A few weeks ago, we happily announced the addition of Stefan Graeber, P.E., to our Civil/Site Team. Before joining Sain, he worked as a professional civil engineer in the public and private sectors. His project experience spans all phases of project design, bidding, construction, and project closeout. But did you know that Stefan is a native of Germany?
Read on for more details about Stefan Graeber, Sain Associates’ Civil/Site Team Leader.
Stefan learned at a young age about the importance of persistence, continuous learning, and courage. During his junior year of high school, Stefan participated in a foreign exchange program that landed him in Curry, Alabama. Over time, he overcame the “new kid” stigma and the language barrier. Stefan fell in love with Southern culture and enrolled at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He received a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree and later a Master of Engineering in Construction Management from the university. While earning his undergraduate degree, Stefan lived with his foreign exchange program host family and interned for a local engineering firm. After graduating from UAB, he began working for a German engineering company in Birmingham.
When asked about his favorite type of projects, Stefan says that he loves any assignment that is a challenge and requires creativity. Regardless if it is a multi-million-dollar industrial project or a smaller scale retail project, he enjoys finding solutions for clients. He measures a project’s success by providing a high-quality level of service to Sain’s client base.
Stefan and his wife Christa live in Jasper with their three children: Mattie, Sam, and Sydnee. He and his family enjoy traveling and spending time at Smith Lake.
As a fun way to get to know our newest Team Leader, we asked several rapid-fire questions:
Q: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
A: Treat everyone how you would like to be treated.
Q: If you weren’t an engineer, what would you be doing?
A: My childhood dream was to become a pilot and fly large commercial planes. I grew up close to a large airport and spent countless hours watching planes take off and land. However, getting motion sickness put an early end to that career choice!
Q: What is your favorite thing about working at Sain?
A: I enjoy working with my team and co-workers. Sain’s team has a genuine desire to provide the highest standard of professional service. Plus, I appreciate their commitment to making Sain a family-oriented work environment. People care not only for their work but for each other as well.