Sense of accomplishment keeps Gross striving for more

Senior Project Manager of the Year – Justin Gross, VJS Construction Services

Justin Gross has always enjoyed building things.

His grandfather was a master carpenter, and when Gross was younger, he used to watch him work on projects.

“The sense of accomplishment that is achieved when a project is over is really hard to beat,” Gross said. “I think it is very unique to be able to step back at the end of the day and say, ‘I had a hand in transforming that piece of land or property into the new structure or use that is there.’”

After graduating from the Milwaukee School of Engineering with a degree in construction management, Gross landed a job with VJS Construction Services.

Today, he is a senior project manager with the company. One of the things he enjoys most about his job is the variety of tasks that need to be accomplished on a daily basis.

“Each day brings a new challenge, and it is energizing to be able to attack those challenges head-on,” he said. “More importantly, I really enjoy the people I work with and the clients I work for. This industry doesn’t exist without the amazing people we get to work with on a daily basis and the communities we are able to impact.”

One of the biggest challenges in his field is effective communication.

“With all the stressors and changes in manpower, material availability and pandemic-related items, it is a constant task to be able to track that all down and effectively communicate with the different entities we work with on a daily basis,” he said.

When he’s not at the office, Gross enjoys being outside and participating in outdoor activities. He also coaches his son’s baseball team and his daughter’s softball team.

“I really enjoy spending time coaching my kids in the sports they are taking interest in,” he said.