Author: Janel Brubaker

Founder of R&W Engineering, Mark Wirfs, began his career in the engineering industry while he was still a student at Oregon State University. He worked for one year in the engineering department of a plant as he got his engineering degree. In 1971, he graduated with this Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, and thus began the path that would eventually lead him to start the R&W Engineering business.

Before he decided to study engineering, Mark considered becoming a musician. He has played the trombone since 4^th grade. But he decided to pursue engineering because it was more lucrative. As a senior in high school, he also considered studying physics and interviewed with a physics professor. Ultimately, he chose engineering because he liked that it was less theoretical and would allow him to build things.

After graduation, he started working for a large firm. But, unhappy with his level of advancement there, he changed jobs and went to a smaller firm. In need of something more, he then started looking for another opportunity. That was when he ran into Harry Reeder in an elevator. They struck up a conversation and several months later, they founded R&W Engineering.

When asked what he thought R&W’s greatest challenges have been overall, he said, “Staying in business during economic slowdown. And getting through slow periods of design and construction.” He said there were periods where they had to reduce staff, and that it became necessary to recognize that before real economic problems really hit.

He said during those times, they worked diligently to find new work. It was at this point that they developed a business of working with municipal clients, particularly water and wastewater treatment plants. “Therefore, water and wastewater projects allowed us to grow and find new avenues for work,” said Mark.

When asked what makes R&W successful, he said, “The people have been successful. As we expanded, we made sure to find good people. This really is a people’s business.” Wirfs said that he particularly enjoyed his association with great engineers and designers over the years. Involvement with so many different industries as well as the National Electrical Code (which he participated in as a member to write national electrical codes) meant he, “got to work with a great bunch of people.” R&W values its community, and it is clear this begins with our leadership.

Thinking back over the decades of projects he has worked on, Mark said he remembers several that were particularly interesting. “[R&W] was involved with a printed circuit board chemical treatment facility.” He said that the Chehalis wastewater treatment plant was a project that stood out in his mind. “It’s not often a city replaces a whole plant, and Chehalis did.” When asked what made these projects so unique, he said, “It was the opportunity to work in different environments, and the challenge to help contractors design and procure equipment.”

Outside of work, Mark is very active. He loves to play golf and does so quite a bit. And while he is not a professional musician, he still plays the trombone. He has even been in several different bands and symphonies at different times in his life.

Like so many of our leaders, Mark Wirfs’ dedication to R&W Engineering is one of the reasons we have thrived for as long as we have. With founders like him who prove their commitment to the company and its workers time and time again, we can trust the atmosphere built in this company is one intended to help us all succeed.

Since Oregon’s Shelter-In-Place orders were given, R&W Engineering’s employees have been working remotely. Our fantastic leadership and IT personnel have worked hard to ensure we can do our jobs effectively from home. And while this change presents challenges, adapting to other difficulties because of Covid-19 has also been an on-going process.

There are many challenges we each face as remote workers. For some, the biggest challenge is working from home while their children learn online. This means parents must juggle meal prep, snacks, and helping kids with their work, while also getting their own work done. Some parents try to mitigate this by planning meals and snacks the night before. “We have a menu for the week for lunches, so [the kids] know what they are having. Of course, there are times they want something different than the menu, but they are reminded that this is not a restaurant,” one parent said. Menu and meal prep can be one way to reduce the stress of at-home work and learning.

As for online learning, parents say that some kids do well, while others struggle. Older children can keep themselves on task. But younger children have struggled in the transition. “There are times I have my youngest read books or listen to stories while I work, and we complete his independent assignments when I have a break, am on lunch, or after work.  Each day is different, and we adjust as we go,” said one parent. What a great coping mechanism for these uncertain times, too: remembering that each day is different and it’s okay to adjust as we go.

Other quarantine challenges affect students, parents, teachers, and employees alike. The lack of social interaction can make a negative impact on all of us. Being in isolation for long periods when we’re used to having wide access to family, friends, restaurants, movie theaters, and other people/places, definitely wears on all of us. Many of us are used to being involved in social activities like play dates, softball or other group sports, summer camp, musical festivals, church functions, college, or other learning programs, etc. Being disconnected from all of that is a hard adjustment. “We really are social creatures,” an employee said.

And even though we have things like Zoom, Google Hangouts, FaceTime, and other technologies that allow us to socialize while maintaining distance, there are still other things we miss. Physical affection, being in someone else’s presence, and even being outside of our own home are important to our mental and emotional health. And while our employees have found ways of making this work (socially distancing outside with family and friends, for instance), it is still a struggle.

