Tom Berch
Job Title: Superintendent
Company: CRB Group
Location: Rockville, Md.
Age: 27
Years on the Job: 6
Interests: Lifting weights, playing music and writing songs, playing video games, and getting outside as much as possible
As a kid, Tom Berch enjoyed taking apart small electronics, much to his parents’ dismay. He has a lifelong interest in technology, and his dad and uncles have been involved in the construction industry — from landscaping to carpentry to electrical contracting.
“Through them, I was introduced to the construction industry early, but I enjoyed the technical aspect of the electrical industry the most,” Berch says.
Born and raised in and around Germantown, Md., Berch switched from computer engineering to electrical engineering his sophomore year and hasn’t looked back. During the summers, he worked as a contractor’s assistant doing hands-on work.
“Through that experience, I realized how much I enjoyed being in the field,” he says. “I strategically positioned myself to not fall under the traditional design or field role found within the industry.”
After graduating from college, he worked as a design electrical engineer before moving to a general contractor. These past experiences have helped prepare him for his current dual role as an MEP design manager and superintendent.
“There’s nothing quite like solving a difficult engineering or construction problem that’s been plaguing a team and watching it be implemented in real time,” Berch says.
Currently, his company is working on a 90,000-sq-ft, $90-million Life Sciences Building fit-out, which, when completed, will provide proprietary life-saving medicine. In the future, he envisions himself running bigger projects from a joint project director type of role.
“In the more distant future, I hope to run a division or office that will continue to work on projects that benefit humankind,” he says. “I plan to reach these future goals by continuing to learn and refine my project management skills from both a design and field perspective.”
