Team Member Highlight: Rick Bradley

Before we opened our doors in 1983 as Goodwin-Lasiter, Inc. Rick Bradley had been working for Scott & Strong since 1976. When we partnered with Scott & Strong in 2001, Rick along with the rest of the Scott & Strong staff became part of the GLS family. For nearly 20 years, Mr. Bradley has served as a designer in our architecture department working on various projects from schools and churches to dealerships and more. Rick's top 3 favorite projects over his time at GLS have been:

Pilgrim Pride - "This particular project was a challenge and after several years of working as a designer, I have come to love a good challenge! Pilgrim's is one of the largest chicken producers in the U.S. and their needs and building requirements were quite different than the typical needs of an entity such as a school district."
Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) Library Addition - A total of 7,000 sq. ft. was added on to the existing library in order to include new offices, student meeting areas, tutoring rooms, and counseling areas.
New Mercer-Nissan Dealership - The building had a total area of 24,000 sq. ft. which included a vehicle showroom, sales office, manager/owner office, customer lounge, parts department, service bays, wash bays and a new and used vehicle display area.

Prior to working as a designer, Rick grew up in Rusk, Texas were upon graduating high school, began working at Lufkin Industries, a company that provides oilfield equipment to various companies around the world. While at Lufkin Industries, Rick received an Associate of Applied Science Degree-Drafting & Design Tech. After about 3 years of working with Lufkin Industries, Rick decided to further pursue his passion in design and attended Texas A&M University where received a Bachelor of Environmental Design degree in 1981.

When Asked why he wanted to become a designer Rick responded, "Well when I was a child I wanted to work for the FBI and be part of the top law enforcement - basically I dreamed of becoming a secret agent. However, as I grew up a little and started thinking about my future career path, I realized that I loved designing something on paper - now on computer - and then watching what I created come to life in an actual, physical building. Even as a kid, I was fascinated by the construction of things and my father was the one who encouraged me to become a designer."

At the top of his class at Angelina College, Mr. Bradley was referred to Scott and Strong by one of his professors. Hired as a drafter by Scott and Strong in 1976, Mr. Bradley now has over 40 years of experience in the architectural field. From producing architectural and structural drawings on AutoCAD to coordinating architectural and structural drawings with mechanical plumbing and electrical drawings, and evaluating a contractor's compliance with schematics, Rick has experience with various types of facilities as shown below.

"Work at GLS has been a great experience for me, and i have especially always loved the culture of the company, both from when it was just Scott & Strong, to now being Goodwin-Lasiter-Strong. Everyone in my department has such a great sense of humor and is extremely respectful of each other - I have always appreciated that balance. However, out of everything, I value the GLS family most because of the mentors I have found throughout the company. I have been a designer for quite a few years, but as our team continues to grow, I receive the opportunity to learn new things."

FUN FACTS

Q. If you had to listen to one album (or artist) on repeat for an entire year, what would it be?

A. Paul Hardcastle - JazzMasters4

Q. If you were a superhero, what would your super power be?

A. To give everyone love for each other

Q. What is your dream car?

A. Austin Martin DB11 Coupe

Q. If you were stranded on an island for a year and could not leave, what 3 items would you have air dropped to you?

A. A machete knife, matches and my Bible