Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew H. Smith, PE, CEM, LEED AP BD+C.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Andrew. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have always had a passion for building things with my hands; as a young child, I enjoyed putting things together, and that has not changed as I still enjoy Legos and woodworking. I grew up in Dunwoody, GA and began my career by attending the University of Alabama, in Tuscaloosa, AL.
I graduated in 1993 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering with an interest in heating and air conditioning. The year I graduated, there was a recession and it was very tough to find work. I had to do what I promised myself I would never do: move back in with my parents. I found work with a local mechanical contractor as an HVAC residential retrofit installer physically installing ductwork and air handlers. I learned a lot working 12 hour days, waking up early, loading trucks with supplies, and then being the designated driver because I did not have any DWI’s. I would sweat in the heat, crawl under old homes with bugs and rats, and froze in the winter as we renovated and constructed new homes. Within a year I was promoted to sales and worked with homeowners directly. Another 6 months passed before I asked myself, “Am I using my college education?” I resigned and moved to Macon, GA in 1994 to work at an architectural engineering (A/E) firm. It was there that I learned why there is an “A” before the “E. in A/E”. I observed more human resource issues than you could imagine and resigned 9 months later.
My life in Macon was not ideal; but I was exposed to things that I look back on today and those experiences were priceless. There is not a day that goes by that I do not look back at all the bad and ugly things I experienced in those 9 months. My career turned upward when I accepted a position at Brewer & Skala Engineers in 1994. I dazzled everyone I worked for because I had learned so much at my prior companies, in fact I realized I had learned a lot in a very short amount of time about people and work ethic. While those two companies were short lived, I realized that I was quite knowledgeable on how not to run a company!
I began working at Brewer & Skala (BSE) and was the first employee to embrace AutoCAD technology. I was the 14th hire and felt appreciated and recognized by others for my contributions to the company. Only three years later I was promoted to move to Charlotte, NC to help open an office and head up the mechanical department. A year and a half later I was engaged to be married and was offered an opportunity to move to Dallas, TX to head up a new office for Jordan & Skala (used to be BSE). One thing I have is work ethic and the will to survive in tough times. Just after 9/11, I opened the new office and worked seven days a week –day and night. I had cold-called and met with anyone who would talk with me. I reflect today and have two beautiful children (my son, Andrew, 14, and my daughter, Mary, 11).
The Dallas office is now 70 designers and engineers strong; I helped develop a Houston office eight years ago and an Austin office two years ago. I am now working on a Denver office startup!
During these past 15 years, I started a sustainability sector for the company; and realized that it would be significant to our financial success. Our Energy Services team has grown with staff in four (4) JSE offices. I attribute a lot of my success to a wife who was understanding and patient; we have both sacrificed a lot for my career and for Jordan & Skala.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There have been a lot of bumps in the road that have all worked out one way or another.
The first challenge for me was when I first moved to Charlotte, NC away from my then-girlfriend. Shortly after my move to Charlotte, we were engaged and married. Two months prior to our marriage, I was offered the opportunity to open up an office in Dallas, Texas. Dallas was far away and not on our radar.
I moved to Dallas after just getting married and began setting up an office. Meanwhile, my wife had power of attorney to sell the house I had just bought for us to start a life together in Charlotte. Once she moved to Dallas, we learned that we were going to have our first child. It was tough living far from all of our family and friends. I know it was more of a challenge for my wife than it was for me because I was kept busy with starting a new business. I would wake at 4 am and work often until midnight. I used to set my alarm clock for 3 am to go to work because I needed to do so much and had little to no support when starting the office.
Other challenges that I had to overcome was when my Mother and sister-in-law passed away within a few months of one another. Again, living in Texas with family so far away has been an added stress on our family. JSE day to day challenges also include dealing with human resources and finding staff to mold into Jordan & Skala leaders. Our firm grows organically, which means we hire recent college graduates, train them up, and allow them to blossom. Doing so helps maintain quality control and opens the door for future office leaders. Today’s challenges are different than I have experienced in the past.
I became a Principal of the firm in 2008 and have since charged forward with growing the company and making it the best place to work for all my staff. We offer all sorts of great events for staff to participate such as go-carts, escape rooms (team building), ping-pong mania week, engineer’s week, rope courses, climbing walls and college football tailgate. Our success long term is on mentoring staff that its normal to have some days that will be great, some not so great but to hang in there and overcome challenges. We are engineers, if you don’t like something, speak up and face the challenge head on and offer solutions…do not run.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Jordan & Skala Engineers (JSE) – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Jordan & Skala Engineers is a leading mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering firm with regional design offices located throughout the United States.
What differentiates JSE from other MEP firms is that we also offer sustainability and energy services along with low voltage design services (communication, security and audio-visual design services.
Founded as a corporation in 1953, the firm has built a national client base by utilizing its considerable technical and personnel resources to deliver innovative designs on time and within budget.
In the professional engineering industry, there is no substitute for experience.
Jordan & Skala Engineers has participated in the design and construction of thousands of buildings throughout the United States, Central America, and the Caribbean. Our firm is committed to providing innovative consulting engineering solutions for any project challenge.
Jordan & Skala has grown to be one of the largest consulting engineering firms in the U.S., ranked by Consulting-Specifying Engineer trade publication as a top “MEP Giant” consistently since 2004.
PHILOSOPHY
Engineering is a process of planning, collaboration, research, implementation, and quality control.
Our multi-discipline teams are assembled specifically to employ this process in the services we offer. We seek to understand and fulfill our clients’ expectations by applying a custom approach to each project that we design.
First off, we listen to our clients and then educate offering options.
We believe that teamwork and frequent communication with the design and ownership team are essential to a successful project. That is why Jordan & Skala Engineers is consistently a successful team member. We listen, we communicate, we adapt, and we support the project goals.
I am most proud of all that I have accomplished in the past 22 years at Jordan & Skala. I have had to wear many hats and continue learning new things about myself and the industry for which I work. Most of all it would be the success of Texas offices (70 people in Dallas; 30 Houston; 12 Austin) and close to doubling our company revenue.
What differentiates me from others is I am Andrew Smith, the man who had to overcome a lot of obstacles as a child in school. Math and English were not my best subjects. One talent I was born with that has stuck with me all these years is my joy for drawing, painting, and making things. It’s these talents that gave me the confidence to make my dreams come to life. Over the past 10 years, I was selected to be in a national television commercial, on technical event panels, webinars, 40 under 40, and more. My career has been the dream come true with Jordan & Skala Engineers!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I know life can change at the blink of an eye. My short-term plans include spending more time with my wife and kids. My kids will be out of the house and in college in the next 5 years so I have some catching up to do.
As for my professional career, I am focused on launching another office for JSE in Denver, Colorado in late 2017.
I am also focused on the companywide sustainability services growth in both near future and long term.
Lastly, I am preparing myself for the day when I become president of Jordan & Skala.
Time flies when you are busy and having fun. I feel confident my past experiences will prepare me for when that day comes.
Contact Info:
- Address: 17855 N. Dallas Parkway
Suite 320 - Website: www.jordanskala.com
- Phone: 4693851616
- Email: asmith@jordanskala.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jordanskala @JordanSkala
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jordanskala @JordanSkala
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
