Retirement

Well folks – after 28 major projects and 45 years of effort, accruing over 2.5 million air miles, with over 3400 hotel nights and 504 rental car agreements, I am finally retiring!

It’s been a wild and fun ride in the Engineering and Construction business. Working in pulp and paper, food and pharma, automotive, chemicals, oil and gas, synthetic fibers, semiconductor and power, it’s been a great experience learning and understanding the technical and execution processes that have made our country and planet a better place.

Being a part of major projects on 6 continents, in some of the most remote areas, and having been a part of and having led some of the best teams, leaves me with mixed emotions for it has been a wonderful experience of technological progress, change and innovation in our business.

I have had the fortunate experience of friendship, instruction, tutelage and mentorship from some of the best in our industry; Bill Milling, Jim Dominic, Tom Scanlon, Currie Spivey, Les McCraw, Mike Harvell, Csaba Molnar, Ed Kirkley, Jim Stein, Gerald Glenn, Mike Giffin, Mike Pace, Jim Taylor, Bill Cole, Mike Sweeney, Bill Calfee, Jim Musick, Joel Thornton, Bill Mobley, V. W. Jernigan, C. W. Rodgers, Buddy “Pappy” Tiller, Dave Parlin, Dennis Braasch, Tom Wells, Joel Odom, Jim Crisp, Dave Bassett, Ian Goddard, Jerry Calloway, Craig Martin, Mike McMahon, Joe Lanzafame, Win Moore, Jim Early, Jimmy White, Glenn Ellzey, Walt Griffith, Mickey Connell, Richard Oates, Dave Ross, Mike Feeney, Don Carson, Bill Dunlop, Jack Cuddy, Tom Jones, Gary Payne, Tom Culbreath, Tony Cipriani, Murray Lane, Bob Wharton, Kevin Yessian, Sam Leventry, Mike DuBois, Joe Jaskulski, Jim Lynch, Ben Childers, Bob Misick, Nick Maliszewski, Bob Keighley, Pablo Merhab, Don Bockoven, Mark Bonasera, Ted Hollon, Paul Turney, Geoff Sheperd, David Rutherford, Dean Purvis, Dave Sherrington, Jim Fogarty, Doug Tapper, Chuck Lill, Dick Chard, Darrell Jenkins, Tom McKelvey, and many more that escape memory. All of you gave me a chance and an opportunity, and all of you believed in my capability and expertise – I thank you for your time and instruction, and for adding and reinforcing tools in my personal and professional toolbox. Some of you were in my life briefly, some longer, but all of you contributed to my professional development and growth and for that my family and I are gratefully indebted.

A special shout out to the hundreds of fine folks that supported my projects doing safety, cost accounting/control, estimating, planning/scheduling, subcontract/admin functions, logistics, expediting, purchasing, warehousing and QA/QC. Your valuable and accurate reporting removed risk, made execution decisions easier, and contributed to project success.

Thank you to all my friends that helped me succeed in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Manilla, South Africa, Mozambique, Europe, South America, and North America. You know who you are. You graciously added to my fiber by your association. Please continue to mentor your teams to create future leaders, and in all cases, resist email – pick up the phone and have a conversation to develop working relationships and build team unity based on the common goal.

To all my engineering friends, and engineering firms I have worked with, managed, or coordinated, I appreciate that we succeeded in our best efforts to design and deliver the best outcome for our clients. I hope my challenges and constant dogged pursuit for excellence and process improvement has stayed with you and become a natural part of your execution. Keep that professional bar and moral compass high and be proud of the result. A special “Thank you” to Jason Tippett and his team at RMF, that during Covid provided complicated first-class design of a critical EPC central utility and power plant project on a postage-stamp sized site.

When it appeared my fun was over in 2015 - after PB was acquired by WSP - an old friend reached out and offered me a great opportunity. Chuck Lill and I met during the B-38 PSPD film project at Kodak in 1988. We developed a mutual respect and friendship that spanned over three decades. Thank you, Chuck, and the entire Lill family, for allowing me to be a part of the Lill team these past eight years - the +100-year heritage and resume, can-do attitude, high moral compass, and excellence in delivery stands alone in our industry. It’s been a great experience working with all the professionals at Frank Lill and Son Inc. and I humbly appreciate your support and confidence.

Finally – to my family I want to express my grateful thanks for all your support. To my Nancy, that has for 23 years supported my business and rigorous travel while continuing to keep the bar high on the home front and making the family commitments – thank you. And to all my children, grown now and on their own, thank you for tolerating me being late to recitals, late to theater performances and school plays, late to games, and other family life events – thank you for understanding and supporting my career – you all made it worthwhile.

To my friends at Ford Blue Oval - go my Mandingoes!!! Travis, Vandy and Chris - carry on!! You're doing a great job supporting DTE.

God bless you all and best wishes that each of you have rewarding future,

Thomas J. McPartland