Ray Martin’s path into construction technology was shaped by firsthand experience in the field, where he developed a passion for solving challenges through innovation. In 2009, in the aftermath of the recession, he was hired as a “Small Tools Tracking Assistant,” tasked with visiting every project site to catalog equipment — impact drivers, drills, ladders, lasers, and more. “If you used it on a jobsite, I needed to find it, give it an ID number, barcode it, and log it into ToolWatch,” Ray recalls. Over nine months, he tracked more than $2 million in tools across multiple states, a project that not only revealed his work ethic but also his growing interest in how technology could bring order and efficiency to complex operations.
When his contract ended, Ray transitioned into purchasing and continued managing the tool tracking system. In his downtime, he began troubleshooting IT issues for field teams. “The IT Director eventually realized they hadn’t received a help desk ticket from the yard in months,” Ray says. “When he found out I was taking care of everything, he offered me a position on his help-desk, with a salary and benefits which I happily accepted, although my current boss fought back as he had me slated to get my CDL license and start my career in the yard.”
It was the opportunity that changed everything.
Ray started in the basement — literally. “They put me in a cage with a key to get in and out,” he says, laughing. “I built laptops, swapped memory, set up phones, answered tickets, and learned the basics of IT in that room.” From there, he began to see how technology could transform the construction process. Within a year, he proposed a plan to bring IT support directly to jobsites, combining his technical skills with his field experience.
That initiative would define his career. Over the next several years, Ray supported remote offices and projects across New England and the Mid-Atlantic, logging countless miles while earning his Master’s in Information Technology. “I wanted my work to impact the projects, even in the early stages,” he says. “That connection between technology and the field was where I found purpose.”
The turning point came when Ray joined Dimeo a decade ago. “At the time, I was proud of what I’d accomplished, but ready for the next step,” he says. “Looking back, Dimeo’s Leadership put their trust in a 30-year-old kid with ambition, limited experience, but tremendous passion for this industry. Honestly, a risk they took I can never thank them enough for.”
The first year brought a steep learning curve, but also growth. With support from mentors and colleagues, Ray and his team modernized Dimeo’s technology stack and began building the foundation for the company’s digital transformation. Today, as Chief Technology Officer, Ray leads that evolution, overseeing IT, Virtual Design & Construction (VDC), and innovation strategy.
“As CTO, my number one job is to protect Dimeo’s assets,” he explains. “Cybersecurity will always be the top priority. But we also have to navigate this wave of technology safely, especially with AI. We’ll see automation and robotics on our jobsites and in our offices, not because we want to, but because we have to. My role is to help the company understand how these tools fit within our ecosystem while keeping our data safe and reliable.”
Ray’s leadership philosophy is deeply collaborative. “Technology leadership in a construction environment is all about partnership,” he says. “My expectations and the realities of the jobsite can be very different, so building relationships with project teams is critical. We need to work together from pilot to production to make technology meaningful.”
Under Ray’s guidance, Dimeo has embraced tools that bridge the gap between the office and the field, including cloud-based platforms such as Procore, Join.Build, and continuous improvement groups that promote team-driven innovation. “We’re operating in a connected environment now,” he says. “Ninety percent of our systems are cloud-based. Eliminating disconnected processes has reduced friction and strengthened collaboration across every level of the company.”
Looking ahead, Ray believes the next decade will bring unprecedented transformation. “AI is the technology that will shape construction for generations,” he says. “It’s going to create jobs that don’t exist yet — roles like Construction Data Engineer, AI Project Manager, or Digital Transformation Specialist. It will also help address the labor shortage and redefine how we work.”
For Ray, that future is full of opportunity, especially for those who are just discovering the intersection of construction and technology. “You’d be surprised how many opportunities there are in this industry for people with tech backgrounds,” he says. “If you’re passionate about innovation and want to see your work directly impact the world around you, construction is a place where you can make that happen.”