Get to know our team member, Brad!

Where are you from?

 Overland Park, KS

Where did you go to school and when did you graduate?

Missouri State University, Class of 2006

What brought you to the construction industry?

I’ve always enjoyed building even at a young age. In college I started out wanting to build custom homes before entering into the commercial construction world.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

My favorite thing about my job is seeing the end results of a project and knowing that I helped create it.

What are some of your hobbies?

I enjoy building anything I can, my wife will see something on Pinterest and I’ll see if I can build it. I am an avid soccer fan, I also enjoy playing soccer when I can and watching Sporting KC.

What is your favorite movie?

Step Brothers, Dumb and Dumber, and the Game of Thrones Series.

What is favorite genre of music/artist?

I don’t listen to the radio much but I do like country music, especially when I’m at the lake.

What is you favorite food?

Mexican

What is your favorite Sports Team?

Sporting KC and Kansas State Football

 

We are excited to introduce one of the newest members of the Purdum team. Say hello to Nicole Anderson! 

Where are you from?

Olathe, KS

Where did you go to school and when did you graduate? 

Pittsburg State University, Class of 2008

What brought you into the construction industry?

I decided to try a course in Construction Management my Sophomore year, and loved it!

What is your favorite thing about your job?

New challenges and problem solving.

What is your favorite thing about Purdum so far?

The people.

What are some of your hobbies?

Shopping, running, concerts, volleyball, and cooking.

What is you favorite movie?

The Pursuit of Happyness

What is your favorite music genre or artist?

Country – Eric Church

What is your favorite food?

Thai food

Do you have a favorite sport or team? 

The Royals

Get to know one of our newest team members, James Martin. We are excited to welcome him to the Purdum family!

Where are you from?

I grew up in Burlingame, Kansas.

Where did you go to school, and when did you graduate? 

I went to Kansas State University, and graduated in 1992.

What brought you into the construction industry?

After 2 years as a CPA, I decided it wasn’t for me.  I fell back on some previous experience, and a friend helped me join the carpenters union.

What is your favorite thing about your job? 

The best part of my job is that I’m no longer the one having to do all the hands on work!

What is your favorite thing about Purdum so far? 

The people at Purdum are great.

Do you have any hobbies? 

I like spending time with my 13 year old twin daughters; doesn’t matter what we are doing.  I also like bird watching – my Purple Martin colony.

What is your favorite movie? 

Quigley Down Under

What is your favorite kind of music or artist? 

My favorite music is classic country from the 70’s and early 80’s.  Takes me back to summer time when I was a kid.

What is your favorite food?

Homemade bread.

Do you have a favorite sport or team?

Favorite Sport – Baseball.  Favorite sports team – KSU Wildcat football.

What is an interesting fact about yourself? 

I’ve jumped out of an airplane more than once.

In the latest Employee Spotlight, meet the newest member of the Purdum team; Erik Ross. Erik brings with him 2 years of experience working as a project manager for RF Fisher. Welcome to the team Erik!

What are some of your hobbies/past times?

Being outdoors is one of my greatest passions.  I love to take my dog Willie on hikes and have a Discovery that I like to take on different trails and expeditions.  I recently started doing Big Brothers Big Sisters and having a little brother has been immensely more rewarding for both of us than I could have ever imagined.

What is your favorite movie or film genre?

My favorite film would have to be Super Troopers or Stripes.  Anything that makes me laugh is great.

What is your favorite music genre or artist?

I kind of listen to all different genres, I may have a playlist that has bluegrass, country, and classic rock.  If it has a good beat and sounds cool I’ll give it a shot.

What is your favorite food?

 My favorite food would have to be barbecue.  There are a lot of others that are a close second though.

Do you have a favorite sport/team?

 My favorite sport is definitely college football, with the LSU Tigers being my favorite team.

Why did you choose a career in the construction industry?

 I chose a career in the construction industry because I have always had a passion for building and tearing apart things.  So it naturally led me into construction and the further I get into this career, the more challenging and rewarding it becomes.

What is your favorite thing about the industry?

 My favorite thing about the industry is the relationships that you form working with other companies.  Getting to know new people and new trades while forming lasting relationships

What is your favorite thing about Purdum so far?

My favorite thing about Purdum is the people.  Everyone here is so friendly and willing to help with anything.  They made my transition effortless and I felt like a member of the team immediately.

Daniel has the unique honor of being the first subject for our new Employee Spotlight feature. He is participating in our summer internship program, and we wanted to be sure to profile him before he returns to school.

In August, Daniel will return to the Missouri University of Science and Technology, where he will start his Junior year. He is double-majoring in civil and architectural engineering.

What are your favorite sports teams?

This question requires a little background. I was born in Los Angeles, California. My mom was born and raised there and my dad moved there from Mexico at a young age. As a result, I am a diehard Los Angeles Lakers fan. Purple and gold runs through my veins! I also am a huge fan of the St. Louis (formerly Los Angeles) Rams. I inherited my love of sports and Los Angeles based teams from my dad. Growing up, the Lakers and the Rams were always on TV and my dad was always screaming about bad calls and stupid plays. I’m a bit like him in this regard. It’s not often that I watch a game without screaming about something. Football season is close! I’m looking forward to seeing what the Rams do this year. They’ve been slowly improving. Management has to put some receivers around Bradford though. Don’t get me started about the upcoming NBA season. The Lakers haven’t look this bad in a while. Here’s looking to 2014!

What was your first job?

My first job was lifeguarding at Adventure Oasis during the summer before my junior year of high school. For the most part it was a lot of fun. Most of my co-workers were great people and I made some good friends. Thankfully I only had to make one save during my tenure as a lifeguard. I remember the dread that came over me when I realized the little kid that had just jumped off the diving board needed to be rescued. Thankfully I was trained well enough to handle the situation and pull him out of the water without any complications. It’s a great feeling to know that you just saved someone’s life. It was a great summer job. Especially after the evening shift because there was a chance we were allowed to eat the leftovers from the concession stand. I’d recommend it for any teens out there looking for work.

Do you have a favorite musician or group?

I don’t have one favorite musician or group when it comes to music. There’s too many great artists to try and say I like one over all of the others. However, I definitely have a genre that I favor over all others; Hip-Hop. Though I like many other types of music, Hip-Hop is definitely my favorite. My favorite thing about it, is lyricism. I love when an artist can display great wordplay and fit together words and phrases in way you never even thought of. Also I love the story telling aspect of Hip-Hop. Since it’s not really singing, stories can be told in vivid detail. Songs like these are great when you just want to get away from everything and relax.

What’s a random or interesting fact about you?

A random fact about me is that I was born almost three months premature. I guess I couldn’t wait to see the world. Doctors said I would probably be very small and not be able to develop a healthy mind. Thankfully I proved them wrong.

What is your favorite thing about working at Purdum?

My favorite thing about working at Purdum is everything that I’m learning. I was really nervous going into this internship because I didn’t know what to expect. I knew little to nothing about what it actually is like to work in this industry, and I still know pretty much nothing. But I know more than I did three months ago, and I think the little that I have learned will prove invaluable down the road. I’ve been able to see various aspects of construction management, from bidding work, to writing submittals, to seeing how superintendents actually handle problems in the field. I’m not yet sure whether I’ll be in management or engineering, but I think either way the experience I’m gaining will help me. I’ll be able to see real world applications to what I will be learning in school that some of my peers may not be able to. Hopefully I can return here and keep learning!