Stephen Saucerman (writing under the name S. S. Saucerman) is an established writer, author and speaker for the building construction and architectural industries. He's recently retired after 40+ years working primarily as a commercial construction estimator & project manager. Since 1995, Saucerman’s feature articles have been published over 1,500 times in magazines and periodicals all over the world.
Saucerman has also published two industry books, 'Moving to Commercial Construction' (Craftsman Book Company) and 'Masonry Estimating' (Mason Contractors of America'). He's also created two photo gallery (coffee table) books: 'Exotic Excursions', a pictorial collection of his wood turnings and 'Exotic Excursions II' featuring his custom earrings.
Saucerman’s writing has been described by readers as witty, informative, poignant, relatable, and - best of all - entertaining (*see reader comments below). He also taught Building Construction Technology at Rock Valley College in Rockford, IL from 1991-2002. Currently, he lives in Minot, ND (where he hates it) :-) and enjoys writing, painting, music, woodworking/turning and developing his cartoon series, 'Pat Hetick: Construction Estimator!'.
*Click on cover for Amazon reviews for "Moving to Commercial Construction" by S. S. Saucerman.
What Readers are Saying about the writing of S. S. Saucerman:
- “If the writers at Frasier and Seinfeld don’t hire you, head west and give us a call. We will.” - Chris D WA
- “I really enjoyed reading your article. Usually, they’re pretty dry stuff, but yours provided some (much needed) comic relief.” - Roberta W. from CA
- “Great and humorous piece.” - Dave S. from NC
- “[We] found it to be right on target with ours, as well as I assume most estimator’s/project manager’s experiences ….. thanks for the great article.” - James B. from NJ
- “I enjoyed reading your column. It was funny, yet right on the mark. Keep writing.” - Ted S. from PA
- “You should be nominated for a Pulitzer in the category of non-fiction short story. Our estimating department was in stitches.” – Dave M. from NY
- “Stay strong grasshopper!!”- RPS
- “I just read the article you wrote. It was right on.” - Justin W. from OH
- “Your comments and feeling hit the nail right on the head (pardon the pun!)” - Mike S. from IL
- “I just finished reading your column for the third time … and had to let you know I thought it was right on the money … I can certainly identify …” – Mike M. from NY
- “I just read and thoroughly enjoyed your article. Been there … done that.” – Paul M. from TX
- “I’ve been an estimator and project manager for almost 30 years and I don’t think anyone else could have put it in perspective better than you did … every word was so true.” – Art H. from VA
- “Please feel free to call yourself the Dave Barry of construction …” – Bill K.
The Work of S. S. Saucerman has been featured in the the following quality industry publications:
Aberdeen Concrete Construction Magazine * A/C, Heating & Refrigeration News * American Society of Professional Estimators Newsletter * Australia Building Industry Connection (Victoria) * B & I Construction Industry (Malaysia) * Building Industry News (Hawaii) * Building Journal (Hong Kong) * Building & Real Estate Guide (Kenya) * Building & Remodeling News * Building Material Dealer Magazine * CONSPECT (Construction Inspectors Newsletter) * Construction & Property News (Ireland) * Construction Dimensions Magazine * Constructioneer * Construction Magazine * Construction Monthly * Construction Site News * Constructor Magazine (AGC) * Door & Hardware Magazine * ENR (Engineering News Record) * Fabricator Magazine (Steel) * Glass Magazine * Home Inspector Magazine * Indiana Builder * Masonry Magazine * Master Builder Magazine (UK) * Merit Contractors Newsline (Alberta, Canada) * New England Construction * New York High-End Construction E-Magazine * Permanent Buildings & Foundations * ProjectPro Magazine (South Africa) * Plumbing & Mechanical Magazine * Roofer Magazine * RSI (Roofing, Siding, & Insulation) Magazine * SNIPS (HVAC Industry) * Texas Construction Association Newsletter * World Fence News * 5 Borough Electrical Contractors Newsletter * Marine Construction * ... and many more.
BOOKS BY S. S. SAUCERMAN: Moving to Commercial Construction (A Residential Contractor's Guide), Craftsman Book Company, Carlsbad, CA https://www.amazon.com/Moving-Commercial-Construction-Stephen-Saucerman/dp/1572181036 and Basic Masonry Estimating (Masonry Contractors Association of America). He is currently working on book #3.
