If talented people keep leaving, the root cause is rarely the logo or the perks. Most resignations begin with daily friction: unclear expectations, shifting priorities, or a sense of being unseen. A manager is the lens through which the company is experienced, so your habits can either build loyalty or quietly push people out the door.

Keep people by making work predictable and respectful. Set a clear definition of success, give timely feedback, and protect focus time from chaos. Notice strengths and use them assign ownership that matches what someone does best. When you must correct, be direct about the behavior and supportive about the person; that combination creates trust.

Turn retention into a system. Hold weekly 1:1s that surface obstacles early, then remove one blocker before it becomes frustrating. Ask, “What would make this job great for you?” and act on one answer each month. Track patterns in departures and internal transfers, and treat them as signals about management quality, not as unavoidable churn.

Hold weekly 1:1s, remove one blocker, and recognize one strength in every meeting.

STO Building Group operates as a family of construction companies building across the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands. Founded in 1971, it has grown to more than 5,700 employees across 54 offices, combining local execution with a broader platform.

Its promise is range without chaos. STOBG positions itself to tackle new builds, renovations, and repositioning work across sectors, while offering specialized services such as commissioning, procurement solutions, global services with collaborative delivery models, mass timber, sustainability and wellness support, and virtual design and construction that extends beyond basic clash detection to real-time coordination.

The strategic bet is that scale should simplify, not complicate. STOBG describes a model in which each builder maintains its own heritage and business approach while sharing resources such as real-time data, lessons learned, trade relationships, bonding, and buying power. Done well, that shared backbone reduces handoff risk, strengthens predictability, and keeps accountability close to the jobsite.

A shared platform, combined with local accountability, turns many builders into a single predictable partner.

Missouri DOT will close the Route E West Honey Creek Bridge on Feb. 23 for replacement work expected to run through July 2026. The closure is part of the Northwest Bridge Bundle, a design-build effort to replace or rehabilitate 31 bridges in poor condition across north-central Missouri.

Bundle contracting changes the business math. One team can standardize details, reuse crews and equipment, and keep fabrication and material orders predictable rather than bidding dozens of small jobs. But the community feels each closure immediately, even on low-volume roads, because detours affect school routes, farm moves, and emergency response.

The smartest builders treat bundled bridge work like a production system, not a string of one-offs. Verify site conditions early, lock detour and access plans with local partners, and sequence work to protect haul routes and minimize rework. Owners who publish a simple closure calendar and hold teams accountable for reopening dates get the real payoff: faster delivery with fewer claims.

Bundle work, but plan detours and access before closures.

The rules around buyer-agent pay are changing how new homes are sold. Under the NAR settlement practice changes, buyers typically sign a written representation agreement before touring, and agent compensation is no longer shown in MLS listings, pushing more negotiation into the open.

Builders are adapting by treating agent pay like any other concession. Some are offering a clear co-op amount, others shift value into closing-cost credits or mortgage buydowns that preserve recorded prices. But the transition can confuse first-time buyers, and it raises the risk of last-minute deal friction when paperwork and expectations do not match.

The advantage goes to builders who make the process simple. Publish a standard policy for agent compensation, registration, and how credits are applied, then train sales teams to explain it in plain language. Buyers should lock their agent agreement early, ask exactly how compensation is paid, and compare offers using total monthly payment, not just headline incentives.

Publish agent compensation policies; clarity keeps sales moving under new rules.

Morning, crew. Before production ramps up, we are staging materials the right way. Stack, rack, block, or interlock every tier so it cannot slide, fall, or collapse. Keep aisles and walk paths clear for safe travel and equipment movement. Do not store materials near floor openings or edges. If you see a leaning stack, broken pallet, or loose banding, stop and fix it before anyone works nearby.

Unstable storage creates struck-by and crush hazards, and it also forces people into bad walking routes. Height is not the only issue; uneven ground, wind, vibration, and poor blocking can make a small pile fail. Keep heavy items low, keep cylindrical items racked or chocked, and keep bagged products stepped back and keyed so they stay put. Use equipment for heavy bundles, never climb stacks, and never work with your body between a stack and a fixed object.

Everyone owns storage safety. Before you walk away from a delivery, look at stability, blocking, and where the stack sits in relation to travel paths and edges. Keep the storage area tidy so debris does not hide hazards and so you can see movement early. If a stack is questionable, do not try to catch it or straighten it by hand. Clear the area, get help, and rebuild it correctly.

Stack it solid, keep aisles clear, and prevent one preventable struck by injury today.

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