Pub. 1 2018-2019 Issue 3

30 Why did you choose construction as a career? I actually didn’t start my career in the construction field. Maybe you could say the construction field chose me… and I couldn’t be happier about it. I was doing some business consulting for a friend who had started a business and was doing some innovative things in the pavement preservation segment. I loved what he was focusing on accomplishing so I left what I was doing and jumped into the business with both feet. What is your current position?What do you do? I am a Senior Vice President. I do a lot of different things, but training on the best strategies for lowering the cost of asphalt ownership is a main focus of my job. What do you like about it? IPS/Holbrook Asphalt is exclusively involved with the preservation of asphalt, which I personally find very rewarding. For a lot of people, it may not be very exciting, but every day I feel like I make a difference in my own community and other communities across the country. Our roads are a vital part of our nation’s infrastructure, and when government agencies can preserve, as opposed to replace, it’s a tax savings that passes down to the taxpayers. I feel like I do some good, and it’s visible. I can see the results. What is the best advice you can give to someone looking at this field as a career choice? I believe that the construction industry is one where there are no limitations, if you have ambition and a hard work ethic. There are many career choices where that may not necessarily be the case. Take our company for instance, we have college graduates, we have high school graduates, and both have an equal opportunity for advancement. Construction is an indus- try where you learn by doing…especially when it comes to pavement preservation. There isn’t a degree in how to best preserve pavement, you learn from those who have experi- ence in the industry. MARK BEATTY, SR. VP, HOLBROOK ASPHALT Why did you choose construction as a career? I started working part-time in the construction industry, while going to college. I worked at Century Equipment in their parts department. When I graduated – with a degree in business management – I decided to stay on at Century, but I moved into large equipment sales, and I still remember my first sale. It was a new Case 580B backhoe for $12,500. From that moment on, for lack of a better description, the industry was my cup of tea. It was a great fit, and looking back at the last 40-plus years, I can say that I couldn’t have made a better choice for a career. What is your current position?What do you do? I just recently retired fromWheeler Machinery. I moved to Wheeler Machinery from Cate Equipment in 2001, and I spent the last 17 years of my career with Wheeler. From 1977 to 2018, I worked for three companies selling large machinery, mostly for the paving industry. I’m proud that I spent a career in the paving industry, with just three companies. I got the opportunity to create – and maintain – good relationships with so many fine people. What do you like about it? For me, the paving industry was the right combination of people and product, and when it came together, you could see the results. When people drive down an asphalt road that’s nice and smooth, it’s an obviously good thing. I made a good living in this industry and it was a great way to spend my work life. What is the best advice you can give to someone looking at this field as a career choice? Build relationships. The construction field is wide, and there are many opportunities. I worked in asphalt paving, but, you can move in all sorts of directions, based on your skill, your interests and the relationships you form. Yes, we build things in this business, but, everything is built with people. LARRY BROWN,EQUIPMENT SALES, RETIRED, WHEELER MACHINERY