Kent Grisemer has been on a fast track every since he joined HBG
Constructors straight out of college two years ago. After graduating
from the University of California in Berkeley with a degree in civil
engineering, he tackled his first job as a field engineer on a bridge
retrofit in San Francisco. Three months later, he was project engineer,
and now he's project manager of a $2.6 million bridge-widening project over
the Guadalupe River in San Jose.
"My goal was to become a project manager," says the 29-year-old Kent,
"but I was surprised at how fast I moved up at FCI North. I like the
responsibility, and working with people. And frankly, I love working
around heavy equipment." Kent says he's proud that HBG is an
international company, but likes the way the company is organized into
smaller business units. "Everyone at FCI North knows each other, and
they've all been very friendly and helpful," he says.
Kent admits it's been a big stretch for him to move into a management
position so early in his career, and he gives much credit for his
success to the mentoring help of Dave Niese, his project manager on the
San Francisco job. HBG encourages such mentoring to assist bright,
capable employees like Kent.
Kent's management of the San Jose project has involved a lot more than
the glory of a new title. Bridge widening crews had to be out of the
Guadalupe River bed by a specific date, so they hustled 10-hour days, 6
days a week. Racing the clock has been a big challenge, but Kent is
used to challenges. He was a white water river guide in Utah for two
summers, working out of Moab. Always interested in trying out new
ideas, Kent lives on a sail boat docked in Brisbane, and loves to sail
in his limited spare time. Also a downhill skier and mountain biker,
Kent jokingly defines himself as "young and stupid," but that
last adjective is far from accurate. This is a young man on the move.
If you're interested in career opportunities in an aggressive, growing
company, take a look at the many job offerings available on this web
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