By Tom Cowan, Director of Operations with Nexus 5 Group
Josh Buller started his Nexus 5 Group career on July 10, 2017. Nearly five years have gone by and Josh has established himself as a valuable team member. It hasn’t always been a smooth road for Josh, but seeing how he has prevailed makes the story more fulfilling, and something I'm proud to have been a part of.
I first met Josh, “JB” as he is known by many, during a project that Construction Technologies was building in Illinois. (Construction Technologies is a company of Cohen-Esrey.) At the time, I was helping out with this project because it needed special attention but mainly worked within a sister company.
The project was in a difficult situation.
The nature of some multi-family projects present unique challenges and this one had its fair share. It was behind on schedule and upside down on budget. The initial plan for this project had failed, so the mood for everyone involved was a feeling of struggle. (But hey, lets take a swing at it!)
There were three different superintendents for this project down the final stretch. Unfortunately, most were fighting a losing battle. The one bright spot that I found on this project was Josh. Now I'm not saying that Josh was just the best out of a bunch of bad, it was something else. Something you know when you see it.
One of Josh's first projects was Ruby Receptionists in the River Market in Kansas City. His role was Assistant Superintendent and he was instrumental in the successful completion of that project. He and I are proud of this project and it's one that we continue to look back on.
The part of the story that's hard to talk about is that his dad was the first Superintendent for that project.
My first trip up there I needed to relieve him from his duties. We needed something to change. Doug Buller is one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet. He cared about his job and he cared about his team. The problem is that this type of project will chew up and spit out those who don’t match up. After getting to know Doug better, we both accepted that forcing him to turn into something he is not wasn't the right answer. It was better to go a different direction.
My main point to all of this is that Josh had choices to make. He was an important part of the project as he was one of the few that knew this property inside and out. I really needed someone to help steer this project and I couldn’t blame him for leaving with his dad. But he didn’t. Not quite sure why he stayed at the time, but In a way, I think it was a bit of a relief to not see Doug getting blasted from all directions. What he did was put his head down and helped finish something he started, and in the end, ended up stopping the bleeding. From the perspective of Josh and I, it was a great success, although no one else involved in delivering that project will agree.
Josh and I teamed up for his second project. This one he did mostly himself. Mediavo was in the same building as Ruby Receptionists in the River Market in Kansas City. It turned out fantastic and is one of our show pieces.
I invited Josh back to Kansas City to work with us directly after that project concluded.
He came over as a carpenter working with our service side of the business. Josh didn’t have a long history of carpentry but I was hoping he would learn and grow and bring that fighting spirit I saw in Illinois. I think Josh knew who he wanted to be... carpentry wasn’t it. His calling was to lead a team, a project, and to have clear purpose. This time of transition had its bumpy roads. Both sides needed to do some soul searching. Luckily for both sides, Nexus 5 Group is a place that looks beyond the immediate challenges and focuses on long term. Josh was a person we needed to let find his way.
Graves Garret within the Lightwell Tower in Downtown Kansas City. High rises always present challenges logistically but did a great job with a happy client
Fast forward to today. Josh is one of our Superintendents that we rely on heavily.
He has shown the ability to excel at a high level. He is someone that pushes the envelope on process and technology. He quickly became the model for integrating our software and devices. And he mentored others in how to use these tools efficiently. We continue to align high profile projects with his workload. He and I work very well together, learning from each other.
When JB is away from work, he likes to go cycling.
I know very little about it, but talking with him about his love of cycling makes me feel that I am missing out on a great hobby. Doubling down on his hobby, he recently bought a 2022 Kona Sutra. It’s for bike packing/gravel rides.
He likes to do weekend bike camping and will be going on a two-day bike camping trip Memorial Day weekend. Next year he would like to ride in Ragbrai, a 7-day 462 mile ride across Iowa.
What I can relate to is desire to work with motorcycles.
This is more my speed. He has a '71 Honda that's been a fun project. And he plans on getting another motorcycle this year to start another project.
His true jewels are his two children; daughter Ashlynn (12years) and Son Tripp (10 months). He loves spending time with them every chance he has.
"I have been here at Nexus 5 Group for Almost 5 years. I can honestly say this has been the best company I have worked for. I have learned so much and continue to grow with each project." Josh Buller, Superintendent
“JB has become the go to guy for any, and all projects. He has continued to improve and become a more knowledgeable superintendent after every job. His commitment and drive on the job has led him to become a trusted and valued member of the team. It shows with constant requests from our Project Management team for him to run jobs. Coming from the field, he has grown quickly in the last 3 years as an individual, a Superintendent and as a leader for our company. He will be the first to let you know if something isn’t working and always has a solution or idea to try and fix the issue. I'm privileged to have him as part of Nexus 5 Group and even more so that he is a part of our growing team of superintendents." Josh Green, General Superintendent
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