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In a world of hard hats and construction grit, one might not expect a lot of emotion.
But in 2022, emotions ran high at Standard Drywall Inc. in Corona. The family-run company lost its patriarch, Robert Caya, in late 2021. The company’s foundation, built by a man who believed in family and respect, was rocked to its core.
Blaine Caya, Robert’s son and SDI’s executive vice president, credits the entire team for holding him up on wobbly days, of which there were many.
“I’m just lucky to be surrounded by great people,” he said in an interview just before the company’s holiday party. “It really is valuable to hear your boss is a vulnerable person but also just willing to admit sometimes that I’ll need your help. We only learn and get better.”
The company got its start as a subcontractor in the drywall trade back in 1955. In the ensuing years, SDI has grown into a powerhouse, working on commercial projects in California and across the U.S.
This year, SDI marked another milestone, landing its second consecutive honor as the top small business in the Inland News Group’s annual Top Workplaces program. The team of 60 at the company’s Corona headquarters works with teams in six other regions in the U.S., handling projects in Las Vegas, Utah, Texas, Wyoming and Livermore.
We asked Caya to share more about how he and his brother Robert, the company’s president, will continue building on their father’s legacy. His answers have been edited for length.
Q: The company won as a small business, but it seems much larger than that. How many people work in Corona?
A: We have 60 here in our corporate offices but at least 200 employees in the field.
There have been tradesmen that have worked for us since they were 18 years old. Standard Drywall has become a place where people go to work, have a career and finish their career. They’re the ones that do the magic. These guys are artists. You’ve probably walked into a building and seen a beautiful soffit, and you just go, ‘How did they do that?’ Yeah, it’s incredible to see what they do.
Q: Last year, you told us that you were struggling just a bit in the hiring category because it was tough to find those people. How was 2022 Was it equally tough?
A: It’s eased a little bit … We have brought on a lot of new people. We’re seeing a lot of attrition with other companies, and we’ve been the recipient of some good people that have left other drywall companies. So and we’ve done a lot with our HR department; done a lot of work fairs in different states. And going to those work fairs has actually turned out to be really, really good for us bringing on young people and seeing some young people that are really gung ho about finding a career in the construction industry. So, so that’s actually been a good thing, too. We never used to do that.
Q: In a construction company, I would imagine that working from home is a thing of the past now, right?
A: A lot of industries have seen it where the work-at-home thing has kind of taken off. And for us, it’s kind of a questionable thing. We really haven’t had a lot of that because, again, it’s such a hands-on business. And I think honestly, including myself, if I didn’t have the office to go to to see my extended family, I don’t know what I would do.
Q: How do you maintain that family feel?
A: We have teams and project managers that go out every other weekend. They go and golf on a Saturday or Sunday. You don’t see that a lot. And because they become friends because they work together, it’s not about people stepping on each other to get ahead. It’s about people working together to make the company successful.
Q: There’s talk of a recession or a slowdown this year. Will that hurt SDI?
A: We have a pretty healthy backlog, which is nice. The great thing about our backlog that we have is that we have a lot of hospital work. Public works — where the money’s at — helps us out in the future.
I just see the next three to five years as being a very, very important time for SDI because that big, big backlog is going to be going. We’re in these hospitals or mega-hospitals that have long pre-construction phases for two to three years. We’ve put boots on the ground. We have a decent amount of work going on right now. Those projects include the UCLA Harbor hospital, which which is $100 million job for us, and the UC Davis Hospital, which is another mega-project.
Q: What advice would you give another company looking to improve its culture?
A: Number one: being positive and always be true to your word. Be true to your employees, show them you care. I just think that it’s vital that you will take the time to listen to them.
Standard Drywall Inc.
Founded: 1983
Industry: building construction
Headquarters: Corona
Website: standarddrywall.com
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