Field Tested
During his 26-year McCarthy career, Senior Superintendent Gary Steward has made his mark on 46 jobsites in 14 states—from hospitals and airports to solar farms and data centers.
In June 2017, Gary Steward hopped on a flight to Atlanta to spend a couple of days consulting with the owner and construction team overseeing the landside modernization project at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
What Steward didn’t realize is he would also be laying the foundation for his long-term role on that ambitious project, which encompassed the erection of two massive structural steel canopies soaring over eight lanes of traffic. The one-of-a-kind structure would serve as a stunning gateway to the world’s busiest airport while protecting travelers and visitors from the elements.
They wanted somebody to go down, kick the tires and make sure the proposed plan was going to work. I was asked to meet with the team, give my thoughts and then propose one of our field people to go down and help execute it.
Steward spent the next two years contributing his expertise as a skilled ironworker to the seminal project. It ranks among the most challenging jobs he’s worked on during his 26-year McCarthy career. “It's definitely in the top five for sure,” he laughs. “But it was probably one of my favorite teams I’ve ever worked with.”
It also solidified his role as a go-to problem solver for high-stakes, logistically intense projects. “That’s when I started to become more client-facing and realized I wanted to do this for the rest of my career,” he recalls.
Since joining McCarthy as an ironworker apprentice in 1999, Steward has brought that same solution-oriented mindset to nearly 50 jobsites across 14 different states.
His project experiences have encompassed nearly every building type McCarthy excels in, including hospitals, airports, research facilities, industrial plants, solar farms and mission critical operations.
Those experiences have also taken him far beyond his St. Louis roots—from a new Mars Chocolate North America plant in Topeka, Kansas, to the Fort Bliss Replacement Hospital in El Paso, Texas, to several renewables projects in California.
Traveling has been key to my success and taught me so much about the importance of building relationships. Because you're not working with the same people you've worked with previously, you have to build that team mentality and really lean on your partners and let them know they can lean on you when there are challenges.
Closer to home, he’s contributed his expertise to several recent St. Louis projects, including the new Next NGA West headquarters campus, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Midwestern Laboratory and the Plaza West Tower at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
Working in the field is where Steward feels most at home. “It’s really where my heart and my passion is,” he says. “I get a new ‘office’ every few years, which has been pretty exciting.”
Building from Scratch
The St. Louis region has always been home to Steward. Born at SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital in Richmond Heights, he moved to Jefferson County with his family in 5th grade.
Following high school graduation, Steward enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and specialized as a field radio operator and satellite communications specialist. He logged hundreds of airline miles as the Marines shuttled him to California, Florida and Panama.
Before discovering construction, Steward tried his hand at a number of vocations that included telemarketing, floral delivery and working in an auto parts department of a car dealership. While he enjoyed those gigs, none felt like long-term career prospects.
Gary with his wife Julie, son Jacob (21), daughters Anna (18) and Jayden (10), and their dog Arnie.
Gary and his family and friends representing Team McCarthy at Pedal the Cause 2023.
Gary and team members receiving challenge coin recognition.
The turning point came when Steward’s dad suggested he consider the construction trades, urging him to seek guidance from a good friend who was an ironworker approaching retirement. “The timing was right, so I gave it a shot,” he admits. “I asked a few questions, signed up for a two-week pre-apprenticeship session at the union hall and haven’t looked back since.”
About six months into his training as an ironworker apprentice, McCarthy enlisted Steward to work on structural steel rebar at the new Donald Danforth Plant Science Center under construction in St. Louis County.
That engagement paved the way for an enduring building career, working alongside people he respects and trusts.
A hidden treasure of McCarthy is how great our people and teams are. Everybody's there to support each other, and there's room for everybody to grow. I'm a living testament to that.
Gary, salmon fishing on the Kenai River in Alaska.
Get to Know Gary
- Gary and his family live in Imperial, Missouri.
- He and his wife Julie have three children together. Son Jacob, 21, is following in his dad’s footsteps and currently completing an internship with McCarthy’s Omaha team. Daughter Anna, 18, is an entrepreneur who owns a specialty baking company. And 10-year-old daughter Jayden is active in cheer and gymnastics. Arnie, a 5-year-old Yorkie Poo, completes the Steward family.
- A Project Management Professional (PMP), Gary is also a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) and is working toward completing an MBA degree to increase his business acumen.
- He enjoys trout fishing, camping and annual family vacations—from Table Rock Lake in the Ozarks to skiing in Colorado. The Stewards are gearing up for a future voyage to Germany.
- A car enthusiast, Gary is currently modifying a 1968 Ford Torino by replacing the original engine with a modern Mustang Coyote engine and installing a new suspension and drivetrain.