SPEAKING/EXPOS: Saucerman offers speaking presentations and seminars for many of his writing topics. Call or e for more information. Programs vary in length and are offered in multimedia formats.
CARTOON SERIES: “PAT HETIC: CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATOR! ... is a Dilbert® style, 3-4 panel depiction of Pat's strange, harrowing journey through the sometimes dark and puzzling side of the building construction industry. You can ride along as Pat attempts to comprehend the often-incomprehensible creatures and characters who make our crazy world spin (warning: it's a hoot!!).
NOTE: One of Saucerman’s pieces - Everyone's Bid is Low with Me - was featured prominently in senate testimony (Dunleavy testimony) regarding bidding practices and industry ethics. You may find it at:
www.house.gov/reform/gmit/hearings/2000hearings/000713.contractors/000713jd.htm
Some completed/Previously-Published Magazine Pieces:
10 Dumb Things That Contractors Do to Spoil Their Own Success * 10 Tricks For Building A Better Relation With GC’s (For Subs/Suppliers) * 20 Things You Never Want To Say To An OSHA Inspector (Humor) * A Day In The Life Of A Construction Estimator * Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR): A Primer * And Ode to the Ornery (humor) (For The Building Material Salesperson) * Attending Your First Blood – er - I Mean Bid Letting (Humor) * Barrels Of Fun (Humor Geared To Residential Contractors) * Being Direct (Creating Effective Direct Mail Advertising) * Bidding Plan & Spec * Bonding Basics * Building A Better Relationship With GC’s (Long Version) * By Their Side (Sales) * CM Versus GC: The Difference * Collective Bargaining & The Unions: A Primer * Change Order Challenge * Construction General Requirements (Administrative) * Construction General Requirements (Project/Field) * Contractor Economics 101 (*For The Building Material Salespeople) * Creating A Company Newsletter * Creating A Computer Estimate Spreadsheet * Creating A Winning Estimate * Creating A Winning Proposal * Devious Specifications Hurt Everyone (Editorial) * Dodging Deadly Delay (In The Field) * E-Commerce, The Contractor, And The Internet * Everyone’s Bid Is Low With Me (Humor) * Face To Face: The Power Of Social Skill * Getting Clever With Your Website * Getting Done And Getting Paid * Selling to Commercial Contractors (For The Building Material Salesperson) * Going Cyber (humor) * Getting More Work (Construction Reporting Services) * How to Lose your Client in 10 Easy Steps! * Independent Contractor Versus Employee (Do You Know the Difference?) * Inside or Outside (Sales) (*for the building material salesperson) * Inside Tips for Selling to the Pros (For The Building Material Salesperson) * Installed Sales (For The Building Material Salesperson) * Landing the First Punch(list) * Left Out in the Cold(Call) * Lying in Wait: Why Some Sales Take So Long (For The Building Material Salesperson) * Making Money In The Field (Jobsite Hints) * Making The Jump (From Residential To Commercial Construction) * Managing A Profitable Jobsite * On The Fence: Selling The Hard-Sell (For The Building Material Salesperson) * Morale On The Jobsite (Taming The Beast) Partnering To Success * Pay When Paid: Both Sides Of The Debate * Productive Thinking (Productivity In The Field) * Properties Of Matter (Related To Construction) * Properties Of Wood * Selling To The Custom Home Builder (For The Building Material Salesperson) * Selling Yourself: 10 Tricks * Setting Yourself Up: Hedging Your Bet For The Sale(For The Building Material Salesperson) * Sub-Contractor Selection And The GC * Submittals & Shop Drawings (A Primer) * Taking Off: Estimating For The Lumber & Building Material Salesperson * The Contractor & The Architect … and The Lost Art Of Communication * The Design/Build Debate * The Problem with Competitive Bid * The Profit Puzzle * The Reality of Risk * To Train or Not To Train (That Is The Question) * Turnover Turmoil (Keeping Good People Longer) * Understanding ADA (The Americans With Disabilities Act) * Untangling the WEB(page) – Webpage Primer * Value Engineering (When Too Much Really IS Too Much) * What Makes You So Special? * Low Bid Bingo! * Construction Managers and Other Natural Disasters * 5 (Not So Obvious) Costs of Project Schedule Delay * A Day in the Life of a Specification Writer * The 10 Pitfalls of Competitive Bid * and many, many more.