As I sit here today, I find myself reflecting back on my engineering career. It all began 30 years ago, on Tuesday, June 1, 1993.
It was the Tuesday after Memorial Day, and Joe Viscuso, owner of Brandywine Valley Engineers, gave me my first job. Joe told me point blank that I did not know sh*t from shinola and that he got to pay me to learn this business.
I started working when I was 12 years old, and my mentality from the start was never to let my employer regret hiring me or giving me a raise. For exactly eight years, I made a conscious effort to ensure that Joe did not regret giving me that opportunity. I learned a lot about engineering and the business of engineering from Joe, and I am forever grateful to Joe for providing me with the opportunity that launched my career.
I worked at Regester Associates for nearly a decade, and during that time, Jeff and Jake Diem became like older brothers to me. They gave me a job just 8 minutes from home, which allowed me to participate in all the important moments in my young kids’ lives. This was the best engineering job I ever had — We were a strong, competent company and man, did we get a lot of work done. Even to this day, as I drive through Southern Chester County, I still see numerous projects that I am proud to have been a part of.
Once the great recession hit, things changed. However, good things can come from bad situations. I was fortunate to join Herbert E. MacCombie for a year. MacCombie had some great projects, especially for a smaller firm. Jamie and Herbie are really smart guys, and they take care of their employees like family.
Then, I joined my friends Chuck Dobson and Todd Harmon at their company, Inland Design. At this time, engineering was finally recovering from the great recession, and we were building momentum and making our mark every day.
In 2018, my son Thomas graduated high school, and my daughter Sarah graduated two short years later. It felt like the right time to take the leap and hang my own shingle.
Like any true engineer, I planned and strategized. Then, on May 1, 2019, I jumped in with both feet to start Padula Engineering. Things started out strong, and then March 2020 happened, and we all know how the world changed. But we worked through it. And while our business grew, so did our team. Our reputation began to spread, and today we have a great team. They are very special to me, and I thank God for them daily. We are honored to have such a fantastic clientele we have the privilege of working with on exciting and interesting projects.
As I reflect back today over the past 30 years, I recognize how blessed I am. I get to do what I love every day with a great team and incredible clients. I can’t wait to continue going forward with all these great people for the next 30 years.
Now back to work, I don’t want the boss to regret hiring me.
