5G Talent Talk with Carrie Charles (00:00)
Thanks for joining me today on 5G Talent Talk. I'm Carrie Charles, your host, and we got a great show for you today. I have with me, not in the studio, but virtual, just as good, is Chad Tuttle. He is the CEO of B +T Group. Chad, thanks so much for coming on the show today. Thanks for having me. Yeah, so Chad, tell me about, you know, your...

your life in telecom. How did you get into our incredible industry? We got it. Well, I probably have a different path than a lot of people, but so my grandfather started a construction engineering and construction company back in the 50s doing bridges and buildings, but then at some point started doing towers. It started out as like radio towers and then some of the

very first AT +T towers that were ever built. He was building those. So I had some knowledge and background of the tower industry. And then, you know, I went to work for it by grandfather's company when I was in high school, just summer job. And they went ahead and just stuck me on the tower crew. So I climbed a few towers and got to be the grunt on the tower crew back in like the late 80s.

So, and you know, it was fun. I mean, it was exciting to be, I think we built one of the first cellular networks in St. Louis. It was for, it was Southwest Rebel at the time, but now it's AT +T. And, you know, just, I really enjoyed it. It was a fun industry. It seemed interesting and definitely something I wanted to do. It definitely influenced me to go to engineering school, become an engineer because my grandfather did.

And so I got out of school and out of engineering school as a structural engineer and went to work for in more architectural kind of engineering, you know, doing buildings and things like that for a few years. But then when I got my first opportunity to jump back into the tower industry, I took it. So, you know, here we are many years later, still in it. Yes, you are. Yes, you are. Tell me the B +T story.

How, why it was founded, your why, your services, your customers, all markets, everything. Okay. So yeah. So, yeah, I worked at a, at a big architectural firm, as I mentioned, and met a lot of people. So when I left there, I went to work for a tower company, do that was a construction company. And this was in the late era in the mid 90s And I started doing some engineering to work there. But, a few years later, one of my colleagues that I had met.

at my first job called me and he was working for a tower manufacturer and he was like, hey, they call up here and they keep wanting them to analyze existing towers. And my boss is like, we don't analyze towers, we design new towers. So this is like at the very first of when colocation started happening. And so he was like, hey, you think we could pick up some work doing that? So we set up a business, an S -Corp and started doing it.

you know, moonlighting, we both had day jobs and we started picking up some engineering jobs at night. And that was it. That was in 2000. And by 2002, it became my full -time job. And then Dinesh Bhat, my partner, came on shortly after as a full -time job. And, you know, I guess the rest is history. I mean, it was just the two of us for a little bit, just doing structural engineering. And then, you know, we added,

people over the years, we've been as big as 250 employees at times and less than that at times, unfortunately, but it was fun. It's been a fun ride. I still tell people hiring employee number one through three was harder than hiring the next 200. It was such a big decision at the time, but it's been fun.

Again, we started out structural engineering and that's always been our bread and butter. Today we're full turkey, site acquisition engineering, constructions on small cell towers and most recently fiber. And then I think we'll talk about it a little bit later. We've added a technology piece to our business where we do some software development and drone services and 3D modeling.

Actually, let's talk about that more now because I do find that very fascinating. The technology side. Sure. go deeper there. So, I mean, I think we've always kind of had this mindset to try to, you know, be different to our customers and offer a little more and then rather than just be in the, you know, the standard engineering firm. So I think we've always tried to use technology and tools to be better and to be more efficient.

And that's really how we got into drones. In really 2014, I first saw one and immediately went out and bought it because it was really cool. And funny story, the first two we got, we didn't know you couldn't fly them close to each other or they would lose signal. So they both took off flying, I guess, back home to China or wherever they originally came from. They just flew away. We quickly learned how to.

Operate a much better and, and really got into that business because, and started it as, as to be more efficient. As you know, to do engineering, we oftentimes have to go out to the cell site and gather information and do an audit. And so we had climbers that would go do this and we, and you know, it always happens. You send somebody a hundred miles away to a tower and they get back and they've forgotten two or three pictures that you really needed.

So we saw this as a way to go to a site and really capture everything, all the photos, all the angles, all the, you know, views you might want. And we were also able to create 3D models and get all the dimensions we might want. So it really changed, made things better for us internally. But after doing it for a few years, we realized that we were gathering information that our customers would want. So we created a product called Site360.

where we now have an online portal that's secure and we host all of that data that we gather and really gather that information for our clients now. So it's become a big part of our business. Well, it sounds like that you really see the opportunity ahead. Like that saying you skate where the puck is going, not where it is now, right? We try to, yeah.

