Mike Schneider: Giving Back to the Industry He Loves

For Mike Schneider, current President of the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC) and Vice President of Baker Concrete Construction, Inc., giving back to the industry on which he's built his career is his most important role to date.

Much like the Baker mission statement, "We will move forward with balance and make lasting contributions to our people, our communities, and the construction industry," Schneider is leading the ASCC into a new era—one based on realistic expectations and higher standards.

He says part of that is the new strategic plan for the ASCC—letting clients know the realistic expectations of concrete. In order to do so, ASCC has developed 25 position statements that help contractors explain the limitations of concrete. These statements are industry-backed information that Schneider says will help contractors who run into concrete-related issues on a job.

"Before, a contractor might have a problem—something inherent to concrete—and when he'd explain it to the customer, the customer might think the contractor didn't know what he was doing or didn't know how to fix the problem," explains Schneider. "But now, contractors can use ASCC position statements to help explain issues and clarify concrete's limitations."

Schneider also thinks there's room for improvement in the industry. "We have to do better work for clients. For example, our floor tolerances are better than they were in the early 80s," he says, adding that professionalism is another key component in ASCC's industry improvement plan.

"We also have to be more professional," Schneider says. "Part of that is belonging to ASCC or other associations. At the ASCC, our annual events and training classes focus as much on how to run a business as on how to form a wall."

Schneider has been involved with the ASCC for the past eight years, serving on various boards and committees. Along with his current role of President, he also is a member of the Education and Training, Liaison, and Strategic Planning Committees.

Amazingly enough, Schneider also finds time for work. His career began after graduating from Miami University and landing a job as a cost accountant for a construction company. Schneider then pursued a second degree in Construction Management. After earning that degree, he went to work in the operations side of the business. He was hired by Baker Concrete in 1978 as a project manager, running work in the Ohio area.

"I got in on the ground floor with the company," Schneider says of his start with Baker. From there, doors opened within Baker, and Schneider started managing major jobs at sites including Miller Brewery and R.J. Reynolds.

Throughout his years at Baker, Schneider also helped open a new office in Houston, Texas, before he ended up in Cincinnati in 1986. It was then that he began focusing on business development. In 1991, when Baker acquired a paving company, Schneider got involved with heavy highway work while simultaneously running operations in Orlando, Florida, from afar.

And as of April 2003, Schneider has been managing all of Baker's commercial and highway work in the Northern Region and recently took on the additional responsibility of Chief People Officer (CPO), a role that focuses on coworker development, training and retention.

After all that, one might expect Schneider to want to take a break, but not so. "I love the business," he explains. "To think that there's something there at night that wasn't there in the morning, that's great.

"At Baker, I get to play in the Super Bowl every day," he adds. "We do a lot of big jobs, and there are lots of opportunities like the ones I've experienced...The industry has been good to me, and I feel a responsibility to give something back."

Which does help explain Schneider's heavy involvement in the ASCC. "I've met some of my best friends through the ASCC, and I call people for help just like everyone else does," he says.

Schneider adds that one of the great things about the ASCC is the fact that there's a real give and take amongst the members. "The benefits of joining the ASCC come when you're active. You get out of it what you put into it," he explains. "I put a lot in, but I still feel I get much more than I put in."

"There's a tremendous opportunity for young people coming into the industry right now," Schneider says. "I love to help develop young people...That's how we're going to be successful in the industry, by training new people."

"The industry is facing tougher schedules and better-educated owners," adds Schneider. "The bar is being raised whether we like it or not." Clearly, Schneider intends to help his colleagues jump that bar, no matter how high it's set.

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