As a former soldier in the Army, Ryan Mendoza knows well how to handle the pressures of his job at IHC Scott.
“I was on active duty for the first four years of my career,” Ryan said. “Then I joined the reserves for 18 years. I’ve been here at IHC Scott now for just under a year. I was trying to find somewhere closer to my house, and IHC Scott had started work on the Highway 13 project just north of Rifle. Being here has brought me closer to my family and home.”
Currently working as a foreman, Ryan is involved in just about every aspect of the projects he and his crew work on.
“My position is to supervise an earthwork crew,” Ryan said. “It’s always changing. There’s really no way to just get comfortable with your job and let it go on cruise control. There’s always something to react to and overcome, which I like. Conditions are always changing, so it’s always a challenge to try and come up with the most efficient way to do the job.”
While in the military, Ryan worked as a heavy equipment operator. He assumed that working in construction would be a natural progression once he entered the workforce. However, he rapidly learned how wrong he was.
“After I left active duty and went out into the civilian sector, I quickly realized that operating military and civilian equipment were two completely different things,” Ryan said. “What you do in the military familiarizes you with the equipment. But then you get into production on the civilian side of things, and it’s just a different ball game.”
Ryan adapted well to his new line of work, but the changes keep coming as he’s learned new technologies used by IHC Scott on its construction projects.
“With all of the new technology we have these days, you almost have to learn to be a new breed of a supervisor,” Ryan said. “Information is at our fingertips. But you also have the old timers who have an entirely different way of thinking and different experiences. It’s good to have a mix of the two to help broaden knowledge and skillsets all around.”
The people are what Ryan values the most about his job. He enjoys mentoring and developing his crew, creating incredible value for IHC Scott. His coworkers have, in turn, helped him develop and progress in his position.
“I think there’s always room for growth learning more about your role,” Ryan said. “I really enjoy working around my coworkers. Some have been in the industry for a long time. I’d love to try to gain as much knowledge from them as possible before they retire. It helps me be better at my job.”
One of IHC Scott’s values is “We Continuously Improve,” and Ryan has made that his personal mission throughout his career.
“Training has always been big for me no matter what my position has been,” Ryan said. “I’ve spent a lot of time with my supervisor being trained on my tasks. It’s important for me to know what’s expected of me. If I’m not comfortable or clear on what needs to be done, I get some pretty good feedback from my supervisor. He’ll help put me in the direction that I need to go. That’s something that keeps me engaged and motivated to be the best employee that I can be for IHC Scott.”