And it's and in this case it served us really well. I think we you know, we're certainly one of the few engineering services firms that have done this and we compete with a lot of people that are Technology companies, but very few of them are tower people like we are so I think we bring an added dimension to that space as well Right. Yes, definitely specialists For sure because at the end of the day, I mean, I think what we've really found is like in the drone space people

You know, the first impression of it is that it's really cool and it's neat to see a 3D model. But at the end of the day, these customers are carriers, the carriers are looking to do things more efficient and save money. And really, you know, after you've looked at the pretty picture, you have to create deliverables and you have to create things that save them time and money, or they're, they're just not going to do it. Right. That's where we, you know, knowing what we do on services and what they need and working with them closely, it's allowed us to.

Do you see drones really doing more in the future for telecom or for towers or, you know, replacing people in some capacity? I mean, what's your vision for where drones are going in our industry? Yeah, well, it's interesting. I think we've all, as an industry, we've been talking about that for like 10 years. And it's funny, like, I remember speaking at a conference seven or eight years ago and somebody next to me was like, all of our drone pilots are X.

you know, fighter pilots and all this stuff. And I was like, well, I didn't mean to disagree, but I was like, I don't see it that way. I see drones as a tool that all of our current tower climbers take to the side. I'm not trying to, you know, it's just another tool in their tool bag. There's always going to be a need for people because, you know, drones can't tighten a bolt or change out an antenna or do those kinds of things. But they can sure as heck save a guy from having to climb up the tower and take three pictures that we missed.

see if there's a burden in that store to gather some dimensions at the site. So, you know, I do see them taking on some tasks. I mean, they're coming out with new innovations all the time, but I don't ever see it as a replacement. I see it as a tool that enhances what we do. Got it. That's good news. So let's talk a little bit about your company, B +T Group. What is it like to work there? What's the culture like?

Well, we, you know, first of all, I can say without a doubt, we really value our employees and we try to work hard to show it. We probably don't do a perfect job every day, right? Real life gets in the way, but we do. We value our employees and we really appreciate them. And I think one thing that our team has done is we have one example is like we have a quarterly, we call it a core award. And those are people that -

that really display our core principles and our mission statement. And the cool thing about it is people are nominated by their peers. So, you know, it's not really an easy process. One of their peers, we have an online tool on our portal where someone just on their own takes the time out of their day to go nominate somebody. And it takes a decent amount of time. It takes 30 minutes to an hour.

because you answer a bunch of questions and you do a lot of write -up and you specifically say what these people are doing to, you know, display our company values. And so first of all, and then every quarter we have a company meeting and I get to announce all those nominations and read through what was written up about each of those people. So I know we can only have one winner.

in those things, but it's a huge honor to be nominated. And I think it's extremely flattering for those people to hear what one of their peers said about them. And I love getting an opportunity to read that because it makes that person feel good. I think it makes the person who took the time to write it up feel good. And it motivates our other employees to hear what some of their teammates are doing. So, I mean, that's one example. You know, when I talk about real life, I think I...

We've had the unfortunate circumstances of having to like grow and shrink over the last few years, which is really tough. And because for many years, I mean, we didn't have a single layoff at our company for the first probably 15 years we were in business. But I mean, that's real life, right? And that's the world we all live in. When you grow to a certain size, you're at the mercy of the market and you have to

to go up and down. So I think through all that, I've seen we still have a ton of long tenured employees who are here because they want to be here. They love their customers. They love their coworkers. And they love the company. So I think we try really hard to just create that kind of environment. And Chad, thank you for your transparency, because we're all feeling it. We are.

I think every single person that is in the wireless industry can feel that feeling right now, especially after last year. But obviously we're all resilient and excited about the future. And we've started out with a little stronger this year, which feels good.

But you know, there's still there's still a lot of talent on the street. There's a lot of people who've been laid off in our industry. And, you know, I often ask, you know, is do we still have a talent shortage? Are there gaps? What what are do you have any specific strategies that you use that really work well for hiring and even developing talent? Yeah. Well, I mean,

to promote broad staff a little bit. I mean, we definitely partner with companies like yours because I mean, there's only so much we can do on our own. And I mean, that's what you're there for to help us in these times. But you know, I thought about this question a little bit and I think one thing, we have a really great HR team and that's interesting to say because Lori McNulty who runs our HR team would tell you that when she first approached me about

coming to work at B +T, I was like, we don't even need HR. We're an engineering firm, I want people that generate revenue. We don't want an op ex. So, but anyway, she quickly informed me why we needed HR or I'd probably end up in jail. So she came on many years ago and she and her team are fantastic. And I think, you know, A, they do a lot of, they do as much as they can on their own in terms of like recruiting and staying in touch.

with people, but also with partnering with staffing firms like Broadstaff. And so they do all of that. But I think one of the real strengths that I thought about was really the onboarding process. When we get a new employee, I mean, we all know when we get a new job, you're super excited to go there, you're ready to get started. And there's probably nothing worse than going and starting that new job and nobody calls you or sends you a computer or whatever. So.

