I’m extremely proud to say that I’ve worked for Zachry for nearly 19 years. I started out my career with Proto-Power Corporation, a former subsidiary of Zachry, in a client manager role that required an extensive amount of travel. This eventually took a significant toll on me and, most importantly, my family. It became very evident to me that I needed to reset my work-life balance.

After several years at a different company, I was invited to work with Zachry once again. I very much welcomed the opportunity because, despite great effort, I had still not achieved the work-life balance I was seeking.

It was with great passion and pride that I accepted the chance to return and, during that process, I experienced my most memorable moment while working with Zachry.

Upon returning, I was asked to meet with a significant individual within the company at the time. Chief Nuclear Officer Ed Bardgett, who’d taken a personal interest in me, was pleased with my job performance, but was aware of the challenges that I’d faced in the attempt to find a proper balance between the job and my family.

He explained that the company valued me and appreciated my dedication to my job, but he also respected that my priorities rightfully lay with my family. He offered job-role solutions that positively impacted my quest to achieve work-life balance. This meeting solidified my belief that I’d made the best decision and that I was working with a company that really cares about its employees.

Today, I serve as a manager of instrumentation and controls (I&C) with Zachry Nuclear Engineering (ZNE), as well as an account manager involving ZNE’s work with General Electric and Hitachi. I continually seek opportunities that will prove challenging and productive for my team and for the business.

I’m also passionate about giving back to the community and I make every effort to be involved with Zachry-driven volunteer opportunities. I thoroughly enjoy my time participating with a United Way mobile food pantry in southeastern Connecticut because I really like engaging with the recipients and learning their stories. I’m always uplifted by their positive dispositions, despite the often less-than-favorable circumstances they face. Seeing how grateful they are to receive the meals makes me really happy to be a part of something like this.

It gives me great satisfaction to work for a company whose values I strongly identify with. I’m proud to work for a company that has proven to me that its employees matter, and that working for Zachry is more than just a job. It’s what drives me to excel and that is why I am Zachry.

I’m a craft superintendent at the Chevron Phillips Chemical maintenance job site in Old Ocean, Texas, where I’ve been for 15 years.

I manage the maintenance and project side, so I supervise up to 70 employees on crane, rigging, ironworking and civil work. We take care of daily maintenance, project needs and turnarounds.

The best part of my job is the reward of seeing other people learn. When I started my first job at age 18, folks took me under their wings and helped me learn, so I like to do the same thing for others.

I’ve always been interested in teaching others. When employees want to learn, I like to help them get their certifications in rigging, cranes, structural, civil and welding. It’s just something I like to do. The way the industry is going, you have to teach anyone who is willing to learn because, sooner or later, they’ll be in your position.

I have meetings every morning with the whole crew as a team. I try to stay aware of all the individual team members by watching their progress and checking to see if they need to learn something. Your team makes you successful as a supervisor. Without them, you have knowledge, but no way to do the work. I feel that as long as we work together as a team, do the best we can and work safely, we’re succeeding at our jobs.

Outside of work, I’m an emergency medical technician (EMT) and I’ve been a fireman with the Bay City Fire Department for 11 years. We do rescue, interior firefighting, and mutual aid for the other plants around Matagorda County. We’re on call 24-7 and I go in whenever I’m are available to help them. We do training in the classroom and also in the field at Texas A&M University.

I became an EMT and fireman because I’m always up for challenges. The work keeps me on my toes. I love learning new skills and I love being able to extend a hand when someone’s in need.

Being in fire and rescue has actually helped me with my job at Zachry. In fire and rescue, you learn how to manage people in a stressful situation. This experience has taught me how to manage multiple people at one time, and to be able to work well with everyone when things get tough, like during a turnaround.

At Zachry, it’s rewarding to reach our goals, not just goals the customers set, but ones that we set. I like showing the client what Zachry can do. And that is why I AM ZACHRY.

I’m a field employment manager at the Mill Creek job site, which is a coal-burning power plant in Louisville, Ky., where Zachry is installing air quality control system equipment.

I’ve been in Kentucky for three years. This is the largest project I’ve ever been assigned to, and the longest. After about six months, I was promoted from senior recruiter to field employment manager. This position presented me with the opportunity to train and develop others in positions I was very familiar with, a responsibility I truly enjoy.

