NOVEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Randall Holmes

Randy is a superintendent overseeing many of our most challenging hydropower turbine overhaul projects. He has been with JR Merit for 12 years and has spent his entire career in industrial environments, starting when he we still in high school. He’s worked on diesel engines in an Oldsmobile dealership, in a heavy equipment manufacturing plant, at a shipyard, and joined the millwright’s union.

“I love the engineering factor of these environments. Building a ship, building a turbine, they have similarities. How they’re designed, how the equipment is manufactured, how it gets installed. I love everything about that kind of stuff. It’s the challenge of it that keeps me coming back.”

Randy also loves the variety of projects he works on at JR Merit. “I don’t shy away from any job. It’s always something new and different. All of our jobs, even when they’re in the same plant, are a little bit different. It’s exciting.” One of Randy’s most memorable project experiences was building the new Lower Baker dam. “Just the magnitude of the job; it was a brand new installation. That one stands out for me.”

As a superintendent, Randy leads our field crews with an approach that promotes safety and teamwork. “You’re only as good as those working under you. It’s important to keep a cohesive crew together. Every project has its challenges, and it’s all in your approach to how you overcome them. It takes the whole team, the office and the field, to pull off these complex projects that we do.”

In his free time, Randy enjoys hiking and traveling abroad. He had three overseas trips postponed because of the pandemic, and he’s looking forward to a long-awaited trip to Thailand in a couple months. “We’re going for 14 days, and I’m looking forward to seeing all the history, the culture. It’s going to be great!”