I think one of our real strengths is onboarding new employees. I'm just surprised that when that person, once we made that decision to hire, they rush in through the paperwork. We get all the stuff done. We set a start date. And when that start date arrives, they've got a computer. They've got their health insurance packet. They've got all of the things to make them feel welcome. And I think that goes a long ways in getting that and making that employee feel good. But also, they're plugged in.

and they're ready to start training and they're ready to start becoming productive as soon as possible. So I think, you know, that's really something that we've done well and, and fortunately, unfortunately we've had too much practice, right? In the ups and downs of the last few years. I couldn't agree with you more because I do believe that people make a decision really in that first.

you know, 60 to 90 days if they're going to stay with a company. Like is this the place that I can call home? And I feel like that companies don't pay enough attention to the onboarding process. They just see it as administration and it is so crucial in that, you know, really for retention. Wouldn't you agree? No, I would. And you probably hear it more than I do because you talked to so many employees, but I'm glad to hear that confirmation because

I bet you get a lot of feedback where people are like, well, I went there and I didn't feel valued and they just, that first impression was bad and it's just hard to recover from it. It is hard. And we've heard candidates, some candidates have told me, you know, my goodness, the first two or three weeks did not feel good or, you know, this happened or that happened or that was disorganized. And even though they stay there for a while, whether it's months or years,

There's always that feeling that they have that they did not have that good experience. So now they have to recover from it. Right. So I think that it is something, especially, you know, when times are a little bit slow or, you know, there's a lot of opportunity in these times too, to retool and sharpen our axes and get our, you know, our processes in order and programs and, you know, onboarding when we're moving too fast, a lot of those processes and systems.

get ignored because we are just draking from a fire hose. So I think this is a good time to look at some of these processes and say, you know, how is our onboarding? How's this, you know, this piece and that piece and our recruiting and, and, you know, it's, it's a good opportunity for sure. So. Awesome. Well, you were, let's talk about leadership a little bit, because I've heard some wonderful things about you as a leader from your team.

And also I know that people on our team have known you for a really long time, Chad. So what is your approach to leadership and some guidelines that you're North stars? Yeah. Well, thank you for saying that. I do think a lot of people in our company will follow me and like me and respect me. But

But I really think it's because I respect and value every employee in our company. And that's not just lip service. And it probably comes from my upbringing. Like I said, I mean, I started out in this industry. I was the low man on the totem pole on a tower crew. And it learned how valuable that was. And I got to see how my grandfather ran his company and how people respected him. And I think the big takeaway that I had from that is that...

I respect every single person in our company exactly the same. Because we started this company from scratch, I realized every single one of these jobs is just as important as the other. I mean, you know, there's no VP of sales or whatever high level position if there's not a tower hand out there doing his job or a draftsman getting up and doing these drawings or, you know, a project manager serving our clients. So I believe that to the bottom of my heart. And I think that...

our people see that I believe that and see that I respect what they do and I think that goes long ways. And I think the other thing is I try to lead by example. You know, I don't ask anyone to do anything that I'm not willing to do. And you know, I did production at this company for a long time, many years. And anytime we get overloaded or busy, I'm more than willing to jump in and help. Although, recently they don't really want me to because...

I'm not near as good an engineer as I used to be. So I'm not sure how productive I am when I have to ask them for help the whole time. But, but you know, I mean, I don't care if it's taking out the trash or, you know, going out to a tower site or walking a site or whatever the case may be. I am more than willing to do it because I see the value of it because at the end of the day, it's going to get the job done quicker. And that customer who I'm probably going to end up talking to is going to be happier. So I think those two things.

work well for me and I think they probably work well for anyone that's been a successful leader in a company because you know, ego and all of those kinds of things just don't go a whole long ways in terms of trying to lead a group and get people to really jump in and follow you. Yes, servant leadership. I do believe in that and you know, it's interesting when you talk about just digging in and rolling up your sleeves.

