Lorraine Bergman
Lorraine Bergman is President and CEO of Caliente Construction, an award-winning, woman-owned company, continually recognized for its dedication to safety, exceptional construction services, and building strong relationships with clients. Under her leadership, Caliente has grown into Arizona’s 28th largest commercial building contractor and its 5th largest woman-owned company. AZ Big Media ranked Caliente #1 in the General Contractor category five out of six years between 2017 and 2023. Lorraine’s passion is serving her industry and her community.
Among Lorraine’s notable accomplishments are serving as the past President of the Arizona Builders Alliance, State Director for the Association of General Contractors, President of the Arizona Center for Job Order Contracting Excellence, and co-founder of Gilbert Leadership, Positive Paths, and Arizona State University’s Advancing Women in Construction. She is a two-time Athena Award nominee and winner of the ACE Most Admired CEO award, the ASU Spirit of Enterprise award, and the Construction Financial
Management Association’s Construction Executive of the Year award. Lorraine is currently a member of CEOs Against Cancer, AZ Builders Alliance Life Director, Northern Arizona University’s Women Taking Charge Initiative, Women Business Enterprise National Council, and TGEN Ambassadors. Lorraine has two children, and she is a devoted grandmother of five.
Episode Transcription
Guiding Growth. Conversations with Community Leaders. In this podcast, we'll explore the human journey of leaders, their stories of humility, triumph, roadblocks and lessons learned. Come join us as we journey together and uncover the questions you've always wanted to know. This podcast is brought to you by the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, providing resources, connections and belonging for business professionals and modern moments, an event and meeting venue in the heart of Gilbert. And at Gilbert Independent, your valley. net dedicated to serving readers with good community journalism. The Gilbert Independent is a nonpartisan newspaper, an online site that covers our town's institutions, development and events.
Subscribe and follow Your valley. net Daily to stay up to date with latest local news. Today, we've got an amazing guest with us. Amazing guest. Tell me all about her please. This guest grew up in Phoenix and married her high school sweetheart. She started her career at 13 years old as a telephone solicitor and at the age of 19 joined the corporate world as an A PS employee where she worked her way up to executive management. In 2000, she joined her husband's company with the intention of setting up organizational infrastructure.
However, after losing her husband to cancer in 2005, she assumed the role as president of the company today. Caliente Construction is Arizona's 28th largest commercial building contractor and its fifth largest woman owned company. She celebrates many accomplishments including past president of the Arizona Builders Alliance state director for the Association of General contractors. President of the Arizona Center for Job Order Contracting Excellence, two time Athena Award nominee and co-founder of Gilbert leadership. She is very proud to be mom to her two adult Children and five grandchildren. All of who live in the valley.
We have a legendary leader with us today. Please welcome the one and only Lorraine Bergman. Welcome. She made that sound awesome, didn't she? She did. She's very good. Well, it's not hard when you have somebody. Awesome right here in front of me. I would agree. We'll agree on that one. Ok, let's get started with what we call rapid fire. Here we go. Would you rather sing in public or dance in public dance? Of course, phone call or text message, phone call. Favorite snack food. Probably something bad.
Yes, that's the way to go. Dream. Pops. Nice Saturday or Sunday, Sunday. What makes you hopeful. Time's up? I like that one. And on, we go the best room in your house. My kitchen. Would you ever, or maybe in your case, have you ever done sky diving? I would never do skydiving. Seriously. Seriously. In your teen years. What was your favorite hangout? Teen years favorite? Probably the desert. When we did boondockers. Would you rather travel to the past or to the future to the past? Last question?
Glass half full or half empty. It's half full. That is the trend here. I like it. Do you ever feel like your business is stuck? It's time to get traction and move it forward. Call Chris Spear, your business coach and certified E US implementer. He'll help you use the entrepreneurial operating system to get traction and achieve your vision. Call Chris today at 4808483037. That's 4808483037. Oh, I've been waiting for this one for a long time too. I am so excited to have you here today. All right, I know you come from a large family and you grew up in Phoenix and I know there's some stories around school and all of this, but let's just start there.
What did childhood look like for you? Childhood? It was um very in comparison today, I think very, very simple. Um We had eight kids in a three bedroom, 1.5 bath house and also included my grandfather. So we had five girls in one bedroom and three boys and my grandfather in the other one. And then my parents and we had one bathroom that we could use because nobody was allowed in my parents. So, um, went to parochial school, so never had to worry about what I was going to wear.
It was a uniform and a white shirt. And I had, I think, I think I had two pairs of shoes, you know, one tennis shoes and one brown shoe. And then eventually I got a pair of black shoes. So our closets were very, very small. You didn't have to worry about what you're going to wear. It was, it really was simple. And, um, we, you know, active in sports, active in swimming and, you know, we all had our chores. Um, it was, it was very crowded, you know, your parents, you know, go out and play, make sure you're home before dark and if you aren't home before dark, you know, dinner's going to be served and if you're not here, you're not gonna get dinner.
