For Boettcher, fun makes for a job well-done

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Scott Boettcher didn’t take the route most travelled by project managers.

He worked in construction on and off in college while earning his undergraduate degree in environmental policy and law from UW-Stevens Point. Afterward, Boettcher split his time evenly between working for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and construction. Eventually, he chose the latter.

“I always liked the pace and fluidity of construction, and focused on that career path,” he said.

Boettcher began his construction career at Jansen Construction, moving up from jobs that had him doing things like estimating work out in the field. Eventually, he became a vice president of the firm, where he worked for 11 years total.

Those early experiences have proved invaluable in his current role as a project manager at Catalyst Construction. Above all, they have helped him foster stronger relations between office executives and workers in the field.

“It allows me to go into the field and problem solve better because I’ve actually done it,” he said. “I can really understand what the guys in the field are doing and going through.”

Boettcher said his more than 20 years of experience have also taught him how to deal with everyone from subcontractors to crew workers. Most importantly, he said, he has learned to treat everyone with fairness and respect.

Boettcher said he has also picked up a few lessons that outside observers might not expect.

“It’s really important to have fun as much as you can,” he said. “If you’re not going to have fun, it’s hard to do your job well.”

A good chunk of that has to do with the people Boettcher works with.

“I love working at Catalyst Construction and all the great people I currently work with,” he said.

Boettcher’s favorite projects so far have been for St. Marcus Lutheran School in Milwaukee. He has managed all the work Catalyst has performed for the school over the past six years.

The most recent project he worked on for St. Marcus is a 40,000-square-foot addition to its north campus on North Richards Street, allowing it to enroll more than 400 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

“After you’re done, you get to go back and see that building changing people’s lives,” he said. “That makes your job rewarding.”