Climate change is at our doorstep, and it cannot be ignored. As natural disasters increase in frequency and temperatures climb, this global issue affects all industries, but the construction industry especially. People are more conscious of their homes and want them to last for future generations. The homes we’ve been building won’t stand up against what’s to come.
President of Deltec Homes, Steve Linton joins us today to discuss how Deltec is building environmentally friendly homes resistant to today’s rapidly changing weather patterns. Deltec is passionate about creating innovative technology while protecting people and the planet.
These homes are not only resilient and fortified, but feature a unique round design. A Deltec home is tough like a bunker but comfortable like a modern nest. They create 80% less waste during the building process too!
Listen in for an enlightening conversation on the future of building homes.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- How Deltec builds environmentally friendly homes
- Innovation in sustainable building
- How Deltec is changing the way the world builds
- Are people interested in fortified homes?
- Importance of resilience
- What makes Deltec special
- Deltec corporate culture
- The process of building a Deltec home
- Advancements in building and construction
- Advice for people getting started in the sustainable home industry
Visit deltechomes.com for more information on building environmentally friendly homes!
Connect with Steve via email.
To hear more Construction Disruption episodes, visit us on Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
00:00:00
Steve Linton: The thing that we're most focused on right now is this idea that we've gotta build for future generations.
00:00:06
And so the question that we keep coming back to is what is the home of our grandchildren, great-grandchildren gonna be like, and how can we build that home today?
00:00:16
And how do we build it in a way that's gonna benefit future generations?
00:00:20
Todd Miller: Welcome to the Construction Disruption podcast, where we uncover the future of building and remodeling.
00:00:26
I'm Todd Miller of Isaiah Industries, manufacturer of specialty metal roofing, and other building materials.
00:00:31
And today my co-host is Seth Heckaman, also of Isaiah Industries.
00:00:36
Our goal here at Construction Disruption is to provide timely and forward-looking information regarding the construction world.
00:00:44
As part of that, we look at new innovations as well as trends in the practices, building materials, labor market, and leadership of our industry.
00:00:54
Basically our goal is to learn of new and emerging things that are going to shape the future of building and remodeling.
00:01:00
Then go out and find an expert in that area to be spotlighted as a guest on the show.
00:01:05
So, Seth, I have a couple questions for you.
00:01:07
Three questions, actually.
00:01:09
Seth Heckaman: All right.
00:01:09
Todd Miller: Is that okay, to start with some questions?
00:01:11
Okay.
00:01:12
What do a tick and the Eiffel tower have in common?
00:01:22
Seth Heckaman: No idea.
00:01:24
Todd Miller: They are both parasites, Paris sites.
00:01:27
Parasites.
00:01:27
Okay.
00:01:29
Seth Heckaman: Okay.
00:01:29
Badum tis.
00:01:30
Todd Miller: Don't worry, they get worse.
00:01:34
what do you call a poor Santa Clause?
00:01:41
Seth Heckaman: I'm at a loss
00:01:42
Todd Miller: At a loss, I'm stumping you.
00:01:45
Saint nickel-less.
00:01:47
Seth Heckaman: There you.
00:01:49
Todd Miller: Told you they got worse.
00:01:50
Okay, last one.
00:01:51
Why don't eggs tell jokes?
00:01:56
Seth Heckaman: Because it cracks them up.
00:01:58
Todd Miller: You're right.
00:01:58
Seth Heckaman: I got that one.
00:02:00
Todd Miller: One out of three is not bad.
00:02:02
Seth Heckaman: Good dad jokes.
00:02:03
It's been a while.
00:02:03
Thank you.
00:02:04
Todd Miller: Yes.
00:02:04
You can go home and tell your girls those.
00:02:07
Well, thank you.
00:02:08
Um, and thank you for tuning into here to Construction Disruption.
00:02:11
Um, always enjoy these episodes.
00:02:14
Uh, today we are talking with a longtime partner of ours here at Isaiah Industries, and that is Steve Linton, the president of Deltec Homes based in Asheville,
00:02:25
North Carolina, Deltec Homes describes themselves as a home design company that delivers solutions to ever-changing social and environmental challenges.
00:02:36
Their vision is truly to change the way the world builds.
00:02:39
Known for working with customers to design their very unique and beautiful round homes, and then provide and sell home building packages.
00:02:49
They've also branched out in recent years, uh, to non-round designs with their Ridgeline series and their solar farmhouse.
00:02:57
Uh, Deltec of course, uh, with everything they do places strong emphasis on environmentally friendly homes that are also resilient to today's changing weather patterns.
00:03:08
Steve, welcome to Construction Disruption.
00:03:10
Truly a pleasure to have you as our guest today.
