We believe that doing what’s right is never wrong — and that relationships matter more than profit.
At Robertson, putting people first means creating opportunity — for our team and for our community. We build with collaboration, care and a belief that when people feel valued, they do their best work.
Internally, it’s about creating careers, not just jobs, and encouraging ownership and pride every day. In 2024, we became 100% employee-owned through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), giving every team member a stake in our shared success. And a significant amount of our work self-performed by our own craftspeople, that pride in ownership shows up on every jobsite.
It also means investing
in the future.
Our Robertson Career Academy, the only NCCER-accredited program of its kind in Ohio, helps our people — from high school graduates to seasoned tradespeople — build lasting careers in construction.
Externally, “people first” means standing up for the next generation of builders. Through deep partnerships with schools, career centers and Junior Achievement BizTown, we’re helping students see a future in the trades — and giving them a path to get there.
By putting people first, we build more than projects. We build culture, capability and community.
‘PEOPLE FIRST’ means the people are put ahead of profits. Decisions are made with people as a top priority — how it affects our employees and others, not just the bottom line.
Across all market segments — we build places that matter. We take pride in being a part of more than [X] projects over the years. And we believe that what we build is how we build it.
We bring structure to complexity.Our hands-on approach and ability to self-perform work gives us greater control of quality, schedule and cost — and creates tighter alignment across teams. Whether we’re managing or building (or both), we bring the same focus: getting it done right, the first time.
We lead with collaboration, plan with purpose and work with pride. That’s how we turn vision into reality — and relationships into long-term trust.
We don’t chase awards — we chase excellence.
But when the work speaks for itself, people notice. Over the years, Robertson has been honored as one of Central Ohio’s Top 10 Commercial Contractors, and we’ve earned recognition for our culture of safety, workforce development and commitment to our community. These honors reflect what we value most — quality work, strong relationships and a team that takes pride in doing things the right way.
I didn’t get here alone. I’m blessed to work alongside 200+ friends, companions and partners. That’s people first construction in action.
Awards
- 2025 Build Columbus Award – Historical Newark Arcade Renovation
- 2025 Columbus Business First CEO of the Year – Christian Robertson
- Builders Exchange Safety Award (2020-2025)
- Builders Exchange Craftsmanship Award – Historical Newark Arcade Renovation Steel and Carpentry Crews