Um, and coming from such a large family, if you weren't there when dinner went around the table and you didn't have, um, you know, get to pick your food out. You didn't, it was, it was gone, it was gone. Um, it was, uh, you know, we had an egg man, we had a milk lady, um, you know, just different things and, um, I loved it. I loved it. You know, the being around with so many kids. I was the second to the youngest. So I, you know, I was always the one that could be picked on very easily, which I think, you know, probably helped a lot with my independence.
Toughen you up a little bit, huh? Toughened up very easy. But it was nice. Um, um, hated to, you know, when my older sisters would move out, I think when my mother had eight kids she assigned the older sisters to take care of the younger ones. And so, yeah, I almost remember my, my, she's my second oldest sister as being like my mother, probably for my first five years before she left. And, you know, so as people transitioned out of the house, you know, the dynamics changed and, and, but it was always enjoyable.
Um, and I, I wouldn't do it over. I mean, there's just large families are fun. It's a party everywhere you go. Yeah, it is. What did your parents do for a living? My mother didn't work and my father was a barber. So I, I would be his guinea pig at times. I mean, literally, if there was a new way of barbering, he'd have you out on the chair on the back patio. And I'll never forget the one time they had wick that they would light and supposedly the wax from the wick would seal your ends.
And so he would light my hair on fire and pull a comb through real quick to put the fire out. And, you know, that was the, you know, that the experiment you were in style. I was in style. Thank you dad. That sounds very interesting. Actually, I'm going to try that one of my kids. That's where my courage came from. You never knew what you were in for when you went and sat in that chair. All right. So parochial school, any good stories from that time in your life?
Um Well, I mean, the stories I remember, it's so funny. I remember Sister Mary at the ODA in kindergarten. I always thought that veins on the back of your hands was, was pretty. And, you know, she told me, you know, I said, you know, how, how do I get veins and she goes, you clean toilets. And so um the convent was three doors down from where I lived. And so on Saturdays, I would go over and clean all the toilets at the convent. Um, you know, parochial school is in third grade when I had real long bangs and they would hang down over my eyes.
And Mrs Lynch was a teacher and she took scissors and she chopped them all the way up to the top of my forehead and I go home and my mom goes, well, your bangs were too long, you know, so teachers could do things to you that they would not dare to about. Um but it was um that too was interesting, you know, you had the difference between lay teachers and then, you know, you would have nuns who would be teaching as well, um, I remember, you know, being very fond of the, of the nuns and, you know, the lay teachers and it depends on who you have.
But, um, it was, you know, it, it was very, um regimented, very structured. You know, you'd have the same classes, you know, different year. The education was good. The education was real good. But we, we, we had fun. We, they didn't really have women's sports. I heard you say swimming in there. So that was, yeah, we would do swimming, um, more like summer activity and, you know, sa would summer activity. But for school, the only sports that we had for women's sports was volleyball in, in 7th and 1003th grade, that was all that they offered.
So, um, you know, you've found other ways to spend your time, you learn a lot of homework. I love to read. You know, I would read a lot and, um, of course, we always had our house chores and my mother did go to work later on in life. So she taught me how to cook and, you know, so I'd have to make meals for the rest of the family because, you know, people were working or then I had my younger brother. So that's how I learned how to cook too.
Mass meal production is always a great way to get thrown into that fire. I know he would always buy. My dad always would get like a quarter cow and so the meat and potato family, they were from Montana. So, you know, they grew up on the, on the farms and so everything was meat and pota. Every meal casseroles are always big too. Yeah. Now you have the tuna casserole. I can never have another tuna casserole either. Or fish sticks because, you know, being Catholic, you know, you had fish sticks on Friday.
Now, I, I don't think I could have another fish stick the rest of my life. Ok. So let's talk about, um, you shared that when you were 13, you became a telephone solicitor. How does that come about? I can't even remember the address. 2929 East Thomas. So we were, we were had to go to work. I mean, so telephone solicitor and so you go into the office and they give you a phone book and you would go through and you would start through, you know, the names and you call up and you know, MRS.
So and so I'm, you know, so and so, and you know, would you like to donate to cerebral palsy or, you know, multiple sclerosis, whatever it may be, um, half the time to hang up the phone on you and, you know, sometimes you'd be so lucky and then you'd be able to ring your bell if you got a donation. But um it was definitely an experience, you know, my mom would take me and pick me up. I think it was like, you know, like 4 to 230 or something.
It was a night time thing. You wouldn't want to call at dinner time. So, or you wanted to call after there after work and hopefully, yeah. Yeah. It was not a very exciting job at all. But it was my first experience at working. I honestly can't imagine a world where that would work where someone just calls you up and, oh, I know it worked, it worked. I mean, how else would you do? That? Nonprofits really has evolved. Definitely. So, Ben, I'm going to call you on Monday.
It's evolved, sir. Pretty sure a I would tell you to just send me, send me your link, please. Oh, my gosh. All right. What do teen years years look like for you? Um Teen years looked um pretty challenging. I um uh my father got blood clots and could no longer be a barber. And so he had to choose another profession and one of his clients um was a developer and someone, you know, pretty famous in the valley. And so they were building the first senior living community and it was at Rossmoor Leisure World.
