Chris Giusto

It’s funny how things work out sometimes.  I joined Hallam-ICS in November of 2016, but my Hallam story actually started back in May of 2014, before I even realized what was going on.

I was running the Mechanical and Process Engineering Department of a firm in Raleigh when I received a message from a headhunter via LinkedIn.  She wanted to see if my current firm had a need for an electrical controls engineer.  I replied that what we really needed was an electrical PE with power distribution experience to run our Electrical Department, and she sent me Dan Laird’s resume.

His experience was exactly what we were looking for, and I, along with another department head, lobbied upper management to bring Dan in for an interview and later to make him an offer.  Other candidates were considered, but due in part to our persistence, Dan was eventually hired.

Dan and I quickly became good friends.  His office was right next to mine, and we had a lot of personal history in common.  One day Dan told me he was leaving to join Hallam-ICS.  We kept in touch, getting together for lunch about once a month or so, and the more I learned about Hallam-ICS the more it sounded like a really special place to work.  Dan thought I would really like it there, but I did not see where my skill set would fit in.  The mechanical group in Raleigh primarily did institutional and commercial plumbing and HVAC design.  My background was in industrial facilities, specifically with machinery.  I told Dan that if Hallam-ICS ever decided they wanted build a group to service the industrial market, I’d love to help them do it.

Eventually, that day came.  In July of 2016 Dan called to see if I’d like to have lunch with him and Scott King to discuss what Hallam-ICS and I might be able to offer each other.  I explained to Scott about my past experience and some of my ideas for growing a business serving industrial clients.  Scott told me about the company, how they give you the freedom to chart your own course and take your career as far as you are capable.  He asked me why I would consider leaving my current job, and I told him because I didn’t feel like I could live up to my full potential.  He said they hear that a lot from folks that they end up hiring.

Over the next four months we had some more discussions, I developed a 5-year plan for my service line, and spoke with Bill Neuberger and Keith Flaherty.  Everyone was consistent in their message of how Hallam-ICS treats their employees and gives them the freedom to succeed.  I’m very happy with my decision to join Hallam-ICS, and very excited about the opportunities in front of me.

I could have easily ignored that message from the headhunter, and not cared so much about who was hired to run the Electrical Department.  But I’m sure glad I didn’t…