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Business Lessons from a Founder

I have worked with and learned from amazing people on my journey – let's build together.

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Collage of photos from an AI + Pizza event showing people collaborating on laptops, group discussions, and presentations. A large central graphic reads “AI + Pizza” with a note “No coding skills needed.” Winners of an in-person AI challenge are announced on stage, while attendees enjoy networking, teamwork, and casual conversations in a modern office setting.

AI is Shaping Clayco’s Future. Connection Keeps Us Grounded.

Clayco’s AI + Pizza event highlights hands-on learning, collaboration, and innovation—where AI meets people, teamwork, and real-world problem solving.

40 Years & Drop the Mic: Nancy Russell

How a 25‑year‑old dropout founded Clayco — and how Nancy, hired as a receptionist, became Bob’s trusted right hand over 40 years of grit, loyalty, and impact.

A group of eight people in business attire and construction gear participate in a groundbreaking ceremony at a construction site. They are holding shovels and tossing dirt, standing in front of construction equipment. Behind them hangs a large banner that reads: “ALBION | west end, GROUNDBREAKING, September 18, 2025. The Art & Science of Building. CLAYCO + LJC.” The banner also shows a rendering of a tall modern glass building.

Breaking Ground in the West End

Groundbreaking of Albion West End in St. Louis—a 30-story residential tower built with pride, community, and purpose by Clayco, LJC, and Albion Residential.

Aerial rendering of Rivian’s future electric vehicle manufacturing campus in Stanton Springs, Georgia, showing multiple large white-roofed factory buildings, connected walkways, surrounding parking lots filled with cars, and a solar-covered structure near the entrance.

Breaking Ground with Rivian in Georgia

Clayco joins Rivian, Governor Kemp, and key partners to break ground on a transformative EV manufacturing campus in Georgia, bringing jobs, innovation, and long-term impact.

Construction workers pouring and leveling concrete at a job site, wearing safety gear including helmets, gloves, and protective clothing.

Why There's More to the Pour with CSI

Clayco’s CSI team builds lasting structures with concrete expertise, innovation, and workforce training in Hazelwood, MO.

Architectural rendering of the Humboldt Park Passive Living building in Chicago, featuring modern design, large windows, public plaza, ground-floor retail spaces, and community artwork on the facade.

Building More Than Walls in Humboldt Park

Humboldt Park Passive Living brings 60 affordable apartments, sustainable design, and community-focused spaces to Chicago’s West Side—built to Passive House standards for comfort, efficiency, and connection.

Adventure

My Mock Death is Today

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Business

The concept of earning is an instinct of mine

My first job was stamping cans at a little grocery market in exchange for candy at about 10 years old. The concept of earning was an early instinct of mine.

During my teen years, I had a car wash on my home driveway, after which I started doing small painting and odd jobs at neighbors’ homes for extra money, but mainly to avoid mowing my own yard by paying the kid down the street to do it. I could make more money doing the other jobs, which allowed me to pay him very little to do something I didn’t want to do that was much more time-consuming. Looking back, that was an entrepreneurial experience.

ADVENTURE