Contractor and energy-efficiency systems manufacturer McKinstry Co. has launched a new podcast, “Building What Matters,” featuring conversations with leaders who decide how schools, hospitals, and major infrastructure projects are built in communities across the Pacific Northwest.

“Building What Matters” launched Sept. 15 and is hosted by Matt Allen, McKinstry’s chief client officer. Leaders from around the Inland Northwest will be featured in the show’s pilot season, including Gonzaga University President Katia Passerini, who is expected to discuss infrastructure transformations happening in higher education. Additionally, city of Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown will share her views of the built environment as the leader of a region, Allen says.

“We always love telling our customers’ stories, but didn’t always have their voice to share,” Allen says of the inspiration behind launching the podcast. “It’s an opportunity to see what’s sloshing around the heads of some of our best customers.”

The podcast also provides an opportunity for McKinstry’s 3,500-member workforce — which operate in Seattle and Spokane — to understand how their work impacts a community, Allen says. About half of that workforce is made up of union craftsmen, and the other half is administrative staff, he adds.  

In the Spokane area, McKinstry employs over 600 workers and is expected to grow by 10% each year, the Journal previously reported.

“Spokane is our fastest growing region,” Allen says.

While Passerini and Brown represent two Spokane leaders, the Inland Northwest will not be siloed to those two episodes, Allen notes. Leaders from across Washington are moving forward with projects and others are showing interest in building the region. For instance, Dave Sabey, founder of Tukwila, Washington-based Sabey Corp. was featured in the show’s second episode. Sabey Corp. has been building data centers for two decades, and operates two major data centers in East Wenatchee and Quincy, Allen says.

New episodes are released every two weeks and can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.