Employee Spotlight - Derek Wegner

OVERVIEW

For Derek Wegner, Project Manager at Alliance Construction & Design, a career in construction just made sense.

“I was drawn to construction because I love being outdoors,” he says. “I have always enjoyed hands-on work. Shop class was my favorite in high school, so this field felt like a natural fit.”

WHERE THE JOURNEY BEGAN

Derek’s construction journey began in 2010. He started college for construction management but soon realized classroom learning wasn’t for him. He was eager to get to work, so he jumped straight into the field.

He began as a laborer at a construction company in Kaukauna and quickly advanced to lead man. From there, he became a foreman and held that position for five years.

“I didn’t have much room for advancement, and I knew I had more to offer,” Derek says.

One day, he saw an Alliance truck drive by his jobsite and decided to look them up. There happened to be a superintendent position available, so he applied and got the job.

Derek’s career with Alliance began in 2020. He started as a superintendent and enjoyed working with subcontractors and owners. While he loved his position, his dream was to continue growing and challenging himself. After four years as a superintendent, he was promoted to project manager.

CHOOSING ALLIANCE

What stood out to Derek from the very beginning was the culture. The team feels like family, and the company is a size where he has had the chance to form meaningful relationships with his colleagues.

“When I came in for my interview, it didn’t feel formal or corporate,” he says. “It was very welcoming. They were very mindful of family time, and I loved the smaller company feel. I have four kids, and Alliance has made it clear they care about my family. If you need to take your kid to school or something like that, you have the capability to do that. There is balance, which means a lot.”

THE VALUE OF TEAMWORK

For Derek, one of the best parts of Alliance is the team mentality.

“Everybody is truly a team,” he says. “Everybody's willing to help everyone out. If a project manager needs help, a superintendent will step in, and the other way around, too. Even project managers will jump in to help in the field if needed.”

This all-hands-on-deck approach starts at the top.

“The owners, Mark VerHaagh and Todd Parczick, are amazing. They don't give up on people. We all learn as a team. We make mistakes as a team, and we learn from them and move forward.”

OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW

While Derek has had years of experience in the field, moving into a project manager role meant spending more time in the office, which required learning a new skillset. He didn’t have a lot of computer experience, but it was never an issue because his team was there for him every step of the way, helping him learn and grow.

“I know they will never let me fail,” he says. “It feels like a family here. I have all the support that I need. As long as you show up every day and prove that you want to be here, Alliance will never give up on you, and there are endless opportunities. My mentality is to just keep driving forward and be the best that I can be for myself, my family, and my company.”

CONCLUSION

What Derek loves most about his job is making customers happy and building those relationships.

“Customer satisfaction is my top priority and just doing anything that I can to help them trust the construction and give them peace of mind,” he says. “That is what it is all about to me.”

Derek looks forward to continuing to help customers at Alliance for years to come.