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Senior Estimator Jon Ritchey has been at Hubbard less than two years and has already been promoted. His job is to win bids, and in today's competitive environment it is safe to assume that his job is quite a challenge. But when you ask Jon about this, he turns the focus away from himself. He instead stresses how winning a bid is not the work of estimating alone, it is a joint effort involving the managers in the field.
How and when did you begin your career with Hubbard?
Ritchey: Before I started with Hubbard, I worked for another construction firm in Ohio. The Ohio market seemed to be slowing down so I sent my resume to Hubbard Construction. I was hired as Estimator and moved to Orlando in March of 2007. I was promoted to Senior Estimator earlier this year.
Who have your mentors in the industry been and why?
I have learned a lot from the Hubbard estimating team, especially Paul Bonser who has been a great help to me. I guess you can say I have had a lot of influences over the years and they have taught me the importance of professional loyalty, accountability and discipline.
Tell us about your professional experience and your education.
I graduated from Bowling Green State University in Ohio with a degree in Construction Management. I worked my way up from a Project Engineer to Project Manager in Ohio and I am now Senior Estimator at Hubbard Construction.
What are some of the challenges you face as an estimator?
It is getting more and more competitive out there. What I have learned is that we have to tirelessly look at new and innovative ways to bid a project so we can keep that competitive edge without compromising quality or integrity. And that is exactly what we are doing.
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Where and when did you get your start at Hubbard?
Stanton: I began my career in 1975 with Ashland Warren, which was one of ACA’s names before being acquired by Hubbard. HCC bought the company in 1989 and renamed it Atlantic Coast Asphalt Inc., a division of Hubbard Construction.
What type of jobs have you worked in and what positions have you held through your years working for Hubbard?
Initially, I was hired as a survey crewman, but after about six months I was given the opportunity to manage my own survey crew. About a year later I made the move into estimating, where I worked until I left the company in 1989.
I returned to ACA in 1992 as a Sales Manager/Estimator and was eventually asked to work as a Superintendent. My first job in the field as a super was on the I-10 job, where I learned a lot about managing projects, adhering to schedules and coming in on budget. In 2000, I was promoted to Construction Manager to oversee all field operations.
What prompted your decisions in seeking the various positions you have held?
A year after high school I registered in the Florence Darlington Tech’s Civil Engineering program. The school had an agreement with the South Carolina DOT; anyone enrolled in civil engineering program was offered a summer job with them. I took advantage of the opportunity and I really enjoyed the survey aspect of engineering. That’s what first brought me to into the field.
Later, I took an interest in the estimating side, so I left the field to pursue that avenue. While in Estimating I learned about the overall bidding process and took part in many DOT lettings. At that time we had to physically travel to Tallahassee for lettings. This often meant long hours of putting the bid together in addition to the trek to Tallahassee to turn it in. Having worked in the office during this timeframe is what eventually inspired me to join the operations aspect of asphalt.
Over the years the business and the company has changed a lot. Where once I pretty much managed the field activities, now I have a great support staff of Project Managers and Superintendents. Also, although he joined us recently at ACA, Phil Addison, ACA’s Division Manager, has been great addition to the overall team.
