JANUARY SPOTLIGHT
Ivan Schmidt

Ivan is our lead estimator and has been with JR Merit for eight years. His interest in construction began when he was young; his dad is a civil engineer who worked for ODOT for 30 years as a bridge engineer and inspector. He also built a family cabin at Mount Hood when Ivan was about 10 years old. “I saw him go through that process, and I started to understand more about what it takes to build something.”

Ivan attended Oregon State University and knew he wanted to study some kind of engineering. “I took a general engineering course where we talked about the different engineering majors. I still remember a graphic showing what percent of students were employed after graduation—construction engineering management was 100%, so thought I’d give that a try.”

After graduating with his construction engineering management degree, Ivan’s first job was with a commercial glazing contractor that did curtain walls, aluminum, and glass. “I did that for about a year and a half and then the 2008 crash hit, and I lost my job. Ironically, I lost my job the same day my wife got a new job opportunity; we both turned a new corner.”

After a period of unemployment and a brief stint working at a Zupan’s deli, Ivan got a job with a heavy civil contractor that focused on water and wastewater projects. He spent eight years with the company, starting as a project engineer and working his way into estimating.

“I learned about JR Merit from a recruiter. I was looking for a change at the time and was seriously considering a company in Grants Pass. That would have been a whole different adventure. I’m glad I stayed in Vancouver. Duncan calls me a unicorn because I’m one of a few success stories from using a headhunter.”

Ivan thinks the most important thing he’s learned during his career is “how important it is to be able to adapt. I’ve been an estimator, and I’ve helped manage projects. It’s about being willing to take on whatever task needs to be done to make sure things keep moving forward and being open to different ideas and ways of doing things. When I started at JR Merit, I didn’t know a ton about piping, but I learned by drawing on the wealth of knowledge of people I work with. Learning from those who have been doing something longer and different from your area of experience is invaluable.

“Customer service is the same in any job, whether construction or working at a deli! It’s universal. You have to get to know your customer, anticipate their needs, and understand what they might want that they’re not telling you they want.”

Ivan enjoys estimating for “the challenge of envisioning what the job is going to be from the plans and specs, then figuring out how to bring that to the real world and not miss anything. I also enjoy getting to work on more and different projects than we actually get to build. It’s frustrating to work on a proposal and not get the job, but regardless of whether we win or not, I always learn something; it never feels like waste. I’m learning new and better ways, or different systems and equipment. There’s always value, even in the losses.”

Ivan also enjoys getting to teach and mentor. “My mom’s background is in education, and I apply the ways I saw her teach people—being patient, understanding, and making sure you’re not spoon-feeding but also not making people frustrated by not giving them enough information. It’s about helping them fill in the gaps and be successful in their role.”

Now and then, Ivan comes face to face with the challenges of working in a deadline driven industry. “There’s long hours sometimes and nights and weekends. It’s not my favorite, and it’s harder with a family. I try to keep a healthy balance though, with opportunities to unplug and get away. People here are really good at leaving you be when you’re on vacation.”

Ivan’s goals for the next five years include continuing to grow in his role, become chief estimator, and perhaps be on an ownership track. “I want to build an estimating team. It can be a challenge, like finding a needle in a haystack to find people with the right skills and attitude to be able to estimate for JR Merit.”

Outside of work, Ivan is “a pop culture nerd. I like movies and TV and comedy podcasts—I’ve been into podcasts since about 2008 or 2009, before people really knew what they were. I also love going to live comedy shows. I’m a big sports fan too—football and basketball in particular; the Seahawks, the Blazers, and OSU. I also like to cook and eat, and I love trying new restaurants. I remember finding out about the Food Network at my aunt’s house and thinking ‘a whole channel about food? This is amazing!’ I sing karaoke too—my go-to song is “Only the Good Die Young” by Billy Joel. Also Prince, and Kiss; it’s fun to do a ridiculous falsetto.”