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Construction is an incredible thing that shapes the world around us. Because of construction, we have amazing spaces – schools, stadiums, houses and MORE – which we use every day. Construction can get loud and messy, and projects may take a long time. But the magic of construction creates things which last forever!

By Melody Finnemore

Andrew Colas

Andrew Colas, author of “A Kids Book About Construction” in partnership with Portland’s Colas Construction Inc., said he was inspired to write the book so that children and their parents could see the industry as he experienced it when he was growing up.“It comes from my love for the industry and wanting to make sure more youth and parents see all the really exciting aspects and elements that exist in the industry and exposing youth and their parents to the industry in a different way,” he said.

Colas Construction was founded by Hermann Colas Jr., who was born in Haiti in 1948 and was the eldest son of eight children. His father, a Haitian entrepreneur, owned and operated a successful distillery until the country’s unstable political climate made it difficult to remain productive.

After relocating to Brooklyn, New York, and serving a stint in the U.S. Army, Hermann Colas moved to Portland in 1974. He and his wife, Roberta, raised their three children here while Colas earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science at Portland State University.

In the early 1980s, he began purchasing, renovating and managing rental properties, bringing Andrew with him as his little apprentice. Hermann encouraged his daughter, Aneshka, to pursue a degree in accounting and, in addition to son Alexander, the trio of siblings serve as executive members of Colas Construction.

“I got to see how it all comes together, from the estimators who put together budgets to the tradespeople building forms and steel craftspeople who erect buildings to the project managers running the projects,” Andrew Colas said.

While he has written a few small op-eds in the past, Colas said writing the children’s book offered a different kind of perspective. “I really enjoyed it because it gave me an opportunity to reflect on the industry and how buildings take shape and how to speak to youth and their parents.”

Colas noted that the experience helped to reinvigorate his passion about the industry, especially when he considers how technology is leading to some “very exciting” advances over the coming decade.

“This is a way to create a legacy and I think the more people are exposed to it, the more people will have pride in wanting to be part of the industry,” he said, adding the response to the book since it was published last October has been overwhelmingly positive.

“What has been most interesting has been hearing about parents reading it to their kids and realizing some of the misnomers they had about the industry, and parents getting excited about their kids growing up and being part of the industry,” Colas said.