91视频

It’s auspicious timing that the regional president of the largest highway material supplier in Oregon will serve as president of the largest construction group in the state during the 2017 legislative session 鈥� it could see the largest transportation bill passed in more than a decade.

Brian Gray, who heads Knife River Corp.’s Northwest division, is optimistic about the year ahead. He’s also energetic about safety 鈥� especially in highway work zones, where multiple Knife River employees have been killed by distracted drivers.

Gray was installed as the 2017 president of Associated General Contractors’ Oregon-Columbia chapter at the group’s annual business meeting in Portland earlier this month.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

91视频: What’s your approach to management?

Brian Gray: My philosophy is this: building relationships is really the most important thing we build in our industry and at Knife River. I would say I built my career on that ability 鈥� whether it’s with a disgruntled employee or a neighbor that doesn’t necessarily want to have a rock pit or an asphalt plant next door to them, to customers, to our competitors.

I emphasize this strongly with our new supervisors and foremen. They’ve got to be technically good at their jobs, yeah, but they will excel at their jobs if they have the ability to build relationships with their co-workers and vendors and everybody else involved with the process.

91视频: In that case, how do you train emotional intelligence into your staff?

Gray: I’m a hands-on manager, so I like to watch the interactions between our managers and our team members out in the field. There has to be a level of respect. Former Sen. Frank Morse taught me that you have to treat everybody with integrity and lead by example with your work ethic.

Our industry is very competitive. We attract a lot of type A personalities. But I want people who operate without a big ego. They’re thinking about things with their head, but their ultimate decisions are coming from their heart.

91视频: I know you’re a big proponent of safety. How do you foster a fun workplace while still following OSHA guidelines to the letter of the law?

Gray: Some people think 鈥渇un鈥� and their mind goes to hoses and water fights and stuff. To me, we’re serious 鈥� very serious 鈥� but there has to be a balance. In every situation we go into, there’s stress. But if you go into it with your head up and a can-do attitude, it’ll become contagious. We all get paid, but the job satisfaction comes from getting to that spot.

91视频: This could be a huge year for transportation policy in Oregon and nationally. As head of Knife River and president of AGC, how will you balance those interests?

Gray: There’s a direct benefit to Knife River by being involved in AGC, no doubt. It’s unique that I get to be a part of an association alongside a lot of our customers vs. being in an industry association where you’re in competition with each other.

But the stars lined up perfect for me to be involved in AGC during the 2017 legislative session. It’s going to have the transportation plan, as well as other fiscal challenges. As you know, Knife River was really involved in the campaign to defeat ballot Measure 97. It would have had a significant impact on our company, and, quite frankly, to the entire economy.

91视频: Which would you prefer our legislators focus on when drafting the transportation package 鈥� new construction or maintenance?

Gray: Once the roads and bridges start to crack, once water starts working its way into the sub-base, now, instead of doing just a resurfacing or maintenance project, you’re doing a complete rebuild. And here in Oregon, it’s crumbing; it’s all starting to fall apart. As a taxpayer, I’d rather spend a couple thousand dollars next year than ten thousand dollars in three or four years.

All of our neighbors are getting transportation plans, and we’re seeing some of our workforce migrate out of the state to follow the transportation dollars. We have a portable asphalt plant that we moved to Idaho because of that lack of asphalt paving that ODOT has scheduled for this year. I’m not proud of that, but we’ve got to keep our equipment and our people moving. ODOT is going to pave about one-half of what they paved in 2016.

91视频: The labor shortage 鈥� what are your unique ideas?

Gray: AGC spends about a quarter-million dollars on workforce development. We have over a dozen partners that we support when it comes to workforce development. So I would say we are invested. We are huge proponents of Measure 98 and getting CTE (career and technical education) in the classrooms. To magnify the success of our investment, I’d like to focus on a mentor-prot茅g茅 project, and by building relationships with high school administrators and school officials and really engaging our members.

91视频: So that’s how you want to target millennials. What about women and minorities?

Gray: It’s back to building those relationships, and I’d say they need to be a little more tangible than in the past. To me there’s no better place to learn than a structured, successful business. With ODOT projects, I’d like to see some kind of credit or component go out to companies that already have a diverse workforce and training future owners of successful companies.

91视频: I know you’re from the business world, but politics is everywhere now. Architect groups have spoken out against President Donald Trump’s idea for a border wall. How do you feel?

Gray: I would say this: my focus is in Oregon. I don’t see how the building of the wall will directly impact our business in Oregon. We obviously strongly support Trump’s infrastructure plan, so I hope building the wall doesn’t pull funds that could otherwise be going to bridges and roads.

91视频: There’s also been a lot of talk about rolling back Obama-era regulations. What regulations should be kept in place?

Gray: I think a lot of the regulations that have been passed in the last eight years have been unnecessary and really unfounded, as far as good science and engineering. There has to be a balance focused around good principles, good science and good engineering. And not having this become political. Regulations should not be political. Unfortunately they have been in the past, and could become more so.

91视频: You have a 鈥榁ision Zero’-style attitude about highway work zone safety. What needs to be done next to get to zero fatalities?

Gray: The ideal for work zone for safety has a positive barrier between the workers and the traveling public 鈥� that’s the vision we have. But that’s not always possible.

Look at those guys over there in orange vests [points across the street to a crew of electrical workers]. They’re separated from traffic by a little orange cone. And you see the same thing going down I-5 at night 鈥� a little three-foot orange cone separating a speeding truck from a group of eight people working. It can just be disastrous.

My vision is that 10, 20 years from now, we would not believe what we’re seeing. It’d be like somebody not wearing their seatbelt today, or somebody having a baby seat in the front seat. We wouldn’t be able to believe our eyes, even though today it’s the norm.