Founded in 1956, S+B James Construction (SBJ) celebrates 70 years in the construction industry this year. With offices in Sacramento, Palo Alto, Riverside, Irvine, Carlsbad and Medford, the firm serves clients from Southern California through Southern Oregon, focusing on the education, healthcare, life science and hospitality/entertainment market sectors.
“Construction has a very technical aspect, but it’s also all about different personalities and skillsets coming together to create something significant.”— Kelley Cowan, Executive Vice President
Providing comprehensive preconstruction and general contracting services, SBJ supports clients from early planning and budgeting through construction, commissioning and project closeout. Success has been built by a long line of top talent and today, women are thriving at all levels of leadership, including Executive Vice President Kelley Cowan, Project Executive Erin Allred and Project Executive Taylore Bruce.
Cowan, an industry veteran of 34 years, encourages women and all young people to consider construction careers. “Construction has a very technical aspect, but it’s also all about different personalities and skillsets coming together to create something significant,” she says.
In the industry for 25 years, Allred enjoys the technical aspect of her work and the satisfaction of seeing the physical creation that results from projects. She explains, “I love seeing the structures we create and knowing that they support our communities as schools, hospitals and much more.”
Backed by 26 years in the industry, Bruce relishes the people side of the business. “I enjoy mentoring and helping people develop their careers, watching them grow from the learner to the teacher,” she notes. “SBJ does everything possible to better their employees and encourage them to better themselves. It truly feels like family here.”
Allred adds, “There’s not one prescriptive path to success here, but rather a focus on elevating each person’s natural skills. You don’t have to conform to be a contributor or be heard. Doing good work is the key and there’s much flexibility in that.”
Each of these company leaders appreciates the ability to bring her unique value to the workplace and job sites, and the opportunities SBJ offers. Recognizing the deep human dignity and respect in the company’s culture, Cowan concludes, “The company theme ‘Our Relationships are Everything’ is true at all levels … to our clients, our trade and design partners, and each other.”
