M id A tlantic Real Estate Journal — Best and Brightest Under 40 — August 19 - September 15, 2022 — 5D
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B est and B rightest U nder 40
hat is your great- est professional accomplishment? Phil Ritter, IMC Construction "Never stop learning — about your craft, about your industry, about your company, about yourself" W
my dad taking a leap of faith, following his passions, building a business, and then sharing his journey and wisdom with me along the way. Tell us how and when you began your career in the profession you are in, about your current position and why you choose the field/ profession you are in today? I started my professional ca - reer in commercial construction after graduating college with a degree in Construction Science from the University of Okla - homa. I guess you could say I probably started in this profes - sion when I was four years old, and my dad put a hammer in my hand. He’s a residential contractor, and at the time, he was building our family home. I was four, and I loved being on job sites with him. The tools. The craft. The time with him. It was all fitting. So, when he let me come “help” (now that I have kids, I know how loose that word really is) build the house, I was in heaven. As I grew up, he involved me more and more in each one of his projects.
Nights after school, summers, and holiday breaks, I was busy with additions, homes, kitchen renovations, you name it. You could say construction is just in my blood — it’s part of who I am, and I’ve loved it from as early as I could remember. When I went to college, I knew I wanted someplace with a strong construction program. I was fortunate to make great connections through college and got my first job as an Project Engineer at a large commer - cial construction company in Dallas, TX. After five years in Dallas, I relocated with my wife to my hometown in PA and reconnected with a construction company I interned with during my freshman year of college. Over a decade later, I’ve con - tinued to grow and am now a Division Manager and Partner at IMC Construction —thanks to the career my dad helped craft before I even knew what construction was. What were some of your early goals and did anything happen to change them? continued on page IBC-D
Phil Ritter Special Projects Division Director Years with company: 10 years Years in industry: 15 Real estate organizations/ affiliations: NAIOP
From a strictly professional sense — being entrusted to start a new division of IMC Con - struction to serve an untapped market for our company and diversify our reach and portfo - lio, all while in the midst of a global pandemic and a looming recession. What is your most notable project, deal or transaction? My most notable project has been starting the Special Proj - ects Division of IMC Construc - tion. It was a new challenge and opportunity, privileged to take on, but also one that came with a lot of uncharted territories. I had never started a new divi - sion before, but I was ready for the experience. I was excited about everything I would learn and grateful for the support and resources I had within the company. Now, two years into running this division, I’m con - tinuing to learn more everyday. We’ve built a solid team and in - creased revenue year over year. But more than that, I’ve been
able to take the knowledge from my prior professional experi - ence and broaden my approach to think more holistic and be strategic about the greater company. The results present a better approach to leading the division while contributing to IMC. as a whole. Who or what has been the strongest influence in your career? My father. My dad is a resi - dential contractor and has been for 40+ years. He worked as an apprentice carpenter when he was young but knew deep down it wasn’t what he was meant to do. He decided he wanted some - thing better for himself and his future family, so he took a giant leap of faith and started his
own business. His former boss, and even his own family, told him he’d never make it. But he turned that doubt into fuel and built a 40+ year successful busi - ness. He never hesitated to in - volve me in his projects as I got older — teaching me everything he knew about construction while also instilling the value of hard work and integrity. Some of my best memories are with him on a construction site, listening to good music, and providing newly constructed space for others. At the time, I thought I was just learning how to build, but looking back, I realize those moments helped shape my life, guiding me to the career I have now. I wouldn’t be where I am, had it not been for
Malvern • Philadelphia • New Jersey www.imcconstruction.com
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