General Contractors, Subcontractors & Owners
On this episode of the Site Visit Podcast, James and Christian chat with Andrew Hansen from SitePartners and the recently launched SiteNews. Andrew is one of the three original hosts of the Site Visit and joins today as an interviewee and guest on the other side of the table. Conversations like these with Construction professionals are always a blast as we dig into the stories, thoughts and imagined futures for the industry we love. When allowed to delve deeper into the story of a guy like Andrew, you don’t want to brush over any details. Truly an example of a career built on the compounding of one’s experiences in one industry, with one focus on showcasing Construction stories and spreading the good news throughout the Industrial sector. Enjoy this brief recap of our time with Andrew Hansen, pull nuggets from each section and be sure to follow along with the links below
The SitePartners Origin Story
There is obvious chemistry among these guys, having hosted a podcast together for the past three years. Andrew reminisces about his drive to the studio to record previous episodes. Capturing moments like these is his forte. Of course, he transitions quickly to the storytelling of a recent trip to the Yukon and a video shoot for Finning (a proud brand partner for SitePartners) in British Columbia’s interior region. However, initiatives like these, or the building of a marketing agency, were never the original plan.
Becoming an entrepreneur was never in the cards. As often is the case, moving away from the corporate world rather than building a resume within Ledcor, a general contracting juggernaut, was more by chance in pursuing creativity that was possible in the industrial sector. Christian and James joke about marketing and ask if it runs in the family, a reference to one of Andrew’s family members who share a similar interest. It’s a funny story but foundational to the trio meeting. Andrew keeps it serious, reiterating that his path has been a series of steps following a passion and belief in an industry that culminated with the founding of SitePartners in 2018.
Marketing, Branding and the Current Times
As James describes, the exciting thing about creativity in Construction regarding messaging is that “you can speak directly to your customer. Nothing needs to be muted. If you use us, you will get this.” And when so much of Construction is relationship based, communicating clearly, often bluntly, helps to build transparency and strengthen the positioning of your business, whether you’re a general contractor, subcontractor or specialty trade. In marketing any one of these contracting businesses, as Andrew states, “you have done the hard work, which is build a good business, build a good brand, take a lot of risk in buying equipment, all we do is capture the story, and it just happens to be really cool.” James adds to this by telling Andrew, “you are the Jerry Bruckheimer of construction videos.” Funny but also true. Don’t believe it? Check out SitePartners’ Construction compilation.
All of this boils down to focus. In Defining niche and positioning, asking the “what could we be best in the world at?” type questions will separate contracting businesses from the rest of the pack in uncertain times. As Andrew says, “define your story, know who you fit and who you don’t. Find the sandbox you can play in. It is a lot of fun, and you can really race.” Inevitably, the guys point back to one of our most listened-to episodes with Justin Bontkes and Zack Staples from Caliber Projects. They take this stuff to the next level, having built an impressive team and business with an irresistible culture. “We build people and process,” as they say, “Own it! Crush it! Love it!”
The Launching of SiteNews
Telling construction stories has always been the foundational ethos of SitePartners, and the idea of launching SiteNews is an extension of this. Andrew states, “there are a phenomenal amount of stories and news in this industry, and let’s be honest, we all have smartphones and use them to consume information at a high level. We want to create a media brand that brings the stories of Construction to the fingertips of the industry.” Andrew adds that SiteNews will be an email newsletter and live website with great UI/UX, highlighting the best stories in construction, lessons learned, projects announced and people making a difference.
It is impressive to see what Andrew and his team have built at SitePartners and now, SiteNews. They are an authority, a voice, and a thought leader for the Industrial sector. And they feel that they’re just getting started.
It is great to have Andrew joining again on the podcast, where he intends to be a guest host moving forward. For more information on Andrew Hansen, SitePartners, SiteNews and the entirety of Ep. 059, check out the complete list of links below.
About Andrew Hansen, SitePartners & SiteNews
Andrew is the Founder and CEO of SitePartners, where he drives the vision and strategic direction of the firm, impacting all areas of the business from creative to strategy. He understands the industrial market and how to drive results. His unique perspective from working on-site in the natural resources and Construction sectors and as an account executive at a leading marketing agency has helped grow SitePartners into a full-service agency that works with leading Construction brands. Before founding SitePartners, Andrew was a five-year employee at Ledcor.
SitePartners is a specialized marketing agency and consultancy built for the industrial sector. They are a team of strategists, creatives, designers, writers, and analysts, dedicated to solving problems for their clients and are unique in their relentless goal of being the partner of choice for the blue collar. Their specialization allows them to work, think and hire differently to provide unmatched marketing services for their partners. Further, SitePartners understands that the industrial sector is undergoing massive change. The way people sell, win projects, respond to RFPs, use technology, recruit talent, and engage with stakeholders is changing rapidly, and they aim to solve these problems. They have built a team of industry leaders who have spent their careers building and shaping industrial brands throughout North America. Behind cameras, computers, and boardrooms, their group has touched hundreds of constructed companies. Today they have one of the most experienced and talented teams in the entire industry, who understand how to market and position industrial brands for success. As the disruption in this sector continues to grow, they intend to remain at the front of change and disruption.
SiteNews is the modern voice of Canadian Construction. They are the pulse of what’s happening in the industry—reporting, informing & inspiring in real-time via a weekly newsletter and website packed with content.
Podcast Information
Episode Links:
TSV Ep. 059: https://thesitevisit.buzzsprout.com/269424/11695559
Andrew Hansen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-hansen-/
SitePartners Website: https://sitepartners.ca/
SitePartners LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sitepartners-ca/
SitePartners Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sitepartners.ca/
SiteNews Website: https://readsitenews.com/
SiteNews LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/site-news/
SiteNews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readsitenews/
SiteNews Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReadSiteNews
Podcast Information:
the Site Visit Website: https://www.sitemaxsystems.com/podcast
the Site Visit on Buzzsprout: https://thesitevisit.buzzsprout.com/269424
the Site Visit on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-site-visit/id1456494446
the Site Visit on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5cp4qJE5ExZmO3EwldN1HH
Follow Along:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesitevisit
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesitevisit
