Building Conversations

What happens when stress and distractions become hidden safety risks on the jobsite?

In this episode of Building Conversations, host Greg Dunkle—STO Building Group’s Chief Operating Officer—is joined by Robert Labbe, Vice President of Risk Engineering Services at American Global, and Jeff Matthews, Safety Director of Structure Tone Philadelphia, to discuss why mental health and suicide prevention must be part of the construction safety conversation.

When it comes to construction costs, it’s easy to focus on what’s right in front of you—but what happens after the project is complete? In our latest Ask the Expert series, STOBG’s Vice President of Sustainability, Jennifer Taranto, dives into the balance between capital costs and long-term operational savings—and why thinking beyond the upfront investment can make all the difference.

In this episode of Building Conversations, STO Building Group's Vice President and Life Sciences Sector Leader, Jennie Taveras, and Nick Oddy, Strategy Director at Structure Tone London, explore the rapid growth of the life sciences sector and why London is emerging as a global hub for investment, innovation, and development.

What does it take to lead with authenticity, build trust, and create lasting impact in construction? In this special Women’s History Month episode of Building Conversations, host Christie Mullen—Director of Business Development at Structure Tone New Jersey—sits down with Wendy Castro, Director, Design & Construction at Rockefeller Group, and Christine Bunner, Project Manager at RC Andersen for an honest conversation about mentorship, inclusive team culture, problem-solving, and the power of women supporting women across complex projects.

What does it truly take to advance women in construction—not just recruit them, but retain, support, and elevate them into leadership? In this episode of Building Conversations, Claudia Healy—STO Building Group’s Chief Human Resources Officer—sits down with NAWIC CEO Sheronda Carr and Northeast Regional Director Jillian Penkin to unpack the real retention challenges—bias, culture, and the difference between mentorship and sponsorship.

In this Building Conversations Ask the Expert episode, David Hamilton, Senior Vice President of Construction Procurement Solutions, answers listener questions about construction procurement and the evolving strategies reshaping how projects are delivered. From industry fragmentation and supply chain complexity to direct manufacturer partnerships and technology-driven visibility, Dave explains how modern procurement approaches help reduce risk, improve cost certainty, and keep projects on schedule. Tune in to learn how smarter procurement decisions create more control, transparency, and better outcomes for clients.

In this episode, Greg Dunkle, Chief Operating Officer at STO Building Group, sits down with three pre-construction leaders—James Mezzadri, Estimating Manager at Structure Tone New York, Troy Addis, Senior Vice President at LF Driscoll, and Kurt Thomas, Vice President of Business Development at Layton Construction—to discuss how pre-construction sets the tone for project success. They explore how early collaboration builds client trust, drives schedule and cost certainty across sectors, and how tools like VDC, pull planning, and shared platforms help teams stay aligned from estimating through delivery.

In this Building Conversations Ask the Expert episode, Greg Dunkle—Chief Operating Officer at STO Building Group—answers listener questions on one of the industry’s toughest challenges: the national labor shortage. From the 500,000-worker gap to rising wages and shifting demographics, Greg breaks down how today’s workforce trends impact project cost, schedule, quality, and safety—and what clients should be asking when selecting a contractor.

In this episode of STO Building Group’s Innovation Expo Series, host Rob Leon sits down with Jessica Herrala, Regional Vice President of Buildots, to explore how Buildots is transforming progress through AI and computer vision.  

 

From fostering collaboration to sharing best practices, this episode goes inside the STO Building Group Superintendent Roundtable. Join Greg Dunkle, STOBG’s Chief Operating Officer, as he sits down with two Roundtable members—Ernie Tessein, General Superintendent at Structure Tone Philadelphia; Brian Bernhoft, Construction Manager at Abbott Construction—along with Superintendents Academy participant, Matthew Persico, Superintendent at Structure Tone New York. Together, they explore evolving industry challenges, their personal paths into the industry, and the unique value the Roundtable brings to field leaders across STOBG.