At Raymond, we have outstanding employees, so we decided to feature some of them on our blog. Our next Employee Spotlight features Darrell Jones, Chief Estimator in our Northern California office. Darrell began with Raymond in the field as an apprentice, transitioned to the office as a project engineer, and worked his way to his current position as Chief Estimator.
We sat down with Darrell to learn more about him.
What brought you into the construction industry? I’ve been in the construction industry since I was 17 years old, starting off with wood framing and siding. The “El Nino” storms came in early 1995 so I followed my mentors into the modular furniture industry. Five years later I took a risk and joined one of them who started his own company. The company closed and my former company was in a hiring freeze so, in an act of desperation, I called a friend who worked as a project manager for Raymond. He was able to get me on as an apprentice.
What do you like most about working in construction? Seeing a project develop from 2-dimensional drawings to a functioning building. I take pride in driving past projects I’ve been involved with and pointing them out to others in the car (who couldn’t care less) and proclaim, “I built that!”
What have been the most significant changes that you have seen in the industry? Technology and safety. Technology: It doesn’t seem that long ago that we had rolls of plans in our offices, and we worked off one monitor. I haven’t had a roll of plans in my office in years and almost everything is done electronically. Safety: When I started out, I wore a hard hat. Safety glasses were used only when using the chop saw. Gloves and safety vests were not required. The safety culture has vastly improved over the years.
What has been your favorite project with Raymond and why? 500 Capitol Mall. The actual building wasn’t anything special per se (27-story core & shell), but the project was successful, and the General Contractor was easy to work with.
As Chief Estimator, what is the most challenging part of your job? Keeping a steady of flow projects with acceptable margins. This becomes a factor when the economy is down.
What’s the best thing about your job? The satisfaction of seeing a look of pride in team members’ faces as a project is awarded, and later on, is completed successfully. It’s like golf: it’s a tough sport, but those good shots keep you coming back for more.
How would you describe your career progression at Raymond? I started as a green apprentice who didn’t know how to read plans. I was pulled into the office as a project engineer with limited computer skills and progressed from there. I feel that my humble beginnings in this field have molded me to take a humble approach in my current role as Chief Estimator.
What is the best advice anyone ever gave you? This sounds like a joke, but it isn’t. I was going through some really trying times in my personal life several years ago and a coworker, who went through similar experiences, sympathetically said to me, “It’ll get better, [explicit😉]!”. To this day, whenever I feel stress or anxiety, I say those words to myself to calm down.
What advice do you have for prospective Raymond candidates? Don’t get fooled by the bright lights and seemingly greener grass on the other side with other companies. Raymond is a fantastic place to work. This is my third time at Raymond, and I plan on retiring here.
Three words to describe Raymond: Safety. Team. Family.
What do you like doing when you’re not at work? I love skydiving. I haven’t jumped since last summer, but I need to get back to jumping a few weekends a month. I’m also an awesomely terrible golfer.
What inspires you? Seeing excellence in any line of work or hobby. In my spare time, I will find myself at times in a YouTube rabbit hole looking at random things that people do better than others, and fool myself into thinking I can do the same thing.
What is the best place you have traveled to and why? Chill vibes are my favorite. For that reason, I absolutely love Maui. The Dominican Republic is right up there too.
What country do you want to visit but haven’t? Brazil. The music, food, weather all intrigues me.
What meal could you eat every day? Carne asada burrito.
What’s your idea of a perfect day? Any day where I can wake up to the sound of waves crashing the shore, and wear flip flops, shorts and a tank top all day, listening to chill music and sipping cocktails with loved ones. I don’t live in this type of area, but it sounds good to me!
How do you balance your career and your family? I am single with no kids, so this is probably easier for me than others. I can focus on whatever I want, whenever I want. That being said, I love what I do but I’m not a workaholic. I do what is needed to get my work done, but I will pull away for self-care.
What is something people are often surprised to learn about you? That I’m a licensed skydiver. I always get weird looks when that is disclosed.
