Business View Magazine | December 2019

85 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2019 RAM CONSTRUCT ION SERV I CES experiments, like using dustless equipment that literally vacuums any residual dust, or watering down areas before demolition so that no dust can rise. We started air monitoring for dust in everything we were doing about a year before the new silica standard went into effect. When the new standard was implemented, the RAM team was already prepared.” BVM: What are some of the company’s current challenges? Nagel: “We’re a union-affiliated company; we rely heavily on the unions to find and help us train a skilled workforce. But we recognize that there’s a national shortage of skilled labor, because it seems that everyone is now opting for a four-year college degree; there aren’t a lot of young kids going into the trades anymore. We’re working with a local high school to get young adults interested in joining the trades by trying to promote these very reputable careers that have incredible job security and won’t require the debt incurred with a four-year degree. If the economy stays the way it is, right now, and we’re still getting these opportunities to restore and help to build these huge buildings across the Midwest, we are going to need skilled people in the field to do it. So, we’re publicizing skilled craftsman jobs to people who are looking either for a career change or are just joining the work force. That’s something that we’re continually trying to get our arms around.” BVM: What are some of RAM’s long-term goals? Nagel: “We’re always exploring more ways to keep our personnel safe in the field. We’re also trying to think to the future environmentally; to use less paper in our office. Our industry is a little behind the eight-ball on this, but we’re working with some new software systems to help us achieve this.” BVM: Anything else that you’d like our readers to know about RAM Construction Services?