Long time Hunzinger employee and Vice President of Pre-Construction Larry Palank retired in January after 42 years at Hunzinger. We are all so sad to see Larry go because he was just an absolute pleasure to work with…incredibly smart, a great estimator, and he had a huge impact on the construction marketplace in Wisconsin. Larry was always striving to learn new things and stay on the forefront of technology that would help him do his job more efficiently and more accurately. He will continue teaching at Milwaukee School of Engineering, his alma mater, where he has taught for over 30 years. We are thrilled that Larry has agreed to continue to work on special projects for Hunzinger and remain connected to some of his longtime clients.
Larry hosted a hot breakfast buffet, catered by Sendik’s (one of Larry’s clients) where Hunzinger employees, his family and some retirees all celebrated his incredible career. Hunzinger President & CEO, John Hunzinger and Executive Vice Presidents Jim Hunzinger and Kevin O’Toole along with Dan Cole, Vice President of Pre Construction Services all reminisced about Larry and how much he has meant to the growth and success of Hunzinger Construction Company throughout the years.
Larry, always the generous teacher and mentor left us with some parting words: Wow, it’s hard to believe that I have been doing this for over 42 years. At first, it seems harder to believe that it was all with the same company. However, when I look back, there seems to be a very compelling reason why this has happened. It all has to do with high values, high standards and strong ethics at Hunzinger Construction Company. One of my biggest passions during my career has been to create positive change. This philosophy started back in my younger days in Boy Scouts heading toward becoming an Eagle Scout. The most memorable thing was an activity we performed at the end of every scouting function—to leave the area cleaner and better than when we first got there. Some of the ways that I have brought that ideal forward into my career include things like:
- Fixing problems. Much of our work involves talking to subs, suppliers, owners and architects when problems arise on projects. I have always tried to offer ideas and work with people so that together, we can find a mutually agreeable solution
- Project satisfaction. The industry wide goal is always to finish a project that fulfills the building owner’s needs and expectations. Making sure the project comes in within budget and on schedule has always been an underlying theme in my work.
- Improve processes. A major factor in our industry, as in all industries, is the fact that we have technological advances. Throughout the years, I have helped my company explore and implement these new technologies and processes.
- And finally, education. To educate the next generation of professionals in the industry has always been a big passion of mine. I have had the opportunity to teach at the Milwaukee School of Engineering for the last 28 years and helped develop the Construction Management program in which I teach.
I would like to thank all of you in advance for:
- Making yourself a better person and employee
- Making your company a better company by doing the right thing
- Making our subs and supplier friends better by understanding and supporting their roles in our industry
- Making our Architect and Engineer partners better by maintaining open and honest communication
- Making the projects we are involved with better by going beyond the owner’s expectations
- Making our industry better by sharing ideas and values
And the last, most important goal is to make our society better.
It’s up to us to ensure the integrity of our industry and bring our best work to the buildings that we create.
THANK YOU LARRY PALANK!!!