Beyond Walls: Commercial Interior Design Meets Expert Construction

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How Matt Raine Found His Way into Construction and Started Raine Building

Randi Lynn Johnson: Hey, welcome back to Design to Help Your Business Grow with Robin Pasley. I'm Randi Lynn Johnson. And today we have Matt Raine with Raine Building. You're the owner. You're the big dog.

Matt Raine: Yes. Thanks for having me.

Randi Lynn Johnson: Our pleasure. We're excited. Since 2012, you started this thing.

Matt Raine: That's correct.

Randi Lynn Johnson: When did you first know that you had a knack for general construction?

Matt Raine: Well, I didn't really have a background in construction. I was in an industrial environment for a while, and then I gravitated towards construction because I was just interested in it. I always felt like —

Randi Lynn Johnson: You liked Legos growing up?

Matt Raine: I loved the Legos growing up. I just felt like I dealt well with people and could get a lot of things done. Somehow I gravitated towards construction, and the whole world of construction — you're like this integrator of a whole bunch of different people, from building departments to clients, to subcontractors, to distributors and materials. Your hands are all over the place. I had a knack for working with a lot of different people. I was successful at it, and at some point I said, I should just do this with my own company.

Randi Lynn Johnson: That's smart. That's awesome. What are the biggest frustrations in working in general contracting, and what are the things that you enjoy the most?

Matt Raine: I'll start with what I enjoy most. The one great thing about construction is that projects only last so long. Whether it's a 12-week project or whatever it might be, you start from maybe a blank slate and you have this beautiful project to turn over at the end. Then you move on to another client. Even if that client was difficult or you had challenges with that job, you get to move on to a project that's brand new and has real opportunity.

Robin Pasley: Yeah, they're not always that big. What's the longest project you've ever had?

Matt Raine: I've been on projects that are a year, year and a half. But our average project is only about eight to 12 weeks. So if you have a challenging client, you don't have to deal with them forever. You move on to the next project after that one's done.

Randi Lynn Johnson: And then you don't invite them to the Christmas party.

Matt Raine: Exactly. And I think another challenge in our industry is the subcontractor world. At Raine Building, we only work with maybe two or three companies in each trade. We may not be the cheapest — we don't want to be the cheapest — but we have subs we can rely on. They look at us as a partnership, not just "here's your next job." We really work together. So if I'm in a jam, I can get horsepower from subs when I need it. It really helps.

How Did Robin Pasley and Matt Raine Start Working Together?

Randi Lynn Johnson: So you two go way back. Where did you meet? How long have you known each other?

Matt Raine: You want to tell them?

Robin Pasley: We've actually been in business a very similar amount of time — I started in 2013 and you started in 2012. I think it was around 2019. We did a project together at the David C. Cook building here in Colorado Springs.

Matt Raine: It was called Bold.

Robin Pasley: It was called Bold. That was our first introduction, and we worked really well together. Your team was awesome. So the next time I needed a GC, I called you. And I just kept calling you. We've been working together for years. One of the things I love about working with you and your team is that everyone is genuinely kind. That goes a long way in construction. It doesn't matter which project manager I'm working with — they're easy to work with and solution-minded. And the other thing I love about working with you, and this is how I promote you to people all the time, is that I have never once had you miss a deadline.

Matt Raine: That's good to hear.

Robin Pasley: That's a huge deal — especially on some of the tight ones we've had. A lot of times, people don't get all the pieces into a project until we're at breakneck speed. I remember one owner calling me at 4:30 and saying, "We're supposed to move in tomorrow. You have furniture coming, right?" I said yes. He said, "It's not ready." And I told him, "Just trust me. These guys are pros. It will be ready when we arrive with our truck tomorrow." He called me and said, "Oh my gosh, you were right." Your guys came in and did some overnight work — and some GCs when you have to do overnight work make that really difficult. You guys didn't.

Matt Raine: Thank you for that. I think Robin's designs are really attractive, and I can see why clients gravitate towards her work. A lot of the things you see behind me in this space are a testament to what you can do with a room. Your designs look great. And one of the best things I love about commercial interior designers and architects — and Robin has this — is that as a GC, if I come to her and say, "What you're expecting is 10 weeks out but the client wants to be in in eight," she's totally willing to work with us on what we can get into the space, or she'll go to the client and ask, "Do you really want to wait that extra two weeks?" I appreciate that flexibility.

What Problems Does a General Contractor Actually Solve for Business Owners?

Randi Lynn Johnson: What is your favorite project you and Robin have worked on together?

Matt Raine: Betsy and Chris. Great people — a very nice couple. And it was a cool building. I always enjoy renovating old buildings.

Randi Lynn Johnson: I love the before and afters of that one because you took this really dated accounting office and turned it into a pediatric therapy space.

Robin Pasley: And it turned out so great. We didn't do major overhauls — we just gave it a facelift, and it's amazing how far that went.

Randi Lynn Johnson: Matt, one of the things we like to do on this podcast is help business owners solve problems. What problems do you solve for business owners?

