Eric Regelin is a man of many layers. He’s an experienced contractor with an engineer’s inherent love of tinkering with things. He has traveled across much of the United States, as well as seen Ireland from coast to coast on horseback. He’s a husband of nearly 30 years (to wife Nancy), father to two artistic daughters (Erica and Marissa) and companion to two Wirehaired Pointing Griffons (Dutch and Daisy).
In 2010, Regelin added another layer—small business owner—when he launched GRANIX, LLC from his hometown of Ellicott City, Md. And this year will bring a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to serve as Associated Builders and Contractors’ (ABC) 2012 national chairman.
“Everything good that has happened to me since starting my new company is almost exclusively because of people I know from ABC or a program I accessed through ABC,” Regelin says. “There’s no place else you can go where you can talk to your competitors as peers and work on making your industry a better place.”
Engineer, Contractor, Small Business Owner
Regelin got his start in the building industry via a civil engineering degree from Purdue University. It was a natural fit for an Indiana native with an engineer for a father and a mathematician for a brother.
“We’re a math and science kind of family. If something was broken, we didn’t throw it away; we figured out what was wrong and fixed it,” Regelin says. “That hands-on approach to things fit in with engineering.”
His first job was as a design engineer for Pittsburgh-based United States Steel Corp., which did the engineering, construction documents and construction administration for steel mills, coal mines, iron ore mines and shipping facilities all over the country. As Regelin gained project experience, he realized he liked the construction side of projects better than the design work. He set aside getting a professional engineer’s license to pursue an MBA at Duquesne University, thinking a business degree was the better long-term choice. Turns out, he was right.
Regelin left U.S. Steel to become a project manager for a mid-sized Maryland contractor, where he worked his way up to division manager, director of quality control and safety, vice president and eventually president during a span of 25 years. Along the way, he became a LEED Accredited Professional and Green Advantage certified to gain a greater sensitivity for the environment and to better reach customers’ project goals.
“The architect can put all the green elements in place, but the contractor must execute the design,” he says. “As time goes on, I think we’ll see a lot of LEED elements and requirements become a greater part of building codes. It will become difficult to build something to code that isn’t LEED.”
Now, as president of GRANIX, Regelin is channeling all of his experience to build a smaller company with a broader reach into customers’ needs. “Everybody is a specialist now; it’s difficult to find someone accountable for everything from the beginning to the end of a project. You may get more qualified people on individual elements of a project, but the opportunity to lose the flow of communication is greater.
“As much as I like to look into the eye of a decision-maker, I think my customers want the same thing. From beginning to end, I’m the decision-maker at GRANIX.”
Regelin seeks general contracting work in the office and retail sectors and is an authorized provider of Nucor Building Systems. He also focuses on working with sureties to take over projects for failed contractors doing company wind downs, as well as providing consulting services to help construction companies improve their operations and strengthen their surety relationships.
Like many small businesses, Regelin is challenged with performing work and trying to get the next job at the same time. “That consistent flow of work is hard to balance as you start out,” he says. “ABC is a tremendous resource for someone who is trying to start a business on his or her own. The association provides everything from management training to networking, safety education and more.”
Volunteer, Team Member, Leader
A need for comprehensive safety training spurred Regelin to seek out his first volunteer position with ABC in the early 1990s. Shortly after being promoted to director of quality control and safety, Regelin sought a greater depth of safety knowledge to complement his understanding of quality control. He became involved with the
ABC Baltimore Metro Chapter Safety & Management Education Committee, which opened him up to resources offered by ABC and the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Regelin later became chairman of the safety committee, moved on to the chapter’s board of directors in 1997 and then joined the chapter’s executive committee in 2000. That leadership transition eventually introduced him to the ABC National Board of Directors, where he learned about the role of regional vice chairmen. He served as ABC’s Region 5 vice chairman (covering Delaware, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia) from 2007 until 2010, when he was named ABC’s chairman-elect. That same year, Regelin became the seventh person in the ABC Baltimore Metro Chapter’s 50-year history to receive a lifetime achievement award.
“If members want ABC to continue to be the organization that’s out there protecting small businesses and promoting the merit shop philosophy, then they need to get actively involved in their chapters. What they’ll find is this is a great
team to be on,” Regelin says.
Teamwork is a big part of Regelin’s vision for the coming year, which promises more of the same economic, political and regulatory challenges. As ABC’s national chairman, he stands ready to confront each of these issues under a “platform of common sense.”
With the national election less than a year away, a crucial first step is supporting political candidates who believe in free enterprise and open competition, and who want to help halt the assault on small businesses. Regelin’s goal is to gain more pro-business seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and gain control of the U.S. Senate, as well as to endorse a presidential candidate whose beliefs align with those of ABC members.
“We need to remember that when we choose candidates to support, it’s not about personalities, it’s about philosophies. It’s not about the person; it’s about the plan,” he says. “I encourage chapters and members to adopt candidates that embody our common sense approach.”
Specifically, Regelin is looking for leaders in Washington, D.C., to be sensible about the following issues:
- Regulations: Stop the free-for-all of behind-the-scenes regulations, which are placing an excessive burden on businesses and restraining the economic recovery. Focus on greater competition, rather than regulation, as a way to hold companies accountable.
- Spending: The government must stop spending more than it takes in. Legislators should cancel unspent stimulus funds and support a balanced budget amendment.
- Taxation: Reform the tax code so it is simpler. Make U.S. corporate tax rates competitive with the rest of the world so jobs stop being shipped overseas.
- Infrastructure: Commit money to infrastructure projects that will enable businesses to be more efficient, create jobs and protect jobs. Look at public-private partnerships as an example of smart infrastructure development.
- Energy: Implement a plan that allows for responsible development of domestic sources of energy and encourages America’s energy independence. Additionally, advocate for the development of more efficient buildings and structures so energy supplies last longer.
- Health care: Repeal the current health care law, which promises to raise costs and limit competition and access during the next decade. Instead, achieve greater access to health care through practical regulations, multi-state health plans and tort reform.
Regelin also intends to continue fighting government-mandated project labor agreements; spreading the message that 87 percent of the construction workforce chooses not to belong to a union; and helping member companies win work and deliver that work safely, ethically and profitably.
“The average ABC member does about $5 million in revenue and has about 10 employees. They are worried about making payroll, where the next job will come from, and the prospect of getting a bank loan or keeping their bonding line intact,” he says. “ABC is here for you. We are working on expanding programs and services so the association and its members will be stronger and better situated to take advantage of future growth.”
2012 ABC National Chairman Eric Regelin has held 12 volunteer membership and leadership positions with the ABC Baltimore Metro Chapter, as well as served on 15 boards, committees and task forces for ABC National. But his professional and community involvement doesn’t end there. Here’s a look at what Regelin is up to in his “spare” time: 
He also enjoys spending time outdoors and has traveled extensively with his family to national parks and dude ranches out West. “I’m not a city person. When I think of vacation, I think about which forest I haven’t been to yet,” he says. “When I look out the back of my house, it’s all woods. That’s where I feel comfortable. I’ll go build something in the city, but I don’t want to live there.”