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For the fourth time in the past five years, Pepper Indiana was named Contractor of the Year at the 2026 Top Notch Standards of Excellence Awards, an acknowledgment of the collaboration and commitment across the organization to the union construction – labor management partnership. Additionally, Dave Podlogar, Senior Vice President of Field Operations, was one recipient of Top Notch’s inaugural Golden Hard Hat Award, a recognition that highlights not only his commitment to superior quality, stability and safety in the field, but his storied 44-year career in the construction industry as well.
For the fourth time in the past five years, Pepper Indiana was named Contractor of the Year at the 2026 Top Notch Standards of Excellence Awards, an acknowledgment of the collaboration and commitment across the organization to the union construction – labor management partnership. Additionally, Dave Podlogar, Senior Vice President of Field Operations, was one recipient of Top Notch’s inaugural Golden Hard Hat Award, a recognition that highlights not only his commitment to superior quality, stability and safety in the field, but his storied 44-year career in the construction industry as well.
What makes Pepper Indiana Top Notch? The Work Behind the Award
(From left: Matthew Masiarak, Craig Deshong, Drew Lawson, Shelby Tays, David Coleman, Korey Witalka, Adam Jordan, Dave Podlogar, Jason Brewer, Josh Ridener) Pepper Construction receiving the 2026 Top Notch Contractor of the Year trophy at the Top Notch Standards Awards ceremony on May 14, 2026.
Pepper’s Top Notch award submission showcased our commitment to safety, leadership development and diversity, as well as key programs and innovations driving our continued success. These efforts span several core areas, including training and education, operations and innovations, and community engagement.
Training and Education
A major development for continued employee education that was highlighted was the ‘Building Careers at Pepper’ program, an interactive tool that visualizes the employee journey and provides resources to easily craft development plans and training curriculums. The program, along with continued support for the Field Leadership program, amplifies Pepper’s commitment to its employees by encouraging and supporting their growth. Additionally, we have broadened access to online safety training, allowing employees to complete core learning more flexibly while receiving task specific, hands-on training in the field.
A major development for continued employee education that was highlighted was the "Building Careers at Pepper" program, an interactive tool that visualizes the employee journey and provides resources to easily craft development plans and training curriculums. The program, along with continued support for the Field Leadership program, amplifies Pepper’s commitment to its employees by encouraging and supporting their growth. Additionally, we have broadened access to online safety training, allowing employees to complete core learning more flexibly while receiving task specific, hands-on training in the field.
The new tool is in the form of a building and each floor includes “rooms” for specific topics, filled with refreshed and new resources such as onboarding checklists, coaching guides, development plans and more.
A drone image from our Community Health Westfield Hospital jobsite that illustrates our drone platform's capabilities.
Operations and Innovation
As an industry leader in virtual design and construction, Pepper prioritizes cutting-edge technology to strengthen how we plan and coordinate projects. In the last 3 years, our utilization of laser scanning on job sites has increased by over 400%, resulting in greater collaboration with the design partners on projects like Ascension St. Vincent Women and Infants Hospital and the High-Speed Propulsion Lab (ZL9) at Purdue University. The utilization of laser scanning technology earlier in projects, as well as throughout the construction phase, enables teams to achieve greater accuracy in key areas such as slab pours, elevator shafts and façade installation while identifying and resolving issues more efficiently. We have also improved how teams see the jobsite in real time through the use of drones and 360 imagery, allowing teams to interact directly with captured data to improve jobsite communication and logistics.
As an industry leader in virtual design and construction, Pepper prioritizes cutting-edge technology to strengthen how we plan and coordinate projects. In the last three years, our utilization of laser scanning on job sites has increased by over 400%, resulting in greater collaboration with the design partners on projects like Ascension St. Vincent Women and Infants Hospital and the High-Speed Propulsion Lab (ZL9) at Purdue University. The utilization of laser scanning technology earlier in projects, as well as throughout the construction phase, enables teams to achieve greater accuracy in key areas such as slab pours, elevator shafts and façade installation while identifying and resolving issues more efficiently. We have also improved how teams see the jobsite in real time through the use of drones and 360 imagery, allowing teams to interact directly with captured data to improve jobsite communication and logistics.
Community Involvement and Workforce Development
Pepper continues to champion certified diverse trade partners through our annual Diverse Trade Partner Outreach Event, which connects XBE businesses with Pepper leaders and upcoming opportunities. Those connections continue through our Diverse Trade Partner Mentorship Program, a one-year partnership initiative in which Pepper employees provide XBE mentees with guidance and resources to effectively expand their performance capabilities and project experience.
In 2026, we welcomed 120 diverse trade partners to our annual Outreach Event, hosted at Ivy Tech Community College - another Pepper client - which allowed attendees to network and interface with decision makers.
