Great Place to Work® can mean different things to different people. We wanted to go behind the scenes to get a true glimpse into Brindley Engineering, a 4-time Great Place to Work® recipient and learn more about the company culture. This is a 3-part series. In part 1 we talked to 2 newbies at Brindley Engineering – Oleg Serbin, Project Control Specialist and Victor Olvera, Staff Engineer. In Part 2 we introduced you to Carolyn Barnes, Financial Services Associate and Milo Mu, Senior Piping Designer, who have all worked at the company for 2 to 3 years. In this final part of the series meet Paul Beemsterboer, Technical Specialist and Safety Coordinator, Gavin Palmer, Process Department Manager, and Yanitza Lopez, Safety and Event Coordinator – all of which have been working at BE for over 3 years.
“BE open to opportunities, even if it does not seem to be the 100% fit for you, it may turn out to be the best decision you make.”
“Don’t settle for working somewhere that isn’t enjoyable or where you’re expertise is not trusted and appreciated.”
“Everyone here is eager to lend a helping hand and Leadership gives us many freedoms to make Brindley Engineering a great place to work…”
Q: Why BE? Why work here?
PB: “BE gives the opportunity for all employees to succeed and be creative and supports professional development. BE allows you to venture to different skill sets and gives flexibility in your work schedule between working remote and being on-site or in the office.”
YL: “After countless interviews at many other places, the moment I walked in to BE, I felt at home. I admired what Tom and the team had built (back then was a fraction of what BE is now) and I could not let this opportunity pass”
Q: What is it like to work at BE?
PB: “The company culture here is different than any other place I have worked in my past. Employees genuinely care about one another. The fact that family is included and promoted to be a part of our lives through work is a very special thing to be a part of.”
GP: “Fun. Great people, great leadership, and interesting projects. The ability to work outside of my discipline, not just within it – learning new things every day that really matter in the field when our designs are built and commissioned.”
A Culture That Truly Supports Growth
Paul told us about his career path taking a new direction and all the support that BE gave during this time. Paul started at BE as a piping designer and his main role was to create drawings for clients. After a couple of years, he wanted a change. He wanted to be more field oriented and less design oriented. “BE allowed me to go in a new direction with my career. After a discussion about a new role, BE did not hesitate and allowed me to pursue another route within the company where I can still provide value to BE. That is my role today where I can go out to the field and complete work packages for clients hands-on rather than at my desk all day.”
In Gavin’s role he had the opportunity to build a department from scratch, he saw an opportunity to build a process group with guidance from leadership that trusted his experience and knowledge. “I feel like I have freedom to build the group based on what I’ve seen work well, and not so well, in other places I’ve worked. Also, the ability to teach, to pass on experience at the same time as learning from others – whether it be sharing project experiences internally, attending and presenting at outside conferences, mentoring local college students – all things that other companies don’t often allow time or budget for.”
Yanitza made a big transition as well and is nearing her 10-year anniversary! She started at BE in an Administrative role and moved into the current role of Safety and Event Coordinator. “Everyone here is eager to lend a helping hand and our company leaders give us many freedoms to make Brindley Engineering, a great place to work.”
Q: What excites you most about the next 2 years?
PB: “Our rapid growth at BE is astonishing. It will be exciting to see the new clients and the opportunities this growth will bring to us. Seeing different places as I travel to some new locations is a pleasure.”
GP: “Watching the growth continue across the entire company, but in particular the process department. In 5 ½ years we’ve grown from being a 1 ½ person support discipline to being an 8-strong team capable of performing FEL and Detailed Engineering work, as well as other special engineering services. On many projects, we lead the way developing scope for the other disciplines to execute – there is nothing more satisfying in the world of process engineering than seeing a process design you’ve worked on become a physical reality in the field, fulfilling all the design considerations we worked so hard to implement.”
Q: What advice do you have for job seekers?
PB: “Be open to opportunities, even if it does not seem to be the 100% fit for you, it may turn out to be the best decision you make. Challenge yourself and do not be afraid to bring up new ideas, you never know what those ideas can lead to.”
YL: “Your education, resume and experience will get you in the door for an interview, but personality goes a LONG WAY! There is nothing better than working side-by-side with someone who knows what they are doing, but best of all is easy to get along with and easy to have fun with!”
GP: “You have to like where you work and feel valued for your experience and ability to contribute. Don’t settle for working somewhere that isn’t enjoyable or where your expertise is not trusted and appreciated. There are some truly great places to work out there, and I found my home at BE.”
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