We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it.” While he agrees with that statement for the most part, Rory Hall would change one word to make it match his vision of the excavating business and the trades overall, “It’s a dirty job, but someone GETS to do it.”
That one-word change says it all when it comes to Rory and Grade Tech. He admits that the work he and his crews do every day can be dirty, hot/cold (depending on the season), and tough, but Rory says that his crews will all attest to the same thing—they love the work, the feeling of accomplishment they get from doing it, and the camaraderie with their coworkers. These guys are at home outside in the field, working to build and maintain the power infrastructure across the western United States (UT, WY, MT, NV, ID, WA, OR, CA, NM) and that’s exactly where they want to be. No desk job would satisfy any one of them.
In a recent conversation, Rory spoke about the Grade Tech team, the value of building a career “in the dirt,” and the importance of bringing new talent into the trades. Here’s what he had to say:
Q: What makes your team special?
A: We attract the best in the business, and I think that has a lot to do with the culture we’ve built here at Grade Tech. We treat each and every one of our team members with the respect they deserve. No one is better than anyone else. No matter what level they’re at in the company, no one’s hands are too good for a shovel. We encourage a team atmosphere and build teams that work well together. I believe that’s what attracts the best.
Q: Why is it important for you/your company to invest in educating people about the value of a career in the “dirt world”?
A: This is what I know, what I have grown up doing my entire life. I don’t really know anything else. And I love it! There’s nothing more fulfilling than bringing people into the business and passing my passion along to them. You know, there is this negative connotation about the trades or “blue collar” work, but I can tell you that there is great satisfaction and great potential to earn a good living here. This type of work is so underrated in today’s society, but it can bring success and a high-quality life to people who don’t want to go to college and work in an office every day. There’s freedom working outdoors and I love to bring in new people who want to feel that freedom.
Q: What is your company doing to make the industry a better place?
A: There’s no doubt that the industry needs to build the workforce. We have many guys that are nearing retirement age, and we need to bring in the next generation. At Grade Tech, we’re trying to build the workforce by hiring people who have no experience and
training them for the job. We use our social media to find the right, like-minded people that will fit in with our culture and our teams and then educate them about the opportunities in the trades and teach them the skills they need to succeed. It’s not about finding the guy with the most experience—it’s about finding the person with the potential and then building the skill set. We’re working to bridge the gap betw
een “old school” and “new school” to solve a big problem and bring the younger generation into the trades. If they come here and learn and then move on to succeed somewhere else in the trades, that’s ok. We have done our part.
Wanna get down and dirty with Grade Tech? Visit our careers page to see the opportunities that await you.