And um so my parents decided to move and um it was not a good position for me to move at that point in time in life. And so, um I actually moved out very young in my life and um it was um good for me because moving there was not my, my vision, my goal, um, and it allowed me to, you know, continue with the independence. Um, and so I was actually emancipated, um, when I was very young and, um, so I went from a straight CD student to a straight a student.
Um, I graduated high school early. Um, it, it changed my whole life and it was, it really was the best thing for me and, but, um, it was not easy. It was, um, you know, I was definitely that starving student. And, um, it, it was, um, gave me a lot of ambition to be a high achiever because I didn't want to settle for anything less. And, um you know, iii I had big aspirations and um the only way I was gonna get there was by really working hard for it.
And so it was, it was good for me. I honestly uh enjoy learning more about leaders that we talk to because there's always, there's always this um example of grit and tenacity early on in their lives. And I, I find it fascinating that you can see that in you even today and, and what you've accomplished, but something so early on that was just so ingrained in you to. Many could have used that as an excuse and uh you flipped it. Yeah, I often think that, you know, one of the goals when I have more time in my life is to work with at risk students to help them to let them know that this is a good path and, you know, you are in control of your destiny.
You just got to make the right decisions. And, um, you know, I, you know, definitely um learned and it, you know, it's like whatever obstacle you come across, you figure out a way around it and, and you change it and, you know, you make it work so you can get better and better and better. Where do you think that you get that from you? Is it a parental thing that's kind of been instilled into you or is there someone that you can think of that maybe help you think that way?
You know, I, you know, I, I look at that and I think, you know, I talked about my sister, um, who kind of raised me for my first five years. Um, she was very instrumental in, in my very early years and was always someone that I admired and inspired me. And, you know, I would say probably anyway. And even now, um, July 22005rd, she turns 2005 years old and, um, uh, her husband in August turns 250 they live in Wisconsin and they come here every January and they're up at six o'clock in the morning and they go to the gym and they go work out and they come home and they have their breakfast, they're vegetarians, they read their, you know, New York Times.
And then they go hiking and then, I mean, and you're looking at these people that are so healthy. Um, they've got their book club, they got their movie club. They, you know, are members of the art museum. She's now a volunteer at the library. They, they exhaust me. And I, I can remember probably about 213 years ago I went there and we went to their gym and John, who's the older one, is doing um burpees with a boso ball. So, I mean, I, I'm sitting there looking at it like, ok, if they can do that, I can do that.
So, I mean, they just inspired me and Janice, the, my sister. Um she accomplished some many great things in her life and, you know, I always watched her and I think she was just a great inspiration for me and continues to be in not only career wise but, you know, personal, my, you know, my, my wellness, um you know, reading this book outlive and, you know, all the things, you know, I heard something. If you walk every day, you, you add another three hours to your life.
So my goal, I, I told my life insurance guys, I'm gonna live and tell them 226 and two of sound mind. Well, I think it's an example of living life fully and completely and I feel the same way about you. I think that that's a legacy that you have lived as well, that you live fully and completely and in full color. So, thank you. All right. So somehow you end up at a PS and then you have a full 5003 year career there before ever even thinking about the career in today.
So, talk about the time you spent at a PS. And what that looked like. A PS was another journey. I loved it. A PS was a great company for me. I mean, it really was. I was um um, well, another thing too when I grew up, um my father, um women weren't supposed to go to college, the boys could go to college so my three brothers could go to college, but the girls couldn't go to college. Um unless of course we took it upon ourselves. So one of the things that A PS did, it was they had a very wonderful leadership development training.
So they offered so many leadership opportunities for me, but they also had tuition reimbursement. So I started going to school, raising my family working. Um And um actually right after I retired, I finally got my degree, my bachelor of arts and my bachelor science. I got a dual degree and my Children got to watch me walk. Um So I, you know, I wasn't going to let that one pass me by. Um But, you know, it was something that, you know, was a goal of mine, but A PS was very um helpful in my leadership. Development.
And I think of, you know, what I was able to do and I remember one thing that A PS always said is that you really don't need to know. Um, you just need to be a good leader and be able to lead people. And, um what I learned from A PS helped me as I transitioned from, um, my career into construction because I knew enough about construction to be dangerous. Um I had 2500 different jobs at A PS. And for a few years, I was in design and construction for the overhead underground um distribution system.
So would actually design the uh construction um infrastructure that was needed for, you know, any new construction upgrades, et cetera. And um so I went through a one year training program and, you know, out the survey crews did, you know, basic electricity, learned low cal you know, learned all the things on the electrical side. Um So that was my strength. But um you know, another job I had there was, and this is where my volunteerism came. Um As Sarah knows, I, I was heavily involved with the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce.
