Mike believes in always challenging himself and learning from those around him. With his knowledge, Mike and his team of mechanical, plumbing, electrical, technology, and refrigeration professionals remain on the cusp of new technology to design only the most up-to-date solutions for clients. When he isn’t designing electrical systems or volunteering as a community fire fighter, Mike is traveling to listen to live music, cooking, or rooting for a Minnesota sports team.
We have so many smart and talented people here at ISG. Having the opportunity to stretch my knowledge base, learn, and strive to make an impact on the community is very rewarding for me. Mentorship and sharing my knowledge with my rockstar staff are incredible. I would have never thought that I would have the opportunity, when I started my career, to be exposed to so many facets of the industry.
I also love the variety working across different business units. I especially enjoy the in food and industrial and sports and recreation business units but for different reasons. The food and industrial is a vast market, and highly technical. It is very challenging, traditionally large in scale, and requires detailed collaboration between other disciplines, vendors, and clients. You need to be nimble yet have the technical expertise to execute.
I enjoy sports and recreation projects because, well, I love sports. Spending numerous summers coaching baseball, I can’t help but evaluate each location, whether it is how to improve the player or fan experience. A well-designed facility makes you want to go back.
Listen to those around you and absorb as much as you can. This is one thing that ISG was founded on—always learning and constantly evolving—and we should all emulate that as employee owners. It’s very fortunate and an amazing opportunity to be surrounded by experts all day, every week. You can pick up on so much just by having short conversations.
Like most engineers, I enjoyed math and science in school, but I’ve always enjoyed how things worked. If the lawnmower or a remote-controlled toy stopped working, I would take it apart to figure out what was wrong. Most of the time, I didn’t have leftover parts. I chose electrical engineering since my dad had an electronics business. I worked and learned from him in my high school and college years. I wanted to know how those little components on the printed circuit board worked.
Renewable energy and energy conservation is current. Naturally, as an engineer, you want to design an efficient system, but the integration of different systems has created a dynamic environment. For example, HVAC systems and lighting have evolved into systems that should only run when needed, instead of all the time. Technologies have evolved into something more complex and complicated than it once was. So not only are we pushing to design more sustainably, but we strive to be more innovative in our technologies, products, systems, and solutions. All the while, electrical teams are continually working to stay up to date on new products and technology.
I always think things can improve. Whether it’s for ISG, my team, my family, or myself, I constantly want to make things better. Sometimes being an achiever is also my weakness because I’m always pushing for better, but I do think it’s crucial for our firm to constantly better ourselves for our clients and partners. As we evolve as a firm, we aim to provide only the best solutions for clients and the communities that they serve. Knowing that we can make a positive impact encourages me to keep going and challenging my team and myself to continue making our futures better.
I’m not exactly sure I remember what I wanted to be growing up—probably a baseball player, artist, or fire fighter. I spent a lot of time outside playing baseball, drawing on rainy days, and liked fire trucks as a kid. Reflecting on my childhood, I guess I’m involved in all those things in some sense today. I’m a volunteer firefighter in my community, get to design sports facilities, and create works of art through our construction documents.
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As ISG continues to grow and expand to new geographies, we want to share a few non-traditional benefits that have come with employee owners choosing to relocate. Culture transplants ensure that as we continue to grow, we stay true to our core values, mission, purpose, and culture, which not only benefits ISG employee owners, but our clients as well. This why we encourage relocation across all our locations.
If you know Mallorie, you know that she is anything short of how she describes her fellow coworkers–friendly, helpful, humble, fun, and knowledgeable. For nearly eight years, this Senior Graphic Designer has been making an impact at ISG with her creativity and bright personality. What brought her to ISG and what is her favorite part about working here? If you guessed the people, Mankato’s patio, and projects, you’re halfway there.
As the leader of ISG’s robust marketing team, Abby Gram is a resilient creative force who is always ready for the next challenge. Read on to learn about ISG’s #Allin culture, some surprises about the marketing team, her time on the muddy Mississippi, and why she encourages others to “just keep swimming.”
As a Project Accountant and former Support Specialist, Bill Bartz continues to serve as an important link between projects and employee owners. Learn more about Bill’s journey to ISG, the importance of a first-class team, and get an inside scoop about the Green Bay office and some of Bill’s favorite post-work activities!
ISG’s Caleb Rasmussen is a steward for conservation through his role as a civil engineer. Focusing on surface water, Caleb works on the unique waterways of the Midwest to improve water quality and wildlife. Even though he spends much of his time outside while on the job, you can still find him enjoying the outdoors working with his livestock or spending time with his family.
What do you get when you combine real-world experiences, a collaborative team environment, strengths-focused personal and professional development, and exposure to a positive working culture? One rockin’ internship with ISG! This year, ISG welcomed 35 interns into our offices—investing in their experiences by providing customized and meaningful opportunities that mutually impact our firm and each student.