When Tim was growing up, his father and one of his older brothers were general contractors. Still, when Tim was in high school, he didn’t feel like construction was in his future. Instead, he dreamed of being a police officer.
“My oldest brother was a police officer when I was growing up. I grew up in a small town close to San Diego, and some of my friends’ dads growing up were sheriffs and police officers in San Diego. That was a desire that I had growing up, but things started shifting over the years.”
By the time graduation came around, his desire to be a cop was gone, and he decided on construction instead. Starting as a laborer and flagman at San Diego-based Hazard Construction, he did anything and everything, including flagging traffic, shoveling and laying subdrain. Before long, he moved to the Signs and Pinnick construction company, where he worked until 2006. It was at Pinnick where Tim got his first taste of big earthmoving, checking grade, and operating equipment.
After checking grade and operating equipment for a while and working his way up to a manager position, he decided to join LB3 Enterprises, the company his father-in-law started years prior.
Tim’s father-in-law, Larry, was one of the primary reasons why he joined the construction industry, to begin with. Larry saw a ton of potential in Tim, and in October of 2006, he invited Tim to join him with LB3 Enterprises.
“For Larry and myself, we both came from the field. We didn’t come from the office. Larry was an owner-operator who started at 21 years old. He was able to grow and learn the business from the field side, and I started in the field as well. I don’t feel like we would be where we are today without that hands-on experience and knowledge. You have to know all sides of the industry.”
Looking back, Tim wouldn’t change a thing when it comes to his career path.
“I love what I do. It becomes stressful at times, just because of LB3’s size and some of the challenges we face, but I like the challenge. I like the culture of the people and giving back to the community. If I could go back in time, I would pick this same course.”
When he thinks about the dirt world today, Tim says that young people should embrace the tough work that he spent his first few years doing.
“The problem with a lot of the newer generation is that everyone wants a quick reward. They want to be running the GPS machine within six months, even if they’re starting. It takes time and experience to grow, and everything that you do ― from checking grade to reading plans to excavating ― you learn a different aspect of the business.”
What drives him today?
“I learn something new every day, whether that’s a trade secret or a different way to do things. I try to have that open mind with our people, and I think they should as well. It keeps everybody thinking.”
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