Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Pender.
Andrea, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I began my career as a seventh-grade English teacher. I really loved working with students, but I always had a passion for photography. I decided to start my own photography business specializing in outdoor family portraits and professional headshots and I did that for more than ten years. At that time, I realized I wanted to interact with people more and spend less time behind my computer, which landed me in business development. Owning my company was all about business development, with a side of photography. I would attend many networking meetings each week with other small business owners. Then, I would meet with business owners to explain more about what I do (and learn more about what they do), ultimately to grow our list of connections and tell our contacts about one another to bring in more business.
While I owned my photography business, I was approached by a small construction company to be a project coordinator on a few small commercial projects. In that role, I helped prepare proposals and maintain communication with more than 25 subcontractors and 250 total construction workers. I would attend owner meetings, apply for building permits, and coordinate material procurement. This sparked my curiosity in the commercial construction industry and inspired me to get more involved.
I was then able to take my skill set to RLG Consulting Engineers as their Director of Business Development, where I am responsible for pursuing new business opportunities and leads through current and potential clients. In this role, I help identify, produce and track relevant prospects through strategic alliances to provide civil, structural and surveying engineering services.
Has it been a smooth road?
I am always learning and aim to treat obstacles in my life as educational opportunities. When I started my company from scratch there were many opportunities for me to continue learning in order to be successful. I needed to know what my clients wanted and expected from me, how much to charge for my services, how to deal with challenging clients and the overall best practices for operating a business. I realized I could apply the skills I acquired by owning a small business to other realms of the business world.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
RLG Consulting Engineers is a Dallas-based civil, structural, surveying and forensic engineering firm with offices in Fort Worth, TX, and Peoria, IL. For more than 65 years, RLG has been recognized as one of the top engineering firms in the nation for their ability to attract and retain a talented, experienced team. Known for thorough and meticulous work, RLG has designed major projects in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and throughout the country. The staff of more than 80 employees, includes professional engineers holding licenses in 47 states, graduate engineers and registered professional land surveyors.
I am very proud of RLG’s experience, our firm’s relationships, reputation, and our ability to provide the services that best fit our client’s expectations. I believe the way we work together as a team to produce great product sets us apart from other firms. As a team, everyone in the firm is committed to growing our business and has been very open to learning more about the business development initiatives that I have asked them to implement.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
RLG has been in business for more than 65 years in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. We’ve been able to do that by developing relationships and being a part of the community. We are very fortunate that North Texas has a lot of opportunities that other areas do not have. Many people are moving to the area – creating a higher demand for housing, office space and much more. It’s a great market for engineering and construction.
Contact Info:
- Address: 12001 N. Central Exp. Suite 300 Dallas, TX 75243
- Website: www.rlginc.com
- Phone: 214-739-8100
- Email: marketing@rlginc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rlgengineers/
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RLGconsultingengineers/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/RLG_Engineers
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rlg-consulting-engineers/
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