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Recently I sat down with three of our longest-running employees to inquire about their careers and lessons they’ve learned over the years. Their stories exhibit the deep roots that anchor and feed the Hall Irwin team.
I started with Rob Rensink—known around here as Big Rob or Rob Zombie, depending on whom you ask. He’s been with us for over 15 years as Estimator, Pre-construction Manager, and now Vice President, and is a central figure (read: personality) at our offices. Below is a summary of our interview, and why you wish you had a Rob Rensink in your office.
Tell me about your career journey leading up to your arrival at Hall Irwin Corporation [HIC] in 2007, and a bit about those first few years with this company.
I started doing delivery for UPS while I was in college [at Metro State in Denver, where he got a B.S. in Electrical & Electronics Engineering], and when I graduated they transferred me to their engineering department. I took an assignment in Atlanta, where I not only learned about the business and how to use corporate furniture packages [you’ll have to ask him about that story in person], but I also met a lot of great colleagues, some of whom I still keep in touch with. After that I worked for Telecom for a while, and then a little company called BCM & Associates, where I gained more experience as a Project Manager and Superintendent.
When I came to HIC in 2007, their Milliken office was buzzing with dozens of staff running our five self-performing divisions. I was one of nine estimators, and you could hardly hear yourself think over all the ringing phones. Unfortunately, two years later, I found myself in a nearly empty office, one of just four total full-time employees. HIC had to downsize as a result of the recession, putting aside all that self-performed work to become a General Contractor.
Those were tough years. We had a lot of layoffs and a lot of people jump ship. I was kept on because I had learned their estimating system for almost all the divisions—civil, landscaping, slurry walls, and vertical—so I had what HIC needed to keep going. We expanded our job hunting into Wyoming and Nebraska, picking up projects for schools and businesses where other companies had folded. I was the only estimator for four years; I didn’t even take a vacation one year because there was no one else to do my job while I was gone.
Our little team became like a family—every win was a celebration. I got offers from other companies during that time which would’ve been more profitable, and I almost took one. But HIC counter-offered, and due to some family difficulties I was going through at the time, I took my dad’s advice to stay on. That turned out to be the best decision, as my team supported me through those hard times based on the relationships and trust we’d built together. I don’t think that would’ve been the case at a new company where I had no rapport.
How have you navigated all these changes within our company and the industry over the years? What motivates you to continue each day?
Well, like I said, I love working with these people. And I’m happy with what I do—without that it’d be meaningless. Sure, there are days when it’s hard and I’d rather not go to work, but for the most part I wake up excited to do my job. My meaning comes from sharing successes with the team that helps make them happen.
Honestly, estimating typically involves more failure than success, but that just makes the successes even sweeter. At HIC we win as a team, probably more so than at big companies—no one is singled out above everyone else, because we all know that it takes everyone coming together to win. And that feels good.
If you could go back and give yourself advice at the start of your career, or to anyone starting off now, what would that be?
First, spend time with a mentor who can show you the ropes. Sure, AI and Google are great, but it’s not the same as having a face-to-face conversation with someone. That will always teach you so much more.
Second, don’t be afraid to ask questions. When you’re starting out, most people don’t want to be annoying, asking questions whenever they don’t know something—be the annoying subordinate! Everyone likes to pretend they know everything, but they don’t. “I’m a mouth-breathing idiot!” [sic] Don’t worry if others judge you, you just need to learn how to do your job well. People don’t know what you don’t know until you ask. As a supervisor, it can be hard for me to be interruptible sometimes, but I try to take time to sit down with the people I manage and make sure they’re understanding what they need to do their job. The more questions you ask, the more you learn.
How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance? What keeps you grounded when you leave work?
Well, my family primarily, and I like working on projects. My brother and I get together almost every month to work on some sort of project. To me, it’s more rewarding when you make it yourself versus just buying it. That’s probably what I’ll do in retirement someday—work on projects with people.
When you leave HIC (at the very end of your career, obviously), how would you like to be remembered?
As a dedicated work partner. I feel responsibility for the company’s success, and I want to be known as the guy who helped make sure jobs got done right and with integrity. Estimating can get slimy pretty easily—but once you lose your integrity, selling your soul for a few bucks, you almost never get it back. We all need to make money, but I never want clients to feel I or HIC ever had any malicious intent. I just want people to know I was honest with them.
See? I told you you’d wish you had a Rob Rensink in your office. He’s one-of-a-kind, with a contagious laugh and a story for every circumstance. He makes people feel included and at ease, is unquestionably loyal, and works hard to be a positive influence. A large part of Hall Irwin’s recent successes are in thanks to this man, so here’s to 17 more years, Rob!
