Schedule a call
MCL Construction-Construction Manager/General Contractor
  • Home
  • How We Build
    • About MCL Construction
    • MCL Safety
    • Preconstruction Approach
    • Virtual Design & Construction
  • What We Build
    • Healthcare
    • Corporate Office
    • Education >
      • K-12
      • Higher Education
    • Religious & Non-Profit
    • Athletics and Aquatics
    • Lifestyle and Retail
    • Logistics & Warehouse
  • Careers
  • Locations
    • Omaha
    • Kearney
  • Home
  • How We Build
    • About MCL Construction
    • MCL Safety
    • Preconstruction Approach
    • Virtual Design & Construction
  • What We Build
    • Healthcare
    • Corporate Office
    • Education >
      • K-12
      • Higher Education
    • Religious & Non-Profit
    • Athletics and Aquatics
    • Lifestyle and Retail
    • Logistics & Warehouse
  • Careers
  • Locations
    • Omaha
    • Kearney
Schedule a call

3/20/2017

1 Comment

30 Year Reflections Part 3: Nancy Benson

 
Nancy Benson MCL ConstructionNancy Benson
​It may be said that behind every great company stands a man or a woman who knows how to decipher the fine print of an insurance policy, make payroll, and order the paper towels.
 
At MCL Construction, Nancy Benson, 64, has been that woman for nearly 30 years.


The current Vice President of Finance, Benson has been with the construction company from the start. She was one of the "Original Five" who left Hicks Construction in 1987 with Bob Carlisle and Jim Meyers to join them on their great adventure as they began to build the company 30 years ago this year.
 
"I remember we met on a Saturday morning at a Perkins (restaurant).  Bob and Jim asked me if I'd come with them.  I didn't even stop and think about it," Benson recalled one morning in her office.
 
Today, Benson is getting ready to retire - for the second time. She attempted to retire about a year ago but agreed to stay on at the request of her successor, Joe Hebenstreit.  He wanted help in finishing up some projects and he wanted more time with Benson to learn the ins and outs of his new job.
The two coworkers have an easy camaraderie, with Hebenstreit in no rush for Benson to leave, despite teasing her that she doesn't have what it takes to walk out the door of a job she clearly loves.
 
"I don't know if I'll ever be ready to retire but I'm leaving next year.  I will go.  I will go next year, " said Benson, as she pointed a finger at an amused-looking Hebenstreit, before breaking into a laugh.
 
Benson has a contagious laugh and an easy way of engaging people.  It's not difficult to understand why Carlisle and Meyers recruited Benson to go with them when they left Hicks Construction.
MCL Construction Team 1987
Original MCL Construction Team
​​In the beginning, Benson was the company's official jack-of-all-trades.  A bookkeeper by training, she answered the telephone, typed up contracts, wrote payroll checks and processed invoices.
 
She even took out the trash and cleaned the offices.
 
"I would say that she has managed every aspect of construction that wasn't related to (actual) construction," explained Hebenstreit.
 
Along the way, Benson acquired a vast array of knowledge about starting a small business.  She learned about the intricacies of group health insurance policies, the need for company bylaws, and insurance policies. 
 
She also learned to process numbers on an adding machine at supersonic speeds. (Hebenstreit called it "intimidating.")
 
"It was like osmosis.  Little by little, things began to sink in," said Benson.
 
She loved almost all of her duties, even taking out the trash, with the exception of one:  the dreaded "bidders' list." 
 
On those day, Benson and others in the office would go down the list, calling subcontractors all day to ask if they wanted to bid on a particular job. 
 
The day would come when the bids were due and the office became a scene of organized chaos as the deadline approached and bids came flying into the office via in-person or over the telephone.
 
"All day long, we would have people going in and out, bidding jobs.  It was hectic," Benson said.  "It's very stressful. To this day, some of its done on computers, but it's still very stressful."
 
As the years passed and MCL Construction grew, Benson's duties began to narrow in scope, with her job title changing over the years.  The woman who started out answering the telephone soon found herself managing other employees who were doing many of her original duties.
 
She also watched as the company that started with five employees grew to handle multimillion-dollar contracts with more than 120 employees.  She always had faith in Carlisle’s and Meyers' business savvy but, she said, even she sometimes is amazed out how swiftly the company has developed.
 
"I think the last few years have felt like, 'wow,' did we grow," she said. "It's been absolutely phenomenal.  We grew and we grew and we grew.  The last few years, we've just mushroomed."
 
"Bob has added really good, quality people to make it grow like it has," she added.
 
