At Hubbard, our team is strengthened by the dedication and leadership of numerous United States military veterans. Brian Huntley, Project Manager with Mid-Florida Materials, is one of them. Brian served our country for twelve years in the US Marine Corps, starting fresh out of high school at 18 years of age.
After serving four and a half years in a combat tank unit, Brian returned to civilian life in southern Ohio. But after working six months for a Caterpillar equipment distributor, he realized his time in the military was not over. So, in 1995 he returned to the Marine Corps, this time enrolling in the engineer program in Fort Leonard Wood, MO.
“My tank unit experience had prepared me for construction,” he explains. “At Fort Leonard Wood, I learned everything from forklifts to front loaders, graders, scrapers, small dozers… A complete education in construction operations.”
Following his training in Missouri, Brian served three years in an engineering unit in Cherry Point, NC. Then in 1998, he was called upon to serve abroad for one year in Okinawa, Japan—an order which Brian refused. At least partially.
“I told my Gunnery Sargent I wasn’t going for just one year,” he says. “I wanted more time, and my family was going with me. My Sargent was happy, because it meant he wouldn’t have to fill the spot for the four years I was there.”
For Brian and his family, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience living in a foreign country. For four years while he oversaw a unit of 250 Marine personnel, Brian, his wife, and their two young children explored Okinawa and the surrounding region on weekend camping trips, scuba diving excursions, and daily outings. And while he remains grateful for the experience, after four years, he and his family were ready to return stateside. By then, Brian felt the time was also right for him to transition to civilian life.
“Integrity and loyalty are huge. Comradery is a major player in the military and out here. You have to trust the person working next to you, especially from a safety perspective. When you deploy, you depend on your team to get home safe. Same thing when we go out on a job.”
“It was time for dad to be home more than he was away,” he explains. “My wife had followed me around the Marine Corps for twelve years, never questioned or complained about moving. So, when it was time to relocate, I asked her where she wanted to go, and she said Florida.”
Within months of returning stateside, Brian joined Hubbard’s Mid-Florida Materials division, where he serves as Project Manager over their rapidly growing team. “In 2003 when I started, we were a group of six people,” he recalls. “Now we’re 80 strong.”
Brian credits his career in the Marines with preparing him for the construction industry, from both an operational standpoint and more generally as a leader. “The thing about the military,” he says, “you’re trained on every piece of equipment there is, and you have to be certified to operate a piece of equipment, similar to the NCCER program we have here at Hubbard.”
Additionally, he says, Marine Corps values translate well to the construction industry. “Integrity and loyalty are huge. Comradery is a major player in the military and out here. You have to trust the person working next to you, especially from a safety perspective. When you deploy, you depend on your team to get home safe. Same thing when we go out on a job. And patience. Patience might be biggest of all.”
Hubbard is grateful to Brian and the many other veterans who contribute to our team’s success. On Veterans Day, and throughout the entire year, we thank them for their service and sacrifice.