Not all challenges are directly related to the isolation of quarantine. Some employees say that one of their biggest challenges is managing technology. Learning new tools and utilizing them efficiently, and then switching between programs, can be difficult. Included in this is also the use of different forms of communication. All R&W employees have Microsoft Teams and Outlook on our phones now to increase the likelihood that we will receive any emails and messages that come through, even when not at our computers. “While these tools seem to work well for the most part, it is sometimes difficult to ignore a notification or string of notifications on my non-working hours. It can also be distracting when a conversation via a Team’s chat is taking place and the notifications keep coming.” Working remotely means managing through technological adjustments, and there are times when this is harder than it seems.

Many, if not all, of R&W employees expressed that they miss the social connection of in-person conversations while working. “I miss not being able to see or catch up with co-workers beyond our weekly video chats – larger group conversations make it harder to find out what’s going on with everyone.” Our leadership and management personnel have done a fantastic job of keeping everyone connected. We have a weekly Teams video chat where anyone who wants to can catch up. Our Halloween Party was also virtual last year, and included our Pumpkin Carving and Costume Contests, as well as Halloween Trivia. All of these we would do in-office. “I am typically a social butterfly but feel like a moth lately. I HATE MOTHS!” one employee said.

But we’re also adaptable. Making the most of situations is a healthy way of coping with the uncertain and unexpected. For this employee, having a small social bubble has made all the difference. “When the weather was better, we would do a lot of things outside with family and friends, keeping distance. We also have lots of video calls with family and friends.” Their family has done some online escape room/mystery solving games together, alleviating some of the monotony. Prioritizing virtual socialization is something I think all of us in quarantine need to remember to do. Knowing that there are so many ways to connect to people is helpful.

As we get closer to the one-year mark of working remotely, we’re reminded just how much we’ve endured. And while things continue to be difficult, it’s important to see the little victories. Finding ways of staying connected is a victory. Communicating our struggles is a victory. We hope as 2021 continues to progress through the Covid struggle, you will celebrate your little victories as we celebrate ours.

As we pass into autumn, it’s clear just how much our lives have changed since the global pandemic hit the United States. Amusement parks closed, cancelling many summer plans. State and national parks restricted access, making hiking, BBQs, and camping difficult. And while we have begun to settle into something resembling a new normal, we see how different things are than they were a year ago.

But it’s not all gloomy. R&W employees have kept up to date on a long list of quarantine projects. We have been busy with building and remodel projects, home schooling projects for those with kids, and other activities for personal enjoyment. Being quarantined and away from the office has meant adjusting to difficulties. But it also means more creativity in the ways we entertain ourselves.

Our at-home quarantine projects span a wide array of types and levels of complication. One member of the R&W family has finished a long list of projects, two of which included constructing a house for the well on his property and clearing away the underbrush near the fence around his property. Of all the projects, he listed the well house as his favorite: “[It] was built using metal [for the] siding and roof. I have done some metal roofing but never siding, so this was a fun challenge to figure out all of the connections, overhangs, and trim to make it weather-tight and look nice.”

The other large project he completed was clearing away the brush from around his property to make walking trails: “Clearing brush for the trails is a constant, never ending battle. I have let it go for too long and now it gives me a productive way to get exercise. It’s also a great stress reliever. There are some areas around our fence line that I have not been able to get into for more than 20 years.” Completing components of a project 20 years in the making! That is next-level productivity! This project began, he said, because his wife mentioned she wanted to see the other side of the property from their back deck. And now she can. You can see the before and after pictures below.

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What is interesting about these projects is how diverse they are in terms of what they accomplish. Some projects, like the two just mentioned, are more on the productive side, using quarantine to clean up, remodel, build, and finish up tasks needing to be completed. Other projects have been more on the fun side, taking time to invest in new and old hobbies, and spending time with family. Our next featured projects fall into this category.

Another staff member bought a metal detector and spends time with his daughter every week looking for loose change and other treasures. When asked what prompted this project, he said: “My daughter was at her grandparent’s house for the day and brought home treasures from their backyard…I saw her excitement…and it was a no brainer. Even though she only brought home trash, to her it was buried treasure.” 2 to 3 times each week, they take the metal detector to neighborhood parks, schools, and to the beach to search the sand for buried items that have been left behind and forgotten.

He said they mostly find loose change, primarily pennies. But they have also found match box cars, nails, pop cans, keys, and a couple of bullets. They even found a ring and a charm bracelet, which his daughter loves to wear and are her favorite found items. And he is most excited by the silver nickel and 1954 half-dollar they found. They have been saving all the loose change to show people. “The best part” he said, “is hanging with the kid, for sure!” They usually go out for a couple of hours at a time. Not only is there great bonding between the two of them, but it gets them out of doors in a way that is safe and allows exercise.

Some of our quarantine projects have been simple, but helpful. One staff member built a deck vision screen to maintain privacy as the lot next to their house was sold and was being divided. He said they built it “…using reclaimed fence wood and metal from auto ramps and other materials. Along with some welding and ingenuity, we constructed our 16ft long and 6ft high vision screen.” Maintaining privacy during a time when so many people are staying home is becoming more essential.

