EmpowerHER Is Changing the Future of Construction

CONEXPO-CON/AGG: CONEXPOCONAGG.com

CONEXPO-CON/AGG Newsletter: https://www.CONEXPOCONAGG.com/industry-news#sign-up

🔗 CONNECT WITH AMY HENNINGFIELD & SUPERIOR CONSTRUCTION:

• Amy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyhenningfieldmba/

• Superior’s Website: https://superiorconstruction.com/

• Superior Women in Construction (SWIC):

https://www.superiorconstruction.com/our-company/superior-women-in-construction-swic/

#ConstructionWorkforce #WomenInConstruction #WorkforceDevelopment