This blog series will introduce our audience to some of the brightest and most dedicated young professionals in the PCI Mid-Atlantic chapter. These individuals contribute to the exciting future of our dynamic industry every day. Get a behind-the-scenes look into their lives and innovative career path.
About Victor!
My name is Victor Won, and unlike most, I was given a unique opportunity to name myself after my family moved here from South Korea., ‘Victor’ when I became an American citizen in 2016. I chose ‘Victor’ because I thought it harmonized well with my last name ‘Won.’ If I were to interpret the meaning of my English legal name, it means I like to win, twice.
I graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering. I have earned a handful of certifications including my Engineer-In-Training certificate and the OSHA30 certificate; however, I am most proud of my Mensa Membership. I have interned at an oil-and-gas engineering company in Houston, Texas, and at an engineering company in Dublin, Ireland. After I graduated from college, I worked for a precaster in the Midwest before I came to Smith-Midland. Outside of work, I find I enjoy reading about ‘how things came to be.’ Some examples of my interests include how the EDAR gene in the Far East Asian genealogy became so prevalent, how the cultural exchange of green tea from China and opium from England eventually led to the creation of modern Hong Kong, and how several great ancient civilizations seem to have universally but independently developed a grand pyramidal shape structure.
PCI-MA: How do you have fun at work?
Victor: Similar to how I have fun outside of work, I like to have fun at work by learning about ‘how my colleagues came to be.’ I like to know how their upbringings shaped their perspectives, how they ended up in precast, how they met their significant others, etc...
PCI-MA: Tell us about one of your proudest work accomplishments.
Victor: My proudest work accomplishment is in a form of a map. (I elaborate more on this map in one of my responses below.)
PCI-MA: What is one thing you like most about your career in the precast industry?
Victor: What I like the most about my career in the precast industry is that you get to literally partake in building up this country and leave an everlasting impact on this world more so than any other industry. Had I been a general contractor, I would have partaken in building this country up but wouldn’t have worked on nearly as many projects as a precaster. Had I been a software engineer, I could have left an impact on this world with programs I had developed but would not be able to say that my work would be everlasting as software becomes outdated quickly. Because I pursued a career in the precast concrete industry, I have contributed to building: parking garages, sound walls, government buildings, commercial buildings, munitions buildings, religious buildings and much more in my short five-year career and I can confidently say that many of the projects I have worked on will outlast me – truly making my legacy concrete.
PCI-MA: What advice would you give someone just entering the workforce and the construction industry?
Victor: When I first started as a project manager, a senior colleague of mine recommended that I save the addresses of the projects that I am assigned to on my Google account as soon as I get assigned to it. This way, I can easily pull up the address on my phone when I am making my job site visits. It was certainly sound advice, though not really applicable as I am an Apple Map user, not a Google Map user. (In my humble opinion, Google Map’s user-interface is clunky and unattractive).
It has been about five years since I applied this “inapplicable” advice, and now I find myself giving this same advice to newcomers to the construction industry. Regardless of which application you prefer, I highly recommend that you search and save each and every project that you are assigned to on your Google account as soon as you are assigned to it. After about four years, open your Google maps, press the menu button on the top left corner, and click on the button that reads ‘Your Places.’ You will be surprised by the number of pins that are scattered throughout your map depicting the impact that you have made in your own state or even to the entire United States. To expand on this advice further, try to follow the advice of your senior colleagues even though it may seem questionable at times. You never know how it may impact you further down the road.
About Smith-Midland Corporation
Smith-Midland develops, manufactures, licenses, rents, and sells a broad array of precast concrete products and systems for use primarily in the construction, transportation, and utility industries. Management and the Board own approximately 17.5 percent of SMID stock, aligning with shareholder values.
Smith-Midland Corporation has three manufacturing facilities located in Midland, VA, Reidsville, NC, and Columbia, SC, and a J-J Hooks Safety Barrier rental firm, Concrete Safety Systems. Easi-Set Worldwide, a wholly owned subsidiary of Smith-Midland Corporation, licenses the production and sale of Easi-Set products, including J-J Hooks and SlenderWall, and provides diversification opportunities to the precast industry worldwide. For more information, please call (540) 439-3266 or visit www.smithmidland.com.
Want to learn more about a career in precast? Check out our workforce Career Center for job descriptions, career paths, job listings, and other helpful resources.
