Tommy Franke has been with The Rios Group since March of 2017. As a Senior Project Manager at our San Antonio (Universal City) office, he helps grow our business and maintain relationships with clients and local utility owners. He works on a vast range of projects providing Subsurface Utility Engineering and loves the challenge of locating utilities. When he is not in the office, Tommy enjoys spending time with his daughter and wife, fishing, and going hunting. We asked Tommy some questions about his experience with The Rios Group and being a project manager.
Tommy wasn’t always a Project Manager for SUE, in fact he started off at an electrical engineering firm. “I joined an electrical engineering firm in 2000 where I helped with overhead & underground power lines and substation design. I then pursued a local firm and joined them as a Customer Service Manager where I performed numerous tasks including CAD, records research, business development and marketing. That position grew into an Assistant Project Manager roll and then to a Project Manager position” Tommy said. With each position he pursued he gained more experience to become the Senior Project Manager he is today at TRG.
Tommy enjoys the challenging projects and being able to provide answers to utility questions that others have been unable to obtain. He stated, “TxDOT projects are very satisfying as well. Being able to drive down the road knowing you were an intricate part of the design for the layouts of these roadways and bridges is a unique experience”. By using Subsurface Utility Engineering, Mr. Franke has helped numerous clients save money and time. Tommy shared, “When working for a small non-profit we were tasked with identifying utilities within an expansion area for their school. During our investigation, we identified a lot more utilities than what the school believed was in the area. Our SUE work helped the design team adjust the building footprint to minimize the impact of utility relocations which ultimately saved the non-profit company from potential utility damages, construction delays and most importantly injuries.” Tommy, as well as all our Project Managers, take great pride in the work they do and take satisfaction in helping our clients.
The San Antonio (Universal City) office is TRG’s newest addition and the best place to work according to Mr. Franke. He stated, “Being the newest and fastest growing office in the company, the San Antonio office has a great work environment, and all the employees enjoy coming to work every day”. In Tommy’s eyes, the best aspect of working with TRG is being a part of a team of professionals that knows what it takes to get the job completed on time and under budget for our clients. “TRG is unique because of our overall combined experience in years from our Project Managers, Professional Engineers and Field Staff. Even though we are a relatively younger company, the experience from our senior leadership shows in our final products and deliverables” stated Mr. Franke. If Tommy could sum up The Rios Group in one word, it would be Quality.
At The Rios Group we offer expert Subsurface Utility Engineering and Utility Coordination services. We identify potential issues and bring awareness to them so that there are no delays or hefty unplanned costs added to our client’s projects. If you are interested in learning more about The Rios Group or would like to join our team, contact careers@rios-group.com.