I do that too here. So we have towels in the kitchen here at the office and I take them home like every week I take them home I wash them and I bring them back and You know if there's dishes I clean them put them away. I mean I just I never want to stop doing that, you know, and and it's just it's and I'm serving the people that

you know, work for broad staff, I'm serving the team. And I feel like that that's my role is to serve. And it sounds like that you're in that same boat of servant leadership. Yep. Well, and you also mentioned development. you know, I think that's something I certainly take for granted, but again, our HR team doesn't, doesn't take it for granted. So we're really diligent around here about performance reviews. which you know, I mean, when you're on the management side of it, it's kind of a pain in the neck.

But every time I get into a points review and I start having that conversation, I remember how valuable they are. You know, because it's a time that you get to, obviously, you know, there's some scripted questions and that kind of thing, but it leads you to have a good conversation and learn where that person is and what their career goals are. Because I, you know, I always make this impression of people as, they want to do this and they want to promote to that and whatever.

And I'm shocked sometimes. I may have an engineer that says, no, I'm more interested in construction or this or that. And I'm like, wow, didn't know that. And so I think that's another thing, developing and having that communication and then responding to it and really doing something about it when it makes sense. We try to promote from within when it's possible and it makes sense.

And with that, I mean, we have a lot of really great stories of people who started entry level around here and now they're in big positions and deservedly so. They just work themselves right up the chain and they're killing it. Just like you. Well, yeah. Yeah. So we try not to limit people and pigeonhole them into one corner. We listen to what they want to do and if it's a fit.

We try to get them there. So we've talked a little bit about the challenges that we faced the last 12, 18 months or so. What have these challenges taught you as a leader, as a company? god. How to drink more? It has been tough. I do think, I mean, one thing that I think it's nice to talk to

you and to other people in the industry peers and realize that we're not alone. That helps a lot because I mean when you're sitting there fighting the fight and it's just not going well you feel like a complete failure and you know I guess misery loves company sometimes but no I think it's a little bit like you mentioned a minute ago when you know when you're busy and you're drinking from that fire hose you're just trying to keep up and this has probably for us more than anything.

not that we ever take customers for granted, but it has really taught us to really focus and bear down on customers and really make customer service a priority and really show them how much we appreciate their business. Because, you know, at the end of the day, you could be the greatest engineering firm in the world, the greatest construction firm in the world and get the job done, but that's what they expect you to do. Being easier to work with and communicating better and

Go, you know, go on the extra mile and being responsive. Those things are what we've been preaching over these last few months to really try to, you know, retain customers. Cause I mean, we need them. We need them. Yes. And that's the silver lining, right? I love that. I love that. What are your thoughts on? I've been asking a lot of people this on the show, your thoughts on the rest of 2024, maybe moving into 2025. Where, where are we? Where?

What? Give us some good news, Chad. Well, you know, I am optimistic, but it's funny. My investors would probably say I'm always a little too optimistic. But I think when you're leading other people, I mean, if someone in the building is going to be optimistic, it's got to be me. But I really am. I mean, we've seen from our perspective and we're in the engineering space, so we're oftentimes out.

in front of maybe when construction's gonna start happening and some of these other things, but it's been a much better start to the year. I mean, literally, 2023 was brutal. There just wasn't anything happening anywhere, and it's been a much better start, and really, some of the clients we're talking to a lot with some of the bigger work we're doing right now are showing us a three to five,

year runway. I haven't seen one of those in a long time. You know, I haven't seen anything beyond three to six months. So I feel I'm pretty good about it when I'm seeing, you know, busy now. And again, we're having to we're having to jump in there and get in with these clients and give that good first impression and grab our piece of it. But if we do a good job, I do I think we've got a runway here for a few years of being really busy.

Good. Good. That's good to hear. I feel the same way. What is your vision for B +T Group? Well, I mean, first priority is to have a healthy company and provide a great place for our employees to work. So that's priority number one. Obviously, we want to grow. We want to create value for shareholders and financial partners. So that's definitely high priority. And then...

But I think we get there by back to what I said about customers, you know, is by finding customers where we can be a partner and develop a partnership and not just, you know, be a vendor and collect a PO and do a task and invoice. So I think, you know, by focusing on that and by doing that and, you know, and as you mentioned earlier, keeping our head up and looking for new opportunities and expanding maybe into some new directions.

We need to do all of those things. But yeah, I mean, we need to grow. We're like anybody else. We need to be solid and financially viable and profitable and continue to grow. I love it. Chad. Well, tell us how can we reach you B + T group? What is your website? It is btgrp .com. All right. Simple as that. Well, Chad, thank you for coming on the show. This is.

It's been my pleasure. I really align with a lot of your values and have a great deal of respect for you. So thank you. Thank you, Carrie. Appreciate the time and thank you for having me. Take care. Bye.

All right, that was awesome.