00:03:13
Steve Linton: Thanks, Todd.
00:03:14
Thanks Seth, that's, uh, it's great to be here and thanks for such a great introduction.
00:03:20
Todd Miller: Well, we appreciate and looking forward to this conversation.
00:03:22
So I wanna really dig into the way in which you folks are designing homes that are in all ways, right for these times.
00:03:31
Um, and I wanna look deeper into that, but can you first give our audience a bit more insight as to the history and the present of Deltec?
00:03:40
Steve Linton: Sure, be happy to.
00:03:41
So Deltec started in 1968 and as you mentioned, we're based out of Western North Carolina, but we ship homes all over the world.
00:03:51
Uh, they're in all 50 states and in almost 30 countries.
00:03:54
We've built over 5 homes, uh, since our inception.
00:03:58
And like you said, our, our big dream, our vision is to change the way the world builds.
00:04:03
And we see that in three particular ways just to give the, the listeners an understanding of what our homes are and what they do.
00:04:11
First is resisting hurricanes and natural disasters.
00:04:16
So we're creating these panoramic homes, these circular homes that are intentionally designed and crafted to stand strong against hurricanes, like no other home can.
00:04:25
Second, is really about providing exceptional sustainability.
00:04:29
Uh, how do we have a positive effect on the planet?
00:04:32
How do we expand how we think about sustainability to be, uh, what I think of as stewardship, taking care of the planet, taking care of the resources we have here, and taking care of our people.
00:04:45
And then the third thing that a Deltec Homes does, that's really special, is it captures a view in a way that's impossible to get from listening to this podcast.
00:04:56
You really have to get inside of one of these homes, but you know, often say in a Deltec, it's like nature is your wallpaper.
00:05:03
You get this connection to the outdoors that is unique and, and really special and powerful.
00:05:10
And a lot of people build our homes in beautiful places.
00:05:12
Say on a coastline where there are hurricanes, you know, you don't wanna live in a bunker.
00:05:16
You could, but living in Deltec sort of gives you that connection to the outdoors while still protecting you from it.
00:05:23
And, um, so yeah, that's who we are and, um, yeah, looking forward to, to sharing more.
00:05:30
Todd Miller: Wow, I love that.
00:05:31
What was that?
00:05:31
You said nature is your wallpaper.
00:05:33
Is that what you said?
00:05:36
That is a fantastic, uh, line.
00:05:39
And does, uh, very descriptive of what you folks do.
00:05:42
Um, so Steve, I know that you have been with Deltec for about 15 years, and I believe that you started as their Director of Sustainable Technologies.
00:05:52
And I think a lot of what you did at that time was you really brought to the company, a heightened awareness of an emphasis on green building.
00:06:03
Um, it seemed like I, I really saw that shift, uh, with your presence.
00:06:08
Um, tell us about some of the ways in which you folks do, uh, ensure that your homes are environmentally friendly.
00:06:17
Steve Linton: Yeah, that's a great question.
00:06:18
We really, since our inception have always had customers highly interested in sustainable construction and green building.
00:06:25
And when I came on in 2007, it was to provide really additional expertise and, and support for those customers and to expand our offerings in those directions.
00:06:35
And so there are really sort of three directions that, that we took it.
00:06:39
One was, you know, what services can we provide to coach people through you know, building a custom home, designing custom home is involved.
00:06:47
But, you know, how can we help them with creating the best details for, um, for their desired level of sustainability?
00:06:54
So that was sort of one aspect.
00:06:56
Then there was the, the product side.
00:06:58
And so we spent a lot of time and we still do innovating the product, you know, coming out with, you know, for example,
00:07:04
our energy wall, where we have gaskets between the pieces, which is pretty unique in the, in, in the home building world.
00:07:11
You know, looking at how do we design a passive solar home that takes advantage of free heat in the winter from the sun.
00:07:18
Really, how do we get that building envelope to be as efficient as possible?
00:07:25
And then we can look to renewable energy sources and other technologies to kind of round out the, the picture.
00:07:31
So that's the product side.
00:07:33
And then the third piece was, the sort of process or the, the manufacturing side.
00:07:38
So we're an offsite manufacturer of, of homes.
00:07:43
And how can we build a green home in a green way?
00:07:47
So our, so our facility here is powered by a hundred percent renewable energy.
00:07:51
We have a giant solar array that we put in at 2007.
00:07:55
Um, just after I started, we really try hard to manage waste.
00:07:59
So we have about 80% less waste that goes into our home than a typical home.
00:08:04
So, you know, those are kind of the, the things that we tackled when I came on board and, uh, you know, continue to refine and improve.
00:08:13
I think the other thing that's just interesting to point out that people don't often realize with a round home or
00:08:18
panoramic home as we often call it, there's this really cool thing that happens with the shape and the efficiency of the shape.
