Eric Stratford | Director of Business Development & Preconstruction Services | R&O Construction
Posted by Communications2 on Jun. 2, 2021 / Member Spotlight / Subscribe 0
How long have you worked at your company?
16 years
How would you describe your role/job?
I lead the business development and marketing efforts for R&O Construction for the Utah offices. I also lead various teams at R&O Construction in preconstruction services mostly in our public sector project pursuits.
What are the rewards of your job?
I think the reward of my job is getting the opportunity to get to know so many different people as I chase projects for R&O. From developers and real estate agents to architects, engineers, and subcontractors there are so many friendships and bonds that are made as we do business together. I didn’t realize until COVID hit all of us back in March of 2020 just how much of an impact the personal relationships and connections had on my life. Sometimes you don’t realize the true value of something until something changes drastically, and I’m certain that I took those personal interactions for granted. I’m definitely looking forward to getting together more often as we move past the challenges of a pandemic.
What are your challenges?
If there is one thing that is certain about that A/E/C industry, it is that there is no shortage of challenges that we face on a regular basis. I think that we as an industry solve challenges very well. With that being said, I think that the biggest challenge that I personally face right now is that—with the market being as robust as it has been in the last several years—it is hard for me to say no to any project pursuit that fits R&O’s strategic goals. There are many projects that we would normally pursue, but because of timing of when the projects come out, we may not have the best team to pursue a particular project. My hope is that I can communicate with our clients when our teams are becoming available so that we can align our manpower to meet their needs. For the most part, we can do that, but on the occasion that our manpower availability isn’t aligned with our client’s time on the market, our business development team bears the burden of telling a client that we can’t pursue their project at that time. I think that is the hardest thing to do at times.
What has been your most meaningful project?
For me personally, the most meaningful project I have been involved in at R&O Construction would have to be the Salomon Center in Ogden. I was somewhat new to R&O Construction and right out of college. I had a formal education from Weber State University, but I really needed a school of “hard knocks” education in the field. In a 2-year span, the Salomon Center provided me that education. The project had a bowling alley, a Gold’s Gym, a sky diving tunnel, an indoor surfing wave (Flowrider), restaurants, basketball and racquetball courts, office space, and an outdoor promenade with a water feature. I cannot think of many projects that R&O Construction has done that had so many different components to it. Working as a project engineer on that project and the lessons I learned there has proven to help me throughout my career at R&O Construction.
How long have you been an SMPS member?
About 12 years
How has SMPS membership helped you?
After having worked in a project engineer position and then in our estimating department as an estimator, I was approached to do business development for R&O in 2009. I had no clue what business development was and no idea on where to start. I have had so many great mentors at R&O along the way. Dale Campbell and Barbara Taylor, 2 of those great mentors, both pointed me in the direction of SMPS early on as a new business developer. I remember attending meetings and learning so much about marketing and business development. SMPS has definitely played a valuable role for me in my career at R&O Construction and I have some lifelong friends because of my participation.
What’s the best career advice you’ve received?
I think the best advice I have received was to simply be a resource to our clients and associates. I feel like the biggest compliment I can receive is when somebody needs something to do with construction and they think of me as the first person to call.
What’s the best career advice you’ve given?
I don’t really know that I have given any great advice.
What has contributed to your success?
Hard work and a lot of sheer dumb luck of being in the right place at the right time.
What’s on your bucket list?
I don’t know that I have anything specific, but it involves playing new golf courses I haven’t yet played and seeing various parts of the world with my wife.
What was your childhood dream?
I think my childhood dream was to simply live the “American Dream.” I can honestly say that I am living that dream. I have a job that I enjoy doing that provides for a family that I love and we enjoy time together doing things that families do in our free time.
Guilty pleasure: what can you not live without?
Golf is my guilty pleasure. Something about being outdoors on a golf course keeps me grounded and resets me when I need a break from the stresses of life.
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