Despite her clear love for the company, Benson said the time has come for her to get lost in sunshine with a pair of pruning shears in her and her husband's fruit orchard that they planted on an acreage near Norfolk.  An Iowa farm girl, she loves her time at her rural home on the river, where her husband can hunt and her five grandchildren can play.
 
It's going to be hard to get MCL out of her bloodstream.  Benson is, after all, a self-described "workaholic."
 
And, yes, she knows she has changed her mind about retirement a few times in the past.  But, this time, she laughs, she really, really means it.

Part 1: Jim Meyers
Part 2: First In The Field

1 Comment
https://tutuappx.com/ link
8/17/2022 05:49:21 am

Massage your face with it once your facial pores have been opened. This is actually quite a satisfying technique, as your face will feel noticeably smoother afterwards.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    MCL Construction uses many voices from within and outside the company to give informed advice, opinions, and techniques about construction methods, innovation, and technology.
    ​

    Archives

    October 2024
    September 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    January 2024
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    July 2022
    September 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016

    Categories

    All
    25-years
    30 Year Anniversary
    30-Year Anniversary
    3D High Definition Laser Scanning
    Adolescent Therapy
    AJ Leonard
    Alex Tapia-Vargas
    Allied Construction Services
    Anthony's Restaurant
    API Design
    Aquatics
    Architect
    Architectural Photography INC
    Archive
    Athletics
    Austin Kay
    Autodesk
    Autodesk BIM 360
    Autodesk BIM 360 Field
    Bankers Trust
    Baseball
    Baseball Field
    Bass
    Bellevue
    Bendpack
    Best Places
    BIM
    BIM 360
    BIMForum
    Bluebeam
    Blueprint
    Bob Carlisle
    Boys Town
    Brad Anderson
    Braden Johnson
    Brant Yantzer
    Builders Blitz
    Building Green
    Building Information Modeling
    Businessman
    Career
    Career Change
    Career Fair
    Career Path
    Careers
    Carpenter
    Cars
    Catholic Church
    Center Street Medical
    Central Nebraska
    Centris
    Centris Federal Credit Union
    Charles Sachs
    Chemotherapy
    Child Saving Institute
    City Of Gretna
    Client Experience
    Clinical
    Clubhouse
    Collaborate
    Collaboration
    College
    Commercial Construction
    Commerical Real Estate Women
    Community
    Community Center
    Community Outreach
    Competition Pool
    Construction
    Construction Industry
    Construction Safety
    Construction Technology
    Contractors Commitment
    Coreslab Structures
    COVID-19
    Craftsman
    Credit Union
    Creighton Prep
    Creighton School Of Dentistry
    Creighton Unversity
    Crescent
    CREW
    CSI
    Cuming Street
    Data
    Database
    Dave Jesse
    David Olson
    Davis Erection
    Dealership
    Decisions
    Director
    Disadvantaged Businesses
    Diversity
    DLR Group
    Donation
    Don Gausden
    Drew Pflug
    Dr. Hani Haider
    Early Childhood Program
    Economic Inclusion
    Education
    EIA
    Electric Company Of Omaha
    ElectriCity
    Elementary School
    Emergency Youth Shelter
    Emerging Businesses
    Employee Education
    Employees
    EMT
    Engineering
    Engineering.Com
    Engineering Integration
    Engineering News-Record
    ENR
    ENR 400
    Entrepreneurship
    Eric Widerin
    Expanding
    Experience
    Father Flanagan
    Field
    Field Engineer
    Field Operations Developer
    Fire
    Fire Suppression
    First National Bank
    Fishing Tournament
    Fitness
    Football
    Fr. Paul Colling
    Fundraiser
    Gary Leapley
    Gary Peters
    General Contractor
    Geofoam
    Golf
    Governor
    Graduation
    Grand Island
    Greg Boulay
    Gretna
    Gretna Crossing
    Gretna Crossing Park
    Gretna High School
    Gretna Public Schools
    Grower's Award
    Growth
    Gym
    Habitat For Humanity
    Hastings
    Health
    Healthcare
    Heather Fredrick
    High Definition Scanning
    High School
    High School Sports
    Hiring
    Holland Basham Architects
    HR
    Human Resources
    Information
    Information Technology
    Inner Beauty Salon
    Innovate
    Innovation
    Intern
    Interns
