Senior Plant Engineer Kristen Erickson was hooked early by the civil construction industry after taking a surveying course in college. Today she plays a critical role in Sunmount Paving’s operations, balancing the demands of simultaneous projects and their various moving parts. Kristen talks about her role with our company and her love of the construction process.

Q: What made you pursue engineering? 

A: I have always loved math and solving problems – so engineering was a good fit.  Also, my dad was in power-line construction, and to see what he did and the challenges they faced setting power lines across Montana interested me.

Q: What drew you to the civil construction industry over other engineering fields? 

A: I took a surveying class in college, and I was hooked and knew I wanted to pursue more of the construction side of engineering.

Q: What’s the most challenging part of your job? 

A: Keeping up with all the moving pieces on the multiple projects we’ve got going on at any one time, making sure the owners are getting what they need along with our crews to keep the work moving forward with as few hiccups as possible.

Q: What’s the most rewarding part of your job? 

A: Knowing what we’re doing will be around for years to come and will be used by so many – reminds me of road trips with my dad; I couldn’t make it through a trip without him pointing out the powerlines he helped build.

Q: What are your aspirations within this company?

A: Currently happy with the position I am in – with new projects and new owners and different types of work we’re building, each and every project is something new and different – so always looking forward to new challenges.