AI is already changing construction. The real question is whether your company is keeping up or quietly falling behind.

In this episode of Bridging the Gap, Todd Weyandt sits down with Shel Waggener, Chief Customer Officer at Lumber and former construction company president, to break down what AI adoption actually looks like inside a contractor’s business today.

This is not a future-focused conversation. It is a practical look at how AI is already showing up in the back office, in the field, and across workforce management. Shel shares why AI cannot be treated like just another tool, how “agentic AI” is eliminating administrative work, and what it really takes to build AI into your operations as a core capability.

The biggest shift is not technology. It is mindset. Contractors must move from doing the work to orchestrating it.

If you are not actively building AI into your workflows, your competitors will.

• Why AI in construction is happening faster than most leaders realize
• What “agentic AI” actually means in real workflows
• The most practical back office use cases you can deploy today
• How field data, computer vision, and site capture reduce rework
• Why AI should be treated as a workforce multiplier, not a threat
• How to create feedback loops to scale AI across your company

Shel Waggener is the Chief Customer Officer at Lumber, where he helps construction companies reimagine their back offices for the AI era. A former President of American Asphalt, Shel brings real operator experience to the conversation, combining deep knowledge of construction workflows with expertise in cloud, automation, and enterprise systems. His work focuses on helping contractors adopt practical AI solutions that drive efficiency, accuracy, and growth.

• Innovation requires pushing past the industry’s natural resistance to change
• AI success depends on exposing and scaling ideas across your teams
• The future belongs to contractors who think like conductors, not just doers

Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating and/or review and follow up our social accounts.

Bridging the Gap Website

Bridging the Gap LinkedIn

Bridging the Gap Instagram

Bridging the Gap YouTube

Todd’s LinkedIn

Shel's LinkedIn

Thank you to our sponsors!

Graitec North America

Graitec North America LinkedIn

Autodesk’s Website

What does leadership look like when things go wrong?

In this episode of Bridging the Gap, Todd Weyandt welcomes back Ed DeAngelis, CEO and Founder of EDA Contractors, for a powerful follow-up conversation on Humanity as a Strategy. One year later, the focus shifts from philosophy to reality. What happens when leadership is tested under pressure?

Ed shares how leading with humility, empathy, and emotional intelligence creates stronger teams, better decisions, and more resilient organizations. From high stress jobsite moments to everyday leadership habits, this episode challenges the traditional mindset of construction leadership and offers a better path forward.

If you want to build a culture where people perform at their best and stay engaged long term, this conversation delivers practical insights you can apply immediately.

• Why humility is critical for effective leadership and team performance
• How to stay calm and decisive during high pressure situations
• Why yelling does not drive long term results and what works instead
• How to build trust and psychological safety on construction teams
• Why caring for employees as people improves business outcomes
• How to prepare your team for challenges before they happen
• What the future of leadership in construction should look like

Ed DeAngelis is the CEO and Founder of EDA Contractors, Inc. Ed’s innovative personality has helped position EDA as a leader in the construction industry. He is known for his people-first leadership philosophy, Humanity as a Strategy, which focuses on building strong cultures through trust, empathy, and accountability.

Under Ed’s leadership, EDA Contractors has been recognized for three consecutive years as a Top Workplace in Philadelphia by the Philadelphia Inquirer. He is passionate about developing leaders at every level of the organization and helping reshape how the construction industry approaches leadership and culture.

Humility allows teams to function at a higher level. When leaders listen, invite feedback, and create space for ideas, teams become more engaged and collaborative. Ego shuts people down. Humility brings them in.

Leadership under pressure is not accidental. It is built through preparation. When teams know their roles and expectations ahead of time, leaders can stay calm and provide clarity when challenges arise.

Caring for employees is not just a cultural initiative. It is a strategic advantage. When leaders genuinely invest in their people, performance, loyalty, and long term success follow.

Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating and/or review and follow up our social accounts.

Bridging the Gap Website

Bridging the Gap LinkedIn

Bridging the Gap Instagram

Bridging the Gap YouTube

Todd’s LinkedIn

Ed’s LinkedIn

EDA Contractors, Inc Website

Thank you to our sponsors!

Graitec North America

Graitec North America LinkedIn

Autodesk’s Website

Drywall prefabrication is still in its growth phase.

In this episode of Prefab, Unfiltered, recorded live at Advancing Prefabrication, Todd Weyandt sits down with Kiryl Turbal to explore how drywall prefab can scale through tighter BIM workflows, better coordination, and a value stream mindset.

