Overcoming Challenges and Staying Nimble in the Construction Staffing Industry: The NCW Origin Story
The story of NCW began in the early ’90s when Steve Wise entered the construction staffing industry as one of the first employees at a major staffing company in Akron, Ohio. With an eye for opportunity and a growing passion for the business, Steve and a partner eventually branched off and launched their own staffing firm, where Steve held a minority ownership stake.
Building a Sustainable, People-First Business
As the company grew quickly, Steve began to notice the growing pains, particularly a loss of control that often comes with rapid expansion. Instead of compromising his vision, he made the bold decision to leave and start fresh. In 2000, he launched National Construction Workforce (NCW) in Indianapolis, Indiana, a new market at the time.
Steve’s strategy was simple but intentional: build strong relationships with both customers and field employees within a 90-minute radius of Indianapolis. His goal wasn’t to create a massive national enterprise, but to to build a sustainable, lifestyle-focused business rooted in trust and consistency. That foundation proved solid and helped NCW carve out its place in the construction staffing industry.
From National Construction Workforce to Just “NCW”
Between 2000 and 2009, NCW grew steadily. The team expanded from zero to 10-11 internal office employees and over 175 field employees. During this time, Steve recognized a need to future-proof the business. As National Construction Workforce began serving clients beyond construction, the team shortened the name to “NCW” to make space for other verticals and reduce the limiting perception tied to the word “construction”—a move that better positioned the company within and beyond the construction staffing industry.
Weathering the Great Recession
But no business story is without its trials. The Great Recession hit hard in 2009 and knocked NCW off its feet, forcing the team to reevaluate, adapt, and rebuild. That experience cemented the company’s belief in smart, steady growth and the importance of being both hands-on and human-first in the construction staffing industry.
Lessons From Growing Too Fast
By 2013, NCW had regained momentum, but early success brought with it a level of overconfidence. Dan Mattingly, who played a key leadership role at the time, admitted that some of the most painful decisions NCW made during that period stemmed from his own calls. While those missteps hurt, Dan credits Steve Wise for standing by him and helping navigate through the storm.
Venturing Beyond Core Competencies
During this time, NCW ventured beyond its core strengths: recruiting, staffing, and managing relationships on both sides of the hiring table. The company entered new business models, including attempting to train and develop our own craft labor from the ground up. With support from a state grant, NCW set out to build our own pipeline of skilled workers. However, we quickly realized that training and education is an entirely separate industry, and one we weren’t built to lead. Despite their strong track record in the construction staffing industry, training full journeymen from scratch proved to be out of scope.
The Pitfalls of Fixed-Price Labor Contracting
The most painful experiment came when NCW entered into fixed-price labor contracting. Unlike traditional staffing, where hourly billing offers a consistent pulse on performance, fixed pricing meant the company had to absorb all the labor risk on a project. We entered into a partnership under the impression that the model would be easier than it actually was. That decision proved costly and complicated. It also highlighted the importance of sticking to what we did best: excelling in the construction staffing industry.
Returning to What Makes NCW Great
These hard-earned lessons ultimately refocused NCW on its core competencies. Our expertise in recruiting top talent, managing client relationships, and adapting to industry changes is what continues to set us apart in the construction staffing industry.
Through decades of experience, resilience, and reflection, NCW has learned that success in the construction staffing industry comes not from trying to be everything, but from doing one thing exceptionally well—and doing it with integrity.