As promised, our Employee Spotlight series puts the focus on the people behind the work at ATMI Precast. This month, we’re excited to introduce James Sapp.
Getting to Know James
What’s your current role at ATMI Precast?
I am ATMI’s Engineering Manager.
How long have you been with ATMI Precast?
I have been with ATMI for 12 years.
How did you get started in the precast industry?
I fell into precast by a bit of luck. ATMI Precast’s VP of Engineering at the time had gotten my resume from a consultant engineer who was hiring for a job I had applied for. When I got the initial phone call, I was a little hesitant about if precast was something I wanted to do. I had gone to grad school wanting to design skyscrapers and, at that time, all I knew of precast was sound walls along the highway. Obviously, over the last 12 years I have gotten to be part of some real cool projects and I can look back on my initial views of the industry and chuckle at how limited it was at 23.
What’s your favorite part about working with precast?
My favorite part about working with precast is the challenge of solving a design problem with so many constraints. I often relate a lot of my day-to-day life to a clip from the movie Apollo 13 where the engineers are tasked with fitting a square filter into a round hole using only what was aboard the spacecraft. Anything someone can dream up can, in theory, be built. I feel the challenge in precast is building it given the production, logistical, erection, and cost constraints. Precast is about finding the way to do something; not just drawing it on a sheet of paper.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in precast?
I have found that embracing the opportunities put before you and focusing on solving problems, even if they aren’t necessarily your responsibility, is the best way to grow and progress. Most of my greatest successes were not from solving design equations that fit neatly within my engineering specialty but working to solve problems from a holistic point of view that a project or ATMI or a client was facing. Engineering is a tool to solve problems but, especially in precast, it is not an end in and of itself.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from working at ATMI?
Working at ATMI has taught me to be adaptable and agile in dealing with change. Whether it is a production schedule change, a client driven design change, or a market shift, at the end of the day work still needs to get into the plant to keep our production team working and to meet our commitments. While changes can be disruptive and uncomfortable, they happen. I have learned that keeping composure and rolling with the punches is the best way to keep moving forward.
What do you like to do outside of work?
As of mid-June, I am a father of three so time outside of work is typically devoted to chauffeuring, cooking, cleaning, changing diapers, or trying to figure out why the kitchen floor is constantly sticky. When I am not doing those things, I enjoy reading, training in mixed martial arts, and being outdoors (whether that is working, parenting, or relaxing).
What’s your favorite saying, quote, or piece of advice you live by?
A piece of advice that has been passed down in my family is to never let your schooling interfere with your education. In my formative years, it was a reminder to experience the full range of what life had to offer instead of focusing too rigidly on studying. Now, as I am moving further away from my formal education, it is a reminder to keep learning and growing.
What’s your idea of a perfect Saturday?
A perfect Saturday would be out camping with my family; hiking, enjoying a book in my hammock, and sitting around the campfire roasting marshmallows.
Tell us about a time where ATMI delivered on “As Promised”.
From 2017 to 2020, I was fortunate to work on product development for ATMI Precast. In that time, I focused on creating a new insulated sandwich panel that was more uniform, thermally efficient, and required less material and labor. This was an internally driven initiative that, to me, reflects our commitment to deliver on a quality product, As Promised.
There’s a version of this story you’ve probably experienced. A project is moving fast. Precast gets specified. You go out for bids, a manufacturer comes in at bid stage, and suddenly there are structural connection conflicts nobody caught, panel sizes that don’t work with the structural grid, and a revised drawing set nobody acknowledged time for. The schedule absorbs the hit. So does the budget.
It’s a frustrating pattern and almost always a timing problem. The precast manufacturer had the information they needed to flag those issues weeks earlier. They just weren’t in the conversation yet.
In Precast, Timing is Everything
Precast has to be engineered, fabricated, sequenced, and delivered in a specific order and every one of those stages depends on decisions made upstream. Panel sizes are constrained by what a manufacturer can actually produce. Opening locations affect structural calculations. Embed placements have to be coordinated before a single piece goes into the form. A change at design development doesn’t just affect the drawing, it creates a cascade that ripples through engineering, production scheduling, and erection.
The earlier a precast manufacturer is involved, the smaller that cascade is. Most bid processes don’t allow for that. By the time a precaster is in the room, the design decisions that create the most downstream problems have already been made.
