As they undertake projects across three continents for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Haskell’s construction teams build more than temples. They build local businesses into trusted partners and positively influence the communities where they work.
As Haskell’s JCLDS Program seeks an International Project Manager to lead those efforts, the ability to locate, procure and train local subcontractors will be one of the main differentiators among candidates.
“Vendor selection and procurement is a large part of the role,” said Tyler Christensen, a Director of Project Development in Haskell’s Religious & Cultural Division. “The client has really appreciated our ability to source difficult trades locally and then train them up. It has been incredibly successful.”
Christensen has been a member of the team for nine of his 11 years with the company. One personal experience when he was the Project Manager on a temple project in Colombia is indicative of the difference Haskell has made – for the church and for the local community.
On several previous international Temple projects, he recalled, it was common for other General Contractors (GCs) to use American companies to ensure that quality expectations were met for finish trades. While this approach is lower-risk, it is also one of the least cost-effective.
Christensen took a different tack.
“We cast a net over the whole drywall industry in Colombia,” he recalled. “We traveled all over the country and vetted over a dozen companies. There were a lot of mom-and-pop operations since it’s just not a developed industry there. But there was one we felt had enough potential, and we believed we could help them be successful. Ultimately. we coached them through the project and the strategy was very successful. Not only did we deliver a quality job for a fraction of the cost, but that drywall company is working on their third temple, because they now have the experience and know how to do it.
“Another example is that through our investigations we discovered an amazing millwork company out of Bogota that no one had ever used before on these types of projects. Now they're on their fifth or sixth temple project. This is something we do that most other GCs don't. It really set us apart, and we want to continue that tradition.”
The temple projects are challenging and require exacting finish work. But they are all very similar, which allows regional firms the opportunity not only to learn and hone their craft but become a trusted partner to one the biggest international temple builders in the world.
“For subcontractors, there's a great opportunity within this program to have repeat projects,” he said. “There is definitely incentive for them to do well. If they do well, we'll have this relationship for a long time.”
In addition to finding and developing local talent, successful Project Managers generally have some previous international experience and the ability to manage financial performance. The combination of the two – dealing with multinational taxes, international import duties and exchange rates that are constantly changing – is a huge advantage.
In return, Haskell offers the opportunity to join a rock-solid and fast-growing company that operates with the direction of six strategic pillars, the first of which is to “Provide Team Members the BEST Job of Their Lives.” Team members receive full health and insurance plans, wellness resources and meaningful work/life balance solutions, including paid time off, a 401k match and an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), which creates stock ownership for everyone who is full-time.
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