Meet Mike Barra - Director of Construction Project Management

Mike Barra is Lessen’s Director of Construction Project Management, which means he oversees the project management team that handles major projects costing more than $10,000 for clients.

Tell us about your job.

I lead a five-person team that manages projects ranging from roof replacements to drain line installations to building additions. Each Lessen team member is especially suited according to each project, and their skill set is varied and deep. Our team members, including myself, work directly with our Affiliates through every phase of the project to successfully complete it on time.

What are examples of the projects you work on?

We deliver what we call “corporate initiatives” for our clients who may have multiple locations across the country. For example, we have a major jewelry store chain as a client that needed new showcases installed at nearly 80 locations. We tracked the material shipped to each location, made sure our Affiliate was onsite for its arrival, and that they followed the job to completion. We served the client quickly and efficiently by getting every location serviced at the same time.

Another example is a company that needed rooftop HVACs installed in multiple locations in Ohio. We did everything from pulling the correct permits in each part of the state to securing and installing the new units and ensuring they were online.  

What’s the advantage of working with your team?

When you have multiple facilities, your managers likely have a lot on their plate. There’s only so much they can do. We remove this burden. My team gives our clients the complete end-to-end treatment for any project they may have.

We also have a vendor base. Most companies just offer the technology. They don’t have the vendor base that we do. I talk every day with our clients, and the thing they say they like the most about us is that they get the complete package. We vet our Affiliates to make sure they operate with the highest standards in the industry, and we facilitate communication with them in real-time, from the beginning of the project to the end.

We go beyond technology innovation to provide superior hands-on service that is local, fast, and professional. I’m proud of that.

How did you get into this industry?

After graduating high school in Chicago, I started working in apartment maintenance and doing janitorial work. I ended up being a building engineer and, from there, went into construction. I also worked in top roles at leading retailers like Kmart, where, as the director of regional facilities, I was in charge of maintaining more than 2,200 locations.

Over the years, I’ve done it all: installed fireplaces in homes, performed concrete work, became accredited in HVAC installation and maintenance, and did anything to stay in the trades, which I did my entire professional life.

Every person on my team came out of the field. In that way, I’m not unique. We all worked on crews in our early life.

Why does such deep experience matter?

There’s very little I run into that I haven’t seen or done before.

I can direct people not just on the best way to approach a project but also provide a clear window on pricing. I can tell just from pictures whether a price is reasonable or not. That helps clients know if they are getting the best and most fair price on the market.

We can deliver that kind of budgeting insight. If a client wants my team to look at a half dozen parking lots for them and give them a budget estimate, I promise it will be accurate. This gives our clients confidence that the price they are getting from our Affiliate is justified for the work it covers.

What do you like about your job?

There’s never a dull moment and never a time when you’ve learned everything. Every day, I learn something new, whether it’s new technology or recent building codes and construction regulations. In that way, I’m always engaged.

What do you do outside the office?

I golf in the summer whenever I can. I also like listening to music, reading, and working out. I’m on “old guy time” now. My kids joke with me about it. Our joke is you can catch me from five in the morning to nine at night. These days, I go to bed the times I used to go out!

Why does Lessen stand out?

When people ask me about Lessen, I say we fix stuff. We are the people that you can call when you have a problem. It’s our job to make sure that everybody does their job the way they’re supposed to do it. Basically, we try to get things repaired and replaced as quickly as possible for the best price possible. And we’re successful at it.

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