Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter /
Will Tutton, chair of Building Leaders of Construction, poses at Southeast Painters on Friday, July 13, 2018 in Chattanooga, Tenn.Will Tutton has worked in various jobs at the commercial painting business started by his father Randy for nearly half of his life.
The 30-year-old project manager at Southeast Painters Inc. enjoys the challenge “and knowing that every day is a little bit different” in an industry where the results of your work are visible on walls and buildings around town.
“It’s a fun and challenging job where every day has something new to offer,” he says.
As construction activity has rebounded from the Great Recession a decade ago, the demand for young workers like Tutton to enter the building field continues to grow even as many aging baby boomers are retiring. Tutton, who joined the board of the Associated General Contractors of East Tennessee a couple of years ago, is leading a local effort launched this year by AGC to promote and encourage more young people to enter and stay in the construction industry.
Known as BLOC – an acronym for Building Leaders of Chattanooga – the group is designed to help professionals under 40 years old to network and learn about the industry with other players in construction, including contractors, subcontractors, real estate professionals, bankers and others working to support construction of residential, commercial and industrial projects.