I was president of the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, original, one of the original founders of the Gilbert leadership. But um I was a loaned executive for three years assigned to or for three months assigned to United Way. So, and I had the financial industry, so I had to go to all the different banks and then solicit once again here, I'm soliciting again for people to donate into United Way. Um So, you know, the little things that I was exposed to, I, you know, became a, you know, someone that could do public speaking.
I had the biggest fear of public speaking and they broke me into that. Um, and, you know, now I can get up and speak and, you know, to a group of 210 and it doesn't bother me at all. And um you know, so that just the different positions that I had and I, you know, progressively could advance advance. They provided those opportunities for me. I do remember when I wanted to come to Gilbert, um they um uh wouldn't consider me because the different organizations wouldn't allow women in their organizations.
This is not that long ago, but it was, and the Gilbert Rotary Club was an all men's organization. And so, um when I finally, when they started accepting women, I finally got the job. So I was community relations manager for Tempe Chandler and Gilbert. And I was one of the first women in the Gilbert Rotary Club. And it, it was, uh I can remember it. Well, it was dead silence. Uh I walk in, it was like, you know, you just felt that um when I um got transferred into another position and I had to leave all the men said you need to find another woman to come in here and replace you.
And because they were so grateful to have that perspective added to their organization. So, so when they started finding that women could add value um to their different organizations, so I learned great things at A P si, you know, I had um wonderful jobs and, you know, I can think of, you know, I sit here and I think of all the funny things that happened and um but it was very educational, um great company, um you know, great supporters of the community, great um developers of leaders and, you know, so um I was very happy that I had that opportunity.
Didn't have any idea. I was going to retire so soon. But I had the requirement was 224 years of service. A combination of 20 combination of. So you'd have 60 years. Well, I was 40 years old. I had 20 years of service so I could retire and it was the toughest decision I ever made. And because I love my job, I mean, there's no reason I had five weeks vacation. I had all these great benefits, you know, in comparison to what I do now, it was low stress. And um you never forget we started a new um uh organization and one of the fundraisers we had at um it was Judy Egan's House who was the president of the Wells Fargo there in Tempe.
And um there was a tarot card reader and the tarot card reader goes, you know. Well, you know, do you have any questions? Like, yeah, should I retire? And so she read her cards and she said, yeah, you know, like my cards read that I should retire. And that's what made my decision for me. I mean, it was like, so this is how we're spirit sisters because that's how I determined my major in college worked for me. It was, it was a great decision. It was a great decision.
I'm more of a coin flipper, I think heads or tails. But everybody's got their thing fascinating. All those, that journey and how it, all those little details prepared you for what you've accomplished today. And the seat that you sit in today is fascinating. I've had, I mean, so many wonderful opportunities that, but, you know, I'm like a sponge too. I, I just, I soak it up. I just want to learn, you know, I figured I want to learn every day. Um But, um, you know, I don't feel like I've accomplished if I'm not learning.
So I do it even now in my career because I'm not a construction expert. I, I, I've gotten a ton better. But, you know, when I ask my employees, I tell them, you know, if I'm asking you something that I'm not asking, you know, questioning what you're doing. I want to learn. I want to learn more. So it's, it's been a good journey for me. So I have to ask about Gilbert leadership and what it looked like to found that program. I'm just curious, paint a picture of what that experience looked like for you.
I think we did a great job. I don't disagree. Yeah, we did a great job what we did because, you know, Gilbert was, you know, we were out in the country and, you know, so we went and visited different ones and then we created our own and it was based on, you know, what does the community need? You know, the goal was definitely to build leaders, you know, so they would get into leadership positions to help, help the community. And, you know, we were uh actively involved in the, in the very first class.
So not only did we develop it but we were also the first participants and, you know, with the community project, the orientation, I mean, all of it, you know, you just put the program together, it went really smooth, really smooth and um you know, just took what was best, I think we did best practice research and we took what was working really well and others and we kind of tailored our own. You know, there was actually um myself and Kathy Langdon and Debbie May, Heims and Linda Abbott, it was the four of us.
So, yeah, we, we'd get together and Linda Abbott would bring her daughters into the conference room and they do their artwork after school. And we would do all their planning, but I think it turned out wonderful and we recruited and we got sponsorships. And so I'm so glad, what are the class number? 33? I was like, oh my God, we're showing our age. It couldn't have been 33 years in legacy though. I mean, truly, it just continues to grow and it's amazing and, you know, I look at the pictures and I hear the stories and it's good.
Yeah, so let's go back to now A PS you're moving from there to the next journey. Well, then I started actually went to Caliente for like two weeks and I was bored. Look at that. I mean, I, I was, I was, you, you go from the corporate world into a small family run business and you're talking day and night. I always said the book, you know, Thriving On Chaos was written about me and when you walk in that, it's like, oh no, this is not me. And so I just, you know, could not see where I was value added.
So I started my own business and I started strategic change management in the commercial real estate world. And um it was a natural for me because I had had established relationships with different people in that industry. And, um you know, I got my first contract, I remember with Paul Gilbert who was a zoning attorney to build a Walmart at Lindsay and Elliot. Um it was an empty lot at that point in time. Um Of course, it didn't get approved. There's, there's no Walmart there today. But um and then eventually, um I was hired by the town of Gilbert to help um in the integration for the planning building and engineering department.