I started working for Zachry close to my hometown in Florida nine years ago as an employment representative. Zachry was my first “real” job. My duties included assisting applicants, hosting new hire orientations and completing various pre-employment requirements. My supervisor, Oscar Martinez, explained my position as “the face of Zachry,” a description that has never left my mind. I had to make sure I was professional and dedicated to my position, as I would provide the first impression many people would have of our project and company. I have carried that vision with me from job to job, representing both myself and Zachry as well as I possibly could.

My parents raised me to have a strong work ethic, also reminding me that first impressions last a lifetime. I’m thankful to have a supportive family and a significant other who push me to my full potential and encourage me to take advantage of ALL opportunities—even moving far away from home. The support I receive from my family and coworkers has allowed me to quickly adapt and overcome the challenges put in front of me.

Mill Creek is my fifth project with Zachry and my first in a management position. I’m always eager to take my career to the next level. I felt as if I had already mastered the fundamentals of recruiting and the employment process, so it was time to share that same knowledge and experience with my direct reports. Being a manager is a rewarding position filled with lessons learned. My duties include managing day-to-day office operations, planning, tracking/reporting our progress and ensuring my team prioritizes hiring needs so that the project can be successfully staffed.

I’ve invested a lot in Zachry and they’ve done the same in return. I feel they take a personal interest in my career and in my personal development. I’ve learned so much—from craft workers to corporate managers, everyone has taught me something. Although there may be future opportunities for me within the organization, I don’t see myself anywhere but Employee Relations.

I value the positive relationships and trust I build with the craft workers and my co-workers. They say if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life and that is why I AM ZACHRY.

To read more I AM ZACHRY articles, you can find other editions of the Force Report here.

I started working for Zachry at Phillips Petroleum Company (now Chevron Phillips Chemical) in Borger, Texas, in 1990. I worked as a surveyor for about six years before moving into quality control (QC), where I am now quality control supervisor. I also still do surveying when it’s required, and I am the site’s lead abatement coordinator and Smart Focus champion.

Although I’m the only one in QC, it’s great to know if I’m in a bind, I can ask for help and someone will jump in. Our numbers fluctuate, but we maintain a core group of about 70 close-knit Zachry employees who laugh together, cry together and work together.

Apart from performing my duties, I enjoy helping others grow. I had good mentors and so I try to do the best I can for others. Sometimes, just making it known that you’re available to answer questions can mean a lot to others who are new or cross-training in fields in which you have knowledge.

One of the things I like best about working for Zachry is that it’s family-owned, and I’m proud and honored to work for a company that takes care of all its employees the way they take care of me and my family. A lot of companies talk a good game, but Zachry doesn’t just talk about putting its employees first. It walks the walk.

I love my job and I try daily to treat people with the respect and dignity that I want to be treated with, and that is why I AM ZACHRY.

Watch for the July/August 2015 edition of the Force Report on the Zachry Group website to read the full article, and more!

I’m a third generation engineer, so you can pretty much say it runs in my blood. I knew early on that I wanted to take my love of physics to a level beyond academia, so I became a mechanical engineer. It was while interning with the organization that later became Zachry Nuclear Engineering that I found an interest in analysis and the analysis group, which has led to a challenging, but fulfilling, career.

Working with Zachry for nearly six years has given me the opportunity to learn and grow in many ways. What I love most about my work is the variety in my projects. I’m continually being challenged and that keeps it interesting.

One recent project that was particularly memorable for several reasons was the Millstone Unit 3 ultimate heat sink evaluation. This was my first on-site assignment. I was tasked with updating all of the reactor plant component cooling water system design calculations to accommodate higher water temperatures in the Long Island Sound. This was significant since the Long Island Sound is ultimately what is used to keep the reactor cool.

That assignment, in particular, really broadened my horizons. I gained a greater understanding of important nuclear plant documents and I interacted with several key individuals in Millstone’s design department. Overall, I gained a better appreciation of what it means to be on-site from the client’s perspective.

But, the main reason this assignment stands out is because, mid-project, I suffered the loss of my sister. She succumbed to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after leaving the army and having literally survived several tours of duty in Afghanistan. She was only 30 years old and left behind a husband and two young daughters. Her passing was devastating, but the long and demanding work hours really helped me through that difficult time in my personal life.

