Ep. 128: Managing the Stress of Construction with Ryan Priestly

CONEXPO – CON/AGG Podcast: Construction Business Insights For Contractors

Joining Taylor White on the podcast this week is Ryan Priestly, President of Priestly Demolition, who you may know from the show Salvage Kings on the History Channel. Ryan kicks off the episode by discussing the scope of Priestly Demolition’s work, from bringing down power plants to bridge demolitions to asbestos abatement - taking on projects both big and small along the way. He shares his background as a second-generation industry member, having taken over the business from his father fifteen years ago, and how he’s worked to hone his workers’ skills and create a harmonious team who work together effectively. He also discusses Salvage Kings, the impact the show had on his business, the challenges involved in making it, and why Priestly won’t be returning for its third season.

Next, Taylor and Ryan delve into some of the big issues facing the industry right now, including the impact of inflation and the likelihood of an economic course correction. They also chat about stress relief and how to achieve a work/life balance and maintain your well-being in an industry that doesn’t always make it easy to sit back and appreciate your achievements. Taylor then asks Ryan to share some of his most memorable “Oh, man” projects, the ones that caused the biggest headaches, and Ryan describes some of the unique and challenging projects he’s been involved in over the years along with the lessons he learned from them. And finally, Ryan closes the show by sharing what’s up next for him and the business, including some ambitious plans for growth and bringing on the next generation of Priestly Demolition employees, including his son and nephews.

Topics:

• Inheriting the family business
• The impact of Salvage Kings
• Inflation and its impact on the industry
• Ryan’s most memorable “Oh, man” project
• What’s next for Ryan and Priestly Demolition

Quotes:

“I guess the biggest issue for them, it’s just not their specialty, it’s just not their skill set. So at the same token, it’s not really something they want to put a whole lot of time and energy into. Whereas we thrive on it, we want to come up with a plan that’s going to work for everyone, and we want to come up with a plan that’s going to make it efficient and safe and get done on time.”

“The question with inflation that really, as a business owner, is like, what’s the number? Is it 3%? Is it 8%? Is it 5%? Is it 22%? Is it 13%? And, you know, I just feel like there’s a real disconnect on what’s happening, percentage-wise.”

“Not a lot makes sense right now, and I think there’s got to be some kind of correction coming just with real estate and priced-up fuel and inflation. But I don’t think it’s going to be huge. I don’t think the correction is going to be 50% or anything like that.”

“As far as facing challenges on a daily basis, the contracting business is pretty out there for that, as far as I’m concerned. It’s just a very challenging job day in and day out. It’s the amount of hills you’ve got to climb on a given day.”

“I learned that you need to have a goal. At least then, we’re all going in the same direction. You don’t want to lose complete touch with reality. It’s great to have a goal and stuff like that, but at the end of the day, if it’s not in the cards, it’s not in the cards.”

“It's just nice to see that people are enjoying their time here and that people are making a career out of Priestly, which is super awesome.”

Links:

Taylor White on LinkedIn

Priestly Demolition Inc

To learn more about the 2023 CONEXPO-CON/AGG Show and to register, go to: https://www.conexpoconagg.com/show-experience