Are Contractors Falling Behind?: What Procurement Modernization Really Takes Part 1

Eric Helitzer, CEO and founder of SubBase, and David Corson, host of the Commercial Construction Coffee Talk podcast, sit down to take a look at how procurement really works in commercial construction. Eric traces his path from a third-generation builder interning in high school to studying at the University of Florida’s Rinker School, then cutting his teeth with Baker Concrete on high-rise work. Those early lessons in preconstruction, operations, and schedule control shaped how he thinks about material workflows and where technology should (and shouldn’t) intervene. The conversation moves from Eric’s transition into the GC world, including standardizing operations and digitizing paper processes with modern platforms, to the systemic pain points that push subcontractors, vendors, field crews, and accountants out of sync. Eric explains why adoption fails when software demands wholesale behavior change, and how SubBase’s “one source of truth” approach minimizes manual entry while keeping long-standing vendor relationships intact. He also reflects on the 2020–2021 shock that forced firms to connect remote teams, monitor costs in real time, and move from servers to the cloud. Chapters [Start] Roots, Rinker, and the Trades: Eric’s origin story, family building legacy, UF Rinker School, and entering the subcontractor world. 03:20 High-Rise Lessons at Baker Concrete Construction: Preconstruction, operations, and what large concrete work teaches about control and scale. 04:26 From Paper to Platform: Moving to the GC side, adopting Procore, and digitizing manual workflows to standardize operations. 16:05 When Everything Changed: COVID’s wake-up call: remote coordination, material cost spikes, and why centralized purchasing/visibility surged. Links and Resources SubBase Website Eric Helitzer on LinkedIn Procore – Construction Management Software Commercial Construction & Renovation YouTube