April’s winner for demonstration of our Team and Ownership values is project manager Nick Bauer! Nick is a member of our Construction Materials Testing (CMT) team in the Mechanicsburg office. He spends his days working on proposals, maintaining schedules, reviewing reports and compressive strength testing data, and performing inspections for soils, concrete, masonry, and reinforcing steel—as well as any of the associated lab work for them. When Marketing connected with the CMT team about an opportunity to participate in a podcast, Nick gladly volunteered; the enthusiasm he had for his role and his immense knowledge were evident in the conversation. Even after a tech issue required the podcast to be recorded again, Nick was unflappable and brought the same level of enthusiasm.
One project Nick is currently working on is the Blueknight asphalt emulsion plant in Reading where they are installing new above-ground tanks and improving railroad access; this is one of the first projects where Isett is using Bluetooth concrete maturity sensors to track the strength of concrete on site. Another project in Reading is a new firehouse: the team has been on site testing since day one. One more project to note is the PA State Archives building in Harrisburg. Nick and the rest of the team have been performing QA testing for the architect as the building includes a lot of architectural exposed, self-consolidating concrete which was tested at the concrete plant and on site. Nick’s favorite part of his job is going to different locations every day and being able to watch a site go from nothing to a new building or structure. There’s always that moment when you pull up on site and everything is finally taking shape and you’re able to see what was on paper now in real life. Nick enjoys the teamwork and camaraderie within the CMT Department—as well as company-wide. Being a part of the CMT group gives Nick a chance to work with a lot of different departments in various capacities. Everyone has always stepped up to help with complicated projects or to make schedules work when they get too busy. He’s also liked being able to give presentations and educate people who stop by the lab, showing them the importance of what the team does on construction sites and what sets Isett apart from everyone else.
Aside from his work, Nick enjoys the recent change in weather and is looking forward to some hiking, camping, and fishing this spring and summer.