Training 65 workers with AWCI’s EIFS—Doing It Right® educational program has boosted quality, morale and industry leadership at the Utah-based firm.
When Utah-based Nicolson Construction sent 65 of its employees through the EIFS—Doing It Right online educational program from the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry (AWCI), it wasn’t just checking a box—it was doubling down on its core value of learning.
“We talk every day about whether we’re living our core values, and learning—along with teaching—is one of them,” said Dave Nicolson, CEO and founder of Nicolson Construction, Inc., headquartered in Lindon, Utah. “If we’re not learning, then we better teach something.”
That mindset formed the basis for the company’s decision to invest in AWCI’s EIFS—Doing It Right educational program for its team—from laborers and apprentices to project managers and superintendents. The results, both practical and cultural, are already paying dividends.
A History with EIFS—and with Training
Founded more than 35 years ago, Nicolson Construction specializes in EIFS, stucco, stone veneer, metal panels and other exterior applications. Nicolson himself began in the EIFS industry at age 23. Over the years, his company has stayed closely involved with AWCI, EIMA (EIFS Industry Members Association) and other organizations supporting industry education and best practices.
“When AWCI came out with the first version of EIFS—Doing It Right, then known as the EIFS SMART program, myself, Juan [Landeros], and a couple of others attended,” said Nicolson. “That was more than 20 years ago. Since then, we’ve continued to have one or two people take the course each year. But now we’ve taken it further—we decided it was time to bring the entire company along.”
Landeros, president of Nicolson Construction, joined the company 21 years ago as a laborer and rose through the ranks.
“I’ve been working in the stucco business for around 25 years,” he said. “I love EIFS. I love how the system works, what you can create and what value it gives to a building.”
Landeros’ enthusiasm is matched by his ability to plan effectively. He knew that successful implementation of AWCI’s EIFS—Doing It Right educational program would require careful scheduling.
“I caught the holidays—Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve—when guys were already off,” he explained. “I asked them if they were okay coming in for training. We paid them, and they agreed. We split it into two groups and ran two sessions.”
The Business Case for Training
Though the course is online, Nicolson and Landeros ensured the experience was interactive and engaging.
“They were all in the same room. The training was on a big screen, but they each had their own tablet,” said Nicolson. “They had to go through the quizzes and materials individually. That was important—we didn’t want them to just sit through a presentation. We wanted them to learn.”
The two sessions were led by experienced company leaders—first by Landeros, then by Alfredo Esparza, who is vice president and a veteran project manager with the company.
“We wanted our people to learn from someone they trusted,” said Nicolson.
Language support was a key element. Most of Nicolson’s field team is Hispanic, and while a Spanish version of the course exists, Nicolson and Landeros felt the English version—paired with Landeros and Esparza’s support—would be more effective in imparting key words and terminology.
“There were a lot of construction terms—like ‘substrate’—that our guys knew in the field, but they needed to understand what the terms mean,” Nicolson said. “That’s where Juan helped a lot.”
“The guys were impressed by how much they got to know,” said Landeros. “For example, they knew there had to be base coat and mesh. But now they understand why—the overlap requirements, the air barrier thickness, the purpose behind the steps.”
Even senior team members—superintendents, project managers (PMs) and forepersons—learned something new.
“It wasn’t just refresher content—it was educational,” Nicolson said. “And that tells me the program has real value.”
Nicolson’s commitment to the course wasn’t just symbolic. The company paid for the training and compensated employees for their time. And Nicolson sees it as an investment in quality.
“One of our PMs asked, ‘What if we train all our people and they go work for someone else?’” Nicolson recalled. “My answer was simple: ‘Then they were taught by Nicolson, and our competitors will know what they’re getting.’”
“You can’t take education away from someone,” he added. “That knowledge stays with them forever. It benefits them, their families and our industry.”
The program has also become a cornerstone of Nicolson Construction’s internal development framework. The company now uses the EIFS—Doing It Right educational program as a requirement for advancement within its journeyman system.
“We have a Journeyman III level now, and those individuals each train three employees,” Nicolson explained. “To become an EIFS journeyman, you have to go through the Doing It Right program.”
Strong Workforce, Strong Industry
Nicolson is now looking beyond his own company. He’s encouraging EIFS suppliers to hold their own sales staff to the same educational standard.
“I’ve met with each of our three suppliers individually and told them, ‘If you want us to keep buying from you, your salespeople need to take this course,’” Nicolson said. “I want to know that they know what they’re selling. Hopefully, that pushes them to get my competitors to do the same thing. In the end, it protects our industry.”
That bigger picture is never far from Nicolson’s mind.
“We’ve been around a long time. We’ve seen a lot,” he said. “AWCI’s online educational program is great—but the key is having someone like Juan or Alfredo who’ve been trained and can teach. There still needs to be that hands-on mentorship.”
For Nicolson Construction, the EIFS—Doing It Right educational program has proven to be more than a training module—it has been a way to elevate the company’s culture and reinforce its reputation for quality, Nicholson said.
Landeros added: “Everybody appreciated it. Every single one said, ‘Thank you for teaching us.’ They didn’t expect that we’d take time and spend money on them. But now they’re trained to do it right, and we’ll have a lot fewer problems on the job.”
Indeed, the investment in learning is paying off at Nicolson Construction.
Mark L. Johnson writes regularly about the wall and ceiling industry. You can reach him at linkedin.com/in/markjohnsoncommunications.
