Concrete Construction , August 2001
Structural Group's Project Engineer Program develops its national engineering and project management talent, while providing grads with flexible career opportunities.
How does a growing specialty contracting organization with a continuing need for new project engineers attract and retain strong talent in a tight professional labor market? Faced with such a challenge, Baltimore-based Structural Group responded by establishing its Project Engineer Program. This program - unique in the industry - attracts top engineering, industrial technology and construction management grads from throughout the United States, who are eager to establish and build their professional careers at the company.
The highly successful program has benefited Structural Group in diverse ways. The $120-million, 800-person organization is made up of six business units, including Structural Preservation Systems, VStructural (VSL), and Pullman Power. It has completed more than 40,000 projects in structural repair, protection and strengthening, post-tensioning, chimney and silo construction. Strong growth has led to the opening of 16 regional operation centers across the country, as well as the acquisition of new businesses. The company is active in four market sectors (commercial, industrial, power, and public structures). Its philosophy - "One Source, Many Solutions" - underscores its mission to deliver a broadening range of technologies and practical solutions to customers.
Structural Group's Project Engineer Program was formally established in 1995. It evolved out of ongoing efforts to attract new engineering and project management talent to the growing company. "We realized that in order to maintain the growth we were experiencing, we needed to attract quality people," explains Bonnie Martin, a member of the Project Engineer recruiting team. "It was a continual challenge to find engineers who were experienced in our specific activities. We could find experienced project managers, but usually not in our field. So, we began to focus more on graduates from university engineering and construction management programs who were enthusiastic about concrete and other aspects of our business, and who saw an opportunity to build a career with our company."
Gaining Experience via a Mentor and a Team
The Project Engineer program is designed to immerse each participant in all aspects of the company's business activities. Participants typically spend 18 to 24 months in the program, and rotate throughout several different areas of the business. Immediately upon entering the program, each participant begins working with a mentor who guides him or her through the program. The two establish a close working relationship, which creates a positive environment for learning, career planning, and other factors that ensure mutual success. This also represents the nucleus from which a larger working team is formed. The company's team management approach encourages interaction and shared decision making by all employees.
Program participants also have access to the company's proprietary knowledge management system. This system, called Comprehensus, is comprised of thousands of video segments of field procedures and solutions, management practices, project overviews and costs, and industry-specific information. "The Comprehensus system is unique in the industry, and it's an invaluable tool for our project engineers," notes Brian Gallagher, Director of Marketing. "It's a very effective means of transferring knowledge, and delivering ideas and skills."
According to Gallagher, Structural Group has an extensive formal training program, in addition to its culture of mentoring and team management. The company offers a considerable variety of opportunities for Project Engineer Program participants, because of its diversified business units. These include Structural Preservation Systems, which focuses on concrete repair and protection, VSL for post-tensioning and reinforcement, the GeoStructural Division for geotechnical services, the Strengthening Division for restoring and adding capacity to structures, as well as its recently acquired Pullman Power subsidiary for construction and repair of chimneys, stacks and silos.
"Because of this wide range of opportunities, our program participants have many choices," he says. "Based on our experience, we know the program has been effective not only in developing our professional staff, but also in providing great opportunities for growth and development, and in enabling our people to fulfill both their professional and personal aspirations." Gallagher notes that upon completion of the program, each participant can move into engineering, project management, estimating, or business development.
Engineering Success
The experience of Mike Miller, an estimator at Structural Preservation Systems' Baltimore operation center, is typical of the participants in the Project Engineer Program. Miller, a University of Delaware Civil Engineering graduate, entered the program in 1996. Initially, he spent approximately 80% of his time in the field, working on numerous concrete repair projects, including several parking garage projects. Miller's field responsibilities included tracking project costs, managing job site safety and quality control, as well as applied learning about concrete and structural systems. His office activities included assisting with scheduling, specification submittals, and job planning strategies.
"My mentor was a project manager, who assisted me all along my learning curve," Miller says. "The team environment was conducive to learning the basics of the building restoration industry quickly, with ready input from field technicians, branch managers, and other professionals."
In 1997, Miller rotated into the Business Development Division of the Baltimore branch, where he began to focus on project estimating. In this role, he performs surveys, writes condition evaluation reports, attends pre-bid meetings for potential projects, and prepares quotes. "This gave me the opportunity to learn about bid strategies, and how our toolbox of specialized concrete repair options can lower costs on our projects," he notes.
In January 1999, Miller was promoted to Head Estimator of the General Repair Division. He is now responsible for bidding projects successfully to meet the General Repair Division's financial goals. "I work closely with project managers and field personnel, and draw from their knowledge to make our estimates as accurate as possible," he reports.