00:08:25
So it's actually, it's nature's most efficient shape.
00:08:29
There is not as much external area in contact with the outdoors as in a rectangular home.
00:08:37
And so, for any engineers in the crowd or, or people who love geometry, there's just less surface area, right?
00:08:44
So with less surface area, you have less heat transfer.
00:08:46
And so right off the bat between 15 and 20% less heat loss is gonna happen because of this shape, which is just kind of a cool thing.
00:08:54
And our homeowners have seen that all along.
00:08:56
You know, they tell us how inexpensive it is to operate a Deltec.
00:09:00
And part of that just goes right back to the shape.
00:09:02
Uh, obviously in addition to that, we do lots of enhancements that I mention.
00:09:09
Todd Miller: Very interesting.
00:09:11
Um, and I remember once before you telling me about that 80% less waste, uh, compared to you know, other ways of building homes and, you know, that's pretty staggering to me.
00:09:23
And, um, I think something that folks oftentimes don't even think about.
00:09:27
So I, I think that's, uh, that's a very interesting fact.
00:09:31
You know, one of the things I think about when I think of you folks is a lot of the things you are providing to your owners are things that normally they would only get
00:09:40
from a very, very high-end, custom-designed, custom-built home and, and they would have to think of all those things and tell their designer, well, we wanna accomplish this.
00:09:51
And instead you folks are bringing it all together in a predesigned home that, you know, they can buy as a package and, and have built.
00:10:00
And, uh, is that, so when you talk about changing the way the world builds, it, its homes, what does that mean to you?
00:10:10
Does that mean partly these things, you know, being able to incorporate them intoa predesigned, prepackaged sort of home?
00:10:20
Steve Linton: That's definitely a big part of it.
00:10:22
You know, it's hard to imagine a future a hundred years from now where homes aren't built completely differently than they're built today.
00:10:30
And, you know, as I'm sure all of the listeners would understand.
00:10:36
We're pretty much building homes the way we did a hundred, two hundred, three hundred years ago.
00:10:40
There really haven't been a lot of changes when you look at the big picture.
00:10:44
And so, you know, we're starting to see all kinds of interesting solutions to, yeah.
00:10:49
How can we get to the level of advanced manufacturing that we see in every other product that we use?
00:10:56
You know, the phones in our pockets, our cars, all those things are made in a high tech facility, but our homes are built outside in the rain, you know, piece by piece?
00:11:05
It just doesn't make sense.
00:11:06
And so that's one of the ways that, that we're out there seeking to change the way the world builds is.
00:11:12
Yeah, let's, let's build this stuff in a facility that's, you know, conditioned and away from the weather and the home
00:11:20
gets put together much more quickly and it's out of the elements and it's just gonna last longer because of that.
00:11:25
So that's definitely a big, a big piece for sure.
00:11:27
Todd of, of what we're doing.
00:11:30
Todd Miller: Good stuff.
00:11:31
Well, I wanna talk a little bit about resiliency and sustainability of your homes.
00:11:36
And I know, you know, I certainly have seen on your website and maybe even in the news from time to time,
00:11:43
you know, where your homes and Deltec homes have survived, uh, hurricanes and severe weather events very well.
00:11:51
Um, are you finding that as we look at changing weather patterns, um, is this idea of fortified and resilient homes, something that is increasingly attractive to home builders, home buyers.
00:12:05
Um, is it something they're asking you for?
00:12:08
Steve Linton: Without a doubt.
00:12:09
I think people are, you know, experiencing, uh, how the world is changing and asking themselves the question, you know, how is this gonna affect not just me, but future generations?
00:12:22
And so that's kind of the mindset that we all have to take is, you know, we're not just building this home for today, but we're building it for tomorrow and, and many, many tomorrows.
00:12:31
And so that idea of resiliency is absolutely essential when you start to think on the long view and that's, you
00:12:40
know, back to what you asked last, uh, about changing the way the world builds to me, that's the other big part of it.
00:12:46
You know, we have to get away from just building a house in a way that's not designed to last for hundreds and hundreds of years.
00:12:54
So yeah, the way that we approach that, we have a lot of homes going up in coastal areas.
00:12:59
We have an amazing track record, uh, you know, 99.9% of all of our homes over our entire history have survived every hurricane, you know, and that's thousands of homes.
00:13:11
And so year after year, storm after storm, the Deltec are the homes that are left standing and you know, we've, there's certainly been a lot of stories and, and, uh,
00:13:22
a lot of homeowners have, um, went through all these storms have been the beneficiary of that and, um, you know, share that with their neighbors and their neighbors.
00:13:31
And that drives a lot of interest in what we do.