What “Early” Looks Like at ATMI Precast
At ATMI Precast, the building information model (BIM) doesn’t start at engineering handoff. It starts at the sales stage.
Ron Olsen, Sales Modeler at ATMI, is often among the first people at the company to work on a new project. Before a contract is signed, before shop drawings are requested, he’s building a 3D model in Tekla Structures, ATMI’s BIM platform, based on whatever design information is available. That might be schematic drawings, early permit sets, or a conversation with an architect about what they’re trying to accomplish.
What that model makes possible in a first preliminary conversation changes the nature of the discussion entirely. Ron can show a design team where their panel sizes push up against what ATMI can produce. He can identify opening locations that will create problems downstream and propose alternatives before those decisions are locked in. He can run value-engineering options and show the cost implications side by side. And because the model is built in a format the architect or engineer of record can import directly into their own software, it becomes a shared coordination tool for the whole project team. Not just something ATMI uses internally.
The difference, as Ron puts it: “We don’t just bid quantities. We bid a buildable solution.”
That’s not a marketing line. It describes something specific. A buildable solution means someone has already thought through how the panels come off the truck, how the crane reaches them, how the erection sequence flows before you’ve committed to anything.
From the Sales Model to the Field
What makes the early BIM model more than a sales tool is what happens to it after the deal is done.
At ATMI, the model Ron builds doesn’t get shelved when a contract is signed. It travels with the project into engineering, production planning, and erection logistics. Because sales, engineering, and the erection team all work under the same roof, that handoff isn’t a file transfer across companies. It’s a conversation down the hall.
When a question comes up in engineering that affects how the panels were modeled, Ron is a short walk away. When the erection team needs to think through crane placement or delivery sequencing, the model is already there to work from. Problems that would have required a phone call, an email chain, and a three-day wait in a fragmented process get resolved in an afternoon.
On a large-scale precast parking structure in the Chicagoland area, this played out across every phase of the project. The sales model Ron built was used for estimating, panelization, engineering calculations, crane logistics, and field concrete topping planning. It was shared with the architect, engineer of record, and general contractor for coordination and scope discussions. The erection team used it to plan the full lift sequence, including load calculations for a 100,000-pound wall panel, before fabrication began. ATMI even produced an animation of the erection sequence from that same model, giving the entire project team a visual they could use in owner meetings.
None of that would have been possible if the model had started at engineering handoff instead of the sales conversation.
What This Means for Your Next Project
The ask here isn’t complicated. It’s just earlier than you might think to make it.
If you’re working on a project where precast is on the table, even at schematic design, even before you know who’s building it, bring ATMI into the conversation. Not to lock in a commitment, but to have a different kind of first meeting. One where a 3D model is already in the room, design constraints are already on the table, and the conversation starts at “here’s what’s buildable” instead of “here’s what it’ll cost.”
That’s the difference between a bid and a solution. And it starts earlier than most project teams expect.
Interested in seeing what early engagement looks like on your next project? Contact ATMI Precast to start the conversation.
As promised, our Employee Spotlight series puts the focus on the people behind the work at ATMI Precast. This month, we’re excited to introduce Enrique Valenzuela-Herrera.
Getting to Know Enrique
What’s your current role at ATMI Precast?
I am the Production Manager.
How long have you been with ATMI Precast?
I have been with ATMI Precast for 15 years.
How did you get started in the precast industry?
I started working for ATMI Dynacore in 2009. There’s a saying: “If you do good work, the industry will find you.” I was fortunate to meet John B. Armbruster (RIP) early in my career, and he became one of my first mentors in the industry.
What’s one project you’re especially proud to have worked on? Why?
One project I’m especially proud of was the 2011 NIU Residence Halls project. It was a large architectural project consisting of approximately 150,000 square feet of brick panels. It was the first major quality control project assigned to me, and I was responsible for supervising the overall green dotting of the panels. It was a great learning experience and an important milestone in my career.
What do you enjoy most about being part of the ATMI team?
What I enjoy most is the daily interaction with individuals across the entire organization. I appreciate the opportunity to work closely not only with my own team, but also with engineering and upper management. I also value the company’s culture of inclusion and diversity.
