Santa Clara, CA – On September 27, 2025, the construction industry paused to celebrate its trailblazers at the Construction Owners Summit (CO Summit) in Santa Clara.
As the day drew to a close, five exceptional recipients took center stage during the awards ceremony, their achievements serving as beacons for an industry in transformation.
The CO Summit, jointly organized by Lumber, BuilderFax and Construction Owner Club, has become a signature event series across four major U.S. cities in 2025, combining industry exposition with educational programming.
The Santa Clara gathering brought together construction owners, contractors, students, and technology innovators for a full day of networking, learning, and recognition—but it was the awards ceremony that truly captured the spirit of an industry.
When Hensel Phelps received the Tech Trailblazer Award, it marked recognition of a company that has consistently pushed the boundaries of what technology can achieve in construction. The employee-owned national contractor has distinguished itself not merely through adoption of emerging technologies, but through its strategic approach to innovation investment and deployment.
Hensel Phelps has demonstrated its commitment to technological advancement through Diverge, its innovation and technology investment company. This structured approach to evaluating and implementing innovation has positioned the firm at the forefront of an industry undergoing rapid digital transformation. From artificial intelligence and machine learning to 3D printing and reality capture, the company's teams have embraced a comprehensive technology ecosystem that transforms how projects are designed, managed, and delivered.
The company's Virtual Design and Construction capabilities exemplify this forward-thinking approach. By integrating drone technology, BIM modeling, and advanced data analytics into daily operations, Hensel Phelps provides project teams with accurate, real-time information that drives decision-making and ensures precision. Their use of Small Unmanned Aerial Systems has become commonplace on jobsites, enabling superintendents to verify excavation quantities, track progress, and maintain unprecedented levels of project oversight.
What sets Hensel Phelps apart as a true trailblazer is not just the breadth of technologies deployed, but the company's investment philosophy. With a portfolio that includes 14 startups spanning LEED and ESG reporting platforms, AI-powered construction management systems, and financial management software, Hensel Phelps has created an innovation ecosystem that benefits not only their own operations but the entire industry. This Tech Trailblazer Award recognizes a company that understands technology is not merely a tool—it's a transformative force reshaping the built environment.
In an industry where safety can never be taken for granted, South Bay Grading earned the Safe & Sound Jobsite Award, a recognition that speaks to the company's unwavering dedication to creating work environments where every team member returns home safely. This award highlights the critical importance of safety culture in construction, where the stakes are literally life and death.
The Safe & Sound Jobsite Award represents more than just compliance with regulations or maintaining incident-free workdays. It acknowledges a holistic approach to safety that permeates every aspect of operations—from pre-job planning and hazard identification to continuous training and the empowerment of workers to speak up when they identify risks.
South Bay Grading's recognition underscores that exceptional safety performance requires leadership commitment, worker engagement, and a culture where safety is never compromised for schedule or cost considerations.
For construction owners evaluating potential partners, this award serves as a valuable indicator of operational excellence. Companies with exemplary safety records typically demonstrate superior project management capabilities, better quality control, and more effective communication systems—all factors that contribute to successful project outcomes.
Perhaps no award at the CO Summit carried more significance in the current construction landscape than the Workforce Champion Award presented to Truebeck Construction. As the industry grapples with skilled labor shortages and mental health challenges—the event's featured theme—Truebeck's recognition highlights a company that has made workforce development and wellbeing central to its mission.
Truebeck Construction has distinguished itself through comprehensive initiatives that address the whole person, not just the worker. The company provides access to BetterHelp, the largest online therapy platform in the United States with over 20,000 therapists, supplementing traditional Employee Assistance Programs with modern mental health resources. This commitment reflects an understanding that construction's high suicide rates and mental health challenges require proactive, accessible solutions.
The company's long-standing partnership with the Movember Foundation demonstrates sustained commitment to men's health issues and mental health awareness, extending beyond awareness campaigns to educational initiatives that reach both office staff and jobsite personnel. For a decade, Truebeck has participated in Construction Safety Week, growing its engagement each year with trade partners, vendors, suppliers, and clients under the motto: "One Goal. One Team. Home Safe."
What makes Truebeck a true Workforce Champion is the integration of physical safety and mental wellbeing into a comprehensive approach to worker health. The company recognizes that a thriving team requires support for both professional and personal development, creating a workplace culture where everyone can flourish.
In an industry confronting serious workforce challenges, Truebeck's model provides a blueprint for attracting and retaining talent while ensuring that people remain at the heart of construction excellence.
