Russell Sanders – Principal And VP of Operations

Russell has been working for Barclay Mechanical since he was 13 years old and recently became a Principal and VP of Operations. He started by working full time in the summer sweeping and cleaning the shop. When he graduated High School, he worked full time as an apprentice welder. He learned and developed his welding skills to work his way up and become a journeyman welder. In 2009, he started managing crews as a foreman. By 2011, he was a field superintendent. The most recent career advancement took place a few weeks ago when Russell purchased partial ownership of Barclay Mechanical as a “Principal” and received the title of VP of Operations.

In this role, he will ensure excellence and efficiency in all of Barclay Mechanical’s jobs. He will focus on organizational goals and the execution of those goals. He will also work with the field superintendents, giving them guidance and support with their jobs.

Russell worked as a field superintendent for 11 years, and as a senior field superintendent for the last 6 years. As the senior field superintendent, Russell was always the supervisor on the job. Whether he had other leaders (a junior field superintendent or one or more senior foreman) working under him. He made sure to meet with his leadership team at the end of each working day to go over the plan for the following day. Russell’s approach has always been to allow his mentees to tell him what their projected plan is and then Russell aids it whatever way necessary to help them be successful at it.

When Russell was working on job site each day, he ensured the guys had all the materials they needed for the job. He completed necessary purchase orders to keep the job running smoothly. He would also complete the daily paperwork for quality control packets. This would include getting all the x-rays checked, audited and accurate. Then compiling the reports into a binder. He also ensured that the x-ray company was certified and provided certification documents. Then, he tracked each welder’s number of welds and their quality to promote efficiency and proficiency on each project.

In addition to regular field superintendent duties, Russell is a certified welding inspector (CWI). This allows him to perform and analyze tests on individual welds. This is most often the case for work done at refineries. In order to certify a weld, Russell will complete a heat treatment on the weld, then complete a weld mapping and include dates, times, weld, and stages of heat treatments in the documentation.

Oftentimes in his career, Russell is found describing himself as a “Heinze 57” superintendent instead of an “A1” superintendent. Meaning, he is a jack of all trades and is willing to do anything asked of him even if he hasn’t done it before. He accepts the challenge and tries to do it instead of backing down and succumbing to the attitude that it is not his job responsibility.

This is why Russell is now a Principal and VP of Operations at Barclay Mechanical. He meets the customer’s expectations impeccably by communicating with them often. When Russell sees that something is wrong in the build process, he doesn’t just present the problem to the client. He also presents them with a solution.

He works frequently with the engineers to ensure the mechanical drawings have a design-build and can accurately be executed. He coordinates with sub-contractors such as electricians, painters, concrete masons, etc.

Like other leaders at Barclay Mechanical, a typical day as a field superintendent for Russell began at 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. If his crew was working a 5/10 (five days a week for 10 hours a day), then Russell was working a 5/12. Each day he put in an additional hour at the beginning and the end of the workday to ensure the proper project flow.

While Russell works at Barclay Mechanical, his wife Mandy works full-time for Trajector Disability as a hearing manager. 

Russell and Mandy have three children ranging from age 13 to five.

In his free time, Russell loves spending time with his family, especially if it is outdoors-related. He and his family love to camp, hunt, and ride four-wheelers.

About Barclay Mechanical

Barclay Mechanical is an industrial mechanical construction contractor, offering heavy-duty welding and fabrication services. Established in 1980, Barclay has become a leading mechanical contractor – working all over the country in the energy, food processing, production and agricultural sectors. We offer the highest level of quality craftsmanship at competitive prices within specified time-frames. We guarantee safety is our number one focus and pride ourselves in having a company culture which encourages hard work, honesty, fairness, and personal improvement.