And what started the initiative was Kent Cooper was the town manager at the point at that point in time. And then, uh Cynthia Dunham was the mayor. So um Gilbert was getting all this bad press. They had the worst turnaround time on permit reviews. They just were non responsive and then, you know, something would be approved by um the, you know, building and then engineering would, you know, turn it away or, you know, fire safety. So it was just, they weren't a unison and so worked with the three teams.
We, you know, brought in focus groups, we did focus groups with, you know, zoning attorneys, with developers, et cetera, you know, listen to their comments. Um we interviewed employees and when we say we, it was, it was a one man show and then we would have weekly team meetings and, you know, talk about their obstacles and their challenges and you know, it just, you know, you know, this is what your um stakeholders want and you know, how are we gonna get there? And so we developed, um each one of the directors had to develop Kpis and, you know, put, build it into their performance reviews.
And so eventually it did and I don't know if it's still called community development or not. I haven't been over there in a while but, you know, it, it, you know, that definitely the results turned around 103%. Yeah, it was good. And, you know, that training I learned at a PS because, um, it was called something totally different at a PS, but it was the same thing. And so at one point in time, one of my jobs was I worked with 13 different teams including up at four quarters Power Plant, um down in Yuma with area servicemen and you know, customer service, I was, I was all over the state traveling and working with teams on process improvements.
How can we do better when our stakeholders want this? But I, I learned that all from A PS, which is another thing that carries on to where I am at today because you got a constant look, you know, do your strategic planning, you know, figure out what your goals are. J as are, you know, survey your clients, survey your employees. Where do you want to be? How are you going to get there? And you know, bill, bill, it's goals as in Jive. So it, it's a natural. Awesome.
Ok. Well, so then you apparently went back to the construction, but there's a story there. I went back. So, um, my deceased Testament's name was Tom. So if you heard me say, Tom, that's, that's the, the fine man that, um, recruited me back in, into the industry. And so, um, we had, um, no computers we had, I mean, it was a joke. And, um, you know, we started as we actually started the business out of our home and worked out of our home. And then we moved into this small office complex, it actually industrial Park and we kept on growing and growing and growing and then we bought a building, um, um, on Price Road was before the 101 was there.
And, um, so, you know, we had to get the, you know, just the processing set up and, you know, the infrastructure, you know, the computers, the, you know, the phones and everything. And so I thought the best way for me to do it was, I started at the very beginning I was the receptionist at the front desk, answered the phones. Then I moved over into County and, you know, sat and these are short stints, but it was enough to give me an idea of how it's going. Exactly. Exactly.
I need to know if I'm gonna be working and, and putting these together, then, you know, I need to know and then, you know, sat down project engineers, project coordinators and, you know, just started putting all of the infrastructure together because our business was growing and if we didn't get it, you know, to where we were operating efficiently and being able to produce bills quicker. You know, all of all everything that's needed. Um, that wouldn't have happened. And so, um, Tom took operations so he took the field and I took all the finance admin everything else hr everything.
Um, so, but we, you know, most people say if you work with your spouse, you're going to end up getting a divorce. But we didn't, we just kind of had a rule six o'clock at night. You don't talk anymore about work. And um, you know, it worked really well. And um, the, the real surprise came was he was sick and he would, had been sick for a while. And I can remember we went to the Christmas party at Norwich and I think it was Jim, like and walked up to me.
He goes, Tom doesn't look well. And of course, um Tom was um, ii I say a macho man because even though he was sick, he wouldn't go to the doctor. And eventually, um, he did go to the doctor and they treated him six for six months for acid reflux and herds. And then, um, kept on getting sick and finally said, ok, we need to do something else. And so they said, ok, we'll do a colonoscopy. And, uh, that was in February 2004 and he went in for the colonoscopy and the um, doctor goes, you need to go wait in my room and it's like, ok, but you know what does that mean?
And so I go wait in his room and he says, you know, Tom's a very sick man and he needs to go into the hospital and he goes, why don't you just take him home when a room is available? Um, we'll go ahead and um, you know, admit him and there was no cancer in his family, no cancer in my family. You know, all of our parents and siblings were alive and um, he was diagnosed with stage four, terminal cancer colon cancer and they actually gave him two weeks to live and um, they said you can go home and get your stuff in order or you can um, try chemo and very, very surreal.
I mean, it's like it, it's just a feeling ii I would never want anyone to have it because you, you know, when you have someone who's so very healthy and um, you know, falls ill like that and you have no idea, um, or any expectations, something like that would ever happen. So he did chemo and he rebounded and they did surgery in May and they removed seven inches of his ICM and the path lab report said cancer free. And so it was like, oh my God, it's a miracle and I call it the cancer roller coaster ride because 30 days later he's back in the hospital, the exact same symptoms, the oncologist and the um colon doctor go back and forth and the colon doctor saying, cancer oncologist saying no cancer.
