February 8, 2022

HGC Teammate Spotlight: Jackson Parsons, Superintendent

Tell us a little about yourself – How did you get started in the construction industry and what brought you to HGC?

JP: I got started in the construction industry when I was a freshman in high school! At the time I worked for a utilities company in the Triad, basically serving as their owner’s assistant. I worked with them through the summers and on weekends throughout high school.

After high school, I got married and moved down to Charlotte from Winston-Salem and started working at Food Lion while I was in the Construction Management Program at Central Piedmont Community College. I knew I really wanted to get back into construction field and out of the retail industry. While I was at Food Lion, someone from Hoopaugh came in with their HGC jacket on so I asked what the company culture was like and if they were hiring. They told me HGC was an awesome team with great opportunities and a lot of room for growth, so I gave them my information, applied, and two weeks later I was working here!

You’ve had a unique journey through the ranks at HGC! How long have you been with the company? What positions have you held and what is your current position?

JP: I will have been here 4 years in March! I started out as a Roller Operator on the Mass Grading side and worked my way up through the heavy equipment from the roller to the articulated truck, to the excavator and dozer. At that point, I started helping the Mass Grading Superintendents set grades, lay out jobs, coordinate haul routes, and really just assisting in running the site. I was always there and willing to learn.

Now to where I am now … I was working at a project in Chester, SC with a lot of the erosion control teammates when Grayson Glover [VP of Construction, HGC] needed some help on that side of the business. He brought me over to the erosion control and fine grade side full-time and since then I’ve learned and grown into my current role as Superintendent!

Jackson at one of his projects!

What does a “typical” workday look like for you?

JP: I’m typically on the road by 5AM to get to HGC East by 5:30-5:45 for the daily meeting with our managers and leadership team. We review all the projects and schedules for the day and adjust if needed. We then huddle up with the operators and crews to go through everything together before everyone heads out to their scheduled sites.

At this point, I’ll head out to several different jobs and get them outlined and rolling. I’ll start to make my rounds to multiple sites ,or stay at one, depending on what is needed. Some days you have one job and other days you have four or five. Every afternoon, we have our daily scheduling call to prep for the next day. Depending on the status of each project we’ll schedule all our teammates and delegate them to each site. We’ll schedule the managers and superintendents for the next day at this call too, so I’ll know where I’m going the next day. At that point, I hop off that call, make my rounds again, and then head home around 5:30-6PM.

What do you enjoy most about your role as a Superintendent?

JP: There’s a lot I enjoy about it! I enjoy the freedom I have to make decisions and plan these jobs from beginning to end and see how the sites change from a piece of land to the final product.

HGC has five core values – which one is your favorite?

JP: They’re all really important and to be the best I think you have to follow all five. If I had to choose one though, I’d choose Integrity. When you always do the right thing and do it when no one is looking, that’s the mark of a true leader.

What would you tell someone that is just starting out in the construction industry?

JP: We need young people from this generation to come in and learn from the older generation while bringing in new developments and integrate them into daily operations. We need a workforce, and we need a workforce that is willing to learn.

Be prepared to show up with your hard hat and an open mind. If you’re willing to put in the work, there’s endless opportunities for advancement, especially at HGC. When I started out four years ago as a roller operator, I never thought I’d be where I am but with the support of leadership and our teammates, the sky really is the limit.

Jackson discusses site plans with HGC Apprentice, Antonio McManus (middle) and Field Manager, Eddie Rollings (left)

What do you think the construction industry will look like in 20 years and how do you see technology impacting it?

JP: It’s hard to say with all the technology coming out, but I think we’ll see even more remote control and automated equipment. And I hope to see this younger generation managing jobs sooner rather than later!

We definitely benefit from the advanced construction technology out there now but going forward I’d like to see more balance with technology, so we don’t get too reliant on it. It’s a tremendous asset and I’m excited to see where it goes!

Describe the culture at HGC.

JP: The culture here is unlike anything I’ve seen at other places. We’re close knit and everyone here really gets along. We get the job done, and we have a good time doing it!

What advice would you give someone starting out at HGC in particular?

JP: Come in with an open mind, ask questions, learn everything you can, write things down, and if you want to advance this is certainly the place to do it. HGC gives you every opportunity to succeed, you just have to seize it!

Jackson and Antonio have a laugh looking over plans!

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