00:13:34
And, um, so yeah, that's, without a doubt, you know what we're seeing from the latest, uh, you know, IPCC reports on, on climate change are telling us maybe it's not more storms.
00:13:49
But it's more intense storms.
00:13:50
That's really where the, where the science is pointing.
00:13:53
And so what does that look like when we have a storm that's 200 mile an hour winds or greater?
00:13:58
And that's really, what's driving our innovation at this moment right now.
00:14:03
Seth Heckaman: Are you finding more, uh, and more of your customers are being driven to consider Deltec and other less traditional options, um, starting with a desire to, you know, uh, meet the
00:14:15
fortified home program certification for instance, or some of these other sort of energy codes that are getting pretty aggressive like in California or Hawaii?
00:14:23
Are you, are you seeing those initiatives driving, uh, demand for Deltec and, and other alternative solutions?
00:14:30
Steve Linton: Yeah, I think so.
00:14:31
You know, people, when they come to Deltec, they, they see a higher standard, right?
00:14:38
Whether that's in sustainability or resiliency and you know, it's really, we get customers from across the board, but it, it tends to be one of those two things that they're really interested in.
00:14:51
And right off the shelf, our home, you know, is gonna put them into a, a home that can be certified as a fortified home, right.
00:14:59
And you know, similar things can be said about the sustainability aspect.
00:15:02
So yeah, you're, you're already many steps ahead when, when you work with Deltec.
00:15:09
Todd Miller: You know, as I, as I think about that, I mean, Seth kind of alluded our consumers, asking for homes that, you
00:15:16
know, have resiliency and sustainability, but the other side of that coin is I think, and I call it kind of the HGTV culture.
00:15:26
I think that homeowners are increasingly concerned about the aesthetics of the structures in which they live also.
00:15:34
And they're seeing them more and more as a reflection of themselves, or maybe they're seeing design trends that they want to make sure that they incorporate in their new home.
00:15:44
Um, Really a person only has to go to your website and see the incredibly, um, fresh appearance of your homes, both inside and out and just how beautiful they are.
00:15:57
Um, just kind of curious when someone steps into a Deltec home for the first time, uh, what are some of the comments you hear from them?
00:16:07
Steve Linton: One of my favorite experiences, Todd is when I walk into a Deltec with someone who's never been in one before.
00:16:15
And just the almost, most often, honestly is the speechless response.
00:16:22
Like I, you know, you, you really can't comprehend what it feels like to be in a structure like this until you've been in one.
00:16:29
So it's, um, it's generally either wow with the wide eyes or a speechless response.
00:16:38
And you know, what, what I think is interesting is we all have gotten used to looking at our homes from the
00:16:48
outside in, you know, what, what does our home look like from the driveway or from the, the street or the front yard?
00:16:54
And every home has that, um, sort of aesthetic and they're all different, but that's how we think about homes in our own mind.
00:17:04
It's really only a Deltec that can be viewed from the inside out.
00:17:09
And that's kind of what makes it special.
00:17:10
So when you get inside the home, you really feel like you're living outside, but you're still, you know, protected from the outside.
00:17:18
And that's what always strikes people.
00:17:21
Um, as what's most, you know, magical about the experience and, you know, I think about.
00:17:29
You know, architecture and how it creates situations that changes our view of the world.
00:17:36
And, you know, really at the end of the day, we, we become different people in different places.
00:17:41
And what, what I find fascinating is talking to homeowners who live in a Deltec, describe that experience and, and you know, how it.
00:17:51
I don't wanna overstate it, you know, but in some ways has changed their life.
00:17:54
Right?
00:17:54
It's changed their view of the world.
00:17:57
And so that great design really helps us all kind of strive for the, the person that we wanna be.
00:18:03
And it's a really cool concept that I think isn't talked about a whole lot, cuz it's hard to put into words, but, um, yeah.
00:18:11
Todd Miller: Well and it makes every bit of sense.
00:18:12
I mean, so many of your customers are building in very beautiful locations, coastal, mountain areas.
00:18:21
Um, just these beautiful locations.
00:18:23
So it makes every bit of sense to have a home that brings the outside in, and also a home that has very similar striking aesthetics from the inside.
00:18:34
Just, uh, just as you get, when you go out and stand in your yard and look at the surrounding area, which you can now do from the middle of your house, that's fantastic.
00:18:44
Seth Heckaman: For those that are interested, you have a couple of show homes built near, uh, your headquarters in beautiful Asheville, right?
00:18:50
Uh, that they can come and see, and at least one with a beautiful metal roof on top from Isaiah Industries
00:18:56
Steve Linton: We do, yes.