Miller believes he made the right career move in joining Structural Preservation Systems after completing his education. "This program has allowed me to grow and find my niche in the company. For me, the company is a great working environment, with a great team spirit," he says. "I've been working here for almost five years, and I still learn something new every day. But now I also have the responsibility to pass on the knowledge I've learned to our newer project engineers and estimators."
The company has reaped a bountiful harvest, too. Peter Emmons, Structural Group's Chief Executive Officer states, "Our Project Engineer Program has generated a steady stream of strong talent, and enabled us to develop the Project Engineer into highly successful professionals. Participants learn hands-on about the practical applications of concrete technology, gain a thorough understanding of our work processes and systems, and become immersed in our corporate culture." Emmons characterizes Structural Group's culture as an "open" one that values a teamwork approach to solving challenges for customers and sharing knowledge, and that also fosters the development of leaders.
The Talent Search
With strong annual growth in recent years, coupled with the opening of new operation centers throughout the United States, the Project Engineer Program is now central to Structural Group's overall recruiting effort. At present, there are two dozen participants in the program. Approximately 15 schools are targeted each year, including several with programs that emphasize concrete construction and industrial contracting disciplines, such as the University of Missouri - Rolla, University of Texas - Austin, the Universities of Delaware, Illinois and Maryland, Virginia Polytechnic University, and the Industrial Technology degree program at Middle Tennessee State University.
But Bonnie Martin emphasizes that recruiting isn't limited to these schools. "We're looking for any candidate who has an interest in concrete construction, and would like to become part of a growing national company that focuses on doing the work, not merely the design engineering," she notes. Structural Group also identifies candidates through the Chi Epsilon engineering society, as well as student chapters of several professional associations. Many participants in the program are graduates with either a B.S. or M.S. degree in Civil Engineering, but Martin reports that neither of these degrees is a prerequisite for being considered.
"We look beyond degrees and college transcripts. We look for enthusiasm and passion for the concrete business, as well as a team-oriented spirit. These may seem like intangible measures, but our group of interviewers are very adept at identifying candidates who will mesh with our corporate culture, and who will succeed in the program," says Martin. More than 40 engineers, project managers and other Structural Group employees are involved in some way in the recruiting process - from conducting on-campus interviews to interviewing candidates during follow-up visits to the company. As proof of the success of the recruiting effort, Martin cites a retention rate of 95% for the program.
Structural Group is currently considering new candidates for its Project Engineer program. Those interested in learning more about this unique career opportunity are invited to visit the careers section of the company's corporate web site, at www.structural.net.
How does a growing specialty contracting organization with a continuing need for new project engineers attract and retain strong talent in a tight professional labor market? Faced with such a challenge, Baltimore-based Structural Group responded by establishing its Project Engineer Program. This program - unique in the industry - attracts top engineering, industrial technology and construction management grads from throughout the United States, who are eager to establish and build their professional careers at the company.
The highly successful program has benefited Structural Group in diverse ways. The $120-million, 800-person organization is made up of six business units, including Structural Preservation Systems, VStructural (VSL), and Pullman Power. It has completed more than 40,000 projects in structural repair, protection and strengthening, post-tensioning, chimney and silo construction. Strong growth has led to the opening of 16 regional operation centers across the country, as well as the acquisition of new businesses. The company is active in four market sectors (commercial, industrial, power, and public structures). Its philosophy - "One Source, Many Solutions" - underscores its mission to deliver a broadening range of technologies and practical solutions to customers.
Structural Group's Project Engineer Program was formally established in 1995. It evolved out of ongoing efforts to attract new engineering and project management talent to the growing company. "We realized that in order to maintain the growth we were experiencing, we needed to attract quality people," explains Bonnie Martin, a member of the Project Engineer recruiting team. "It was a continual challenge to find engineers who were experienced in our specific activities. We could find experienced project managers, but usually not in our field. So, we began to focus more on graduates from university engineering and construction management programs who were enthusiastic about concrete and other aspects of our business, and who saw an opportunity to build a career with our company."
Gaining Experience via a Mentor and a Team
The Project Engineer program is designed to immerse each participant in all aspects of the company's business activities. Participants typically spend 18 to 24 months in the program, and rotate throughout several different areas of the business. Immediately upon entering the program, each participant begins working with a mentor who guides him or her through the program. The two establish a close working relationship, which creates a positive environment for learning, career planning, and other factors that ensure mutual success. This also represents the nucleus from which a larger working team is formed. The company's team management approach encourages interaction and shared decision making by all employees.
Program participants also have access to the company's proprietary knowledge management system. This system, called Comprehensus, is comprised of thousands of video segments of field procedures and solutions, management practices, project overviews and costs, and industry-specific information. "The Comprehensus system is unique in the industry, and it's an invaluable tool for our project engineers," notes Brian Gallagher, Director of Marketing. "It's a very effective means of transferring knowledge, and delivering ideas and skills."
