David Ross has built his construction career from the ground up.
Years of hanging around construction sites, cleaning up after crews, swinging a hammer and pouring concrete preceded supervisory roles and earned Ross his construction credentials at Morelock-Ross Builders, where he works as director of operations.
His first role with the company was as a site supervisor for the construction of 45 single-family homes.
“Not exactly what I had envisioned my first job out of college with a finance degree being, but the respect that I was able to gain from the guys out in the field has been irreplaceable,” says Ross, the son of Morelock-Ross co-founder Kenny Ross.
Now, David Ross – a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design-accredited professional – manages four project teams, each ranging between 15 and 65 people, and involving up to 18 companies.
Projects he’s managing with 2010 completion dates include a $1.7 million Houlihan’s restaurant and a $1.8 million Arvest Bank branch, both in Springfield.
Since 2005, he’s managed 48 commercial construction projects – ranging between 1,500 square feet and 170,000 square feet, with budgets up to $8 million – employing nearly 150 crew members from the five to 25 subcontractors involved.
In that role, Ross juggles personnel management, cost controls, federal safety regulation compliance and subcontractor relations.
“I get to influence the success of people during each project we work on,” Ross says. “It is my goal to make sure that all of the parties involved, the owners, subcontractors, the architects and Morelock-Ross, feel that the project was a success, both financially and with the end product.”
After a stint at the University of Arkansas, Ross returned to his hometown determined to make a difference.
He currently serves as vice chairman of The Network, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce’s young professionals group for which he’ll be chairman in 2011, and member of the boards of the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools, Leadership Springfield and the Community Wide Coalition for School Board Recruitment.
“Growing up in Springfield and having come back here after college, it has always been one of my goals to give back and make a difference in this community,” Ross says. “Since returning from college, I have methodically tried to position myself to become (a) leader.”[[In-content Ad]]
April 7 was the official opening day for Mexican-Italian fusion restaurant Show Me Chuy after a soft launch that started March 31; marketing agency AdZen debuted; and the Almighty Sando Shop opened a brick-and-mortar space.