Another staff member has been painting. She began in junior high. When asked how she came to be interested in painting, she said, “Watercolors. I did a beautiful watercolor of a vase of roses in 7^th grade and have been hooked ever since.” She primarily works in acrylics since it’s what she has. She said she tried oils over this last weekend and learned it’s not her medium.

She has also taken up relearning to speak French. It was something she started in high school. She said she’s been working since May to expand her knowledge. When asked what her long term plans are for painting and French, she said, “I think with painting I would love to make gifts for people…As for French, it’s just to pass the time.” She did recall once when she was 22 and working at Applebees, a large group of primarily French-speaking customers came into the restaurant. She was the only one working who spoke any French. She was able to help them order. “They were very polite and left a great tip.”

And lastly, another member has been remodeling sections of his home with his wife. They’ve completed quarantine projects, including the extension of their kitchen island to make room for breakfast/prep area, adding a leveled paving stone walkway from the front of the yard, painting their bedroom, and refurbishing a small floor cabinet to hold towels and other toiletries. When asked which project was the hardest, he said, “The island extension by far. It was a lot of standalone kitchen parts…that we put together to make the full extension. [It meant] making sure they all aligned properly and matched…cutting pieces to better lengths, sanding, painting, matching style…” This kitchen island project was also his favorite, he said, because it turned out really well and they use it every day.

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These are only a few of our at-home projects. I’m sure there will be even more as we go into 2021. And while this year has not turned out the way we thought it would, it’s great to see some of the things we still accomplished. Because this is evidence of some of what makes R&W such a fantastic company. We are full of problem solvers, devoted workers, creative thinkers, and strong leaders. As a company and as individuals, we go above and beyond. Even during a global pandemic when stakes are high and so much is uncertain, we still find ways to be productive, both on the job and at home.

2020 has been turbulent, unpredictable, and uncertain. What we all hoped would be only a few months of quarantine has shifted to form a new way of life. Even now, the regular ins and outs of life remain uncertain. However, even with the changes to our daily life, R&W Engineering remains in business. Projects are still in various stages of progress. New projects have been coming in. But the most notable change in all of this has been R&W’s shift to working remotely. Since the last week of March, following Governor Brown’s Shelter-In-Place order, all R&W staff have been working remotely.

But how are R&W’s staff members fairing long term in this working remote situation? I asked around to see how people were doing and found there have been some challenges as well as a lot of success. Most of the challenges have revolved around adjusting to the limitations of working from home. As one person said, “One of the early work arounds was getting used to doing markups in Bluebeam rather than relying on pen and paper.” Having limited access to the office makes aspects of work challenging and adjusting to the digital platforms takes time. Another employee said, “A good amount of my work is doing things around the office so I’m having to shift that work over to archiving.” Adjusting to the at-home workload has been complicated at times, but we have also been learning and growing.

Using online communication platforms, like Microsoft Teams, has made communication much easier. Features like Screen Share mimic the in-office ability to go to someone’s desk to see what’s on their screen. Teams is also available as a mobile app. This allows us to chat with or call coworkers directly, making communication much easier and almost like being in the office. One employee said, “I have grown in my knowledge and comfort on web meetings and working remotely on screen-share with fellow employees.” They were also able to set up a remote site visit for a project out of state.

Other things that have helped staff members have been working at an in-home office rather than at the dining room table and bringing their work chair home from the office. One coworker said, “The other thing that has helped is using a remote local drive that I can download all the stuff from the network I need but it doesn’t bog down the memory in my laptop. When we start returning to the office eventually, the drive is portable and will be easy to bring to the office with me.” Another said, “I’m very frequently on Teams for chatting about projects, video calls with co-workers, and meetings with clients. The in/out board is a great help in figuring out who is around or when someone will be back.” We’ve been making the remote access work for us as much as we can, and so far with great success.

And there are certainly other perks to working from home. One coworker mentioned, “I enjoy the relaxation and comfort of working from home…I coparent two dogs with my mom and they love getting mad that I’m right there but won’t play with them.” Another coworker and his family just adopted two kittens. Another coworker said that he’s an uncle for the 12^th time (wow!), and that his new niece was born so quickly, her parents didn’t make it to the hospital and she was delivered at home (double wow!). Mother and daughter are both healthy, he said. That is exciting news, and we wish all congratulations to his family!

We are curious to know when we will again make our way to the office for work. We even have a contest for employees to guess when Washington County will enter Phase II, allowing us to resume in-office work. The guesses range from mid-September through the end of January of next year. But until then, whenever that might be, we will make the best of where we are. We are determined to keep working. We are dedicated to our clients. And we will keep working hard during this time so that you can rely on us.