Another reason I love working for Zachry is the company’s focus on giving back to the community. I’ve always participated in company-sponsored volunteer activities and supported United Way efforts, but I’m passionate about another cause very close to my heart, which is mental health. Losing my sister inspired me to do what I can to raise money and awareness of the disorder that took her life. A newfound interest in running led me to participate in the Thad & Alice Eure 10K Run for Hope, which benefits the research and treatment of mental illness. I’ve successfully raised money for the last two years and plan to continue participating annually.

I believe that by constantly striving to improve professionally, while maintaining a high level of integrity, I can help support our company’s success. What’s also key to our success is providing the best service possible to our clients and to serve our communities. I try to embody those values on a daily basis, and that is why I AM ZACHRY.

After working 25 years in power plant operations, maintenance and management, I heeded the advice of respected friends and mentors and began my journey with Zachry in 2000. I was in search of an employer with high values and ethics, who believed in commitment and hard work and treated their employees like family.

And, I found what I was looking for.

Serving as a startup coordinator within the Startup Group of Project Services in Zachry Engineering’s Amarillo office, I have had the honor of working on over 40 power plant projects across the United States. My work begins early in the planning process, developing systems, or ‘packages,’ that our Construction Group must have in place for startup. The packages are important to timely completion of projects.

I take my role seriously, knowing its impact and the importance of completing a job on schedule. At Zachry, we do what is right. The company reinforces this belief because the Zachry family name is on the company. The fact that Zachry has never failed to complete a project, even when unprofitable, says a lot about the company’s character and integrity, and reinforces my pride in them as my employer.

My passion to plan and build — and do the right thing — extends outside of Zachry to my own shop where I build and restore vintage racecars. After attending my first U.S. Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, New York, in 1967, I have been hooked. I attended the Skip Barber Racing School in 1992 and began racing in 1993.

I believe my passion for vintage car restoration and racing and my passion for working at Zachry mirror each other. It is the satisfaction of doing a job well because you believe in it. I believe in Zachry, and remain glad to be a part of the Zachry family.

This blog is an excerpt from the May/June 2015 edition of the Force Report.

I work in the safety department at the Phillips 66 Sweeny Complex located 60 miles south of Houston. I’ve been here nine years now.

I’m in charge of the health and safety of employees under the company’s maintenance contract. Plants are only as safe as their employees, so I keep them focused on the task at hand. For example, when a pipe breaks, you have to go in there, open up the line and add to the existing pipe. It can be dangerous work. That’s why we have safety procedures.

I’ve been working for Zachry for 29 years. I started in November 1985, just a few years out of high school.  I love working for Zachry. They’ve taken care of me and my family. My dad died a couple of years ago. He had a pancreatic blockage after surviving stomach cancer years earlier. When he was sick, I was basically in and out of the hospital with him for two months. Whenever I needed time off to visit my dad, Zachry stuck with me.

I look at the employees as my brothers and sisters.  We’re very close-knit. I treat my co-workers like family, and I don’t want any one of them to get hurt. And that is why I AM ZACHRY.

“I’ve known and worked with Perry about 15 years.  He is a model for others because he will always go the extra mile for our employees. He always shows that he cares about each individual employee and how they are treated. Perry goes above the call by consistently setting an example.  He represents all of the company’s core values, but I believe the most important is safety because his greatest concern is for the safety of the employees on a site. He knows them all, and most of their families, so he has a bond with them that makes him go the extra mile to help or protect them.”

— James Lowry, Corporate Safety Support Manger, Construction Group

This blog is an excerpt from the March/April 2015 edition of the Force Report. You can read the entire article here.

I am the new business manager at the INEOS Chocolate Bayou petrochemical plant in Alvin,Texas, after spending most of the past two years at the ExxonMobil refinery in Baton Rouge, La.

This past January, my husband and I transferred from Louisiana to work at new Zachry job sites. I’m excited to be back in Texas. Although I’m originally from Louisiana, we lived in Texas for 12 years previously. Texas is where we raised our children and is now home for us all.

I started working at the Baton Rouge site in July 2013, a month after the Industrial Services Group (ISG) took over the contract. I was an administrative coordinator, doing mostly accounting-related work. I handled most administrative functions, including payroll, accounts payable and interacting with employees directly.

