We kick off our Summer 2024 Intern Spotlight series with Wells Bates, a rising senior studying Building Construction at East Carolina University. This marks Wells’ third summer as a WMJ Intern.
This summer, Wells is working with our estimating team in our Newport News office. Previously he worked on a small renovation for Riverside Health System before spending last summer working with our team at the Newport News Shipyard.
Wells has enjoyed getting to experience many aspects of the construction industry in each of his summers with W. M. Jordan.
“My first summer was a smaller project and a renovation, but it also gave me experience working in a hospital and the requirements and expectations that come with that,” said Bates. “My second summer working on the shipyard, was a much bigger project and new construction. I got to spend time in the field and working in an office role, giving me a better understanding of all aspects of the project.”
The progression of working in the field during a project’s construction to now being in a role that focuses more on preconstruction has helped Wells better understand how everything in a project ties together.
“Spending my first two summers in the field before working with the estimating team this summer has given me a better perspective of the overall process of a project. I can relate to potential challenges and timelines of a project in preconstruction since I have been out and seen them on an actual jobsite.”
“The biggest thing I have enjoyed about estimating is getting to see everything that it takes to make a project successful before construction starts. There is a lot of things that need to happen before we ever break ground that I had no idea about.”
We asked Wells what has kept him coming back to W. M. Jordan each summer, and his answer was simple: the people he gets to work with.
“Each team I have been a part of has been incredibly smart, and passionate about their jobs,” said Bates. “Everyone works together to help achieve the same goal. It is one thing to learn about construction in the classroom but getting real world experience with actual construction professionals has taught me so much more.”
With our clients, partners, and community, W. M. Jordan strives for the relentless pursuit of excellence.
