Today we’d like to introduce you to Oscar Aguirre.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My father was a Structural Engineer and he supervised the construction of large infrastructure projects around the world. As a child, I was fascinated mostly by his bridge projects and I enjoyed listening to him explain passionately about bridge design and construction. If I was lucky, he would even take me on site to see a bridge in person.
I followed in his footsteps and obtained Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University. I started my career in 1989 inspecting bridges in New York City where I learned some of the common issues with bridge designs. I later moved back to Texas and joined the Texas Department of Transportation as an Engineer-in-Training in the bridge section. In 1999, after several years working for an engineering consulting firm where I designed bridges throughout the State, I fulfilled my dream of starting my own company. In 2002, after three years in business, my firm merged with Fields Engineering, owned by Richard Fields. Since then, Aguirre & Fields has become one of the major transportation design firms in Texas with offices in Sugar Land, Austin and Fort Worth. We have also opened an office in Oklahoma City and continue to look for opportunities to expand our market.
Has it been a smooth road?
Texas has an extensive road and bridge infrastructure that provides many opportunities for civil engineering consulting firms to offer their services. We have seen many out of state firms enter our market greatly increasing competition. More than ever, firms have to find differentiators to increase their chance of being awarded a project. We intend to meet that challenge by attracting high quality talent, retaining talent by offering opportunities for advancement and by offering excellent benefits packages and work-life balance.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Aguirre & Fields story. Tell us more about the business.
Aguirre & Fields started as a small firm with one office and less than ten employees. We offer services in roadway, bridge and structural design and construction engineering and inspection. Our type of business requires great attention to accuracy and quality since public safety is our highest responsibility in our design and construction inspection work. We pride ourselves as a family oriented firm that focuses on delivering high quality services while providing a work environment that promotes personal and professional growth. We understand that our value and long term success is dependent on the happiness of our employees. This means promoting a good work-life balance while offering employees opportunities for continuous learning.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The maintenance and expansion of the country’s road and bridge infrastructure is vital for economic growth. Because public agencies have limited funds, there is constant pressure for civil engineering firms to do more with less money. The firms that continually find ways to innovate and take advantage of new technology will be more successful. Aguirre and Fields has formed a technology group that focuses on finding new ways to improve efficiency and deliver a higher quality product by implementing new technologies. One example is that we are now using drones to capture aerial images, reducing the cost and time to develop our preliminary designs. We are also implementing the use of drones to monitor construction progress.
Contact Info:
- Address: 12999 Jess Pirtle Blvd.,
Sugar Land, TX 77478 - Website: http://www.aguirre-fields.com/
- Phone: 281-340-8900
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aguirrefields/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aguirre-&-fields-lp
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