A LEADERSHIP STORY INTECH’s Lessons Learned from Transition to Perpetuity BY AMANDA GIBNEY WEKO, PRINCIPAL | AGW COMMUNICATIONS In late 2021, general contracting and construction management firm INTECH Construction announced a key ownership transition. Phil Moses accepted the President helm from co-founder Craig “Sab” Sabatino, who stepped into a chairman role. General Counsel Blaise Lutz was promoted to Chief Financial Officer. The promotions were the latest step in a decade-long strategic planning effort spearheaded by Sabatino and co-founder Will Schwartz, who retired from INTECH in 2017. Their goal: That smart growth and the stewardship of INTECH’s values, company culture, and drive toward innovation will continue with future generations of ownership. The INTECH story demonstrates that success comes through careful planning, thoughtful execution, and the support and trust of colleagues.
The Plan Founded in 1986, INTECH has been dedicated to building trust and delivering construction excellence to clients for over 36 years, constructing many prominent regional projects in the multifamily residential, healthcare, life sciences, education, cultural, hospitality, and institutional markets. INTECH has remained humble, eschewing most publicity and instead letting its three decades of successful projects attest to the company’s quality and values. Early on, Schwartz and Sabatino wanted INTECH to last into the future with private owners who shared their values. While building the company, they emphasized a service-oriented, personal approach to construction, honoring the principles of craftsmanship, quality, and integrity. A principal leads every project, communication and collaboration are prioritized, and delivering unparalleled service and a job well done are ultimate goals. These values continue to guide INTECH’s philosophy, and the idea of integrity became the cornerstone for developing a strategic evolution plan. Started 10 years ago when INTECH introduced its first four principals to join Schwartz and Sabatino 26 CONSTRUCTION TODAY
in leadership, the plan evolved. As the portfolio and company grew, INTECH scaled its leaders’ involvement by catering their strengths to projects’ needs. Time, careful promotions, and affordable ownership opportunities were the key elements that enabled growth, not only for individuals, but also for INTECH as a whole. The promotions of Moses and Lutz served as a major leadership shift and ensured a second generation of ownership integrity and maintains INTECH as one of Philadelphia’s largest locally owned construction firms.
The Execution INTECH’s leaders believe their evolution and strength in the market is unique and rooted in their independence. This belief in individuals and their collective power to shape the company for the better forms the crux of the plan’s execution. Leadership positions were not ensured because of family relation, nor was INTECH absorbed by a larger national firm. Instead, the company’s success resulted from planning, mentorship, and stewardship of values from one successful year to the next. Leadership talent was groomed from within from a pool of highly skilled individuals. INTECH hired, coached, mentored, and developed the skills of internal teammates who have helped to shape the company. Individuals learned not only how to be effective construction managers, but also how to abide by and cultivate the INTECH values of integrity, personal commitment, and honesty.
Live the Business INTECH built its reputation as a service-oriented company that thrives on collaboration and ensuring the success of every project. Any departure from that approach would have been a radical change from the company’s values. Although INTECH