00:18:58
And, um, you know, we have homeowners across the country who open their doors to people who are curious and, um, you
00:19:06
know, so if you're not anywhere close to Asheville, uh, we can still often find you one to go get the experience.
00:19:14
Todd Miller: Well, and, and Seth led into this perfectly.
00:19:16
Um, you know, as I had mentioned earlier, our companies have had a relationship for a number of years.
00:19:22
And one of the things that's always struck me about Deltec is you folks are very focused on your customers and on relationships, um, caring for each other as well.
00:19:33
I'm, I'm just kind of curious, how would you describe, um, your corporate culture and also your sensitivity to, to customers?
00:19:43
Steve Linton: Yeah, great question.
00:19:45
We, we describe our culture as one of caring craftspeople.
00:19:50
And you, you know, you sort of already brought some of that out in your observations Todd, it's we have a high level of care for our coworkers, um, as well as our homeowners
00:20:02
and that sort of creates a, you know, really special environment where people come to Deltec and they work here for, for decades.
00:20:09
Um, the way that we think about our homeowners is they're at the center of all this and that customer experience is paramount.
00:20:20
And so we're constantly asking the question, what does the homeowner want?
00:20:26
How are they gonna experience this and how can we support them?
00:20:30
And so an example of something that we did a few years ago is sort of changed our structure in the company to better support customers.
00:20:38
So rather than being handed off from one department to the next, we now have a series of cross-functional teams and they all work to support a customer kind of throughout the entire process.
00:20:48
And so that's just one example of what you're talking about, which, um, is, is true of Isaiah as well is making sure that the customer, um, you know, experience is, is, is amazing.
00:21:02
And so that's, that's a great part of, uh, I think what both of us are able to do.
00:21:05
Yeah.
00:21:06
Todd Miller: That's good stuff.
00:21:07
And that definitely separates, uh, uh, the great companies in a, in a lot of aspects.
00:21:12
So good.
00:21:13
Um, so I'm kind of curious, can you kind of talk us through the process of receiving and unloading and assembling a, a Deltec home.
00:21:24
What does that look like for your customers and who are the local trades that they have to bring into that?
00:21:32
Steve Linton: For folks who build a Deltec in the Southeast, we have a traveling couple of crews that travel around and, and put them up.
00:21:38
And so that's sort of one pathway that, that often happens.
00:21:43
But as I mentioned, we have homes go around the world.
00:21:46
And so for someone in California, for example, they're gonna have, you know, a local builder put this up with, you know, with our support and, um, and coaching.
00:21:55
And so we can send one individual person out there to work with that team as an example, or, or.
00:22:01
Honestly, this thing goes together really quite simply.
00:22:03
Uh, we've perfected it over many years, but the process is yeah, gets unloaded from, from a truck or, or multiple trucks.
00:22:11
And the, all of the pieces are gonna be, you know, assembled almost in a, in a Lego fashion where everything's precut.
00:22:20
Um, you know, you put the floor system in and, uh, wall panels that are, you know, typically, already have windows and siding installed.
00:22:27
So the wall panels would go in kind of around the circle.
00:22:31
Um, and then the roof system goes on and all the, you know, trusses are obviously precut and all those pieces.
00:22:37
So oftentimes it's about a week from start to finish where that home is dried in, which is great, cuz it's fast, but it also keeps the home protected from, from the elements.
00:22:51
Todd Miller: Yeah, that's amazing in terms of speed, to be able to do that.
00:22:54
And what, what do the, what is the size range of homes that, uh, you folks provide?
00:22:59
Steve Linton: So it's almost across the board.
00:23:02
We, we have a model that is 300 square feet is our smallest.
00:23:05
That would be an eight sided, um, structure.
00:23:09
We go up to 22 sides, which is 2 square feet on a single level.
00:23:14
But what's unique about the, the Deltec panoramic homes is you can sort of craft them into any combination of shapes you want.
00:23:23
So you could go multiple stories.
00:23:25
You could connect multiple structures.
00:23:26
So we've had people do 10 square feet and we've had people do 300 square feet.
00:23:31
You know, most of the time it's 1500 to 2 square feet is kind of the, the sweet spot for most people are building right now.
00:23:39
And, um, we've got tons of options in between those ranges and, um, yeah.
00:23:46
Todd Miller: So you talked about that speed of assembling and erecting the home once it arrives.
00:23:53
I I'm just curious.
00:23:54
I mean, with the labor shortage and everything going on, is, is that something you folks are continually looking for ways to even increase that speed and
00:24:04
with more that you can do in the plant, um, and then less on the job site, or do you think you've maxed it out and we're doing everything we could possibly do?
00:24:13
Steve Linton: No, we're always asking that question and sometimes it's the little things that make, make a big difference for the folks in the field to, to speed it up.