Click on the play button to view a video highlighting the Pepper Quality Department and the impact of preinstall meetings, commissioning and quality site walks on collaboration with trade partners.
Company Story
When asked to highlight an initiative we are proud of, Pepper’s Quality program and culture was an obvious choice reflecting its growth, sophistication and commitment to continuous improvement. Since 2021, the Quality Department has tripled in size, and every project is anchored by a Job Specific Quality Plan that identifies risks and outlines early mitigation strategies. From 2024 to 2025, our team resolved quality issues faster, conducted more preinstallation meetings, and saw the overall number of issues, their value and their cost per issue all decline. Quality also adjusted the program’s sequencing by engaging with the commissioning process earlier, so readiness is planned, not rushed at the end. Together, these efforts provide teams with a clear framework to stay aligned and proactive, so resulting in fewer surprises for owners and greater long-term value.
When asked to highlight an initiative we are proud of, Pepper’s Quality program and culture was an obvious choice reflecting its growth, sophistication and commitment to continuous improvement. Since 2021, the Quality Department has tripled in size, and every project is anchored by a Job Specific Quality Plan that identifies risks and outlines early mitigation strategies. From 2024 to 2025, our team resolved quality issues faster, conducted more preinstallation meetings, and saw the overall number of issues, their value and their cost per issue all decline. Quality also adjusted the program’s sequencing by engaging with the commissioning process earlier, so readiness is planned, not rushed at the end. Together, these efforts provide teams with a clear framework to stay aligned and proactive, so resulting in fewer surprises for owners and greater long-term value.
The People Behind the Work
Dave Podlogar (second from left) with the other Golden Hard Hat Award winners at the 2026 Top Notch Standards of Excellence Awards ceremony on May 14, 2026.
Pepper is proud to not only have many stand-out programs, but standout people as well.
Dave Podlogar has been at Pepper for 44 years and has served in various roles, including carpenter apprentice journeyman, foreman and superintendent before advancing to group superintendent and senior vice president of field operations. After spending ten years in Pepper’s Chicago office, he became one of the first Pepper Indiana employees, relocating to Indianapolis to help build the Ascension St. Vincent Hospital complex on the city’s northwest side. Throughout his tenure, Dave has focused primarily on the healthcare market, with major projects including Riley Children’s Hospital Expansion, IU Health North Hospital, Community East Campus Redevelopment and the Ascension St. Vincent Women and Infants Hospital, a true full-circle moment for Dave’s career in Indiana.
The Riley Children’s Hospital project was an especially important project to Dave as its impact extends beyond just expanding the hospital’s footprint.
“Especially in healthcare, we try to 'look beyond the walls,'" Dave says. “The parents and kids on the other side of that wall are counting on us to build a space that provides their caregivers with the best facility possible, so they can get better and move forward with their lives.”
Dave Podlogar (center) and the Pepper project team attend the Ascension St. Vincent Women and Infants Hospital groundbreaking ceremony in July 2022.
Dave is also a founding member of Pepper Indiana’s Field Mentorship Program that pairs newer superintendents and foremen with experienced leaders for guidance and support. The program was created to make a meaningful, positive impact on the people you work with and inspired by Dave’s own mentors through the years, who taught him to “grab the good" that he could use. Dave believes that everyone has a certain way of doing things and, if you are open to it, you can take the things they do and implement them to help yourself continually improve.
“Dave brings a perspective of collaboration that represents everyone’s best interests,”
said Dan Peddicord, President of Pepper Indiana. “Dave strives for partnership through his unwavering high standards and expectations that we all must keep our promise of high quality delivered safely.”
Although the Golden Hard Hat is brand new to Top Notch’s award lineup, the organization’s commitment to the union construction industry is second nature to Dave.
“My dad was a union carpenter and so was my brother. Being in the union and the seeing the qualifications required was like college - plus, it’s a family thing.” Dave says, “Having that training and commitment is a big deal to me.”
As a builder of both projects and people, Dave brings credibility to every conversation and an understanding of what crews need to succeed. He embodies the spirit of the Top Notch partnership, showing every day that when labor and management are aligned, the result is safer jobsites, higher quality work and greater stability for the people and communities that rely on Indiana construction.
About Top Notch Standards of Excellence
The Top-Notch Standards of Excellence Awards program was developed by Top Notch of Indiana for the purpose of recognizing achievements in Indiana's union construction industry and bringing together labor, management, ownership and leadership segments of our industry. This unique event not only celebrates excellence in union construction but allows all members and associates of our industry to exchange ideas and become better acquainted in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.
The Top-Notch Standards of Excellence Awards Program is the only event in the Indiana Union Construction Industry attended by all segments of the industry, providing an unmatched networking opportunity for all attendees.
For more information, visit www.topnotch.org.