The Power of Two
Industry veterans Rob Bertazon and Verna Regler team up for success with Maryland Construction Network
Robert (Rob) Bertazon and Verna Regler were already business friends when they decided to team up four years ago to launch Maryland Construction Network. But neither of them was 100 percent sure the partnership would click. Today, they’re glad they took the leap of faith. “We’ve had one argument in four years, which is better than most relationships,” Verna says with a laugh. “To say we meld perfectly would be an understatement,” says Rob.
Together, Verna and Rob provide education, networking and marketing opportunities for large and small contractors, developers, engineers, architects and others. While Kerri Curlett assists them as the organization’s Membership and Marketing Strategist, Maryland Construction Network (MCN) revolves around the dual roles of Verna and Rob.
Opposites Attract
“I’m the gregarious one,” Verna says, “and I always refer to Rob as the man behind the curtain. He’s a tech and graphics design wizard; he’s very detail-oriented, very hardworking and easygoing. He’s a great partner.”
“Verna is a people person who brings tremendous positive energy to everything she touches,” says Rob. “She has a wonderful saying that inspires both of us: ‘You can never go wrong by doing right.’ Like me, her father worked in the construction industry and she understands what is involved with earning a living in construction.”
Born in Baltimore, Rob grew up watching his parents run a masonry subcontracting firm that evolved into Joseph Bertazon & Sons Inc.
“I can remember as a child reading the payroll deduction amounts from the tax table to my mother to help her generate payroll checks for the employees,” he says. After working as a bricklayer and graduating with a degree in business management from Towson University, Rob entered the family business and later went into association management.
Humble Beginnings
Verna, meanwhile, grew up in a hard-scrabble neighborhood near Cockeysville, Md., in a house with no indoor plumbing.
“We pumped the water outside, carried it in and heated it up … it sounds like the 1800s, but my brother and I had very loving parents and we got to play outside all the time. We didn’t realize we didn’t have any money,” Verna says.
Verna’s father worked in construction and drove a dump truck. Both of her parents were known not just for their strong work ethics, but also for helping less fortunate neighbors.
“Even though we didn’t have a lot, our parents were very giving,” Verna says. “My mom and dad were the ones who taught me to care about people.”
Before they teamed up, Verna and Rob traversed similar career paths in the world of construction trade associations. She was Executive Director of the Building Congress & Exchange of Metropolitan Baltimore; he was Executive Director of the American Subcontractors Association of Baltimore.
In 2013, Rob launched MCN, which is based in White Hall, Md. Soon after, he invited Verna to be his partner. The organization provides construction industry news and resources to industry professionals, along with networking and marketing opportunities.
“MCN was organized to accomplish two things,” Rob says. “First, to provide networking opportunities where people can meet and promote their companies and encourage excellence throughout the construction industry. Second, to provide people with information that will help them run a profitable and successful business that, in turn, provides good-paying jobs to their employees.”
A Daunting Task … at First
Yet, running a successful organization was easier said than done when MCN started. Both Rob and Verna had to work long, hard hours to attract small and large businesses that were struggling to recover from the Great Recession.
“Starting a construction association when the industry was in the midst of a horrible economic crisis was daunting,” says Rob.
“We had to make something from absolutely nothing,” Verna adds. “We built on what worked, eliminated what didn’t work, and our membership kept growing at a remarkable rate. It’s unbelievable to me how much it’s grown.”
The key, Verna says, is making MCN affordable to a wide range of businesses. Memberships start at $160 a year, allowing both small and large business owners and contractors to join.
Something for Everyone
“People have different budgets … not everyone is a large contractor,” she says. “But MCN gets everyone together, large and small, so they can benefit and grow their businesses.”
“We attract people from all aspects of construction, from developers and designers to general contractors and even the smallest subcontractors,” Rob says.
MCN’s many networking events include its popular annual “economic forecasts,” which are held throughout the state and average between 220 to 260 people.
“We bring together public officials, developers and general contractors to talk about economic growth in the area,” Verna says. “It’s a place to learn about upcoming work and new projects and answer questions like, ‘How can someone get on the bidder lists?’ and ‘What are the pre-qualification requirements?’ It’s a chance to develop relationships.”
Soon after the launch of MCN, Verna and Rob spent much of their time courting new members. Today, as the association continues to grow and expand throughout Maryland, people often approach them out of the blue, Verna says.
“Now people call and say, ‘So and so told me about you,’ ” she says. “For the first two years, we were working ridiculous hours and chasing people. But now, people know who we are. We’re on the map. It’s all paid off.”