Alex Beck has always been a problem solver. Since he was a kid, he loved completing puzzles, taking things apart to see how they worked and putting them back together again. From those curious roots, Beck has come to work at Rockford Construction after beginning his career as a mechanical engineer.
Beck, who started with Rockford in early 2022 as an assistant project manager, brings a decade of project engineering experience to the table from his time with a local HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning) and mechanical/plumbing trade contractor and as an engineer for a national building controls company. His work for those companies allowed him to gain real-world experience in designing, installing, and finding mechanical, electrical, and plumbing solutions for complex renovation and new construction installations.
“My experience in project engineering, specifically focusing on mechanical projects, gives me a big advantage over a lot of other project managers, because I have a major background in understanding what needs to happen in the field to make a project successful. It makes me understand specific aspects of the work that lots of other people wouldn’t see,” Beck said.
Beck’s experience in designing systems for specific spaces helps renovation projects avoid requests for information (RFIs) which take time and can put progress behind schedule. He also brings valuable Building Information Management (BIM) and MEP coordination experience to every job he works on, providing an excellent value-add to our preconstruction and education teams. Beck said using this experience to design mechanical systems for renovations is his favorite challenge.
“In new builds you get to work the mechanical systems into the design, but in a renovation you are given a space and have to find the right solution to what will both fit in the space you have while also delivering excellent end-user results,” Beck said.
As a project manager, Beck said he likes being a valued member of the construction team who can provide sound advice to clients and the rest of the team. He said working with customers to ensure new solutions fit existing spaces in the field is more satisfying to him than designing systems on a computer.
“I love seeing us succeed in the field, and seeing our customers happy with our results, because I really care about these projects and what they will mean for our clients in the future,” Beck said.
