Member Spotlight: The Ruhlin Company

Name

Don Rife

Job Title

VP- Business Development

Company Name

The Ruhlin Company

What does your company do?

The Ruhlin Company was founded by John G. Ruhlin in 1915. Initially the company offered its services as a General Contractor in the Commercial and Industrial markets of Northeast Ohio. We currently have four divisions including Building, Heavy Civil, Industrial and Structural Erection. We work as a General Contractor, Construction Manager, Design-Builder and Owner Representatives throughout the State of Ohio.

What is your favorite part of your job and why?

Construction is never the same every day. Each project has unique challenges for us to solve for an owner. The people we work with and work for are what keep us coming back to work every day.

What is the key to your company's success?

During our preparations for our 100th anniversary, we asked our clients and partners why they work with Ruhlin. A theme developed quickly, and it became the basis for our tag line.

Great People - Our customers told us our people were knowledgeable, made the project enjoyable to work on and were professionals in all of their interactions with the users and consultants.

Proven Results - The proof of Ruhlin’s process and value was in the finished product. We focus on the goals of the owner to guide our decision making throughout the project and this shows up in the projects we construct.

What important changes/initiatives are you working on right now?

In today’s competitive employee market, we continue to grow our operations staff focus on training and career development. We are accomplishing this by developing internal programs and clear career development paths. In addition, we offer opportunities to attend outside training as well. By doing this we continue to grow our diversity and it gives us the ability to attract diverse individuals and offer them the training to succeed in the career.

How does your company find and retain talent?

The Ruhlin Company is fortunate to have a team of talented and dedicated people who enjoy their work and are proud to work here and as a result, employees frequently refer friends and family to Ruhlin for employment. Additional methods for finding talent include attending high school and college recruiting events, advertising on employment websites, sharing job openings on social media, and networking on LinkedIn.

To retain talent Ruhlin strives to hire individuals that align with our culture, first and foremost. All employees are provided opportunities to develop professionally, maintain a healthy work life balance, perform worthwhile work, and have fun together as a team. Ruhlin hosts a number of social and recognition events through the year including holiday gatherings and celebrations, service awards, and retirement parties.

What advice would you give to someone just starting their career in construction?

Spend as much time in the field as possible. There is nothing that compares to the experience of working in the field at the start of your career. The knowledge that you gain combined with the people you grow relationships with will give you a great foundation for a long fulfilling career in the industry.

What CEA initiatives have you been involved with?

Construction Assistance Association, ACE Mentor Program, CEA Young Executives Association and Young Professionals Networking