Our Freeburg students didn’t have far to drive this morning.

Tucked right behind Freeburg High School, with a pretty great view of the football field, is Middendorf & Reuss Construction. Brina was our student CEO of the Day this morning, and she kicked things off by introducing Josh Middendorf, the company’s 23-year-old president. Josh and his dad, Mike, who serves as CEO, led our class through the morning, and right away you could tell they were excited to have our students there. Mike also grew up right here in Freeburg and went to Freeburg High School, so there was a pretty special connection to the community before we even walked through the door.

Josh and Mike didn’t just tell us about the company. They introduced us to several members of their team and let them talk about what they do. We heard about project management, estimating, engineering, the shop and the many different pieces that have to come together to keep a growing construction company moving. They talked openly with the students about scaling the business, taking on bigger projects, building a reputation and, perhaps most importantly, building relationships. There was a lot of conversation about doing what you say you’re going to do, staying connected to people and remembering that the relationships you build today can become opportunities years down the road.

Mike also talked about technology and how quickly things change. He talked about the importance of the younger generation bringing new ideas and technology into a business and the older generation being willing to learn from them. If you stop keeping up with technology, you eventually fall behind. That was a pretty relevant conversation for a room full of young people who will be entering a workforce that is going to look very different from the one Mike entered.

And our students were engaged. Kaiden had several questions throughout the morning, and there were questions about scaling, budgets, where their work comes from, project management and how they handle projects in different places. They weren’t just listening. They were trying to understand how all of these pieces actually work together to run a business.

And then there was Chevy.

Chevy is the official mascot of Middendorf & Reuss Construction, and apparently no visit is complete without meeting him. He even had his own hard hat for the occasion. I’m pretty sure he was the most photographed member of the team this morning.

Our students walked into Middendorf & Reuss this morning knowing very little about what happens behind those doors. They walked out having met the people, heard the stories, asked the questions and gotten a much better understanding of what it takes to grow a business and build a career.

That’s the kind of experience we’re trying to give them through Silver Creek Area CEO.

Josh, Mike and the entire Middendorf & Reuss Construction team, thank you for making our students feel so welcome and for being so willing to share your business, your experiences and even your mascot with us. Thank you to Middendorf & Reuss Construction for investing in CEO and to Josh for giving his time as a mentor. We’re grateful to have you in this program.