Vice President John Schuh: All-In for 30+ Years! Content
AldrichVKP celebrated Vice President John Schuh’s recent 30th anniversary with the company by looking back at his career and sharing his words of wisdom. John has served as Vice President since 2014, leading our company’s operations with considerable project experience in all manner of roles, his strong commitment to owner advocacy, and a high priority on building lasting relationships. His aspiration for AldrichVKP is to be the best general contractor, delivering the highest quality projects, with the most knowledgeable teams in health and science construction.
Three Decades of Project Memories
A Husky Alumni through and through, John graduated from UW in 1991 with a degree in Construction Management. Even in his first few years in the industry as a project engineer, before joining Aldrich, he had the opportunity to work on healthcare projects at vital local hospitals, including UW Medicine’s Northwest Hospital. (Image left: John (center) tailgating with fellow team members at a Husky football game in 2013.)
In the late 1990s and into the early 2000s, Aldrich constructed several high-end private residences. One of John’s most memorable projects was the Mercer Island Residence (image right) due to its opulence and sheer size. With its unique gold leafing, lavish woodwork and marble, and columns imported from Mexico, the private home was featured on Evening Magazine and Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous TV programs. Our President, George Ward, was the project engineer working with John on this project and remembers all the work that went into researching and ordering the many high-end specialty items and finishes.
John says the most challenging project he’s completed was Central Kitsap School District’s Jackson Park Elementary School (image left) in 2013 due to some issues with subs. “The drywall subcontractor went bankrupt at the end of the project, so the team scrambled to bring in another partner to complete the work.” As a prevailing wage job, it was also discovered that the exterior envelope subcontractor wasn’t paying fringe benefits to its employees. John remembers bringing in their crew into the Aldrich office weekly to hand out fringe benefit checks in exchange for signed waivers. “Nate Jensen (Director of Preconstruction) helped translate Spanish for a couple of them and it was a lot of extra effort for us, but it was the right thing to do, which says a lot about the integrity of the company. “This school project was good for gaining knowledge. I had to know the documents inside and out, learn negotiation tactics, and how to adapt.”
"You are only as good as your last job."
John understands the importance of putting in the effort and doing the right thing on every project. “We’re only as good as the time we put in and the quality of work we put out. Our mindset and goal is to be the best at what we do in the construction of health and science projects, and we prove it every day. We want our clients and industry partners to enjoy working with us because of our positivity and exceptional communication. It's what motivates me to get up and come to work.”
John says the most important piece of advice he has for his team is to… “Anticipate the owners, architects, and subcontractors needs. Always be one or two steps ahead, do your homework, and be ready with answers.”
Thankful for Family and the A+ Team
During one of our weekly Superintendent huddles, John reflected on being with the company for 30 years and expressed his gratitude for the AldrichVKP team’s amazing talents, positive attitudes, and their commitment to a higher quality of work. “What stands out for me when it comes to longevity is what I think keeps us all showing up for work every day; it’s not the projects or the tasks… it's the people.”
John never misses an opportunity to hang out with the A+ Team outside of work including boating and wakeboarding, fishing, skiing, golfing, and generally enjoying the great outdoors. One of his favorite pastimes is hiking like climbing Mt. Rainier to Camp Muir with team members Nate Jensen and Matthew Schultz and traversing the Enchantments with his kids.
In our mission to strengthen the health of our communities, John volunteers with team members in community outreach projects every chance he gets. Like partnering with Northwest Kidney Centers to support the Rainier Beach Action Coalition in a green space clean up, and clearing the grounds at Odessa Brown Children's Clinic and Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center. At Alyssa Burnett Center, John and team members worked directly with the students to build and paint birdhouses, and to conduct mock interviews to reinforce what they had learned in the center’s job skills class.
Empty nesters now with their children, Megan and Nathan, grown and out of the house, John and his wife Cathy enjoy the serenity of their home situated along the Sammamish River in Kenmore.
John, you’re an exceptional leader and mentor. We all admire and respect you for your sincere and humble nature, willingness to always lend a hand, and focus on the wellbeing of others. It is our great honor that you’ve made your career here, and that you still have (hopefully many!) years with us.
For more from John, read what he had to say about celebrating our firms 50th anniversary: In Celebrating the Past 50 Years, We Imagine the Next 50 years