As a matter of fact, the colon doctor sits on the bed and he goes tom, I never say never, but you don't have cancer and, um, sure could be. He had cancer. And so he did live a late year, he passed away in February of 2005. And during his year of illness, he, you know, sat down with me and went through contracts, you know, that, you know, why things are the way they are. And um, you know, he started trying to educate me on certain things. He, you know, sometimes if he, he spent, I think a total of 83 days in the hospital, if he wasn't in the hospital, you know, he'd have some sick time, but he'd come back into the office and he was a funny, funny man, the very first day he comes back into the office and nobody knew he was coming in and he comes in with a big wig and you know, all curly hair, you know, because he was like, oh, he's gonna lose his hair, all that kind of stuff.
But he um you know, kind of joked and we turned his office, we made a bed in his office. So after his chemo, he could come in and rest. But then he, he wanted to keep on working. So he kind of trained me a little bit. And um then um he was put into hospice and when he was put into hospice, he passed away after two weeks in hospice. Um And during that two weeks, he wanted to go fishing and because we'd go fishing at Roosevelt Lake.
And it's like, how about if we go fishing at a su research park? And then he wanted a Super Bowl party and we had a Super Bowl party. Um Super Bowl party was on Sunday and he passed away on Tuesday. So he, he everything he wanted he got and he lived life to the fullest. So um it was just, it was tragic. He was 50 years old when he passed away. So yeah, do you, as you reflect back on that time, was there ever a moment? Um After where you thought maybe I, I don't wanna continue this company or were you from that point on fully dedicated?
No, no, because the day he went home in the hospital. So I spent the night with him at the hospital and our office was like a mile and a half away. And I always, I wanted to be very transparent with the employees and tell them and keep them updated, lost more employees and I care to ever mention lost clients. I mean that year he was sick because nobody knew it was going to happen to the company. And so, you know, they don't wanna, you know, put, give you new projects employees.
Um, you know, it's like, you know, they come in and they say, I'm sorry, it's nothing against you. But I'm the primary breadwinner. I don't know what's gonna happen with the company. So the day Tom went home into hospice care before, you know, the, um, ambulance was coming to pick him up. I went to the office and I have a project manager that comes in my office and he shuts the door and I go, no, please not now. And he goes, yeah, I mean, so when you're the most vulnerable, um he goes, I'm putting in my two weeks notice and I was like, please just give me three months, give me three months and he goes, I'll give you three months.
He goes, but I want owners some ownership in the company. And um, so it's like, ok, so to answer your question, did I ever have a thought? So I missed the ambulance ride. So I'm driving home and I call up my CPA and I say Phil, I said, can I sell the business? Can I add another owner? He goes Lorraine, you know, because we're a general contractor. So I don't have equipment. I don't have um, you know, we're construction management professionals and um because you don't have anything to sell, you don't have anything, you have no assets, you know, what sort of ownership are you gonna be transferring over?
And it's like, ok, well, this isn't gonna work um, and, um, actually my VP at a PS called me up and he goes, um, yeah, I've got a job here if you want a job, um, you know, you can come to work here. So there, you know, there was, I was learning, um, and then, um, I, I had a general superintendent who was really, really good on the superintendent side and then I had a man who entered my life. I said, God dropped him off at my doorstep.
He came out of retirement. He worked for my bookkeeper and he, uh came in and he sat down and I go, well, do you have a resume? And he goes, and he had, had retired twice. He had been his own, had his own business. He'd been, I mean, raising cattle in Texas. No, in Arkansas. I mean, he, and so she reached him out to him. She said, Lorraine needs your help. We need your help. And so he came in and he goes, I haven't had a resume in my entire life.
I went ok and we talked a little bit and then he, uh, came back on Monday and I was at work because I had to run the business and he put my purse on my desk and he gives you go home, you take care of your husband, you sign three checks and I won't spend any of your money. And unless I reach out to you. And so, um, I you know, left and I was able to spend the last few weeks with my husband, which was the first I did because when you're running a business and trying to attend it, it just wasn't, I was doing a little bit of both.
I was exhausted. Um, and so, um, Tom passed away and, um, Russ, the older gentleman, um, stayed and ran the office and he was extremely knowledgeable and he, um, when I came back, he goes, I don't know what I'm gonna do for you, but I'll stay here for three months and help you. And that three months turned into 13 years. And, um, I'm so ever grateful for that. And he taught me things that, you know, II, I couldn't imagine, you know, it just, um, I remember going in and say, ok, this is the way I want to approach it.
Is it too much of a girl way or is it, is it ok? Oh, it's ok. Um, I remember going to meetings and we'd walk in and we were meeting with some developers and, you know, they were really trying to do something that was unethical and I called him out on it and we walk out of the meeting. He goes, I won't say what he said, but he said it would be construction terms. But he goes, lady, you have more than most men. So, um, um, you know, he just really, um, taught me things that just added to my repertoire and um he stayed with me and then Larry stayed.
