According to recruitmilitary.com, serving your country prepares you to serve the private sector in a multitude of ways, including the construction sector. “The military expects its soldiers to work well as a team while also maintaining a certain level of fitness,” stated the site that specializes in bridging the civilian-military divide by connecting veterans, active-duty service members in transition, and military spouses with meaningful career opportunities. “This makes a veteran perfectly suited for a career in construction. Plus, this is a high-paying job that doesn’t necessarily require added education, one of the major benefits.”
This isn’t news to veteran and entrepreneur Marshal LeMoine.
He spent three grueling years during his military deployment — an experience that forged his approach to quality in construction long before he would lead teams across industrial, commercial, residential, and government projects. Those years embedded a devotion to precision, a dawn-to-dusk work ethic, and a military-infused management style that has become his hallmark in the construction industry.
“My father was extremely strict and very old school growing up,” LeMoine shares. “So, I grew up with the idea of quality production, strategy, velocity, but with a different military application to apply to what we do, and how we do it on a daily basis.”
Today’s construction industry faces numerous pressures from tight deadlines to budget constraints, however, LeMoine has developed a method that prioritizes craftsmanship while still meeting these demands.
His construction operations establish a culture of quality through a multipronged approach: rigorous leadership structures borrowed from military experience; physical fitness regimens that enhance mental clarity and work performance; intuitive personnel selection that prioritizes character; and traditional craftsmanship values that permeate every aspect of his projects.
Together, these elements create construction environments where quality in construction becomes the natural outcome.
The War Zone Approach That Transforms Chaotic Job Sites
Construction sites rely on choreographed precision to keep typical complexity in check, where each worker moves with purpose, communication flows through clear channels, and the chain of command functions with clockwork reliability. This construction culture of military-grade quality control represents what Marshal LeMoine’s transported from his military bases to his building sites.
Two decades of military discipline transformed LeMoine’s understanding of excellence, creating a standard that distinguishes his civilian ventures from competitors. “We take the core values and we adhere to those core values,” he states.
This infusion of military values creates a construction philosophy where quality in construction becomes expected through culture — where workers operate with the understanding that their performance reflects not just on themselves but on the collective mission. LeMoine’s military-derived accountability means every team member knows their responsibility for great outcomes, creating a system where excellence emerges from shared values.
Sweat Equity Before Dawn
Dawn breaks over Marshal LeMoine’s construction sites with an energy not commonly seen — his team might be engaged in an impromptu soccer match or group workout before the day begins. Consider it PT, but with a twist. “I really do think people function better at a manageable weight and with good physical aptitude and good physical fitness,” he explains. His teams “play soccer together or basketball together,” and workers are “more than welcome to go work out with me,” creating a culture where physical readiness underpins exceptional execution.
The quality connection becomes clear through Marshal LeMoine’s own regimen: “I get up 4 a.m., go work out every day. I start my workday by 6:30 a.m., take a break at 10:30 a.m. Then, I go for a walk just to collect my thoughts and try to figure out how I’m going to attack the day mentally. I also go for a walk or a run at 2:30 p.m. as well.”
When he encourages his project managers and superintendents to exercise, he explains the rationale plainly: “I think it just leads to better mental health.”
The construction implications speak for themselves — mentally sharper managers make better decisions, physically capable workers maintain precision longer, and teams with energy reserves maintain consistency throughout the day.
The Uncanny Talent for Reading People
Creating a culture of quality in construction begins with having the right people. Marshal LeMoine’s developed a thoughtful roadmap to team building, particularly evident in his veteran-focused initiatives, which relies on intuition honed through decades of military and civilian leadership. “It’s more of an assessment by myself after the interview process is complete, to kind of see how I feel about it,” he reveals, acknowledging his trust in perception when building teams.
“I trust my ability to make that decision, and I do listen to what other people have to say, but the majority of time, the final decision comes down to what I think and feel,” he says.
The same selective focus extends to LeMoine’s project choice — a thoughtful aspect of maintaining culture. “The idea is that you pick specific clients, your jobs are in a specific price range, and that enables you to maintain cash flow and run the company and make a certain amount of money,” he adds.
The Bygone Values That Make Modern Buildings Better
Walking onto one of Marshal LeMoine’s job sites reveals a blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern methods. Workers check their own work with meticulous attention, reflecting a culture where tasks are done right the first time because of personal pride in craftsmanship. Like his father, he says, “I am very what I would call old school.”
This traditional take on quality derives from Marshal LeMoine’s upbringing: “You did things right the first time. You didn’t go back and have to check it because you knew you had finished it, completed the correct way. And everything you did was as close to perfection as you could get it.”
