2017 was a year of great growth for VIP Structures and its companies. We had 44 new hires, including interns. These hires included females, minorities and military veterans. Senior leadership, now made up of 33% women, demonstrated commitment in expanding all teams to include diverse perspectives and cultural competence. Hiring practices were deliberate in creating more of a community representation amongst our workforce.
Our 2017 hires are spread out by department as follows:
Construction – Field: 13
Construction – Office: 8
Architecture: 3
VIP General: 2
Development/Property Management: 3
Finance/Accounting: 1
IPD Engineering: 8
Marketing/Business Development: 1
A large part of the 2017 growth was a result of developing a team in our Construction department to support Ken Osmun, our President of Construction, and his vision for increasing that division of the company. An example of a significant milestone from last year was the promotion of a new hire, Jennifer Esterly, to the first female construction project manager in company history.
Another notable move saw Sam Cosamano, President of IPD Engineering (part of the VIP enterprise), expand his team to Buffalo. He saw opportunity there and opened a satellite office in the area, adding 4 talented professionals and placing our footprint in the western New York area.
The hiring trend is continuing into 2018 with our Construction team looking to begin work on the redevelopment and construction of the Post Standard Building. The 2018 industry outlook, as reported by CenterState CEO, is 100% growth for A&E (architecture and engineering), and 41% growth for construction. The top pressure for all three of these industries is hiring. The most significant environmental factor to impact our business in 2018 and beyond is workforce and talent. Attracting and retaining talented individuals will be a top priority.
Over the next 5 years, the projected employee growth for all of the VIP companies is approximately 30%, with a target of 35-40 new hires to new positions through 2022. Some of our planned recruitment efforts for the coming year include employee referral bonuses, more community outreach, and fostering positive relationships with local businesses, colleges and universities. Our planned retention efforts will look at industry trends and creative ways to invest in our employees.
As we continue to grow, we are always looking to add new members to our team. If you are focused on excellence, determined to deliver, and enjoy working in a close-knit team environment, you may have just found a better way to grow.
For more information, please visit our careers page or call Cynthia Hernandez, VP Organizational Development at 315-471-5338.