We sat down with our Salina, Kansas Regional Office Manager, Dalen, and here’s what we learned…
What is your role at Interstates? And how did you get into your profession?
I am Interstates’ Salina, Kansas Regional Office Manager. I got into the electrical profession right out of high school going to Tech School in Hays, KS. I worked in the field for eight years doing commercial and industrial electrical projects. After a while, I moved into an office and started in a management role.
What advice would you give someone hoping to enter this field/profession?
My best advice on becoming an electrician would be to attend a tech school and get as much field work experience as possible. With some dedication and hard work, you can move up the ranks into a management role if you wish.
How has Interstates impacted your career?
Interstates has allowed me to expand my knowledge of large and more complex projects. More specifically, Interstates’ Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) service projects allow me to deliver a full electrical system to a client without using any other engineering and or control contractors. (Want to know more about IPD at Interstates? Click here!)
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I truly enjoy building relationships with clients as well as my field staff. At Interstates, we are family.
What’s the most challenging part of your job?
The most challenging part of my job is keeping the right balance of field electricians and work. We want to keep everyone busy, but we also need to be careful that we don’t over-commit. Building lasting relationships with clients and delivering outstanding service is our top priority.
What keeps you going on tough days?
On tough days what keeps me going is knowing I have a large set of resources behind me. Whether that’s accounting or engineering, I know I’m not alone and the entire Interstates organization is behind me. Like I said, we really are a big family.
Can you share a favorite memory or success story you’ve experienced in Salina?
One of my fondest memories is an experience I had with a customer. After meeting with the customer we completed the job and a week after completion, the customer was back with another project request. This was a great example of how our team strives to build lasting relationships and deliver superior results for our customers.
What do you like most about working in Salina and why?
The best part of working in Salina is the ability to assist clients throughout the entire state of Kansas. We are centrally located in mid-east part of the state and can service all larger industrial clients from this location.