00:24:20
Or like you said, there's, uh, you know, the labor market is so challenging now that are there certain things we can do that are, are a benefit to everybody, the homeowner, the builder, and to us.
00:24:30
And so, um, just had a conversation about some ideas with our plant manager yesterday.
00:24:35
So yeah, it's a very common topic of, of discussion something we're constantly turning the dials on.
00:24:41
Todd Miller: Yeah.
00:24:42
Well, I know, and we've got a meeting coming up here in a couple weeks where we've invited a contractor in and, and same thing looking at, you know, how can we speed this up?
00:24:51
And what does that mean?
00:24:53
As far as the application of our products as well.
00:24:57
I'm, I'm kind of curious a little bit, you know, we're seeing homes being built so much more wired, so much more tech in them.
00:25:05
Is that something your customers are asking for?
00:25:08
Or a lot of times, because someone's going, you know, building out in nature, are they wanting to unwind and get away from that type of thing?
00:25:18
Steve Linton: Yeah, that's an interesting question.
00:25:20
I think you nailed it there.
00:25:21
It's it's actually both.
00:25:23
I see some homes that are highly tech-forward and some that are intentionally not messing with that because yeah, they'd want to kind of get back to a life that's simpler and more connected in nature.
00:25:39
And, you know, an example that comes to my mind, one of the, the model homes that we have with, with your roof on it is, um, has a huge panorama of windows.
00:25:51
There's no TV in the whole, you know, sort of living side of the home, but we built in a recessed screen that'll
00:25:59
drop down if you wanna watch TV, but it doesn't take away from the experience of being connected to the outside.
00:26:05
So I'll see people do things like that as well, where they're trying to kind of get both, um, both sides of the coin.
00:26:13
Todd Miller: Hmm, makes a lot of sense.
00:26:15
Is there anything that, you know, you are seeing out there as far as future advancements in building and
00:26:22
construction or, um, things that you think are going to become trends or areas where you think there is more.
00:26:30
You know, further that we can go more that we can do.
00:26:33
Um, just kind of curious for your thoughts on that as someone who has been in this industry for so long.
00:26:40
Steve Linton: Well, I'll share the direction that we're going.
00:26:43
And then maybe we can, um, volley back and forth a little bit more about the greater industry.
00:26:48
The, um, the thing that we're most focused on right now, I alluded to earlier, is this idea that we've gotta build for future generations and, you know, building homes that are lasting hundreds and hundreds of years.
00:27:01
And so the question that we keep coming back to is, what is the home of our grandchildren, great-grandchildren gonna be like, and how can we build that home today?
00:27:11
And how do we build it in a way that's gonna benefit future generations?
00:27:15
And so the, the issue that we are tackling right now is this one of resilience and increased intensity of storms.
00:27:24
So what we saw in hurricane Dorian, for example, um, was sustained winds at 185 miles an hour and gusts over 200 miles an hour.
00:27:35
And you start to ask yourself, well, what's next?
00:27:38
You know, how do we prepare for that?
00:27:40
So that our homes can continue to, to make it through these storms unscathed.
00:27:45
And so we've got a project now we call Project 225, which is with the intent of designing for 225 mile an hour wind speeds with that very idea.
00:27:55
Maybe it's 50 years from now, before that becomes a thing, but let's build that today and, and plan for that future.
00:28:02
And so that's kind of a big focus of our innovation, um, in the greater scheme of things, I think there's a lot of opportunity for disruption.
00:28:11
And I, I think the title of the podcast is very interesting, cause I, I think a lot about disruption and the fact that really not much has changed in a couple hundred years in the building industry.
00:28:22
Um, so obviously we're, we're focused on a particular side of that with the resilience, but, um, yeah, happy to, happy to maybe talk a little bit more about what that looks like in the future outside of Deltec.
00:28:35
Todd Miller: Yeah, no, I think that's interesting and certainly I agree.
00:28:39
I think resiliency is one of those driving factors.
00:28:43
I, I think as we touched on saving labor is going to be another driving factor.
00:28:49
Uh, I think incorporating more tech, both in the how and the what, uh, of what we're doing.
00:28:56
Um, are going to be factors as well.
00:28:58
And as I think about younger folks entering our industry, um, those all seem like great areas of, of great opportunity, uh, where there's going to be disruptions.
00:29:11
There's gonna be things that permanently change, uh, those areas.
00:29:16
Um, I'm just kinda curious along those lines, because we do think, uh, a number of our audience members are, you know, fairly new and young to the design and, and even the build or the design and build industry.
00:29:30
Um, any advice you have for folks who are getting started in a career in this industry?
00:29:40
Steve Linton: I would probably, I would say two things first, be open to learning as many roles as possible in this industry.
