Steve Muck's business experience started in 1984 with a Finance Degree from Ohio University. Steve spent 6 years in the economic development field assisting in developing business plans and structuring public financing for numerous start up and growth companies. During that time, he also founded one of the first small business incubators in Western Pennsylvania and became a brownfield developer before the term was commonly used. From 1987 to 1990, Steve completed his MBA at Penn State University’s main campus.
Upon graduation, Steve went to work for Nationsbank in their Syndication Group within the investment bank in Charlotte, North Carolina. After a year in that role, Steve was promoted to Vice President and asked to act as the manager of the analysts within the Strategies and Planning Group of the bank.
At the beginning of 1993, Steve completed his first small LBO and acquired a specialty structure contractor, Brayman Construction Corporation, with revenues of approximately $7 million. Over the ensuing 25 years, Steve has developed his primary business to the level of becoming an ENR 400 Top Contractor (one of the 400 largest contractors in the United States), with revenues in excess of $200 million. Brayman continues to grow in both size and esteem, as it received ENR’s biennial “Most Innovative Contractor” award for its work on some of the most complex heavy construction projects in the nation. Brayman has accrued a number of national “Best Project” awards, including awards for several dam rehabilitation, bridge rehab, and bridge construction projects.
During the course of the 25 year period since Steve acquired Brayman, he has also started or acquired over 20 related and unrelated business enterprises. To formally support this activity Steve formed Grouse Ridge Capital, LLC. (GRC), in January of 2012. GRC operates under two divisions: Private Equity and Venture Capital. The Private Equity group serves as an arm’s length financial investor on behalf of Brayman in supporting further M&A activity. In 2012 GRC deployed approximately $10mm in capital in passive and actively managed investments including the buyout of a precast concrete company and the subsequent founding of Brayman Precast in 2012. The founding of Advantage Steel (2001), Advantage Blasting (2008), and Specialty Underwater Services (2008) differentiated Brayman as an entity that can keep even the most complex projects in-house.
Steve’s experience in construction, knowledge of business, and diverse company portfolio provided the opportunity to enter into technology ventures. In order to progress a lagging global construction industry, Steve began to develop the groundbreaking construction robotics company, Advanced Construction Robotics, in 2017. ACR took on the mission of innovating global infrastructure through the usage of autonomous robotics. ACR produced its first product TyBot® by 2018, and with it, TyBot LLC. TyBot has been honored with ENR’s Most Innovative Product award, and BuiltWorld’s Field Robotics Disruptor award. Steve’s goal of taking ACR and TyBot beyond U.S. borders came to fruition in 2019, as ACR sent a contingent of employees, and a robot/test bridge pair overseas. In France, TyBot participated in the selective LH accelerator program for promising tech startups. TyBot then traveled to Bauma in Munich, Germany. Here at the world’s largest trade show, TyBot performed for an international audience of 620,000. ACR continues its mission through the development of its second product, IronBot.
In addition to his role leading Brayman, GRC, ACR, and their affiliated companies, Steve operates a small group of unaffiliated companies including an FBO in Western Pennsylvania providing luxury flying services to the region. Steve continues his leadership roles in many construction related organizations and over the years has participated in many community related board activities. Steve joined YPO in 1995 transitioning to WPO in 2011 and has been a member of CEO since 2010. Steve is also a proud member of the Moles organization, and CAWP.
Steve resides in Penn Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania and has two children. Steve enjoys snow and water skiing, whitewater kayaking, fishing, hunting, and golfing.