Who has influenced or mentored you in your career?
All my leaders, both past and present, have had a significant impact on my growth. The Armbruster family, Sudhir Singamsethi, Joe Rossi, Joe Pozzi, Mike Walsh, just to name a few, have all been influential in my professional development and personal journey. I truly value the guidance I’ve received and continue to apply their advice as I strive to improve both personally and professionally. Additionally, all of my family and the people close to me have also always influenced and guided me since I joined the company.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I enjoy spending time outdoors and staying active outside of work. I’m also a big sports fan, especially soccer, which is my favorite sport. Most importantly, I enjoy spending time with my family. I also love traveling to seaside destinations. So far, I’ve visited Mexico, Dominic Republic, Colombia, and Brazil, and I hope to eventually explore all of South America.
What’s your favorite saying, quote, or piece of advice you live by?
“Work hard and keep the faith.”
What’s your idea of a perfect Saturday?
A perfect Saturday for me is barbecuing, enjoying a cold beer, and watching an exciting soccer match or sporting event with family and friends.
Tell us about a time where ATMI delivered on “As Promised”.
In the spring of 2025, we had six special, not easy, projects running on the OB production tables. Five of those projects involved approved architectural mixes with sandblasted finishes. During that time, we consistently produced between 22 and 25 architectural panels per day. Despite the demanding schedule and complexity of the work, we never missed a pour and successfully delivered all projects on schedule.
Precast erection is one of the most critical moments of a project. It’s a high-stakes phase where schedules are won with successful completion or lost to delays that cost time and money.
In many projects, the manufacturer and the erector are separate companies with separate agendas. One is focused on production, the other on getting panels set as fast as possible and moving to the next job. When problems arise, like a panel that needs a field repair, a sequencing issue, a question about crane position, the answer can take days to arrive. And while everyone waits, costs climb and schedules tighten.
At ATMI Precast, that scenario doesn’t exist.
One Roof, One Team, One Shared Goal
At ATMI Precast, the erector isn’t a subcontractor you hope shows up on time. Waubonsee Development is embedded within ATMI Precast. We operate under one roof, act as one team, and have the same goal: delivering projects As promised. When a question comes up in the field, Waubonsee doesn’t wait on an email chain or a callback from a manufacturer they may or may not have a relationship with. They simply walk down the hall.
That’s not a small thing. A field repair that gets answered before lunch. A sequencing question resolved before it becomes a sequencing problem. An engineering call that takes minutes, not days. It’s all about ease. And when your manufacturer and erector share a building, that’s just how it works.
For the general contractor on the ground, that means one point of contact, shared accountability, and no gap between what was promised in the planning meeting and what shows up on the job site.
The Team Behind the Promise
A 33-year veteran of the industry, Waubonsee Development completes approximately 75 projects per year. Waubonsee holds the lowest Experience Modification Rate of any precast erector in the Midwest. Their crews average 12 years of tenure, meaning the people erecting your building have likely erected hundreds of buildings just like it.
As Promised
When you work with ATMI Precast, you get one team from concept to ribbon-cutting. A manufacturer and erector who share a facility, a plan, and accountability for the outcome. No finger-pointing. No gaps between what was promised and what gets built. Just a precast partner who shows up, communicates, and delivers.
As promised.
As promised, our Employee Spotlight series puts the focus on the people behind the work at ATMI Precast. This month, we’re excited to introduce Justin Foote.
Getting to Know Justin
What’s your current role at ATMI Precast?
I am the Director of Estimating.
How long have you been with ATMI Precast?
I started my career with ATMI Dynacore, where I worked from 1998 to 2005. I then worked with Walsh Construction from 2005 to 2008 before returning to ATMI Precast in 2008.
How did you get started in the precast industry?
After receiving my associate’s degree in construction management from Purdue, I responded to classified ads in the Chicago Tribune. At the time, Jim Armbruster had recently acquired ATMI Dynacore from J.W. Peters & Sons in 1998. They were hiring both an Engineering Manager and an Estimator. Ray Groth was hired as the Engineering Manager, and I was hired as the Estimator. We both started on the same day—June 1, 1998.
ATMI’s office was still located on the second floor of Old Second National Bank on Downer Place, and I still remember picking up our Gateway desktop computers in the cow-print boxes they used to come in.
