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year was due to this young man being so receptive to the opportunities the CASA program could offer him. I was simply the messenger. TZL: How far into the future are you able to reliably predict your workload and cashflow? KR: I think we do a good job of predicting our workload reliably for one year and reasonably accurately for two years. We enjoy working on projects where the design period can last nine to 12 months. Cashflow is harder to predict because we don’t get to see our client’s crystal ball. But we are still pretty accurate six to 12 months out. “BHB’s best defense against economic slowdowns is our client diversity. We offer engineering services for a wide range of client types including retail, office buildings, municipal, industrial, healthcare, education, and developer.” TZL: How much time do you spend working “in the business” rather than “on the business?” KR: I still enjoy about one-half of my time each week working on engineering and in quality control of our projects’ design. The other half of my time is spent on administrative tasks, but I must admit the larger we grow the more attention these tasks need. TZL: What was your greatest challenge going from electrical lead to COO? KR: Serving as COO has required learning a different skill set from those I use as an engineering lead. The most difficult of these, and one I am constantly trying to improve, is personal relations. Keeping 100 folks happy is much harder than the 20 in our electrical department. TZL: What role does your family play in your career? Are work and family separate, or is there overlap? KR: My wife and kids have been very supportive of my career. I started as a draftsman in an engineering firm and went back to college to get my electrical engineering degree while continuing to
work full-time. It took several years to complete the degree plan and pass the licensure exams, but it ultimately worked out very well for all of us. I am very proud that our son is studying to be a civil engineer and has worked as an intern for several engineering firms including BHB. TZL: What, if anything, are you doing to protect your firm from a potential economic slowdown in the future? KR: BHB’s best defense against economic slowdowns is our client diversity. We offer engineering services for a wide range of client types including retail, office buildings, municipal, industrial, healthcare, education, and developer. TZL: BHB Goes Beyond – tell me a little about that. Does the company choose a charity? Does staff suggest places to volunteer or give back? What’s been one of your most memorable “giving back” experiences? KR: BHB gives back to our community in several ways. We just completed our toy drive for Cook Children’s Hospital and had a back to school supplies drive earlier this year which benefited students at Fort Worth ISD. Our employees have volunteered to serve meals at Union Gospel and helped to build a house for Habitat for Humanity. One of my passions is theatre arts, so I am very proud that we were able to provide the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems design, at no cost, for Casa Mañana’s Reid Cabaret renovation. TZL: Are you using the R&D tax credit? If so, how is it working for your firm? If not, why not? KR: BHB does use the R&D tax credit and it is lowering our tax burden allowing us to explore new technologies. In the past two years we have started to implement power over ethernet lighting solutions and alternate battery solutions as the emergency power standby source in lieu of generators. TZL: Does your firm work closely with any higher education institutions to gain access to the latest technology, experience, and innovation and/or recruiting to find qualified resources? KR: We enjoy close relationships with Texas Christian University and the University of Texas at Arlington. We have participated for years in their career fairs and have employed their engineering See GOING BEYOND, page 8
HEADQUARTERS: Fort Worth, TX NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 113 YEAR FOUNDED: 1992 NUMBER OF OFFICE LOCATIONS: ❚ ❚ Fort Worth, TX ❚ ❚ Grapevine, TX ❚ ❚ Weatherford, TX SERVICES: ❚ ❚ Civil engineering ❚ ❚ Mechanical/plumbing engineering ❚ ❚ Electrical engineering ❚ ❚ Land surveying ❚ ❚ Landscape architecture MARKETS:
❚ ❚ Healthcare ❚ ❚ Commercial ❚ ❚ Cultural ❚ ❚ Education ❚ ❚ Faith-based ❚ ❚ Historical ❚ ❚ Municipal ❚ ❚ Industrial ❚ ❚ Retail ❚ ❚ Residential ❚ ❚ Recreational
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OBER 5, 2020, ISSUE 1362
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