“He said, ‘tell me how I can help,’” Schneider recalls. “A different leader might not have embraced it. That’s why we’ve been so successful. Everybody loves to work with him.”

The pause to review safety protocols resulted in a few weeks being added to the schedule, and no safety incidents. The first phase, including the 9-acre timber roof, completed last year. “With the work being in the core of the airport, Vince is great at finding the balance between maximizing the space that the contractors need to do the work and minimizing the impact to operations and the traveling public,” says Garske, recently retired from Hoffman. “He brings a positive can-do attitude to the team, yet holds team members accountable to their responsibilities. He has a unique ability to bring the best out of people.”

Granato, chief projects officer, has spent his nearly 40 years at the Port of Portland “doing every job there is to do.” A finance person by training, he started as an analyst at the airport, moved into operations and real estate, did marketing and has worked with every department and division.

In eight years as chief operating officer, “I was in charge of entire operations and of the marine terminal,” he says. “I’ve seen the entire airport remodeled, starting in the 1980s. I was probably one of the few people who could understand how this project was going to happen.”

Granato worked closely with Schneider (right) and Garske to ensure a unique timber structure and the rest of the $1B TCORE project was completed safely and successfully.
Photo courtesy of Port of Portland

The project, now moving into Phase 2, entails nearly doubling the capacity of the main terminal—adding to the existing footprint—and creating a modern layout for better operations and passenger experience. The design replaces 200 seismically outdated columns with 34 to hold the 18-million-lb, 380,000-sq-ft roof, while opening up 100-ft x 150-ft bays between the columns to create more operational flexibility.

The undulating roof is comprised of 1,350 uniquely shaped panels, generally 11 ft x 30 ft, to create it. Components were built on the airfield, including skylights, insulation, mechanical components and finishes, then broken into 18 “cassettes,” each about 120 ft x 110 ft, and moved by self-propelled modular transporters.

But the intense work taxed crews. “Workers were tired, there was too much overtime; we were feeling the pressure of trying to hit the deadline,” recalls Schneider. “One superintendent came to us and said, ‘Guys, this is a schedule problem. We need to address it or it won’t go away.’”

Granato recalls being pulled out of a meeting by Schneider and Garske. “I trusted Dave and Joe that they understood their team and this was a serious issue. The joint venture has always looked internally to say what can we do better before coming to me with a problem. Reconfiguring the plan was a great decision. The three of us addressed staff and said, ‘Slow down. We’re sending you home and delaying the project.’ We knew it would be a challenge, but it was just the right decision.”

Schneider adds: “Projects like this require a steady hand and calm leader, and that’s what Vince is all about. When people get upset, it takes that calm side that gets us through that. He brought this sense that it’s gonna be ok.”