ASSOCIATE SPOTLIGHT Q&A with Matt Schlegel, Schlegel Cascade


Associates Council Chair Looks to Maximize Value, Opportunities for AGC Associate Members


By Carol Eaton Whether he is looking for ways


to save his clients money at Schlegel Cascade or finding new opportunities for associate members to engage and get more for their membership dollars at AGC, Matt Schlegel is all about creating value in whatever he does. Schlegel is serving as 2019 Chair


of the AGC of California Associates Council, which represents a diverse


"We want to engage more broadly with the associates, communicate better and encourage everyone to participate more. This year we really want to make sure our members share ideas in a way that sparks some new initiatives." – Matt Schlegel


group of construction industry suppliers and professional service providers. He called it an “extremely exciting time” to take on the role on the eve of the association’s 100th anniversary year and in an era of new leadership and progress at AGC. “I’m honored to have the oppor-


tunity to be part of the organization at this particular point in time,” Schlegel said. “And with the (pending) change


12 May/June 2019


in AGC’s bylaws, it really has opened up a lot of new opportunities and new avenues for associates to participate and contribute.” AGC of California’s nearly 500


associate members include attorneys, CPAs, insurance providers, bankers, marketing companies and other consultants who do everything but perform on-site construction work. Teir focus is on building relation- ships and business opportunities while supporting AGC’s core mission of shaping policy, improving industry relationships, and developing the construction workforce. California Constructor caught up


with Schlegel to find out more about his Palo Alto-based consulting firm, how he came to be involved with AGC of California, and his goals for the Associates Council in the year ahead.


Your background is in engineering (bachelor’s degree in engineering and master’s degree in electrical engineering/applied physics). What led you to start a company that is focused on helping customers save money and improve their bottom lines? I came from a product engineering


background, helping develop products for telecommunications companies including Palm (developer of the PalmPilot). We were very discon- nected from the end user on the product development side. I decided I wanted to create a business where I could marry my desire to connect more directly with my customers with my background in technology, so I started Schlegel Cascade about 12 years ago.


What types of cost savings do you focus on for your clients? We’re able to go in and analyze how


companies are using their telecommu- nication services and make sure they are getting the best, most cost-effective services for the lowest cost. Telecom- munications companies have one of the worst records for customer service. I saw an opportunity to flip that on its head and provide excellent customer service. We’ve added other areas of cost reduction services such as shipping cost reduction and processing fees for some clients.


What initially led you to join AGC of California and this year, chair the Associates Council? One of my very first clients was


a mobile concrete company. Tey thought I might be able to benefit other AGC members the same way I had benefitted them. Based on that, I started to attend AGC events about 8 or 9 years ago and got to know more members. It has ended up being a very good association for me to network


California Constructor


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