00:29:50
Cause I think the, the real innovations are gonna come from people who've seen the field, they've seen the design side, they've seen the project management side.
00:30:02
So like, you know, as you're early in your career, be open to trying all those different roles, because I think that would be really important way to, um, to prepare yourself.
00:30:11
And then I think the other thing I would say is just, um, you know, ask yourself what your values are and be clear on those and sort of build your career in that direction.
00:30:23
You know, so for me, it's how do I leave things better than I found them and how do I always stay in learning mode?
00:30:31
And so if I'm learning new things and I'm finding ways to take care of the planet, then I'm sort of following, you know, my values.
00:30:38
And if you can mirror that with a, uh, or match that with a company, then, um, that's kind of the ideal.
00:30:45
Todd Miller: Yeah, that's gonna be your sweet spot.
00:30:47
Love it.
00:30:47
Good stuff.
00:30:49
Well, we are really getting close to the end of our time here.
00:30:52
And again, I want to thank you for your time.
00:30:55
Um, before we close out, though, I do want to ask you if you're willing to participate in what we call our rapid-fire questions.
00:31:03
So, this is seven questions, may be a little serious, some may be silly.
00:31:07
Um, your only commitment is to provide a answer for each one and our audience needs to understand, uh, if Steve agrees to this, he doesn't know what we're gonna ask.
00:31:17
In fact, we had someone the other day who had to pass on a question and that's fine too.
00:31:22
Um, but, uh, anyway, anxious to see if you're willing to participate in it.
00:31:26
Steve Linton: Sure, why not?
00:31:27
Let's do it.
00:31:28
Todd Miller: Fantastic.
00:31:29
Well away we go.
00:31:30
We're gonna alternate asking you the questions.
00:31:33
I'll let Seth start.
00:31:35
Seth Heckaman: All right.
00:31:36
Question number one.
00:31:37
All right.
00:31:38
Uh, Steve, what is your favorite hobby?
00:31:41
Steve Linton: Rock climbing.
00:31:44
That's an easy one.
00:31:47
You're in a pretty
00:31:47
Todd Miller: good area for that too.
00:31:47
I suspect.
00:31:48
Steve Linton: Yeah, for sure, there's tons of it.
00:31:50
Seth Heckaman: Very neat.
00:31:51
I've never done it.
00:31:52
I've watched all the Alex Honnold documentaries on Netflix, but I'm not, uh, brave enough to do it myself.
00:31:58
Todd Miller: Your mom warned you years ago to stay on flat ground as much as possible.
00:32:02
Seth Heckaman: True.
00:32:04
Todd Miller: You've told that story.
00:32:05
Yes.
00:32:07
Question number two.
00:32:08
Um, do you think you have ever seen a, or have you ever seen a UFO?
00:32:13
Steve Linton: Have I ever seen a UFO?
00:32:16
Um, wow.
00:32:18
Never been asked that question before.
00:32:19
I'm gonna have to go with no, but.
00:32:24
There was, we were backpacking a couple years ago in the middle of nowhere.
00:32:28
And you, you do see things that just don't make sense, but, um, I attribute them to some natural phenomenon, not, uh, alien life.
00:32:37
Todd Miller: I, uh, couple of years ago, um, I was outside late at night and just this huge flash of light, um, streaking across the sky, which I assumed was a meteor, right.
00:32:49
I mean it was incredibly bright and fast.
00:32:52
And, uh, the weirdest thing was, I mentioned it to my business partner who was about 30 miles south.
00:32:58
And he had been outside and seen the exact same thing at the exact same time.
00:33:02
So I, I thought that was kind of cool.
00:33:05
Okay.
00:33:05
Question three.
00:33:06
It's up to you now.
00:33:07
Seth Heckaman: If you could trade places with anyone living in the world today, who would it be?
00:33:14
Steve Linton: Trade places.
00:33:18
Seth Heckaman: Even just temporarily.
00:33:22
Steve Linton: who would I trade places with?
00:33:25
Um, temporarily, I'll give you one that pops to my mind.
00:33:30
Uh, Charles LeClerc, Formula One driver for Ferrari.
00:33:36
Todd Miller: Awesome.
00:33:37
Good answer.
00:33:38
Uh, okay.
00:33:39
Fourth question.
00:33:40
Was there anything that you seemed to consistently get in trouble for as a child?
00:33:50
Steve Linton: You know, I was a pretty well behaved kid.
00:33:54
But there was probably the stuff that my parents didn't know that I was doing, that I never got in trouble for that, that really is where the stories are.
00:34:03
Um, the one story, I do remember a friend of mine and I took my aunt's Polaroid camera one day and took a bunch of pictures and we weren't supposed to and burned up all her film and hid it under the couch.
