Featured in the International Business Times: "RPM's Fixers"
The International Business Times recently profiled our team. It gave us a moment to step back and reflect on why we do this work in the first place.
It is always a uniquely reflective experience when someone outside your company writes about what you do.
Recently, the International Business Times sat down with our President, David Renard, and Partner, Ben Bronow. The resulting article, “RPM's Fixers: How Their Leadership Is Rewriting the Rules of Fast Construction Without Sacrificing the Human Outcome,” is a wonderful piece. But more than just highlighting our project timelines or engineering methods, the reporter captured something much more important to us: the human side of construction.
Building things is hard. It tests budgets, schedules, and above all, relationships. Here are a few thoughts on the core themes the IBTimes captured about how we try to operate.
The Purpose Behind the Pace
We talk a lot about speed at RPM Team. We advocate heavily for modular and pre-engineered systems because they compress timelines. But speed isn't just about saving money; it’s about human impact.
The article touched on a pivotal moment for David early in his career: visiting a navigation center he helped build in San Francisco and speaking directly with the residents. Hearing how a thoughtfully designed, safe space gave them the room they needed to heal changed his perspective entirely. It proved that the built environment matters deeply. When we push hard to accelerate a shelter project, it isn't to break a record—it’s because every week saved is another week someone doesn't have to sleep on the street.
Leaving Ego at the Door
The article generously refers to us as "fixers"—the team that gets called when a project has hit a wall or a budget has spiraled.
The truth is, when a project goes sideways, the easiest thing to do is point fingers. We try very hard to take a different approach. We don't view these challenges as burdens, but as puzzles that need a fresh set of eyes. We enjoy collaborating, we enjoy being challenged by our clients, and we don't mind admitting when there is a better idea in the room. In an industry where egos can run high, we've found that the best way to untangle a complex problem is simply to check our ego at the door and get to work.
Construction is a Relationship
At the end of the day, a construction project is a long-term relationship. You spend months, sometimes years, on weekly calls with the same group of people.
We believe that the best version of fast construction isn't frantic. It’s built on trust, honest collaboration, and emotional intelligence. We are incredibly grateful to our clients, our partners, and the municipalities we work with for trusting us to navigate these complexities alongside them.
Thank you to the International Business Times for taking the time to understand our mission. And thank you to the entire RPM Team for showing up every day with the discipline and compassion this work requires.
Read the full feature here: RPM's Fixers: How Their Leadership Is Rewriting the Rules of Fast Construction Without Sacrificing the Human Outcome
