Get to Know Chris Long, Chief Operating Officer, Kaufman Lynn Construction
Do you feel like you achieved all of your goals for 2021? If not, will you continue the pursuit?
I will continue to pursue my goals. This is like golf; no one has ever played a perfect round. Working on our culture, providing opportunities for our 225 associates to learn and grow and becoming a better organization tomorrow than we are today is never-ending.
What was your No. 1 career choice in kindergarten?
Veterinarian. I grew up on a farm, so that was my first thought for a career. As I grew older, I realized how much I enjoyed fixing and building things, which led me to construction.
How do you avoid burnout?
Great results always help. In addition, simple things such as washing the car, a quiet dinner with my wife or a ride on my Harley help me unwind.
Which item(s) do you never leave your house without?
Coffee is at the top of the list. Then comes the phone.
What construction projects are you most proud of having worked on?
Atlantis Resort, Bahamas, and the Florida Atlantic University football stadium in Boca Raton. Atlantis Resort because of the unique challenges it presented: It was my first time working out of the country; the quality of local labor; managing procurement of materials at a much higher level; and realizing how much I take our ability to get same-day delivery of almost any product in the United States for granted.
If you had a time machine, where would you go?
The Old West days.
What is the biggest business faux pas you strive to avoid?
Not falling in love with a project that doesn’t make sense for the company or our associates.