Goering Center core member honored with National Young Professional of the Year Award

Luke Perry, Perry Contracting, was recently named the Associated Builders and Contractors 2022 National Young Professional of the Year — a testament to the years of dedicated and committed work he has made to his family business, industry, and ABC. Last year, Luke served as the chair of ABC Ohio Valley Board of Directors, making him the youngest individual to hold the position in its history. He helped the regional chapter of ABC begin the NextGen Leaders, then actively worked to grow the group and establish its culture of “professional development and fun networking.” He has made gaining and maintaining the respect of the employees at his family’s company a priority in his leadership. The ABC Young Professional of the Year is chosen based on career achievement, leadership, and vision for the future of commercial and industrial construction. Out of thousands of emerging leaders in the construction industry, Luke received this honor on March 15 – a momentous achievement and recognition of his dedicated leadership.

Before Luke’s tremendous national recognition by the ABC, he and his father Jim Perry became poster children for the Goering Center, literally. If you have attended any of our events, you will have seen Jim’s smiling face on one of our three pop-up banners, and they both grace our Next Generation Institute (NGI)® flyer.

Perry Contracting joined the Goering Center in 2016 with the ultimate goal of preparing for the transition of the business from Jim to Luke. They participated in the Next Generation Institute (NGI)®, the Center’s flagship institute for owners and leaders of family businesses, their successors, and other family members who may or may not work in or have ownership interest in the business.

“NGI sparked a communication between my son, Luke, and myself about the business and about the transition,” shared Jim Perry, Founder and President. “It helped Luke develop an awareness of how challenging it can be to be the CEO and owner and all the hats I wear. The Goering Center presented a lot of anecdotes that served as a lighthouse or warning beacon to give us perspective on some of the really big mistakes that can be made in the business transition; I think that was very valuable.”

The Next Generation Institute™ provided the space to tackle tough questions together, have difficult conversations, and gain a holistic perspective on the succession journey. The Perry family as a whole had the opportunity to focus on the business and its transition without the distractions of day-to-day work, so that Luke has been able to expand his role in the management of Perry Contracting, with the knowledge and expertise gained from their Goering Center engagement to assist in the gradual transition from Generation 1 to Generation 2.

In 2016, Luke participated in the Leadership Development Institute™ (LDI), a comprehensive program accelerating performance over 10 half-day workshops. Seasoned CEOs and presidents work side-by-side with emerging leaders, focusing their learning on multiple leadership disciplines: understanding self, working with others, building teams, and problem solving.

“LDI was a very valuable program,” shared Luke. “We all have ideas about what leadership is, but these ideas can often be vague. This program gives structure and definition to the practice of leadership along with many useful techniques. Most importantly, LDI introduced me to the concept of “servant leadership,” an approach to leading that focuses on developing the individuals of a team to their highest levels of success instead of only aiming at financial or strategic goals. This is something I think about every day.”

In 2019, Perry Contracting completed the Member Alignment Profile™ (MAP), a baseline assessment that highlighted best-practice areas that would benefit from additional focus and attention within their organization. Luke now participates in a peer-group Roundtable, utilizing an additional space within the Center to meet with like-minded individuals who are focused on making each other better. Their ongoing active engagement in the Center is also indicative of their steadfast commitment to continuous learning and the future growth of their business.

“Running a small business can be pretty daunting and pretty lonely,” shared Jim. “The Goering Center provides a peaceful place to just be with other people who are going through the same things, struggling with the same issues, and walking the same path.”

The Goering Center team is proud to partner with the Perry family and other business families throughout the Greater Cincinnati region, providing resources and expertise to utilize on their succession journeys and beyond. Every business has unique issues, challenges, and priorities – the Goering team will continue to meet members where they are to help ensure a prosperous future.

See the ABC press release