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PB hit the jackpot when it hired Marge Lauer.As Northern Area Manager for the Midwest region of the Construction Services company, Marge has provided the subsidiary an opportunity to build upon the success of the Americas Infrastructure company in solidifying PB as a local player in the State of Michigan.Marge opened a Construction Services company area office in Lansing, Michigan, immediately after joining PB as Michigan Area Manager in February 2000. Why Lansing? Marge's first order of business was to make PB local and recognizable. Lansing, the state capital, is centrally located in the state, and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is headquartered there. So Marge, a native of Michigan and a 20-plus-year veteran of MDOT, set up shop in Lansing and immediately began pursuing, winning and personally managing construction projects.Thirty-six employees of the Construction Services company and the Americas Infrastructure company now work together seamlessly, regularly sharing knowledge and expertise. Marge has even been teaming with the Infrastructure group to provide continuous constructibility reviews on its design job on I-94 in Kalamazoo, which she hopes to expand into a construction management assignment.In the meantime, MDOT began significantly reducing its internal staff by implementing an early retirement program. With MDOT's decision to outsource construction management services, Marge contacted a number of her former peers, recruited some of MDOT's best talent and assembled an exceptionally experienced team for the Lansing office. "I came to rely on my excellent project managers, project engineers and inspectors to manage our jobs and satisfy our clients, which freed me up to focus on winning more work," Marge explains. "The fact that MDOT has reduced its staff during the past couple of years means that it will rely on consultants to keep up with design and construction management," Marge adds. "Starting the Lansing area office in 2000 has given PB a 2-year head start over its competitors in terms of building relationships and transferring PB's national reputation for quality construction services to the local Michigan market." "She's done an excellent job of developing and working the PB partnership between Construction Services and the Americas Infrastructure company in Lansing. It has been a win-win for PB," said Chris Reseigh, Construction Services President.While Marge has been tremendously successful in pursuing traditional construction services projects, she has also been innovative in identifying unique niches within existing markets. For example, her team recently won a job to perform warranty inspections in MDOT's Metro Region (Detroit). They will check materials and workmanship on construction-in-place, coordinate with contractors to perform repairs that are under warranty and confirm that the repairs are performed according to contract documents. MDOT has never hired a consultant to perform these services before, and Marge will work to expand PB's opportunities to provide similar services to other regions throughout MDOT. Expanding its markets in the Midwest is one of the strategic goals of the Construction Services company, so Marge was given the opportunity to expand the geographical boundaries of her region beyond Michigan. She is now enthusiastically working to repeat her Michigan success in the states of Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas."She has an excellent rapport with her staff and that of MDOT, which has enhanced our ability to provide services to MDOT and other Michigan entities. Her clients not only respect her technical skills, but also her ability to work well with people. She's now expanding her role to develop relationships in other states where we do business," explains Tom Farrell, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest Regional Manager for the Construction Services company. "I have great respect for Marge's abilities, and her positive attitude sets a great example for those around her." | 