While electrical and mechanical trades have matured in prefabrication, drywall remains an evolving space. Success depends on treating prefab operations as strategic value streams, aligning design and field teams earlier, and acknowledging the real time required for coordination.

This conversation dives into BIM-to-fabrication workflows, communication gaps between modelers and foremen, the role of repetition in building maturity, and how AI and data security may influence future drywall prefab operations.

If you are involved in prefabrication, drywall construction, BIM coordination, modular construction, or industrialized building strategies, this episode offers practical insight into scaling an emerging prefab trade.

• Why drywall prefabrication requires a value stream mindset
• How BIM-to-fabrication workflows can improve drywall productivity
• Why coordination takes longer than most schedules allow
• The communication gaps between modelers and field crews
• How repetition and documented lessons drive prefab maturity
• Where drywall prefab stands compared to electrical and mechanical trades

Kiryl Turbal is Prefabrication Project Manager at TG McCorkney, where he focuses on drywall prefabrication and BIM-driven construction workflows. With a background in structural engineering and more than a decade in design, he brings technical rigor and process discipline to prefab operations.

His work centers on improving coordination, tightening BIM-to-fabrication processes, and building scalable workflows that support drywall prefab growth.

Prefab operations should be measured by throughput and value creation, not overhead. When leadership treats drywall prefab as strategic, scale becomes possible.

BIM-to-fabrication workflows require time and discipline. When coordination is compressed unrealistically, friction follows. Prefab maturity requires honest scheduling.

Drywall prefabrication is still evolving. Capturing lessons learned and standardizing workflows creates repeatability and long-term scale.

Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating and/or review and follow up our social accounts.

Bridging the Gap Website

Bridging the Gap LinkedIn

Bridging the Gap Instagram

Bridging the Gap YouTube

Todd’s LinkedIn

Kiryl’s LinkedIn

TJ McCartney’s Website

Thank you to our sponsors!

Graitec North America

Graitec North America LinkedIn

Autodesk’s Website

Automation is not hype. It is strategy.

In this episode of Prefab, Unfiltered, recorded live at Advancing Prefabrication, Todd Weyandt sits down with Ivan Yrupailla to explore how automation, AI, robotics, and structured systems are reshaping prefabrication operations.

As contractors push more work into controlled shop environments, success depends on more than software. It requires disciplined inventory control, defined production logic, supply chain visibility, and clear process design. Without strong operational foundations, automation simply accelerates inefficiency.

This conversation dives into how prefab teams can build scalable systems that improve speed, predictability, and competitive advantage.

If you are involved in prefabrication, modular construction, construction automation, robotics, or supply chain strategy, this episode delivers a forward-looking but practical perspective on what the next decade of industrialized construction may require.

• The difference between automation and artificial intelligence in prefab
• Why process logic must come before robotics implementation
• How inventory control and supply chain visibility drive production efficiency
• The role first-line operators play in improving systems
• Why automation may become a competitive necessity in construction
• How robotics could reshape prefabrication production lines

Ivan Urquaya is Director of Materials and Prefabrication at Ambient Mechanical, where he oversees supply chain strategy, inventory systems, safety stock management, and production flow within prefabrication operations.

His work focuses on building scalable operational systems that allow contractors to move more work into controlled environments while improving predictability and performance. With a forward-looking perspective on automation and robotics, Ivan brings a systems-driven mindset to industrialized construction.

Technology does not fix broken systems. Before implementing robotics or AI in prefabrication, teams must understand their processes, bottlenecks, and production logic. Automation scales systems. It does not correct poor ones.

The people closest to production often see inefficiencies first. Successful prefab operations create real feedback loops between leadership and shop-level teams to continuously improve workflows.

Automation in prefabrication is becoming a strategic advantage. Contractors who invest in structured operational systems will gain speed, cost, and predictability advantages. Those who delay risk falling behind as industrialized construction matures.

Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating and/or review and follow up our social accounts.

Bridging the Gap Website

Bridging the Gap LinkedIn

Bridging the Gap Instagram

Bridging the Gap YouTube

Todd’s LinkedIn

Ivan’s LinkedIn

AMPAM’s Website

Thank you to our sponsors!

Graitec North America

Graitec North America LinkedIn

Autodesk’s Website

Building components in a warehouse does not automatically make you a manufacturer.

