Jacob Argiro believes having an in-person office environment where colleagues work “shoulder-to-shoulder” is key to the growth and success of HNTB, an engineering firm specializing in transportation infrastructure.
Argiro joined the company eight years ago and has served as the Connecticut leader and vice president of the Rocky Hill office since 2020.
He said while the company can be flexible occasionally with hybrid work, “collaborating side-by-side, elbow-to-elbow” allows the firm’s 75 local employees to deliver the best results.
“We focus on the most complex projects in the state and country, and to do that, it takes a team,” he said. “Direct interaction every day improves communication and creates that culture of belonging that has really proven to make a difference.”
Nationwide, the employee-owned company has 7,000 employees located in dozens of states who work on projects that design and advance bridges, highways, aviation, transit, tunnels and rail projects.
Over the past year, HNTB expanded its offices in Connecticut to accommodate a 50% growth spurt, which Argiro described as “organic.”
“We have not grown through mergers and acquisitions in more than a quarter of a century,” he said. Instead, the expansion occurred because of HNTB’s people, with whom clients are eager to work.
“Our goal is to hire and develop talent that is the best in the business,” Argiro said. “That’s why we’ve grown at twice the pace of industry growth.”
Argiro said he has 12 accepted hires starting this summer, including eight interns for one year. “In May, we had an office expansion, and we’re out of space and needing to grow again. It is exciting.”
Key to retaining talent is having a strong company culture. HNTB hosts several culture-building events, including a summer picnic, minor league baseball night with employees and their families and an annual holiday party.
The company also has a spot bonus program that honors workers who go “above and beyond,” and a written, inclusive diversity and equity philosophy that underlies the company culture.
Giving back is also important to HNTB, which has raised more than $75,000 over the last four years for the Salvation Army.
Complex projects
HNTB’s recent design, the Northbound Gold Star Bridge Rehabilitation, was completed on an expedited seven-month schedule set by the state Department of Transportation.
The project, which will exceed $500 million in construction, was the priority for most personnel in 2024, including Susan Yarbrough, a project manager.
Yarbrough joined HNTB in 2017 and has worked as a field engineer at construction sites, an owner’s representative, designer, operations manager and more.
She said she likes that HNTB has a focus on an “in-person presence,” and is impressed by the energy and passion employees devote to their jobs.
Yarbrough said having national resources and talent enables the company to pursue large, interesting projects.
“We can collaborate nationally and still have a family feel (here). It is the best of both worlds,” she said.
Both Argiro and Yarbrough noted they are most proud of HNTB’s complex projects like the mixmaster interchange rehabilitation in Waterbury, and design of the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Amtrak line.
“Everything we do makes a significant impact on bettering people’s lives,” Argiro said.