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REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGER: PETE YANEZ

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Northern California is home to one of the hottest housing markets in the country, and with resident tech giants like Facebook, Google, and Apple gaining more financial ground every year, matching the demand can seem like a huge problem. But Colt Builders’ regional manager in the area doesn’t think so.

“Keeping up won’t be a problem,” says Pete Yanez, who’s been with Colt since 2015. “I’ve got the manpower, and Colt has the reputation, so I think we’ll be able to keep up.”

maKinG their marK

Pete got started in construction back in the 1970s, and with more than four decades under his belt, he’s seen the market change and grow. When Colt approached him to start establishing their Northern California market, he was well prepared for the task.

“I’ve been doing nothing but carpentry since I was 16,” Pete says. “With my work experience, I accepted Colt’s offer right away. And it doesn’t hurt that I can also speak Spanish.”

Since its introduction into the region, Colt has performed exceptionally well, doubling their revenue in a single year and with projections to keep growing. Much of the growth owes itself to the tech industry that makes Northern California its home, but the lifestyle that accompanies the industry also makes a big difference.

“Apartments are in big demand here because of the traffic,” Pete explains. “People prefer to live in a place where they can work nearby and access entertainment nearby. But with more people working from home now, we also see a high demand for suburban living.” And this means an opportunity to provide both single-family and multifamily homes.

teChnOlOGY PaVes the WaY

One of the best ways Colt has managed their massive workload is to rely on engineered wall paneling as opposed to traditional stick framing, which a large portion of the country still relies on. Pete sees several advantages to this approach. “I’ve been doing panels for over 30 years, and I find it to be a lot cleaner and faster than traditional stick framing,” he says. “There’s less liability on the job site, you need less manpower to get the job done, and there’s an element of cost savings when you ensure you won’t misuse materials in the field.”

In addition to wall panelings, Colt is also focused on introducing time-saving technology into their work on job sites, which Pete sees as one of the most compelling changes within the industry given his experience.

“I’ve been on this train for 43 years, and while you think you know it all, you’re really learning a lot,” he says. “Colt is all about technology, and that’s what’s exciting. You have more information at your fingertips than ever before. You used to have to ask an engineer to fix a problem when we found one on a job site, but now you can walk around with an iPad and see issues that don’t work, write an email, attach a picture, and send it off for a quick solution. Technology has made us stronger.”

But Pete also knows the power of good people and that technology alone is not enough. In the California market, employees are paid hourly, but unlike other companies in the region, Colt supplements that pay with consistent benefits like 401Ks and paid time off. Having been in the area for a long time, he’s seen how piecemeal contracting affects a job. Colt’s offerings of stable work and additional benefits “attracts people who want to settle down,” which makes working jobs easier and more consistent.

Northern California: Dublin Station

“Colt is all about technology, and that . . . has made us stronger.”

—PETE YANEZ, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA RGM

an unCertain future With definite POssiBilities

Because Pete has worked in the industry for a long time, he’s seen a thing or two.

“I’ve lived through several recessions,” he says. “But I see the next few years staying pretty busy. I’m hopeful that after the past year, we’ll see what we did after 2008. It’s still growing here.”

Colt is working on several multifamily homes in the area and sees no reason why that will change going forward. And he’s excited about it.

“Cities are getting planned, freeways are getting built,” Pete explains. And that means projects for Colt Builders are also in the works. “So it’s good from what I can gather.”