January 3, 2025 A Day in the Life: High Country Estimator Rob Dixon
Rob Dixon’s career journey has been anything but linear.
From journeyman plumber to managing a home improvement retail store to part-time caramel apple connoisseur and full-time office manager, Rob’s career has had plenty of variability. That’s why he finds his current position as an estimator at High Country Line Construction, Inc. (High Country) so fulfilling. No two projects are the same, and his experiences allows him to learn and adjust to the nuances of each opportunity, keeping his days fresh and exciting.
Read on to learn more about Rob’s role at High Country, and why after a career of variability, this is where he wants to stay.
Q: What did your career journey look like?
My construction experience started when I graduated from high school. I went into plumbing and was going to school to become a journeyman plumber. From there, I went to work for a home improvement retailer, and they hired me into the retail side of construction before going through the management training program. I managed company stores for about 16 years, overseeing 200 employees.
Q: How did you get started with High Country?
I joined High Country in 2019. My wife and I had started a caramel apple business called Apple Love, which remains our side business, but I came to High Country with my construction background. It’s probably been the best decision I ever made. It’s been a fantastic opportunity, and I’ve enjoyed everything about High Country. I began as an office manager and then I was presented with an estimator position that I moved into in 2020.
I went through the estimator training program and graduated the three-year program in 2023. Now I’m helping build the next part of our estimating team through mentoring and helping grow the business.
I went through the estimator training program and graduated the three-year program in 2023. Now I’m helping build the next part of our estimating team through mentoring and helping grow the business.
Rob Dixon
Q: Why do you think you were asked to be an estimator?
I tend to pride myself on being a good communicator, a good listener, and a good team player. I think they saw me as a self-starter as well. They had me come in as a manager and I took on more roles and responsibilities, so being self-motivated helped me in the new role. I’m somebody they can trust with a deadline to get something done.
Q: What does a job as an estimator look like?
You have to accurately estimate the cost of work, whether that be materials, labor, equipment, or anything else. You have to understand the full scope of a project and be able to have a sense of the potential problems and their associated cost considerations. We put together in a proposal, which gives a price, schedule, and work plan to the customer. We’re always looking at the big picture and putting it all together.
Q: What experiences have been valuable in your career and have helped you be a better estimator?
I think it’s owning my mistakes. We all make mistakes, and I think the biggest thing is knowing how to learn from each one. This comes down to the level of trust in our team. We trust that each of us will ultimately get the job done.
I also think knowing when to ask questions is extremely important when you’re estimating, especially when you’re learning. Having a mentor and being able to ask those questions helps foster employee success. Once you see your work come full circle, you start to understand how the rubber meets the road. Spending time in the field and actually seeing the project and working with the people in the field has been important to me as well.
Q: What are your favorite aspects of High Country’s culture?
Strong relationships, effective communication, and understanding that there’s more to life than work are all important here. That’s part of the culture that I’ve really enjoyed, and it’s the type of leader that (High Country president) Clay Thompson has been. Clay’s been absolutely amazing. He’s been accommodating, appreciative, and knows that if he asks me to do something, I’ll get it done. We’ve built that trust with each other. It’s nice we have that culture here because it leads to more work-life balance.
I’m always learning something, and I can see my growth from four years ago when I started in estimating to where I am now. It really is just a great opportunity to grow myself and grow the company.
Rob Dixon
Q: What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part is working on the estimates and seeing the success and growth of High Country. We’ve taken this smaller company to greater heights. Plus, there’s variability. It’s not always the same because all the jobs are different. That’s the wonderful thing about what we do as a company because we’re all over the country and that’s why I love it.
I’m always learning something, and I can see my growth from four years ago when I started in estimating to where I am now. It really is just a great opportunity to grow myself and grow the company.