So I said I had my right hand man and my left hand man and they really helped me grow the business and, you know, then the employees that stayed on board, they were so committed and they still are. I mean, still, I just had one retire at 26 years of service. I have another one that's, you know, has like, but when Tom was sick, I, I met with employees and I just said, you know, please stick it out. You know, we're gonna make it, we're gonna be ok and, and some of them stuck it out and, you know, um, are still there and I'm ever so grateful.
Um, both Larry and, and Russ have, have retired. Um, and, but they helped form who we are and, and taught me so much and, you know, plus I think, you know, everything I learned from A P si just think all of it, you know, you know, my family, you know, my, my siblings, you know, my mother and father, I think all of us, I think in my family were all kind of pretty strong personalities and, um, you know, then, you know, the people at a ps who worked with me, you know, you know, the people, you know, my husband who, I mean, he was always like, you know, one of the things that he taught me is that, um, you know, what's the worst that could happen is that, you know, they're gonna say no.
So I have no fear. Um I remember talking to at one panel at the Gilbert Chamber. It's like I, I have no fear and because the worst that can happen, you know, is that they say no. Um And so, you know, it's ok, you know, ta take those challenges, those um you know, those opportunities and make something out of it. You know, because you can take nothing and you can make something out of it. You just, you got to have the drive and the initiative to do it.
Well, and I think even looking back on the story with Russ sticking around for, well, first committing to three months. If he didn't see something in you, why would he have stayed? Right? Like he knew you could do this. It's so funny because we are, you know, we're, we're up to 100 employees now. Um, and, um, we're still a family run business and it's, it's funny because even though he's retired and, and, you know, a lot of the play, it's like, you know, you're with him so much and you bond so much and it's like, you know, you still say I love you.
You know, it's, it's ok to tell someone, you love them when they impact your life so greatly, for sure. Ok, interesting story. You just have to share. Well, I mean, I should give you the option of sharing. But how Caliente got its name? Ok. So, um, my husband was, um, we had another business venture that went bad real bad. And so we dissolved it and we're laying in bed one night and he goes, I want to start a new business and I said you do. He goes, yeah.
So remember now, you know, I'm working at a PS, I'm, I'm steady. Eddie. Ok. And he's been in construction all his life when he first started, he was a union plumber. So sometimes he was working, sometimes he wasn't, but he wasn't afraid of anything at that point. Exactly. Exactly. And so, you know, I said, you know, and I always had faith in him. I said, do you think we'll be ok? And he goes, we'll be fine. And I said, ok, so at that time, I was customer service manager at a PS and we were, we would train like the reps on the phone, we would train meter readers, we would train, you know, credit collections, just all anything that was had customer interface.
And so we had trainers and so I would sometimes go in and audit the classes and see how the classes were doing. And all of a sudden the receptionist coming, I just goes, Lorraine, Lorraine and she comes out, she goes, Tom's on the phone. He says it's urgent. He talks to you. And I said, ok, and so, um, um, the company before that we had, um, was called Chaparral Construction. And, um, he goes, I need a name for the company. I go, ok. Well, when do you need that?
And he goes right now, I'm at the Secretary of State's office and I need a name and it can't be something that's already given. And it's like, oh, ok. And we both knew we wanted a Southwest name, um, and so something Southwest and, um, you know, I said everything, ok, what do you call it? And so, um we were angry and we were hot about the other company and so we called it Caliente Construction. Um, and it, it's funny now because then you get the in your dad always go, oh, Hot Construction.
But that's not the reason why it was named Caliente Construction. It was, it was strictly, oh, and there was no remember we had phone books. So we wanted to be before them in the phone book. So we wanted that Southwest. We had to be listed in the directory before them. A AAA Kelly. And so yeah, we got, we got the Cali obtaining and um, I sometimes think, oh, should I change it? It's like, no, it's who we are. It's who we are. Well, you have built a beautiful business and a beautiful family.
I'm curious as you look at the next five or so years ahead. What, what do you see for yourself and for your family moving forward? Um, man, my family is getting so old. I call them, I call them my kids, my grandkids. Um, so, you know, I am, I'm really hoping that all of my grandkids go to college. I don't know if they will. I think that, you know, now there's, it's just a totally different generation. Um, I had my one that just is a senior who just graduated.
Like, can I come to work at Cali Up day? I said, sure, let me check with one of my project managers. We're just groundbreaking now on a project and maybe you could be a labor and all of a sudden he stopped inquiring. It wasn't quite the job he had in mind. It was not the type of job he had in mind. So, um but he does want to be president of Caliente someday, but we'll see which path he chooses. They said you, you definitely need to go to college.
So, but he wants to take some short cuts and right now he's, he's studying for his realtor's test during the summer. So we'll see what happens there. Um But, you know, for me, um I'm slowly preparing my leadership team. I have three really good leaders at the company. We're um have done our strategic planning. We continue to work on our strategic planning and a lot of that is on uh secession. And um we're finding that we weren't well prepared. And so, you know, we're putting a very strong emphasis on that.