Matt Raine: There's a lot there. I'd go back to just the coordination of logistics — getting materials to the job site, dealing with lead time challenges, and figuring out how to avoid them. If a client has a tight timeline, can we change a material to something that works within the project schedule? And navigating utility providers and internet providers — that's always a challenge people don't think about when they're moving into a space. Where's my internet going to come from? It's a lot of logistics, getting them into the space so they can actually function.

Randi Lynn Johnson: Because you do everything, right? The term general contractor means you can oversee all of it and get the right people in place.

Matt Raine: It's not just the walls and the paint. It's the building department, the internet, the data — everything a business owner needs to function. Just as Robin explains in Why Starting with Design Saves Time and Money, the most efficient projects happen when all three parties — the designer, the GC, and the architect — are aligned early.

Robin Pasley: Working with CSU. Yep.

What Are the Smartest Long-Term Investments When Building or Renovating a Commercial Space?

Randi Lynn Johnson: From both a construction and a design perspective, what are the smartest investments a business owner can make when building or renovating their space to support long-term growth?

Matt Raine: I'll go first. It kind of depends — do you own the building or are you leasing? I see an amazing number of people who spend a lot of money on lease space. We build it for them, and then five years later we come in and rip it all out to put somebody else in. You think about the money they spent — did they really get their bang for their buck? I own buildings, and I really think through: if I'm going to spend money on these fancy lights, is it going to be worth it to me in 20 years when I sell the building? Business owners should really think about that when engaging people like us. They also need to think about their clientele and what look they're after. It may be worth spending all that money because it means a lot to their clients. They have to know their market.

Robin Pasley: I think the same thing. Understanding your workforce and your clientele that are going to engage in that space is critical. Lighting can mean a lot for a workforce — if people hate the lighting and want to turn their lights off when they work, that tells you something. And I've watched people put 20-year carpet in a five-year lease. That's our work, right — to advise in that situation. But if you own the building, 20-year carpet is a great choice.

Matt Raine: In the last seven or eight years we've been putting in beer taps and fancy bars with multiple kegs — things I would never have dreamed of 10 years ago. It's up to that business owner to decide: is this something that means a lot to my employees? That's the conversation worth having.

Robin Pasley: It's totally true because it's about the changes in the workforce that happened after COVID. The top three investments a building owner needs to think about are: how to keep the best workforce and tenants, how to make the right impression on clients who engage you in that space — and that's through proper branding and integration, which is where we work — and then partnering with somebody like Matt to get it done right. Strategic commercial interior design isn't just about aesthetics; it's about how your office space directly affects your business, from client perception to employee retention.

Randi Lynn Johnson: One-two punch.

Randi Lynn Johnson: Matt, tell us about you as a person. Do you have a family?

Matt Raine: I do. I have a wife I've been married to for 23 years and two kids. My daughter is a junior in high school, and my son just finished his freshman year at Montana State. We're a very outdoors family. We're going backpacking this weekend. We hike, fish, hunt — everything outdoors.

Randi Lynn Johnson: Awesome. Let's go to the speed round. I'm going to ask a couple of questions and you have to choose. Fishing or hunting?

Matt Raine: Fishing.

Robin Pasley: Salty or sweet?

Matt Raine: Salty.

Randi Lynn Johnson: Coffee or tea?

Matt Raine: Coffee.

Robin Pasley: Beach or mountains?

Matt Raine: Mountains.

Randi Lynn Johnson: When you eat string cheese, do you peel it or do you chomp it?

Matt Raine: I just chomp it. Is that sickening?

Randi Lynn Johnson: You're an animal.

Robin Pasley: Okay, final one. Putt-putt or Top Golf?

Matt Raine: Top Golf, probably.

Randi Lynn Johnson: Matt, what makes you unique compared to other general contractors?

Matt Raine: I think I'm a very humble person, to start with. But I'm also just really calm and I handle situations well. In the construction world, there's so much chaos and issues happening all the time — lead times, employees, subcontractors — and I'm a very laid-back, calm person who can work through issues. That's where I've done well in my career. And I treat everybody really well. I'm not too big on myself, so I make people feel like they matter. Every single one of them.

Robin Pasley: I've noticed that about you too. I've called you right in the middle of some major situation and you're just so chill. I've been pulling my hair out and running around in circles.

Matt Raine: Not to keep talking about myself, but I think I treat everybody really well. It doesn't matter who — I make people feel pretty important.

Robin Pasley: I know you just expanded. You're in Denver now.

Matt Raine: Raine Building has been around for pushing 15 years. It started as just me — myself and I — and slowly and surely I added people on. We're almost 30 people now. We have offices in Colorado Springs and Denver, and in the September/October timeframe, we're going to have our first person in Phoenix, Arizona. Our focus is medical, dental, and office space — that's 80 to 90% of what we do. We also do industrial and some education, but it's not our main focus. We're full of project managers and superintendents, and most of my people have been with me for years. It's a really good team we've built.

Randi Lynn Johnson: That's awesome. Matt, tell the people where to find you.

Matt Raine: The best email to reach us is admin@rainebuilding.com — and Raine is R-A-I-N-E. Just send us an email and let us know what we can help you with.

Randi Lynn Johnson: In an increasingly competitive market, the merits of using interior design as a strategic growth tool can make all the difference in not just surviving but thriving.

Robin Pasley: Pasley Commercial Interiors — design to help your business grow.

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