We continue our “Get to Know” blog series where we highlight members of our team and spend some time getting to know them, the important work they do and how they fit into our Hylan Family.

Today, we would like to introduce Craig Snelson, SW Regional Operations Manager for Hylan West, a Hylan Company that is a full-service, design-build contractor specializing in broadband, communications, intelligent transport systems (ITS), fiber optic network platforms and wireless solutions. Hylan West focuses on all outside plant construction activities including new technologies such as microtrenching, distributed antenna systems (DAS), tower construction and modifications. Mr. Snelson has more than 30 years experience in the industry specializing in all aspects of underground dry utilities construction, primarily communications, trenching, boring, manhole and vault placement, fiber and coax cable pulling. He has held numerous management positions including foreman, superintendent, estimator and project manager, and was a business owner for 2.5 years specializing in underground utilities construction.

At Hylan West, Mr. Snelson is responsible for all day to day operations, including construction and leading a team of project managers and supervisors. He grew up in southern California, but has called Ahwatukee, Arizona, outside Phoenix, home for more than 30 years with his wife and three children. In his spare time, you can find him hiking, on the golf course, on his boat or water skis.

Hylan West, formerly Tetra Tech Utility Construction (TUC) before Hylan acquired the company last year, performs fiber placement, ODAS and utility construction services across the Greater Phoenix area, Sacramento and Southern California. As a valued employee of the former TUC since 2015, what has been your experience with becoming Hylan West?

The transition to Hylan West and the Hylan Companies has been very exciting. A lot of hard work and strategy went into an acquisition of this size. We have strong leadership in place that is steering the course and we are enthusiastic about new opportunities in the future.

What do you most enjoy about working for Hylan West? 

I truly enjoy working with my fantastic Hylan West team everyday. Every person goes above and beyond to get the job done. They are extremely supportive of one another and never complain. This team is second to none in this industry and it’s a privilege to work with this talented group.

Any recent exciting projects at Hylan West that you can tell us about? 

We have some exciting and significant projects underway that will expand Hylan West’s footprint across the southwest. We are keeping the details under wraps for now, but this new partner enjoys tapping into our turnkey capabilities to support their business. Our team is already receiving great feedback and we’re excited to share the news soon.

We hear Hylan West is expanding its service regions this year; can you tell us any more about that? 

Our expansion plans will be diversified to continue showing Hylan West’s value in different parts of the U.S. and across different business segments. It’s been great to connect with people we’ve had relationships for years, and continue to build upon them.

What else is ahead for Hylan West in 2019?

 In addition to our expansion plans, we are going through some changes internally to improve processes that will positively impact our customers. With the acquisition, we switched over to a new accounting system so our team can be more efficient and spend more time with our valued customers. It has been a great and much needed change!

For young professionals seeking to enter the telecom and contracting industries, any special advice you can give to them?

I grew up in this industry working for seasoned professionals in the field. One thing I learned is that you earn what you get and nobody owes you anything. You have to work hard and take advantage of training opportunities to better yourself and keep moving forward. It’s also important to find a mentor in the industry and absorb as much information as you can from them. A mentor can make all the difference in your career.

Interested in learning more about Hylan and its companies? Or working for us? Click here!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter & LinkedIn for the latest news, and continue checking our blog for more in our “Get to Know” series. Until next time…

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