In this episode of Prefab, Unfiltered, recorded live at Advancing Prefabrication, Todd Weyandt sits down with Jon Benson to explore what it truly means to transition from traditional construction to productized manufacturing in modular construction and prefabrication.

As industrialized construction matures, the conversation is shifting from “offsite construction” to serialization, guardrails, and repeatable systems. Scaling prefab requires more than space and labor. It requires product discipline, standardized workflows, and the willingness to protect the system.

This conversation dives into how modular construction companies can move beyond project-by-project customization and into scalable manufacturing models that protect margin, schedule, and quality.

If you are involved in prefabrication, modular construction, industrialized construction, or productized building systems, this episode offers a strategic look at what real manufacturing maturity requires.

• The difference between construction in a warehouse and true manufacturing
• Why serialization and productization are critical to scaling prefab
• How guardrails protect repeatability and profitability
• When to say no in order to protect standardization
• Why buyer maturity influences prefab adoption
• How product thinking reshapes modular construction strategy

Jon Benson brings more than two decades of experience in modular construction and industrialized manufacturing. With a background rooted in OEM and manufacturing environments, he has helped guide the evolution from offsite construction toward serialized, product-based building systems.

His perspective centers on discipline, repeatability, and aligning operational capability with market demand to create scalable prefab strategies.

True manufacturing requires repeatability, standardization, and product discipline. Without serialization and guardrails, prefabrication remains project-based and difficult to scale.

Mature prefab operations protect their systems. Not every customization should be accepted. Guardrails preserve margin, schedule, and quality across projects.

Scaling modular construction depends on procurement alignment. When owners and contractors understand and commit to standardized systems, prefab can move from one-off solutions to scalable programs.

Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating and/or review and follow up our social accounts.

Bridging the Gap Website

Bridging the Gap LinkedIn

Bridging the Gap Instagram

Bridging the Gap YouTube

Todd’s LinkedIn

Jon’s LinkedIn

TAS Energy’s Website

Thank you to our sponsors!

Graitec North America

Graitec North America LinkedIn

Autodesk’s Website

Prefabrication does not scale by accident. It scales through leadership, systems, and alignment.

In this episode of Prefab, Unfiltered, recorded live at Advancing Prefabrication, Todd Weyandt sits down with Steve Rose to explore what it really takes to grow prefabrication from a single fabrication shop into a regional operation.

As owners push for faster project delivery in data centers and mission-critical construction, contractors are being asked to scale prefabrication at an accelerated pace. But scaling is not just about square footage or automation. It requires workforce development, operational discipline, and clear communication across the shop, field, and back office.

This conversation unpacks how prefabrication has evolved from a contractor-driven margin strategy to an owner-driven speed-to-market mandate and what leaders must do to adapt.

If you are involved in prefabrication, modular construction, electrical contracting, or industrialized construction strategy, this episode offers a seasoned perspective on scaling the right way.

• How prefabrication has shifted from margin protection to owner-driven speed
• What it takes to scale from one fabrication shop to multiple regional facilities
• Why workforce development is central to prefab growth
• How to define success across shop, field, and leadership teams
• The role communication plays in scaling industrialized construction
• Why alignment matters more than automation

Steve Rose brings more than four decades of experience in the electrical trade, workforce development, and prefabrication. An early adopter of fabrication and packaging strategies, he has helped scale operations from single-shop environments to regional fabrication networks.

His leadership perspective bridges field experience, shop operations, and executive strategy, offering a grounded view of what it takes to grow prefabrication sustainably and effectively.

Prefab once focused on contractor efficiency. Today, it is often driven by owners demanding faster delivery in data center and mission-critical construction. That shift raises expectations and accelerates the need for scalable fabrication systems.

Opening additional fabrication facilities requires more than capital investment. It demands alignment across teams, clear metrics of success, disciplined systems, and leaders who understand both manufacturing and field execution.

Technology alone does not drive prefab adoption. Clear communication between shop, field, and leadership teams builds trust and momentum. Industrialized construction scales when people are aligned.

Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating and/or review and follow up our social accounts.

Bridging the Gap Website

Bridging the Gap LinkedIn

Bridging the Gap Instagram

Bridging the Gap YouTube

Todd’s LinkedIn

Steve’s LinkedIn

NetZero Plus Electrical Training Institute

Thank you to our sponsors!

Graitec North America

Graitec North America LinkedIn

Autodesk’s Website

Prefabrication does not fail because of technology. It fails because of systems and culture.