According to Gallagher, Structural Group has an extensive formal training program, in addition to its culture of mentoring and team management. The company offers a considerable variety of opportunities for Project Engineer Program participants, because of its diversified business units. These include Structural Preservation Systems, which focuses on concrete repair and protection, VSL for post-tensioning and reinforcement, the GeoStructural Division for geotechnical services, the Strengthening Division for restoring and adding capacity to structures, as well as its recently acquired Pullman Power subsidiary for construction and repair of chimneys, stacks and silos.
"Because of this wide range of opportunities, our program participants have many choices," he says. "Based on our experience, we know the program has been effective not only in developing our professional staff, but also in providing great opportunities for growth and development, and in enabling our people to fulfill both their professional and personal aspirations." Gallagher notes that upon completion of the program, each participant can move into engineering, project management, estimating, or business development.
Engineering Success
The experience of Mike Miller, an estimator at Structural Preservation Systems' Baltimore operation center, is typical of the participants in the Project Engineer Program. Miller, a University of Delaware Civil Engineering graduate, entered the program in 1996. Initially, he spent approximately 80% of his time in the field, working on numerous concrete repair projects, including several parking garage projects. Miller's field responsibilities included tracking project costs, managing job site safety and quality control, as well as applied learning about concrete and structural systems. His office activities included assisting with scheduling, specification submittals, and job planning strategies.
"My mentor was a project manager, who assisted me all along my learning curve," Miller says. "The team environment was conducive to learning the basics of the building restoration industry quickly, with ready input from field technicians, branch managers, and other professionals."
In 1997, Miller rotated into the Business Development Division of the Baltimore branch, where he began to focus on project estimating. In this role, he performs surveys, writes condition evaluation reports, attends pre-bid meetings for potential projects, and prepares quotes. "This gave me the opportunity to learn about bid strategies, and how our toolbox of specialized concrete repair options can lower costs on our projects," he notes.
In January 1999, Miller was promoted to Head Estimator of the General Repair Division. He is now responsible for bidding projects successfully to meet the General Repair Division's financial goals. "I work closely with project managers and field personnel, and draw from their knowledge to make our estimates as accurate as possible," he reports.
Miller believes he made the right career move in joining Structural Preservation Systems after completing his education. "This program has allowed me to grow and find my niche in the company. For me, the company is a great working environment, with a great team spirit," he says. "I've been working here for almost five years, and I still learn something new every day. But now I also have the responsibility to pass on the knowledge I've learned to our newer project engineers and estimators."
The company has reaped a bountiful harvest, too. Peter Emmons, Structural Group's Chief Executive Officer states, "Our Project Engineer Program has generated a steady stream of strong talent, and enabled us to develop the Project Engineer into highly successful professionals. Participants learn hands-on about the practical applications of concrete technology, gain a thorough understanding of our work processes and systems, and become immersed in our corporate culture." Emmons characterizes Structural Group's culture as an "open" one that values a teamwork approach to solving challenges for customers and sharing knowledge, and that also fosters the development of leaders.
The Talent Search
With strong annual growth in recent years, coupled with the opening of new operation centers throughout the United States, the Project Engineer Program is now central to Structural Group's overall recruiting effort. At present, there are two dozen participants in the program. Approximately 15 schools are targeted each year, including several with programs that emphasize concrete construction and industrial contracting disciplines, such as the University of Missouri - Rolla, University of Texas - Austin, the Universities of Delaware, Illinois and Maryland, Virginia Polytechnic University, and the Industrial Technology degree program at Middle Tennessee State University.
But Bonnie Martin emphasizes that recruiting isn't limited to these schools. "We're looking for any candidate who has an interest in concrete construction, and would like to become part of a growing national company that focuses on doing the work, not merely the design engineering," she notes. Structural Group also identifies candidates through the Chi Epsilon engineering society, as well as student chapters of several professional associations. Many participants in the program are graduates with either a B.S. or M.S. degree in Civil Engineering, but Martin reports that neither of these degrees is a prerequisite for being considered.
"We look beyond degrees and college transcripts. We look for enthusiasm and passion for the concrete business, as well as a team-oriented spirit. These may seem like intangible measures, but our group of interviewers are very adept at identifying candidates who will mesh with our corporate culture, and who will succeed in the program," says Martin. More than 40 engineers, project managers and other Structural Group employees are involved in some way in the recruiting process - from conducting on-campus interviews to interviewing candidates during follow-up visits to the company. As proof of the success of the recruiting effort, Martin cites a retention rate of 95% for the program.
Structural Group is currently considering new candidates for its Project Engineer program. Those interested in learning more about this unique career opportunity are invited to visit the careers section of the company's corporate web site, at www.structural.net.
