My Story

Scott Higgins grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, and learned the basics of the construction industry by working for his uncle's construction company throughout high school and college. Other than a three-year detour after college, Scott has spent his entire career in construction. He holds both Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Construction Engineering from Iowa State University. Scott has been a lifelong fan and supporter of Iowa State, and in May 2023, he was honored as a Distinguished Alumni by the Iowa State Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (CCEE).

Scott recently retired from full-time employment after nearly 37 years with Pepper Construction Company. During his time at Pepper, Scott held a variety of roles in several Operations groups, including Project Management, Self-Perform, Technical Services, and Preconstruction Services. Scott's passion has always been the work at the front end of large, complex projects. In 2004, Scott was asked to formally organize Pepper's first Preconstruction Services Group, and for many years, he held the position of Senior Vice President of the group.

Scott was also instrumental in growing Pepper's expertise in Building Information Modeling, Mechanical and Electrical Systems Coordination, and Sustainability and High-Performance Buildings. In 2011, Scott started the process of bringing these functions together under the name of Integrated Construction Services, as they are known today.

Scott's second passion is teaching others about what knows best. Throughout his career, Scott spent over ten years as an Adjunct Professor teaching Construction Estimating for the Master of Project Management Program (MPM) at Northwestern University. He also had the opportunity to co-create and teach Preconstruction Project Management for the Purdue University School of Construction Management.