In this episode of Prefab, Unfiltered, recorded live at Advancing Prefabrication, Todd Weyandt sits down with Jim Wallner to explore what it really takes to scale prefabrication inside an electrical contractor.

Moving work into a shop is not the same as building a manufacturing operation. Scaling prefab requires systems, realistic goals, inventory discipline, and field trust. Without those foundations, even the best intentions can create resistance and friction.

This conversation dives into the operational realities of industrialized construction, how to avoid forcing prefab onto crews, and why sometimes the right strategic decision is to say no.

If you are involved in prefabrication, modular construction, electrical contracting, or manufacturing-based construction delivery, this episode offers a grounded and practical perspective on what actually works.

• Why forcing prefabrication creates field resistance
• The difference between construction thinking and manufacturing thinking
• How to set achievable prefab goals
• When not to fabricate and why that discipline matters
• How grassroots shop training builds long-term adoption
• What systems are required to scale industrialized construction

Jim Wallner began his career in sales and manufacturing before transitioning into the electrical trade at Staff Electric. He later shifted his focus toward growing and systematizing the company’s fabrication operations.

With experience on both the manufacturing and field sides of the business, Jim brings a practical and disciplined perspective to scaling prefabrication inside a real-world contracting environment. His approach centers on achievable goals, strong systems, and earning buy-in through results.

Prefab adoption must be earned. When leadership mandates fabrication without proving value to the field, resistance grows. Prefabrication scales when it consistently makes installation easier and more predictable.

Construction rewards speed. Manufacturing rewards discipline. Scaling prefabrication requires documentation, inventory management, realistic production planning, and repeatable workflows. Without systems, efficiency does not appear.

Not every project should be fabricated. Strategic discipline means knowing when prefab adds value and when it introduces unnecessary risk. Scaling prefab is about doing the right work in the shop, not simply doing more work there.

Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating and/or review and follow up our social accounts.

Bridging the Gap Website

Bridging the Gap LinkedIn

Bridging the Gap Instagram

Bridging the Gap YouTube

Todd’s LinkedIn

Jim’s LinkedIn

Staff Electric’s Website

Thank you to our sponsors!

Graitec North America

Graitec North America LinkedIn

Autodesk’s Website

BIM does not fail because of software. It fails when the field does not trust it.

In this episode of Prefab, Unfiltered, recorded live at Advancing Prefabrication, Todd Weyandt sits down with Max Morgan and Matt Goshon to explore how BIM, VDC, and prefabrication connect to real jobsite execution.

As data center construction accelerates and modular construction strategies scale, digital workflows must translate into buildable outcomes. That requires early collaboration, clear communication, and a shared source of truth across project teams.

This conversation dives into how to earn field buy-in, prove prefab value early, and align BIM, project management, and installation crews from day one.

If you are working in prefabrication, modular construction, BIM, VDC, or mission-critical construction, this episode delivers practical insight into making digital construction execution real and repeatable.

• Why field trust is critical to successful BIM and prefabrication
• How to prove prefab value early in a project lifecycle
• The importance of a shared source of truth across project teams
• How early collaboration reduces friction between design and installation
• Why standardization drives repeatability in modular construction

Max Morgan began his career as a union wireman before transitioning into BIM and VDC, bringing firsthand field experience into digital modeling and prefabrication strategy. His work focuses on connecting constructability with modeling to ensure real-world installation success.

Matt Goshon brings a background in analytics and systems thinking into the prefabrication and BIM environment. His experience centers on aligning data, workflows, and field execution to create scalable and repeatable digital construction processes.

Together, they operate at the intersection of BIM, VDC, and electrical prefabrication, with a strong focus on field alignment and operational trust.

Advanced modeling tools are not enough. Prefabrication scales when digital teams earn credibility through accuracy, responsiveness, and constructability. Trust must be built early and consistently.

First deliverables matter. When prefab packages save time and reduce rework, adoption accelerates. When they create friction, confidence drops quickly. Early wins drive long-term success.

Disconnected systems create confusion. Alignment across BIM, prefabrication, and project management requires shared information and standardized workflows. That alignment enables repeatable outcomes across projects.

Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating and/or review and follow up our social accounts.

Bridging the Gap Website

Bridging the Gap LinkedIn

Bridging the Gap Instagram

Bridging the Gap YouTube

Todd’s LinkedIn

Matt’s LinkedIn

Max’s LinkedIn

Archkey’s Website

Thank you to our sponsors!

Graitec North America

Graitec North America LinkedIn

Autodesk’s Website