The Faculty Excellence Award presented to Dr. Hisham Said of Santa Clara University recognized the vital role that academic institutions play in shaping the future construction workforce. This award acknowledges educators who bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, preparing students to enter an industry undergoing unprecedented transformation.
Faculty members like Dr. Said serve as crucial connectors between academia and industry, ensuring that curriculum remains relevant to evolving industry needs while introducing students to emerging technologies and methodologies. Their research contributes to the body of knowledge that drives innovation, while their teaching inspires the next generation of construction professionals to approach challenges with fresh perspectives and innovative solutions.
The timing of this award at an event featuring a robust jobs fair and career development programming underscores the symbiotic relationship between education and industry. As construction companies seek talent capable of navigating complex projects, digital workflows, and sophisticated technologies, faculty excellence in preparing students becomes increasingly critical to industry success.
The Next-Gen Builder Award presented to Karthik Reddy Nagma represented the summit's investment in the future of construction. This recognition celebrates emerging talent—individuals who bring fresh ideas, technological fluency, and innovative thinking to an industry often characterized by traditional approaches.
Young professionals entering construction today face a landscape dramatically different from previous generations. They must master not only fundamental construction principles but also navigate building information modeling, understand AI applications, implement sustainable practices, and manage increasingly complex stakeholder relationships. The Next-Gen Builder Award acknowledges individuals who embrace these challenges and demonstrate potential to become industry leaders.
For construction owners, emerging talent like Nagma represents the future leadership pipeline—professionals who will drive innovation, challenge conventional wisdom, and ultimately reshape how the industry operates. This award also sends a powerful message to other young professionals considering construction careers: this industry values new perspectives and provides clear pathways for those willing to learn, contribute, and lead.
The awards presented at CO Summit Santa Clara reflected themes woven throughout the day's programming. Morning keynote speaker Atul Khanzode from DPR Construction discussed the benefits of digitalization in the AEC industry, while afternoon keynote presenter Justin Porter from Truebeck Construction explored "AI in Construction: Today's Reality and Tomorrow's Potential." Breakout sessions covered topics ranging from "The Last Human Job – When AI Can't" to "Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Construction" and "From Burden to Breakthrough: Agentic AI's Impact on Prevailing Wage."
These awards weren't simply recognition of past achievements—they represented aspirational benchmarks for an industry working to solve complex challenges. The Tech Trailblazer Award acknowledged companies investing in the tools that will define future construction practices. The Safe & Sound Jobsite Award celebrated the non-negotiable commitment to worker safety. The Workforce Champion Award honored organizations addressing mental health and workforce development with the urgency these issues demand.
Together with the Faculty Excellence and Next-Gen Builder awards, these recognitions painted a picture of an industry ecosystem where technology, safety, workforce development, education, and emerging talent converge to create a sustainable, innovative future.
As attendees departed the Sobrato Campus that evening, they carried more than raffle prizes and networking contacts. They left with examples of excellence to emulate, innovations to implement, and renewed commitment to advancing an industry that literally builds the future.\
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The five award recipients—Hensel Phelps, South Bay Grading, Truebeck Construction, Dr. Hisham Said, and Karthik Reddy Nagma—represent different aspects of construction excellence, yet share a common thread: the belief that continuous improvement, innovation, and people-centered approaches are not optional extras but fundamental requirements for success in modern construction.
For construction owners evaluating partners, building teams, or planning projects, these awards provide valuable insights into the qualities that distinguish exceptional performers. Technology leadership matters. Safety culture matters. Workforce investment matters. Educational excellence matters. Emerging talent matters. Companies and individuals who excel in these areas don't merely survive in today's construction environment—they thrive and lead.
The CO Summit series will continue bringing industry stakeholders together across multiple cities in 2025, but the Santa Clara event's awards ceremony will be remembered as a moment when the industry paused to celebrate those pushing boundaries, raising standards, and proving that construction can be simultaneously more innovative, safer, and more supportive of the people who make it all possible.
As mental health awareness, AI adoption, and workforce development remain top priorities for the construction sector, the examples set by these award recipients offer both inspiration and practical models for others to follow. The future of construction is being built today by companies and individuals willing to invest in technology, prioritize safety and wellbeing, develop talent, and reimagine what's possible when innovation meets tradition.
The 2025 CO Summit Santa Clara proved that excellence in construction comes in many forms—and that recognition of that excellence matters. For industry leaders committed to progress, these awards represent not endpoints but starting points for continued evolution in an industry that has never been more dynamic, challenging, or full of opportunity.
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