Wessler is pleased to announce Aaron Hutton as our Employee of the Month! We asked Aaron a few questions about himself so you could get to know him better.
What are your roles and responsibilities for clients of Wessler Engineering?
Working in a satellite office, I do a little of everything. First and foremost, I am project manager and engineer on projects for clients in northeastern Indiana. Our projects are more geographic/client-based than discipline-based, so I work on everything from water booster stations, water and wastewater facility projects, collection and distribution projects, and everything in between. I am also the office manager, so I look after the planning and budgeting of our office. I also work with our business development team to make sure we keep up with the needs of our clients and assist them anyway we can.
Tell us one thing you want each of our clients to know about you?
I started my career working for a contractor in the water and wastewater industry. Now, I bring that construction knowledge and experience to design projects. I try to bring a practical and buildable solution to every project. I am very thankful for the experience that I received and don’t think I would be the engineer or manager I am without it. Wessler believes in this as a company, as well, and this is something that I am really excited about. Each project has a constructability review done by our in-house construction manager. I think this is a very valuable asset.
What does the “Wessler Way” mean to you?
To me, the Wessler Way is about utilizing all of the Wessler resources to serve our clients. One of the things that brought me to Wessler was the tremendous amount expertise and experience we have in all of our offices. All of our projects are approached with a team effort, pulling experienced staff from all project areas to produce a successful project. Everyone within the company is a part of this and is always willing to provide support wherever needed.
What is the most important lesson you have learned over the last year?
Don’t ever let your past experience dictate what you can and can’t accomplish. There was one instance this past year where I was hesitant to branch into something new, even though I was confident in our skills and ability. Thanks to support, encouragement, and a little pushing from others, we embraced the opportunity and were successful.
Rumor has it you have a history with llamas – How did that come about?
Not really by choice. My grandparents are very interesting people. At some point in their life they got into llamas. So much so, that they were one of the state’s largest breeders and showed them all over the country. My parents never got into it, but the grandkids were brought along for the ride. I have actually shown llamas in several state, regional, and national shows. Much to the dismay of my parents, my sister and I each got a llama for Christmas one year. They make great pets and are very cool animals if you have the room for them. However, we have no plans to have any llamas at our house anytime soon.
You’ve got this fish hanging on your wall – what kind is it? Is it real? How do you balance the love of your prized fish and the fact that it seems like no one wants it around besides you?
To answer the last question first, I balance that by finding a job that gives me my own office where I can hang it. The fish is a 44” barracuda. I caught “it” deep sea fishing with a college roommate in Florida. We both caught one. The fishing crew made them out to be huge prize fish, you get caught up in the moment, and they convince you to have it mounted (at a very high price). I am sure they got commission off the entire thing. Anyhow, what they don’t tell you is that most salt water fish aren’t actually stuffed. They are used to make a mold and then what you get is a plastic fish, molded after yours, and then air brushed to match. My wife hates it, and apparently so does the Wessler Fort Wayne staff. At this point, I just keep it around to spite all those people. I am not really that attached to it.
Tell us about your water skiing. Any injuries or classic stories you can tell?
Waterskiing is one of my true passions. If I am not working or spending time with the family, I try to be skiing. Lately I have been very fortunate that my kids (ages 2 and 5) have started skiing as well (my wife started skiing when she met me) and now we can all spend time together on the lake. Those are my best memories. I started competing in tournaments in college and I still compete regularly in slalom skiing and in trick skiing. This year was a pretty good season and I qualified for the national tournament in both disciplines. I have had lots of injuries over the years; mostly sprains and bruises, had a couple cracked ribs and one back surgery. I try to forget I am getting older and do all the things I did in my twenties! None of it has kept me out too long.
You’ve got some R/C cars. Are you a racing fan? If so, who is your favorite driver? Do you race R/C cars or just play with them around the house?
I wouldn’t really consider myself a race fan, but definitely into cars. I used to race R/C cars when I was a kid. Recently my son found one of my old cars and took to the hobby. We haven’t taken him racing yet. So far we are just playing around the house. He got a new one for his birthday, and I, of course, had to get a new one to keep up with his. Now every time I upgrade his, I have to upgrade mine to make sure mine stays just a little bit faster! I recently built a dirt track behind our house for us and the neighbors to race on.
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