A Bond Like Brothers

Over many years of working together, Matt Allen and Mike Holst have developed a relationship like brothers – they encourage each other in tough situations and are quick with jokes.
 
“We usually know what the other one is thinking, so it makes working together and communication easy,” Mike says.
 
Recently, Mike joined Matt in the civil department at O’Shea as the civil division project manager. But it’s not the first time they’ve worked side by side.  
 
Their career paths first aligned at Otto Baum’s Heavy-Highway division, servicing the Decatur and Springfield areas. Matt worked as a project manager/estimator and moved up to Regional Manager. Mike was initially an intern while he finished up high school and continued to work summers during college, before being hired fulltime as a project manager/estimator.
 
The two collaborated daily at Otto Baum to pursue, estimate, and manage projects for both the public and private sectors.
 
Eventually, both made their way to O’Shea. They agreed they were drawn to O’Shea by the culture, which is focused on leadership, development, and personal/professional growth.
 
“O’Shea is always encouraging employees to grow in every aspect, as well as developing and keeping strong relationships with clients. That makes O’Shea their choice for any project,” Mike shares.
 
Now after working in different departments at O’Shea for several years, the two friends will once again join forces in the civil department, which handles all of the demolition, earthwork, and site utilities for construction projects.
 
“O’Shea has a unique way of approaching the construction process, and I’m really excited to see where we can take things,” Matt says. “With Mike’s experience and leadership, we can develop and grow the business unit to its full potential – providing the quality of service so many have come to expect, safely, and consistently.” 
 
In construction, every day is different – and even when you run into inevitable difficulties, it’s easier knowing you have supportive coworkers alongside you.
 
“The challenges are always going to be there, but working with the right team makes all the difference,” Matt says. “We work hard and have a good time doing it.”