When Jared Kasper was studying civil engineering at North Dakota State University, he took a summer internship position with a company that was doing civil work at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. PCL was the general contractor of a nearby project, and Kasper took note of the way the company’s employees approached their work. He was impressed. He kept his eye on PCL, and at a career fair soon after he met Tyler Schultz, who was then a Project Manager for PCL. With Schultz’s encouragement, Kasper joined the company as a field engineer right back at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

What do you like about working for PCL? 
First are the opportunities for career development. Whether you want to stay in one role or progress to take on more responsibility move through the ranks, there’s limitless opportunities. The company’s leadership is strong and invests in people through technical and leadership training, allowing us to develop hard and soft skills. Being a 100% employee-owned company means everyone wants everyone else to succeed, creating a great work culture that your happy to be apart of.

Then there’s variety. I’ve worked on everything from a $50,000 replacement of the clock faces, chimes and speaker system on the iconic clock tower at Valley City State University to a $65 million STEM Complex at the University of North Dakota. That diversity keeps things exciting and engaging

Finally, there’s something that I’ve come to appreciate more recently as my family has grown: It’s the way PCL encourages us to give back to our communities through donations and volunteering at events. It’s great to be part of a company that cares about the places we work in.

Can you walk us through your career path at PCL?

I started as a field engineer back at the MSP airport where I’d first encountered PCL, building the InterContinental Hotel. Then I moved to New York State for a couple of months to work on some manufacturing facility upgrades at a valued client of PCL’s. When that project wrapped up, I returned to Minnesota to help build the Hyatt House Hotel, a meaningful project because it’s a residential-style hotel intended for long-term guests seeking health care at the nearby Mayo. After that I went into the data center world to help buildout an existing data center. Since then, I moved to North Dakota and helped with a variety of projects at the University of North Dakota, Altru Health System, the City of Grand Forks, the Grand Forks Public School District, and at Dakota Magic Casino.

Has any of them been a favorite?

One of the projects we did for Altru Health System transformed an existing employee and occupational health facility into a modern outpatient and inpatient behavioral health center. The construction requirements were very different from anything I’d encountered previously. It had to be safe and secure for people with psychological and behavioral challenges, which made it unique and interesting. It showed PCL’s ability to adapt and find solutions for all kinds of client requirements.

Are you involved in any community groups?

I’m part of the industry advisory council for my alma mater, North Dakota State University. It’s rewarding to give feedback to the program and provide input that sets students and the industry up for success.