When we asked DPR’s leader of SPW field operations in Austin, Texas, BB Lopez, about father-and-son team Heraldo & Yordan Vasquez Sanchez, he didn’t hesitate to answer with praise. “Listen, I wouldn’t be where I am today without these two guys. Their success is the key to my success. They’ve always been leaders and mentors, and that’s been the key.”

That theme runs through Heraldo and Yordan’s careers: mentoring and building up the careers of others. Heraldo started as a carpenter at DPR and worked hard to become a general foreman, while his son, Yordan, worked his way up from laborer to lead carpenter, followed by foreman training. We sat the duo down to find out what makes them so successful, not only at building world-class structures, but at building great people.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to build/type of project to work on?

Heraldo: I like everything. I like seeing my son as a tradesman. I like the small group of eight workers we’ve had working together for 12 years—our original group is still together—and seeing them grow.

Yordan: We all started as carpenters, and he’s always tried to motivate us and push us forward. We kind of complement each other; we know what everyone is best at and we can pick each other up and cover each other without even saying a word.

Q: What are you most proud of in your work at DPR?

Heraldo: All the jobs I’ve completed with the minimum number of incidents and the overall completion and quality of my work.

Yordan: Heraldo is a good boss, but he’s real picky. He doesn’t like messy work. He wants it fast, but he always taught me this: construction is based on quality, safety and production. Delivering that makes me proud.

Q: Over the course of your career, what is the most important thing you have learned?

Heraldo: Overall, I would say I value safety much more. About four or five years ago I suffered an injury to my right hand. I was close to being disabled. After I got better, I started seeing everything differently. I became even more focused on safety. I don’t want anyone to have to go through what I did to learn how important it is.

Yordan: Always hearing about safety from my father and seeing him practice what he preaches. He shows everyone you can deliver quality safely and on schedule.

Q: What’s the most challenging part of your job?

Yordan: Family and work-life balance. Wanting to spend more time with my family but not leaving my profession and my workers behind; it’s a balancing act. And my family is small—only five. I’m the oldest of three brothers, but my father has 18 brothers! But DPR wants us to spend time with our families so we can focus better when we’re on the job.

Q: What would your advice be for the next generation of builders entering this field:

Yordan: Learn! One of the biggest things for us, something we emphasize for the whole family, is to never be satisfied. Always learn, learn, learn!

Q: It sounds like you could work for anyone. I’m curious, what do you tell people when they ask, “Why DPR?”

Heraldo: Honestly, DPR has given me opportunities other companies would never entertain. I think there are a lot of folks who don’t see or appreciate what DPR does. But I’m proof that DPR can help people have a career, not just a job. I always try to share that with my crews. The culture and support at DPR is really what got me where I am today.

Yordan: One thing I would add is that Heraldo has VERY high standards. He doesn’t allow sloppy work, and his crews are good because of that. DPR empowers all of us to take action when someone isn’t living up to what we expect. Don’t get me wrong, Heraldo gives everyone an opportunity to earn it… but if they won’t listen and adhere to DPR’s high standards, then they don’t belong at DPR.

BB Lopez sums up how instrumental strong leadership from the trades is: “These guys built these crews on their own, and that really is the bedrock of success at DPR. And it’s not just their crews. We wouldn’t be as strong as we are today without them mentoring the guys running other jobs.”