Stan PepperJanuary 28, 2020
High performance & sustainability, About Pepper

Leading edge technology is creating stronger connections and making more things possible. It's bringing the future forward faster and closing the distance between our neighbors on the other side of the world. The knowledge we've gained over the past five years alone allows us to deliver higher quality and longer lasting buildings that also serve the greater good. The question is: How do we continue the momentum?

I recently had an epiphany that has transformed my perspective about who Pepper is as an organization. While companies race to align themselves with the next innovation, I've found myself slowing down and thinking about ways to bring more meaning to our work. Technology is a catalyst that is propelling us into the future. But it's not our purpose or our end goal. 

Over the past year, I've watched the collaboration between generations and among our teams strengthen what we deliver. They’ve analyzed different products, explored alternative solutions and developed new tools to give clients options for improving building performance. Our team members care deeply about the environments we create - and about the impact we have on our communities and across our world. They see our operations-driven industry as an untapped opportunity to improve peoples' quality of life.

It's true that construction tends to be a local business, and that's why we are perfectly positioned to be the agent of change. Consider how our buildings impact the world around us:

  • Construction supplies more than 7 million jobs in the United States, with a median annual wage higher than the national average. Our industry is looked to as an economic indicator because it represents investment and progress. Beyond that, the structures we build provide shelter, healing, education, entertainment and serve many other purposes that help individuals on a daily basis - and for decades to come.
  • Buildings also have a profound and lasting impact on our quality of life. With 90% of our time spent indoors, air quality, lighting and thermal comfort play an important role in our overall health, and thus how well we function at work, in school and at home. Architects are designing to make buildings more efficient, healthier and more sustainable. AIA developed The 2030 Commitment to improve efficiency as an industry, and it's important for us to partner with them for the plan to succeed.
A-brighter-future

Our industry needs leadership to help us all work smarter - to better understand how the climate impacts building systems, help promote updates to building codes, use sustainable construction methods and recommend healthier materials and efficient systems that deliver value over the long term. Imagine the impact we can make if we partner together - the promise of a brighter future for our children and their children.

As we proceed with this new resolve, I invite you to share your own ideas. Ask us questions, learn from us and partner with us to make a difference through every structure we build. Through the actions we take today, we will see tomorrow transformed.

Looking for inspiration? Explore our 2019 Annual Review, which features stories about the value of technology and high performance on recent projects.

About the Author

Stan Pepper, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Pepper Companies

Stan PepperChairman and CEO, The Pepper Companies

As chairman and chief executive officer of The Pepper Companies, Stan is responsible for setting the strategic direction and overall resource management. Stan began working at the company in the field at the age of 15, and quickly rose through the ranks while working in many areas across the organization such as carpentry, marketing and project management along the way. At age 32, Stan became president of Pepper Construction Company.

Stan also worked in private equity, consulting, software development and sustainable products, gaining a broader perspective and additional leadership experience in the industry. In 2015, Stan returned to The Pepper Companies with a management philosophy that has been greatly influenced by his diverse industry experiences as well as by his father, Richard, and his grandfathers, Pepper founder Stanley F. Pepper and Dr. Roscoe Miller, former president of Northwestern University. Stan’s leadership style is routed in serving those he leads, with particular emphasis on capitalizing on new technologies and creating an environment that encourages a multi-generational team approach.

A leading voice supporting innovation in the construction industry. Stan is an Executive Committee member at his alma mater, Monmouth College.