00:34:16
Like, uh, that one stands out in my mind, but, uh, yeah, nothing, nothing too juicy.
00:34:22
Todd Miller: I think those were like a buck an image even back in that day or something.
00:34:28
Seth Heckaman: Alright, next question.
00:34:30
what's the worst haircut you've ever had?
00:34:33
Steve Linton: Ooh, worst haircut.
00:34:34
Um, you know, I know that it's back in style now, but I definitely had the mullet in sixth grade and I look back at those pictures and cringe.
00:34:43
So that's, that's an easy answer for me.
00:34:47
Todd Miller: Yeah, it was more like college years for me.
00:34:52
Okay, next to last question, I think.
00:34:55
But did I give him an extra question, no.
00:34:57
Next to last question, what's a weird fact that you happen to know?
00:35:07
We, we made challenging ones for you, Steve.
00:35:10
Steve Linton: These are, you guys are really twisting the screws here.
00:35:13
Um, A weird fact.
00:35:19
I'm trying to think of something that would actually be fun.
00:35:22
And, and, uh, all right.
00:35:26
Gimme the last question.
00:35:27
Let me keep working on that one and I'll, I'll come up with something.
00:35:31
Seth Heckaman: All right now.
00:35:32
Second, uh, last question.
00:35:33
Is there any food you'd have a tough time living without?
00:35:41
Steve Linton: So that one's pretty easy.
00:35:42
I'm definitely a chocaholic and I don't know that I would make it without chocolate.
00:35:47
I've got, you know, in, in my drawer right here next to me, I've got several bars of chocolate that fuel my day.
00:35:55
Um, alright, so I'm still, I'm still trying to come up with a fact that maybe nobody else would know.
00:36:02
Todd Miller: We could always report it on a future episode too.
00:36:05
Seth Heckaman: Yeah, that'd be good.
00:36:07
Steve Linton: Yeah.
00:36:07
Nothing.
00:36:08
I mean, nothing's popping into mind and I know this is a lightning round, so I don't wanna delay the listeners from going on to the next thing.
00:36:14
Seth Heckaman: I'll audible and give you a question you can answer, as I'm always curious about such things you have, uh, listeners can't see the background of
00:36:21
Steve's picture, but we have a bookshelf in the background of obviously books that have been noted and post-it noted inside.
00:36:29
And, uh, what's, uh, what's a couple of recommendations off the shelf behind you?
00:36:34
Steve Linton: So I would say the there's a book called How Executives Fail.
00:36:44
This would be an, a recommendation for anybody who's in a leadership position.
00:36:49
Fascinating read, cuz it's written exactly opposite of what you should do.
00:36:53
Um, and so it's a fun read.
00:36:56
Um, author is Lee Thayer.
00:36:59
Um, I would, I also really, if, if y'all haven't read any of the books by Ryan Holiday, um, the Obstacle is the Way, um, he has a whole bunch of 'em that
00:37:11
are sort of taking stoic philosophy and, and putting it into modern context, um, really have enjoyed those.
00:37:20
Um, and then one that's actually on my shelf, Think Like a Rocket Scientist is a really fun one, um, author is Ozan Varol, V A R O L.
00:37:31
So there you go.
00:37:32
Add those to your reading list.
00:37:34
Todd Miller: Those sound great.
00:37:35
Good stuff.
00:37:37
Well, thank you again for joining us really enjoyed this, a great deal.
00:37:40
Is there anything we haven't covered today that you would like to share with our audience?
00:37:45
Steve Linton: I think probably just my blood type.
00:37:48
Todd Miller: We've covered it all up.
00:37:52
Well, good stuff.
00:37:53
Well, how could folks get in touch with you if they wanted to get in touch with you and remind us, uh, what Deltec's website is?
00:38:00
Steve Linton: Sure.
00:38:00
Yeah.
00:38:01
I definitely encourage people to go to deltechomes.com.
00:38:06
It's D E LT E C H O M E S dot com.
00:38:11
Folks can email me at S for Steve, slinton, L I N T O N, @deltechomes.com.
00:38:19
And thanks for listening.
00:38:21
Todd Miller: Fantastic.
00:38:22
Well, thank you so much.
00:38:23
And, thank you to our audience for tuning into this episode of Construction Disruption with Steve Linton of Deltec Homes.
00:38:31
We ask you, please watch for future episodes of our podcast.
00:38:35
We always have great guests on tap, and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
00:38:40
Until the next episode though, change the world for someone, make them smile, encourage them, very powerful things we can all easily do to change the world.
00:38:49
In the meanwhile, God bless, take care.
00:38:51
This is Isaiah Industries signing off until the next episode of Construction Disruption.