Blog Entries

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a member of the Miron team? Below is some insight into what makes our team members tick.

Andrew Daniels | Cedar Rapids, Iowa

What is a typical day at Miron Construction like for you?
Never a dull moment! There are a few hours of calm in the morning before people get into the office that I use to work on cost-related items and larger projects that I need to concentrate harder on. Throughout the day there is a lot of follow up with subcontractors, coordinating changes to the project, schedule, materials and submittals and looking ahead to ensure that items will be available on the job site when needed. There are owner/architect meetings to answer any questions regarding progress and coordinate problematic or under-designed details that arise throughout construction. The end of the day is typically spent preparing for the next day’s meetings and looking ahead to make sure we are prepared for our upcoming work.

What is the best part of your day?
Seeing progress on the job site, knowing all of the hard work that goes on to make it possible. Watching owners/occupants enjoy their new spaces.

What is the most challenging part of your day?
Dealing with contractors who are not bought into to the common goal of completing the project on time.

What is one thing you wish you knew when you started your career in project management?
The time commitment that running a successful project takes.

What projects are you most proud of? Why?
Two come to mind. One was the Cedar Rapids Convention Center and Hotel. This was one of Miron’s largest projects in the area in quite some time, and it helped revitalize a downtown area that had been mostly vacant after the floods of 2008 and gave Miron a lot of positive exposure to people in the area. The second would be the Miracle League Field Project in Appleton, which provided a handicap-accessible baseball field and playground for the Miracle League chapter that was started in the area. I was there for their opening day games two years in a row and seeing the amount of joy that the facility brings to the people who use it and can play a sport that may have been unimaginable prior was priceless.

On average, how many job sites do you visit per day?
It depends on the size of the project.

What is something you would say the general public does not know about the construction industry?
Although concrete reaches its design strength in 7-28 days, it continues to cure and gain strength for years to come.

Where do you see the industry going in the future? What will it look like in the next 20 years?
I believe there will be a lot more prefabricated/unitized items used in buildings due to the deceasing number of people joining the trades and the tight schedules that owners are requesting for their buildings.

How do you spend your free time?
Boating, hunting, and woodworking.