Born to Build with John Adams
In John Adams’ family, if you were old enough to carry a tool, you got to come along on the job.
John’s grandfather, Norbert, grew up on a farm and, by necessity, taught himself general construction. When he saw there was a need in the area, he began a residential construction company, which he operated for 40 years.
He taught John’s dad, Stan, who expanded the business to include small commercial, development and consulting, in addition to residential.
Next was John’s turn to learn.
“I can remember working and spending time at my dad’s job sites at a very young age – too young to work – but as I got older, my dad shared his knowledge similar to the way my grandpa did with him,” John says. “They both taught me what a long day truly was, the importance of hard work, and caring for your community.”
John feels fortunate that he was able to learn valuable construction skills from both his father and grandfather, including concrete, framing, roofing, trim carpentry, plumbing and electrical work.
He continues to use many of those skills as senior estimator in O’Shea’s Peoria office, where he helps with pricing and cost analysis throughout entire project cycles.
“I’ve been around construction as long as I can remember. My father pushed me a step further into getting my degree in construction management, in hopes I could expand my talents to the next level of any type of construction,” he says.
“After starting at O’Shea in 2015, I’ve been given amazing opportunities with many fun and unique projects; some of my favorite experiences include being able to work directly with Bud O’Shea on a number of small projects while supporting the Springfield office,” he adds. “It’s reminded me of childhood learning and observing many traits from my dad and grandpa. His leadership has helped mentor me into my current position and skillset.”
Another piece of John’s experiences that left an indelible impression on him was his family’s values and belief in community.
“My grandpa and father made it a priority to help people often on projects where people couldn’t afford to pay for their repairs and projects. My grandpa often helped elderly community members without charging them, knowing they could not afford to pay for services, and my father still carries on this tradition today,” John says.
“They’ve led mission trips to South Dakota where they brought along their crews to help rebuild a damaged community, including work for a church and small private school, and I was fortunate to be able to join one of those trips.”
Those positive examples have inspired John to carry on his family’s community support. Currently, he volunteers at the Dream Center of Peoria, where he helps mentor disadvantaged youth in a weekly after-school program teaching carpentry skills and project management/leadership.
“I could not have asked for better role models than my grandpa and dad, who gave me purpose and value of my heritage,” John says. “They are the reason I was fortunate enough to find my place at O’Shea, and I’m forever grateful to them.”