The document summarizes interviews with two civil engineers about their careers. David Halverstadt works for E.S. Wagner Company and enjoys his work, seeing projects through from start to finish. Don Quicksall is president of W.E. Quicksall & Associates and appreciates the challenges and rewards of different projects. Both companies value strong relationships with employees and clients, and completing work safely and reliably for communities.

1. To:Professor Stephanie Quinn<br />From:Kimberly Hoover<br />Date:March 18, 2011<br />Subject:Interviews with Professionals<br />The purpose is to report on my findings after having interviewed two professionals in the field of civil engineering. I will be giving background on the two professionals as well as the agencies which they currently work for. I will then give a comparison and summary of their impressions on the work which they do.<br />Professionals’ Background-David Halverstadt<br />My first interview was with David Halverstadt. He is currently employed as a civil engineer with E.S. Wagner Company. Prior to graduating from Youngstown State University, with a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering Technology, he was part of a co-op for The Great Lakes Construction Company. He participated in this co-op program for two summers as well as one full year. During that time he worked on a bridge on Route 20 in Conneaut, OH and the 7-11 Connector in Youngstown, OH. He also worked on a rapid discharge rail unloader at the Shippingport, PA coal fired power plant. To this day he has six years of experience not considering the work he did on co-op. He worked for one year with Great Lakes in Youngstown, OH and has spent the last five years with E.S. Wagner Co.. He says that the majority of his time is spent on a construction site and the duration of that time depends on the weather. Mr. Halverstadt jokes and says, “I get to be a kid everyday; I go to the sand box, hang out with the guys and play with big toys. The difference between the childhood sand box and the sand box today is that there is a lot more money and risk involved in this one.” Quoting Mr. Halverstadt again he states, “I feel lucky to have found a company like ESW (E.S. Wagner). I enjoy coming to work nearly every day and feel proud to drive a truck with the ESW logo on the door.” As an engineer at E.S. Wagner Mr. Halverstadt has been a part of a variety of projects and has worked with a number of different people. His responsibilities range anywhere from running crews, managing construction sites, dealing with suppliers, and working on bidding in the main office. Mr. Halverstadt states, “As an engineer in a large construction company you will be involved in everything. The better the company, the more of a varied experience they will provide you in order to make you a better employee.” His perceptions of the work which he does are that the community appreciates what he and his co-workers do since it will improve their lives in one way or another. Be it through faster and safer travel or through healthier drinking water. He understands that some people are worried about the environmental impact of construction, however he feels as though, “…the choice between a person’s life and that of a tree is an easy one to make.”(David Halverstadt).<br />Agency Background- E.S. Wagner Company<br />The mission statement of E.S. Wagner Company is a motivated and visible team of professionals striving for excellence in the field of construction. The company was founded in 1947 through a father/son partnership concentrated in northwest Ohio. It has grown into what is now a multi-million dollar highway and heavy construction company with offices in Ohio and South Carolina. E.S. Wagner provides both public and private owners with work that more than meets their expectations. They are known for their ability to get a job done right, on time and within budget. The company’s services normally fall into one of two categories, transportation systems and site development or structures, foundations and underground systems. However, E.S. Wagner is always looking for new and more challenging projects to expand their portfolio and demonstrate their ability to handle the most difficult of situations.<br />Professionals’ Background- Don Quicksall<br />My second interview was with Don Quicksall who is currently the President of W.E. Quicksall & Associates. Before graduating from the University of Akron, with a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering, he had approximately nine to twelve months of work experience. To this day he has 35 years of experience, all of which have been through W.E. Quicksall & Associates. The environment in his company is one in which everyone has their own individual work station or office. Now that he is the owner as well as the President of the company most of his responsibilities have shifted from working on construction sites to dealing with office operations, financial, marketing and human resources. He feels as though most of the work which he does is, “…rewarding and interesting due to different challenges we face every day and on every project we do.” (Don Quicksall). Mr. Quicksall also states, “Overall, I look forward to coming into work every day and working with everyone here. It would not be enjoyable without our excellent, hard-working staff.”<br />Agency Background- W.E. Quicksall & Associates<br />W.E. Quicksall & Associates has been, “serving their clients for over 50 years!” The company is dedicated to public safety as well as customer satisfaction and it is said that their success comes from a strong quality of work partnered with competitive prices. A strong relationship with their clients has also kept the business going throughout the years. The company is run out of New Philadelphia, Ohio and serves a wide variety of people. Clients include anywhere from villages, cities and counties to state and federal agencies. The company takes pride in the quality of its accomplishments and their employees. Services provided by W.E. Quicksall & Assoiates are divided into 4 sections including transportation, water and sewer, structures, and construction management. The Quicksall organization is happy to have been a part of the past growth and developments in engineering. They look forward to continuing to meet the needs of the engineering profession.<br />Comparison & Summary Impressions<br />E.S. Wagner and W.E. Quicksall & Associates are two individual companies with a number of similarities as well as a few differences. Over the years E.S. Wagner has grown into an incredibly successful and large scale company. Though W.E. Quicksall & Associates was founded 12 years later they are just as successful on a smaller scale. This size difference is the greatest difference between the 2 companies. Other than that both companies share views on many ideas. To begin with both companies value their employees and their clients more than anything. In both of the interviews which I conducted the engineers described how important the people that they work with are. They told me that they were proud to be a part of their company and that their job would not be as enjoyable without the people that they work with. Both companies are also incredibly focused on completing a project with the best possible quality. In both E.S. Wagner and W.E. Quicksall & Associates a common goal is shared. This common goal is to provide excellent service in the field of civil engineering which is safe and reliable for the community. <br />After conducting these interviews and researching background information on the companies I have discovered a number of things relating to my future. The most important thing which I have discovered, however, is that it will be necessary for me to have relatively decent people skills in order to succeed in this field. In both companies relationships between employees and clients are strong thanks to a good sense of communication. Also in both of my interviews with professionals, the engineers discussed how many people they have to work with and how they need good people skills in order to relate to and speak with clients as well as co-workers. Overall these interviews were incredibly helpful in my understanding of what my future may entail. They have also helped me to realize what I need to do now in order to prepare for what I will come across in the future.<br />