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At Larson Design Group, we believe that our employees are our greatest asset. In this feature, we profile some of the staff members who contribute to our success.
Brad Sick is a Design Engineer in our Corning Water/Wastewater department. His experience in W/WW engineering has benefited some of our most successful projects, including the recent Town of Nichols treatment plant upgrades. He’s been with the company since 2015.
What was your first job?
I worked for the ARM Group in Hershey, PA, working on environmental, geotechnical, and construction quality assurance projects. The job was a good balance between field work and office work. I worked there for two years before going to grad school.
What did you learn from it that still influences the way you work today?
The quality assurance work helped me become familiar with the construction process and testing procedures. The geotechnical and environmental work put me in the field a lot, which gave me a better appreciation for how things play out on paper vs. how they play out in the field.
What’s been the proudest moment of your career so far?
I’m proud of the Nichols WWTP project we completed in 2016. The project had a tight timeline—less than a year from authorization of design to substantial construction completion—and was unconventional in that the new treatment plant would receive a waste stream consisting mostly of pre-treated industrial wastewater. Thanks to a team that worked together well, including the owner, contractor, suppliers, and regulators, the project was completed on schedule and under budget.
What trait do you admire in people and why?
I admire sincerity; I think it breeds individuality and creativity. I’d rather spend the day with someone who has very different views and beliefs than I do, but is sincere about who they are and what they believe, than I would someone who insincerely agrees with my views and beliefs.
What advice would you give to people who hope to follow a career path similar to yours?
I would recommend taking a break from full-time work to go back to graduate school, and not necessarily going right after undergrad. Going back to get a master’s degree was a very positive experience for me. Having a couple years of entry level consulting under my belt sparked curiosity and an appreciation for why I was learning things. Being a full-time student gave me the flexibility to explore some of those curiosities (and to sneak away in the middle of the day to go climbing).
What do you enjoy about working at LDG?
I like the culture, particularly here in the Twin Tiers region. There’s a good balance between producing high-quality project results and taking enough time to step back and understand what our clients need and why they need it. And we get along well and learn a lot from each other along the way.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I enjoy rock climbing. Though I don’t get out much now that we have two little boys under three, climbing has been an important part of my past, and will hopefully continue to be an important part of my future. I got into climbing a bit in high school (I grew up in Wellsboro, PA), then really got into it in college, spending most breaks on climbing trips. The temporary move out to Colorado for graduate school also provided a lot of great climbing opportunities.