    Internship
    Internships
    Investors Realty
    Iowa
    Iowa State
    IT
    Jim Meyers
    Jim Pillen
    Job
    Jobs
    Job Search
    Joe Hebenstreit
    Joe Kotulak
    JoEllen Smith
    John Sova
    Josh Dinsmore
    Josh Hannum
    J.R. Barger & Sons
    JSW Contractors
    Kansas State University
    Kearney
    Keith Basham
    Ken West
    Kiewit Construction
    Kirstal Mordhorst
    KMTV
    Kristal Cavanaugh
    Lars Renovation Services
    Laser Scanning
    Lauritzen Outpatient Center
    La Vista
    Lazy River
    Leadership
    Leadership Omaha
    Leica BLK360
    Lemars
    Lighting
    LInkedIn
    Love Church
    Low Voltage
    Lyle Ott
    Marine Crops
    Mark Berner
    Marketing
    Matterport
    Mazda
    McGill Asbestos
    MCL
    MCL Basics
    MCL Construction
    MCL Headquarters
    Medical Office Space
    Mental Health Awareness
    Mentorship
    Methodist College
    Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center
    Methodist Hospital
    Metropolitan Community College
    Meyers Carlisle
    MIchigan State University
    Middle School
    Midwest Bass Anglers Club
    Mike Heser
    Mike McGlade
    Mike Waldman
    Milt Critzer
    Minority Owned Businesses
    Modula Lift
    Nancy Benson
    Nangode LLC
    NAWIC
    Nebraska
    Nebraska Medicine
    New Employee
    Nick Brim
    Nicole Schippel
    Nikki Schippel
    Nolan Larson
    Norm Christensen
    Northstar
    Notre Dame Cathedral
    Numbers
    Occupational Therapy
    OCI
    Office Renovation
    Omaha
    Omaha Chamber
    Omaha Chamber Of Commerce
    Omaha Country Club
    Omaha Lancers
    Open Space
    Opportunity
    Pandemic
    Papillion
    Papillion South High School
    Paris
    Paula Ebert
    Paul Beller
    Pediatric Therapy
    Peitzmeier Demolition
    Peru State
    Photography
    Physical Therapy
    Pictures
    PILOT
    Pool
    Prairie Mechanical
    Preconstruction
    Price
    Prince Of Peace
    Professional
    Project Advocates
    Project Engineering
    Project Executive
    Project Manager
    Promotion
    Pro-Team Cleaning Services
    Punch List
    Quality
    Rachel Dempsey
    Rachel Robak
    Ralph Leonard
    RDG Planning And Design
    Reach
    Recruiting
    Reflections
    Relationships
    Restaurant
    Revit
    Robitics
    Safety
    Safety Games
    Safety Week
    Sales
    Savannah Cuevas
    Savannah Stark
    Scare Away Cancer
    School
    Seating
    Selection
    Sergio Mateo
    Service Center
    Silica Dust
    Slowdown
    Small And Emerging Businesses
    Small Businesses
    Smart Lab
    Soccer
    Softball
    Softball Field
    Software
    Southeast Community College
    Spencer Smith
    Stadium
    Stone Creek
    Storage
    Student
    Subcontractors
    Superintendent
    Sustainability
    Swimming
    Swimming Pool
    Sydney Nebraska
    TACK Architects
    Tanna White
    Teacher
    Team
    Technology
    T. Hansen Construction
    Thierry Willner
    Tim Malik
    Tim Tiensvold
    Tony Fucinaro
    Tool Inspection
    Track
    Track System
    Trades
    Traffic
    Training
    Travis Boatwright
    Travis Justice
    Trevor Bruegman
    Tristen Davis
    Tyler Adams
    Tyler Dunklau
    Union Pacific
    University Of Nebraska
    University Of Oregon
    UNL
    UNMC
    UNO
    U.S. CAD
    VDC
    Virtual Design And Construction
    Volunteer Firefighter
    Water Park
    Water Slide
    Wayne State College
    Welding
    Wellness
    Wellness Award
    Will Barton
    Winsley Durand
    Women In Construction Week
    Woodhouse
    Woodhouse Auto Family
    Woodshop
    WOWT
    YMCA

    RSS Feed

CAREERS

MEET THE TEAM

WHAT WE BUILD

HOW WE BUILD

NEWSROOM​​

Picture

​MCL Construction is an equal opportunity employer

​Omaha, Nebraska General Contractor | Omaha, Nebraska Construction Manager | Central Nebraska General Contractor | Kearney, Nebraska General Contractor| Grand Island, Nebraska General Contractor | Hastings, Nebraska General Contractor | Healthcare Construction | Corporate Office Construction |
Education Construction | Church Construction | School Construction | Restaurant Construction | Retail Construction | Hospital Construction | Senior Living Construction | Bank Construction | Apartment Construction | Council Bluffs, Iowa General Contractor | Iowa General Contractor​
© 2025 MCL Construction. All Rights Reserved. Terms and Conditions