For Shannon Thompson, a Building & Earth team member who works out of our Oklahoma office locations, being a part of a company with a strong, positive culture should feel like coming home again.
And while every family has its fair share of compromises and the potential for improvement, we are fully on board with Shannon’s mindset.
She’s built a great home for herself with Building & Earth and is in the process of customizing one for her lifestyle with her husband, Kyle, too.
As a member of our team—or as someone who is considering a career with us—we want you to feel like you belong and have a voice and a role in our company’s success. It’s a continual work in progress, but it’s a mission we believe in.
Find out what Shannon’s life at work and at home looks like below.
What do you do at Building & Earth?
My responsibilities at Building & Earth are assistant lab supervisor, radiation safety officer, safety officer, and concrete field and break-strength technician. My daily responsibilities are to break cylinders and log in need samples. I supervise the ongoing soils and asphalt sample intake and ensure that the samples are processed in a timely fashion.
I also conduct safety talks and safety investigations for the entire Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and Durant, Oklahoma, branches. I maintain the use, maintenance and overall management of the nuclear gauges for all three Oklahoma branches. In addition, I run multiple CCRL and AMRL Proficiency tests and maintain and perform calibrations.
What would you say are the building blocks of a great company culture?
First and foremost, the building blocks of a strong culture are good, willing and ready-to-learn employees. Managers are a big part of that culture as well. It makes a huge difference when managers are willing to listen and take into consideration what their employees are saying about their work environment or how they see the job.
I have been fortunate to have that throughout my experience at this company. When managers stop listening to their employees, the business stops.
What are you proud of about your work with Building & Earth?
I am proud of being able to provide a great service and the strong relationships we have built with our customers. I take pride in being the best in my field, and I take pride in my lab and the cleanliness and organization that it requires.
I’m proud that I can look back and see how much I have grown and matured in my 10 years as part of the team.
How do you decompress after a long day at work?
Some of my hobbies—other than concrete—are baking, oil painting, and riding and training horses.
After work every day, I break and train young colts for clients as well as training my own 3-year-old reining horse. This is part of the way I decompress after work.
I also raise American Fuzzy Lop Rabbits that have traveled to new families all across the country. I love messing with all my animals after work and watching them grow.
I also own and ride a 2018 Harley Davidson Sport Glide. When I can find time between work and taking care of my animals, I enjoy going riding with my brother. I’ve even ridden the motorcycle with him all the way to Florida. I don’t get to ride it as much as I would like, but when I do, it’s always awesome!
What’s one thing on your bucket list?
My husband, Kyle, and I recently bought a home with 5 acres and are in the process of getting it ready to bring my horse home and be able to train on my own property.
We have recently started building a fence and are saving money for an arena as well as a barn. We’re so excited to be able to take this step in our lives.
Any advice for someone considering your field of work?
Be prepared to work hard, because you get out what you put into it. There is a lot of potential to learn many new and interesting things. I knew nothing about concrete when I started this job, and now, concrete is more that just a slab or a piece of sidewalk.
Name one word that describes the team you work with at Building & Earth.
The one word I would describe the team here in Oklahoma is FAMILY! Everyone cares about you and what you may or may not be going through—whether it’s personal or it’s work-related. If you are in a jam and need help at work, all you have to do is ask.
We would love to talk to you about how you may be a great fit for our team! Visit our Careers page to check out our current openings. Click here to learn more about what we do and why we do it. Check out what Joe McFalls, from our Raleigh-Durham location, and Nathan Anderson, from Louisville, had to say about working with Building & Earth.