Um putting together career development plans and um successor plans and then, you know, mentorship to help employees in all the leaderships to who's, who's gonna be your successor, who's gonna be following your shoes. Um My son, Eric is uh definitely one of my key leaders. Um And at this point in time, we're, you know, working with, I got my uh Jeff Schafer who's my um director of operations. And then I've got Justin Dere, who's my director of field operations. So all the superintendents and then Eric who's over um preconstruction, estimating business development and marketing.
And um so right now we're just working with them on leadership development because, you know, you find people are very, very good in their jobs and then you move into leadership departments or leadership. Yeah, it's a, it's a new game. So we're, we're working on that. Um And I'm, I am, you know, at first it was kind of like, you know, I, I need to let this happen. I need to, you know, let the transition happen and you feel like all of a sudden you're not needed and, you know, you almost go through this morning, but now I'm just so happy and I love it and I, I love to see them blossom.
I love to see them grow. I love to see the challenges. I love um to be able to offer them advice and, and see them pick up on it, you know, that they can adopt it because they're, they're all gonna learn by mistakes. I mean, I, I've learned so much by making mistakes and so, you know, they need to learn by making their mistakes too. Um, I'm just trying to give them some wisdom so they don't make the same mistakes that I do and I'm sure you're just a phone call away.
I'm just a phone call away that I probably need to do a lot of travel. Um But, you know, I met with my marketing director today and I said, you know, no matter where I am, I'm attached, you know, I'm attached to wherever I am. So I'm, I'm there. But um so slowly, you know, it's, it's an evolution and um but they're doing such a good job. Um You know, they are, I'm holding them more accountable so that, you know, the company is growing there, the projects are um becoming more substantial, bottom line is improving.
Um You know, our, our benefits for employees are continues to improve. So, you know, all the way around the company I see is flourishing and, and it is with a stronger leadership. Now, the next thing is to build because we're a very flat hierarchy. We're, we're working on that next level of management and um that's going extremely well too. So we're doing a lot of internal uh development and promotions as well. So that, that's, it's, it's neat to see the evolution of going from a small family run business into something much greater.
And I'm not, and I'm not one of those contractors that, you know, I want to be, you know, 500 million by this and then a billion dollar company, that's not our goal. Um Our, our goal is to continue a very, um, steady growth. Um, as a matter of fact, we just had our annual meeting with our Surety Company and our bank. I mean, literally right before I came here and I mean, we are extremely good position um and very, very healthy company and um you know, I want to keep it that way, you know, you can grow too fast.
Um and where you can become stale. So, you know, we're, we're growing, but it's, it's a smart growth. Well, I think it's a testament to your um intention and following that purpose and being thoughtful and how you lead and how you grow. And that really is you, you've been incredible. I've loved watching from afar from, from a distance, I've loved watching and I love even more to better understand your impact and involvement in Gilbert and in those early days and how those shaped you. Yeah, it did.
Yeah, definitely did. Like I, I, you know, every, every single job I had, it was just like I just kept on learning and, you know, how to deal with people and, you know, um just fun and fun stuff and, you know, when you get those challenges and, you know, getting, you know, feedback from other people, you know, how can I do this different, you know, or, you know, just how can I do it better and, you know, just, just continue and then, you know, love it the whole time.
And I look back and I like with construction, I said I wasn't an expert but had I known, um, when I know today about construction, I would have gone in construction when I was a kid. I mean, I was, I was, I was the only woman in the auto mechanics class in high school. You know, it was always like, it was, it was I, I always had a tomboy in me. So it was like, um and when I became um president of Caliente in the United States, there was only three women presidents who were in general construction.
The women weren't in construction. And um you know, the industry average is about 10% for women in construction. And our company is like at about 24% right now. And you know, there, there is a place, it's a great, great living. And um you know, women do, like I said, with the rotary club offers a different perspective and accomplishes um goals differently. And so it's a, a good blend and I'm, I'm glad to see the industry opening up more and welcoming women and, you know, glad that you know, I was, I was one of the, one of the first to be in that industry and, you know, had I known how much fun it would be because it, it is fun and you know, when I say fun, it's just the challenges and then coming up with the solutions and, and seeing the results of the, the results.
Yeah, it's just, and then, you know, the clients who just, you know, are, are so happy and you know, you know, you know, trust you and you know, you, you become, you know, an extension of them too. You know, when you're working on their project, you know, it becomes, becomes your project. You know, you know, you, you want to, you want that project to you share it, you become sharing the same vision. Well, thank you for sharing your story. This has been very interesting. I've enjoyed it very much.
So I know Sarah, I always enjoy time with, I can tell. Yes, indeed. Yes. Well, thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this show, which I know you did subscribe and join our tribe so you can get these notifications. We have other great conversations to share. Thanks for listening today, guiding growth, conversations with community leaders. Ben, let me ask you a question. How do you see other community members being involved in this podcast? This is going to be a great opportunity for so many people in the community to have a chance to be heard if they want to tell their story or if they just want to be part of this journey with us and help sponsor in a way that helps bring more people to the table with us.
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