A Conversation With ... Mark Trask

Tell us about your background in construction.
I absolutely did not have a clue what I wanted to do after I got out of the service. I worked in construction from 1972 to 1985 at different companies. And I was a carpenter, and I worked for myself down at Stockton Lake. I had a friend I’d worked with … on a project, and I hadn’t seen him for a couple of months, but he called and said he was here. But I was just going to work here for the summer. It’s been a long summer.

What did you do when you first started at Morelock-Ross?
I was kind of a fix-it guy – plumber, fixing leaks, and punch lists for residential, then (they) had me go on the commercial side, which I was a little uncomfortable with because I wasn’t familiar with it.

As a superintendent on commercial projects, what do you do now?
Coordination, checking (to) make sure things are done right. Mostly, it’s just getting people (to the job site) in a timely fashion. It’s kind of like a little concert: “You show up so the next guy can show up.”

How has the construction industry changed since 1985?
Well, computers – how did we do (this) without them? I mean, you wouldn’t see (on-site crews) for a week. That’s probably the biggest thing, communication. If you were wanting concrete back then, you had to go to a telephone booth, put in a quarter and call the concrete company. No phones, no nothing. When I started, there weren’t any pneumatic nailers – there probably were, but I didn’t see any of them – everything was done by hand. And boy, the economy this last two years has definitely changed. The money’s not there.

You’ve supervised construction of more than $100 million in projects. Are there any that are particularly memorable?
The Headache Care Center on Kansas Expressway, St. John’s School of Nursing, St. John’s Sports Medicine, Christ Episcopal Church on Walnut Street – that was a dandy – it’s a fixed stone building and we had to fit to it. It was pretty neat working with that old stuff, amazing to look at what they did that many years ago.

What are you working on now?
I’m working on some condominiums down in Kimberling City for Pointe 7. It was a crazy time when I first started, six to eight (jobs) was typical. Now, it’s just one, because it’s bigger jobs. Before, we were doing infills and office warehouses, and you didn’t have to spend that much time at each one. You could kind of move around.

What’s your philosophy for supervising?
People are good. I do better by explaining what I want done. I’m not a hollerer or a screamer. I never have been. I like these guys. You can talk to them, and shoot, they respond well. When things don’t fit, that’s what I (handle). … That’s where you’ve got to make an adjustment: “You go here, and you go there.”  Reading people – that’s what’s important for a superintendent. Everybody’s got a talent. You’ve just got to be able to figure out what it is and use it.

Why have you stayed here for 25 years, and how do you stay interested?
These are just great people to work for – great people. One year turned into two, and holy cow, 25 years later, I’m still here. They’ve done so much for me, I’ll never repay them. (Staying) is more for them than it is for me, as far as I’m concerned. ... Even when you get familiar with it,  you know what? There are always problems that you haven’t seen, and those are my good days. That’s what keeps it interesting.

Do you mentor younger workers?
These young kids who have got the ambition are in the best part of (their careers). I like (mentoring) if they show an interest for it. ... If they’re curious, that piques my curiosity and I like to mess with them, get them started.

After 25 years at Morelock-Ross, are you thinking about retirement?
I’m 59. I’d like to retire when I’m 62, but I haven’t decided. … Right now, I think retirement’s going to be all right, but when I get to that stage, I might back out.