Construction Manager of the Year – Brandon Barden – Integrity Grading & Excavating

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In high school, Brandon Barden and his friends worked on cars for fun. He took automotive classes and appeared to be on a career path to become a mechanic.

“It wasn’t long until I realized that’s not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, so I started working for a local construction company building houses,” Barden said. “At that time my stepdad and brothers were all involved in the road construction industry.”

Barden joined Integrity Grading & Excavating in 2007 and has been with the company ever since. Today he is an operations manager with the company.

Barden has been instrumental in driving the success of numerous projects at Integrity, colleagues say.

“Brandon’s ability to seamlessly integrate innovative solutions and industry best practices has resulted in the timely and cost-effective completion of these projects, often exceeding client expectations,” said Integrity President Dan Weinkauf.

“Reliability is a hallmark of Brandon’s career. His commitment to maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety is unwavering, earning the trust and respect of clients, colleagues, prime contractors and subcontractors alike. Brandon consistently goes the extra mile to ensure that every aspect of a project is meticulously planned and executed, from initial design to final inspection.”

Barden said he takes great pride in watching a project come to fruition.

“I’ve worked on projects throughout the state of Wisconsin,” he said. “It’s neat to pass by a former job site or drive on a road that our company put so much work into. In those moments, I get to share stories with my family about my involvement in that project. There are memorable details about every job that I’ve been a part of. Wrapping up a job provides a sense of accomplishment. I also enjoy connecting with other people in the industry.”