Take 10 With Krekow Jennings’ CEO Scott White
Scott White is CEO and President of the Seattle-based high-end general contractor Krekow Jennings. Considered one of the most innovative builders on the West Coast, they pride themselves on craftsmanship and elegant solutions. Their problem-solving ranges from temporary rerouting, rebuilding, and reinstating a natural salmon-bearing stream while constructing a lakeside home to the historically accurate renovation of a 1908, 35,000-square-foot residence. In 2020 Krekow Jennings opened a San Francisco office. COUPAR interviewed Scott to learn more about the 43-year-old company.
CC: Why did the Krekow Jennings decide to open a second location in San Francisco?
SW: There are two primary reasons: first, San Francisco and Seattle are uniquely similar, especially concerning the craft of building, contract administration involved with the construction market we are in, and the general passion for design and architecture. Plus, there’s the long, shared history between the two cities that I think joins them existentially. Secondly, because the reception by the local architecture, design, and subcontractor communities has been so incredibly warm and inviting, it allayed any fears we might have had about being considered an “outsider.”
CC: How has Krekow Jennings changed over the last 43 years?
SW: The greatest change that we’ve experienced is also our greatest challenge – figuring out how a company (and industry) so rooted in hand-built craft evolves within a world so rapidly changing into one dominated by technology. This so dramatically changes not just how we do things but who does them. As a result, the makeup of our company is vastly different than 43 years ago. Complementing our stable of exceptional craftspeople, supervisors, and managers, we now also have BIM specialists, sustainability specialists, Passive House specialists, and the like.
CC: What are the biggest challenges for high-end construction companies today?
SW: Well, if by “today,” you mean “right now,” it would certainly be the lingering effects of COVID. Specifically, that it has made everyone in our segment of the industry far busier while at the same time lengthening procurement schedules and causing significant supply chain issues; this has been uniquely challenging. But suppose by “today,” you mean in this general era. In that case, I’d say finding qualified people, especially craftspeople- there are far too few young people entering the trades these days, which is a challenge that confronts all of us in this industry.
Illustration from Krekow Jennings’ Website
CC: Looking at Krekow Jennings’ website, it quite literally has a “think outside the box” ethos; what are the origins of that philosophy?
SW: It originates with almost every employee who has ever successfully worked for us. We work so hard to create a team that is 100% leaders and independent thinkers who don’t just want to work for us but want to develop us and improve us. Change is a constant here. No doubt there are challenges with a team made up entirely of leaders, but we believe the benefits far outweigh those periodic challenges.
CC One of the many esoteric structures that Krekow Jennings built was a two-story powder room in the shape of a beehive made of stone. What were the challenges of that project?
SW There were two significant ones. First, rough-in. Being a Powder Room, it had electrical and plumbing; determining where all that was going to land on a hand-built, conical masonry structure was incredibly challenging and took intense layout at a time when digital modeling was not yet a norm. Secondly, the [slow] speed at which it had to be built. Since the shape got smaller as it went up and was “collapsing” on itself, we could only install so much stone each day until the mortar set enough to allow us to stack more masonry on top. It was an incredible space, though.
CC: With degrees in Design and Philosophy, what attracted you to construction?
SW: My father was a machinist and cabinetmaker, so I grew up in a shop. As I struggled to develop any significant career in design, I was always able to fall back on construction and carpentry as a source of income. When I landed in this specific market – extreme high-end, custom residential architecture; I realized two things. First, a contractor in this market exercises plenty of “design thinking” through the ongoing problem-solving required by custom projects. Second, this market will always rely on and need humans because every project we build is one-of-a-kind and the only one ever to be constructed. So, “employment” is guaranteed.
CC: When not being CEO/ President of a construction firm, you have a dog-mushing hustle on the side. Is there a correlation between overseeing construction teams and running sled dogs?
SW: Yes, more than people might realize. I’m often hesitant to describe it for fear someone thinks I’m comparing people to dogs. But there is a strong correlation concerning the team-building required; everyone working together and doing their job; proper training and planning; and, most importantly, the ability to endure a seemingly infinite number of unrelenting challenges and difficulties. I saw Susan Butcher talk many years ago. And while she was not the first to say this nor the last, it was the first I heard it: “it is not the musher who has everything go right that wins the Iditarod; it’s the one who best handles everything that goes wrong.” That’s construction too.
CC: What is it like running dogs in Alaska?
SW: That is extremely difficult to describe. Especially concerning the real question – “what is it like running dogs 1,000 miles across Alaska?” After the 2014 Iditarod, Danny Seavey – brother of 5-time champion Dallas Seavey – wrote an article about the race titled “There Are No Words.” Those are the best words I can come up with to describe it. It seems like a cop-out, I know, but it’s not.
CC: What’s inspiring you in life right now?
SW: First, our resilience, and I don’t mean KJ’s resilience; I mean our society’s. Humans as a whole have endured far more challenging things than the past year, and people individually deal with more complex challenges all the time. But, for most of us, the past year will have been one of the most challenging we ever face. And we made it through. Collectively, we made it. We are resilient indeed. Secondly, San Francisco inspires me. We started working outside the Seattle area close to two decades ago. Having worked in many parts of the country and the world, the reception we are receiving in the Bay Area compared to others is unparalleled.
CC: How would you define your work in three words?
SW: Art meets Science.
Illustration from Krekow Jennings’ Website
