Petar Spajic named Construction Superintendent of the Year

Petar Spajic has come a long way since his graduation from UNLV in 2003 with a degree in fine arts studying film to working in the homebuilding industry.

Spajic, 40, was working at a movie theater and pool manager at the Golden Nugget and searching for a career after graduation. Kimball Hill Homes was willing to train those with a bachelor’s degree like himself when he was 22 at the time.

Spajic, who now works for KB Home, has been awarded a Silver Nugget for Construction Superintendent of the Year.

Spajic is a first-generation American whose parents Marta and Bozidar emigrated from Montenegro. He said his college experience studying film was a way to earn a degree and placeholder before deciding on a career.

“When I was looking for a career, I looked for something that was theatrical but construction-based,” Spajic said. “I liked that I could build and create things. When I found out they were teaching homebuilding, I thought that would be a very strong move for me to learn and use that background for that.”

Spajic said he quickly realized the business is not simply about putting homes together but is based on relationships with people, trades and homeowners. It’s vital to keep promises, and actions have to match your word, he said.

“I fit right in with this field and wanted to excel at it,” Spajic said. “The reward of building someone’s home and walking with them and getting to know them made me feel like I was doing something positive for a lot of lives.”

With Kimball Hill, Spajic started off as an assistant superintendent before advancing to a superintendent and then project manager.

When Kimball Hill dissolved during the housing downturn, Spajic managed a grocery store but eventually returned to the housing industry when it started its recovery after the Great Recession.

Spajic has been with KB Home since 2013 when he started as a superintendent to run a housing tract, manage the trades and ensure the schedule was on time. It involved dealing with customer service and homeowners and making sure everything in their home is personalized.

Spajic advanced to project manager/superintendent and this year moved to regional construction manager. He’s responsible for KB Home building in Inspirada in Henderson and Southern Highlands.

Being a good construction superintendent takes patience and is about customer service, Spajic said.

“Customer service is the most important part of this job,” Spajic said. “As you walk and learn the other steps, that’s when you know how to solve all of the problems and make sure everything is good.”

It’s important to maintain relationships with people you are building homes for, Spajic said.

“I have built so many houses, and I’m a Cleveland Browns fan. For years we have been suffering, and I’ve met so many homeowners here I built their houses for who are Browns fans. Every Sunday, I will get 10 text messages from people’s houses I built six years ago,” he said. “It’s great to build someone’s house and maintain a friendship throughout. I have been invited to baby showers. I tell people that’s what makes this job really important. It also fills a place inside you that you are doing some good work.”

The industry has changed in 2020 because of COVID-19, and Spajic said there’s a lot of uncertainty, and the focus and priority have been on maintaining people’s health.

“We want to make sure our guys are protected and make sure we go the extra mile to get everything up healthwise and precautionary wise. And we want our subcontractors safe as well with the extra precautions. As we were learning, we would always jump on it before anyone else.”

Spajic said it’s vital to be understanding to homeowners and trade partners to make them as comfortable as possible.

“During this pandemic, a lot of us had a lot of doubts and fears,” Spajic said. “We were very open to listen to that and to make sure that we were comfortable putting anyone in any situation that was deemed dangerous at all. I am proud the way we handled it. There were people who needed their homes, and it was a priority for them. They had nowhere to go. There were no hotels, and we had to figure this out to maintain that schedule. And we did it safely.”

Brian Kunec, president and regional general manager of KB’s Las Vegas and Seattle divisions, called Spajic an “outstanding individual and great guy.” Kunec said Spajic’s a hard worker who fits well on the team and has a bright future.

“It’s a tough year to be (a construction superintendent),” Kunec said. “You have to deal with restrictions and requirements with COVID. There have been some interruptions. It’s an interesting year and not an easy one for a superintendent.”