October 12, 2026
A strong crew brings more than tools to the jobsite. The people in the crew arrive with different backgrounds, experience levels, and ways of thinking, and this diversity is valuable.
During Construction Inclusion Week, Oct. 12-16, 2026, Phillips Infrastructure Corp. is highlighting what helps individuals become part of a cohesive, collaborative team.
Adam Ramirez, a Project Superintendent with Phillips Power, has seen those ideas at work during his 17 years with the company. His father joined Phillips (then Phillips & Jordan) in 1996 after moving to the United States from Mexico. Inspired by his father’s work and the company’s projects around Florida, Ramirez joined the company after high school for a summer job that became a career.
Today, his crew ranges in age from 21 to 75 years old and includes employees of different races and cultural backgrounds, each bringing their own perspective to the work. Here are four ways Ramirez helps everyone feel part of the team.
When the crew encounters a problem, Ramirez asks employees to put themselves in charge of solving it: What would they do? Where would they start? He asks newer employees as well as experienced workers, using their answers to understand how they think and what they bring to the job.
“Asking for input helps me understand how someone thinks, even if they’re still learning the job,” he says. “Someone with more experience might have handled a similar problem before. Either way, they have something to contribute.”
Everyone picks things up differently. One employee might need to see a task demonstrated before trying it. Another might prefer to talk through the steps and ask questions along the way.
Ramirez pays attention to those differences and adjusts his approach. That might mean breaking an assignment into smaller steps or having an employee work alongside an experienced crew member before taking on the task themselves.
“My job is to help people understand the work, and that means figuring out what works for them,” Ramirez says. “If an explanation isn’t clicking, I need to try another way.”
Ramirez also stays open to what employees can teach him, whether they’re new to Phillips or have years in the field. “I’ve been here for nearly two decades, and I’m constantly learning,” he says.
At morning meetings, Ramirez goes over the day’s work and checks in with his crew. He pays attention when someone doesn’t seem like themselves, knowing people won’t always speak up when something’s wrong.
“We spend more time with each other than we do with our own families,” he says. “That makes it important to look out for one another. Sometimes just asking how someone’s doing can make a big difference.”
If someone feels left out or has been treated disrespectfully, Ramirez addresses the concern with the crew without naming names. He frames it as a reminder that Phillips’ values start with how people treat one another.
“Integrity means doing what’s right, and that includes how you treat the person working next to you,” he says. “We expect people to look out for each other and show each other respect. That’s part of the job, too.”
You don’t need to know your way around a jobsite to have a future in construction. Ramirez wants newcomers to know there’s room for them at Phillips, even if they’re starting from scratch.
“We meet you where you’re at,” he says. What matters is being willing to learn and sharing Phillips’ commitment to safety, integrity, production, and quality. “Phillips can teach you the rest.”
For Ramirez, that’s what Construction Inclusion Week is about: helping people see a future for themselves in the industry. He joined Phillips for a summer job and found a career that’s lasted 17 years. He wants others to have that same chance.