I really enjoyed taking on new challenges, learning new skills and mastering them. I also got to interact with the employees firsthand. I loved meeting them and getting to know new people.

The majority of Zachry jobs I held before the one in Baton Rouge were already established and pretty much well-oiled machines. ExxonMobil was the first Zachry job for me where the employees were rolling over from one contractor to another.

Some employees who worked for the previous contractor were hesitant about the change and had trouble getting onboard with Zachry’s culture. I felt like I became a cheerleader for Zachry. It was a challenge to bring the transitioning employees and new hires into the Zachry culture, all while learning the ExxonMobil way of doing things.

I wanted to do something to help morale, so I began putting messages on the dry erase board in our office for employees to see – things like smiley faces and “Happy Monday.” Then, an artistic co-worker, Elizabeth George, began decorating the messages. Next, we started putting “quotes of the day” on the board and everyone would stop by just to see what we had written that day.

Our site manager, Matthew Glad, really liked them and said we should start e-mailing the quotes to employees. I would find quotes that would fit each day, whether they wereinspirational or about change. One of my favorite quotes was about change: “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The realist adjusts the sail.”

We had to adjust the sail many times at that site, so that one was very appropriate. It was a crazy roller coaster ride at times, but I definitely saw improvement. When we started, there were roughly 100 people. That number went up and down for a bit, but now there are about 230 employees onboard with Zachry.

I started working for Zachry almost nine years ago on a six-week turnaround. After the turnaround, they decided to keep me. I’ve been working for Zachry ever since.

I love the Zachry culture. I love the focus on safety. I love that it’s a family-owned, privately owned business. You feel like you’re working with family and friends when you work for this company. I’ve never felt like I was working for a corporation where I’m just a name or number. And that is why I AM ZACHRY.

I’ve been at Zachry for seven years. I am the administrative specialist for the Chicago office of Zachry Nuclear Engineering (ZNE), and my job entails whatever is asked of me!

I have a variety of responsibilities. No day is ever the same. I process deliverables, proofread, purchase supplies, schedule meetings and assist visitors. I help with expense reports, project closeouts, business development presentations and interview scheduling. I handle all meeting planning arrangements when we have visitors in our office for special events and employee functions outside the office.

I enjoy my job and I appreciate Zachry’s emphasis on volunteering through the Zachry Care Teams. I’ve always had my hands in volunteering and I really enjoy it, so I organize most of our office’s community service projects.

I’ve always been a team player, so being on the Zachry team comes naturally to me. Depending on the job, sometimes I get to be the coach, like when I lead the community service projects, and other times I get to be a player. But we’re still part of the same team and we all get to play. And that is why I AM ZACHRY.

This blog is an excerpt from the January/February 2015 edition of the Force Report.

For the past 19 years, I’ve worked in the Omaha engineering office that was once owned by Utility Engineering before Zachry acquired that company. I began my career with the Nebraska Public Power District in its fossil and nuclear engineering groups after graduating in 1982 from South Dakota State University where I majored in electrical engineering.

At Zachry, I’m proud to have helped build a strong electrical engineering department in Omaha that not only has veterans like me, but young engineers just out of college. I think it’s very important to have long-term employees who understand the values and objectives of the company, and I enjoy my role as mentor to new engineers so eager to learn.

For the past year, I’ve been splitting my time between my home base in Omaha and Houston where I’m senior project manager on the Freeport LNG (FLNG) project, assisting the Zachry/CB&I team there.  The massive scale of the FLNG project is just mind-boggling. It’s a multi-billion dollar plant that, while not the first of its kind, is one of the first with the technologies being used. Traditionally, these liquefied natural gas (LNG) refrigeration compressors are driven entirely by a gas turbine. But to comply with air emissions standards, this one is being powered by electric motor-driven compressors. It’s a real trendsetter in that respect, with a lot of complexities.

When I heard I was nominated for this recognition, it definitely caught me by surprise. I don’t view myself as any more hardworking or deserving of recognition than a lot of other people in the company. I feel honored, but don’t need mass recognition to feel good. Just the work itself is a reward. I like sharing the knowledge I’ve acquired. I had mentors do that very thing when I was starting out, and I know how important that is not only to individuals, but to Zachry as a whole. I always want to live up to the company’s high standards and that is why I AM ZACHRY.

This blog is an excerpt from the January/February 2015 edition of the Force Report.