In All We Do

I have always loved visiting our jobsites. It never gets old. Even thirteen years into my career with Elite Construction, I remain in awe of the entire process. Seeing our beautiful projects rising from the earth is exciting, but more than that, it is the time I get to spend with our team that makes my heart happy. Standing on a concrete slab as the architect and engineer review and revise plans, while the project manager, estimator, and superintendent offer their input for consideration regarding potential resolutions and improvements leaves me giddy at the collaboration on display.

Recently, I spent the afternoon with John Worthridge on the 4th Avenue South Hernandez project. John was excited to share with me all of the progress that he and his team have made on the 13,000-square-foot home. We spent over an hour touring the project, and I was impressed once again by how our Core Values are inherent to the employees who make up the Elite Construction family.

Honesty. 

John has spent thousands of hours on the Hernandez project. He has been the superintendent since it began in July of 2021. He watched the pilings being set, the slab being poured, the walls going up, and the trusses fly. Then, in late September of 2022, he and his team secured the site the best they could and headed home to prepare their personal properties for Hurricane Ian. John watched the site camera until the water covered the lens; then he said a prayer and called the clients. "I promised them I would get back to the site as soon as I could. I promised I would do everything in my power to save their home."

Innovation.

In the following days, when the streets of Naples were closed to all but law enforcement, and there was no way to access the Hernandez project by land, John called his best friend, Lucas, and asked for a favor. Two hours later, and twenty-seven hours after landfall, John and Lucas landed on shore in Lucas's bowrider. They moored the boat to what remained of the neighbor's dock and called the Hernandez family with an update before slipping back out to sea. The entire ground floor of the home had been compromised, but John was undaunted as he began formulating the plan that would allow them to move forward as soon as possible. John's quick thinking and out-of-the-box action allowed him to assess the condition of the Hernandez's home and begin planning the repairs days before access was granted . 

Integrity.

Five days later, when the area was finally deemed safe to enter, John and his crew were the first to drive their trucks into Port Royal. John held true to his promise and began doing the hard work required to save the Hernandez's dream home. Many of our subcontractors were still out of town, tending to their families and trying to make their way back to Naples and surrounding areas after being evacuated, so John and his team took on the tasks of electricians, plumbers, and framers. For the first two weeks, they took turns sleeping at the house, keeping it secure until the lower-level security could be reactivated. 

Communication.

Additionally, John and his team worked tirelessly with the architects and structural engineers to ensure that the home was safe and work could proceed. While he was stuck at home, waiting for the all-clear, John had been reaching out to the subs, arranging for repairs and scheduling work so that when they were able to move forward, everyone would know what was needed. Thanks to John and his team, the Hernandez project only lost three weeks on the schedule. Other similar projects nearby took six months to recover.

Passion.

When I asked John what his favorite part of the Hernandez project has been, his face lit up, and he guided me to the outdoor living area. John beamed as he showed me the custom mural being painted on the surrounding wall. He explained that the Hernandez family had flown in a family artifact, a six-foot section of wall from a family home in Spain, and asked if we could match the texture and technique to expand the beautiful artwork to extend the entire eighty-seven feet of deck length. "Of course we could," John said as he smiled. "Julia, can you identify the original section?" I looked for ten minutes, scouring each panel, and finally had to admit that I could not. 

John lives our Core Values. 

Every. Day. 

They are part of who he is, and I am so glad that John is part of who we are.

Thank you, John. Proud of you and grateful to be on your team!

(Submitted by Julia Bilotti, Assistant Director of Education & Training)