What’s your favorite part about working with precast?
I particularly enjoy working with precast because it’s a unique material in a unique and continually evolving market. Many people are familiar with more conventional construction materials like cast-in-place concrete, steel, and masonry. Precast shares similarities with each of them, but it also stands in a class of its own.
What’s one project you’re especially proud to have worked on? Why?
There have been many projects I’ve enjoyed working on. On the hollow-core plank side, I particularly enjoyed The Glen project at the former Glenview Naval Base. Now known as The Vi at The Glen, it included some unique precast balcony slabs in addition to hollow-core plank. It was a large project at the time for us and it was a beautiful campus.
More broadly, the variety of projects we work on at ATMI Precast is what keeps the job exciting. From parking garages to data centers, from multi-family residential systems to industrial warehouses, and from athletic complexes to auto malls—the work is never boring.
What do you enjoy most about being part of the ATMI team?
I enjoy the fast-paced nature of the business and the opportunity to collaborate with other departments. Working together to develop comprehensive solutions for complex projects is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in precast?
First, be eager to learn. Listen, observe, and absorb as much as possible. There are many aspects to precast—engineering, fabrication, transportation, and logistics. Over time, developing a strong understanding of each area is key.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from working at ATMI?
Many of the lessons I’ve learned at work are similar to life lessons in general. Mistakes will happen, but it’s important to keep them small and avoid major blunders. Do what you say you will do and always try to maintain integrity.
Who has influenced or mentored you in your career?
Two of my earliest mentors were Mike Zeier and George Guenther at ATMI Dynacore. I also learned from Ray Groth on the engineering side, who studied under Ming King at PEC.
What makes the people here different from other teams you’ve worked with?
From my perspective, each department brings a unique viewpoint to the business. Everyone works toward the greater good of the company rather than focusing solely on individual departmental success. I think that speaks volumes about the culture at ATMI.
What do you like to do outside of work?
My hobbies include boating, taking walks, working out, and traveling when I can.
What’s your idea of a perfect Saturday?
It would definitely involve the boat. After a cruise, I’d anchor off the Indiana Dunes near Mount Baldy—75 degrees, sunny, waves at one foot or less—with a mocktail in hand, good music playing, and the sound of family talking and laughing.
Do you have any secret talents?
I can juggle!
Tell us about a time where ATMI delivered on “As Promised”.
For me, this wouldn’t be that interesting. Delivering on deadlines and doing what we say we will do is part of our day to day operation.
The construction industry remains one dominated by men. But a new analysis of industry numbers shows that a growing number of women are entering in this field, too. The latest numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the number of women in the construction industry jumped by 52.9% from 2013 to 2022. Women working in construction and engineering is on the increase! In 2013, there were 840,000 women in construction. But in 2022, that number had risen to 1.28 million. 37% of new entrants into the construction industry that came from higher education are women.
Most women in the construction industry are working in the management, professional and sales side of the business. Women are still significantly outnumbered by men in the construction industry, though. The only area in which women outnumber men in the construction field is in sales and office jobs. In this part of the industry, women hold 72.2% of the jobs. Misconceptions about gender-specific roles are gradually diminishing with a growing number of women choosing a career in construction and engineering.
There are thousands of exceptionally talented female construction workers who are changing how women in construction are perceived. While both men and women working in construction face many of the same risks, there are some unique issues that are of greater concern to women. In addition to the primary safety and health hazards faced by all construction workers, there are safety and health issues specific to female construction workers. These safety and health hazards in construction create barriers to women entering and remaining in the field.
Women are respected for the work they do and have great opportunities to grow their careers in this field. This is a good time for women to enter the construction industry, whether as a tradesperson, construction manager, team member, architect, engineer, executive, consultant or professional. The construction industry needs women because the industry is facing a skills shortage, and women bring a wide range of skills that benefit employers and enrich the construction industry. With so many rewards and benefits of working in the industry, there is plenty of room for career progression and skill development, so it is an industry well worth looking into.
During the month of March which is Women’s History Month, construction firms of all sizes and types are encouraged to participate in Women in Construction Week to show their support for their female employees. The goal is to celebrate the different journeys women have taken toward the same goal which is to strengthen and amplify the success of women in the construction industry.