Lynchburg Business

Leader of the Month: Robbie Hall

Issue: June 2010 by Lynchburg Business in Leader of the Month

Job Title: Area Detailing Manager for CMC Rebar Virginia in Madison Heights, VA
Age: 27
Hometown: Born – Mechanicsville, Maryland / Current – Appomattox, Virginia

Nine years ago, I applied to CMC Rebar’s Baltimore, Maryland, office while I was completing my Associate’s degree in Computer Aided Drafting at the Community College of Baltimore County. I took a business communications course that required each student to complete a project that responded to a job advertisement in their desired career path. For this assignment, I used an advertisement from CMC Rebar. I did really well on the project and had a serious interest in the position, so I sent my information to CMC Rebar. From there, I was called in for an interview and they found that my qualifications met their needs.

2. What does your daily role at CMC entail?

As Area Detailing Manager, my role at CMC includes overseeing all detailing (engineering) operations and detailer development/training across five offices in Virginia and Maryland. In addition to my area responsibilities, I directly manage the Technical Center in Madison Heights. I am also a liaison for CMC to the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) and the American Concrete Institute (ACI) as I am actively involved in their technical committees at various levels including Vice-Chairman. Day-to-day, my role is the same as most typical managers—meetings, phone conferences, developing and reviewing reports, etc. Although “paperwork” is a very real part of my job, I do all I can to put “people work” first. I feel the real value I can add is accomplished through spending time with the people I manage…guiding, coaching, supporting and helping them solve problems.

3. What has your time at CMC taught you, not only as a professional, but about life in Central Virginia as a whole?

The amount of effort you put into a situation determines how much you get out of it. I know it sounds cliché’, but it is a fundamental truth.

4. CMC is a huge, worldwide company. How does the Technical Center in Madison Heights plug into the company as a whole?

The Technical Center is the first and currently the only technical resource center within CMC Americas. In this capacity, we support our rebar operations nationwide. We provide rebar detailing and project coordination services, technical expertise and management of special projects. We develop and maintain standards, training initiatives and technical information. We also maintain a working knowledge of all applicable standards and stay actively involved in both CRSI and ACI.

5. What one thing do you love most about your job?

Learning and helping others learn. Over the years, I have worked with a lot of great people who have been willing to share their knowledge with me. One thing I really love about my job is sharing what I know with everyone I can and learning from them at the same time.

6. What is the most challenging thing about your job?

Balancing the time necessary to address the work required for my responsibilities, as well as helping and supporting others in addressing theirs.

7. Your future career goals are:

• Maintain a healthy balance between work and family (I have been blessed with a beautiful wife and three handsome boys).
• Work hard and have fun.
• Create opportunities for myself and others.
• Make a difference in the successes of the company I work for and in the lives of those that work for me.

8. Tell us something unusual about yourself.

Music (both listening and playing) has always been and still is my passion. I played trumpet in school-sponsored concerts and jazz bands in both middle and high school. I have played guitar for 12 years and actually had a rock band that played gigs on a regular basis for about four years. During my senior year in high school and my first year of community college studies, I worked as a guitar salesman.

9. What professional experiences are you most proud of?

• Working on the Pentagon Reconstruction Project (Phoenix Project) after 9/11
• Being part of the team that developed the Technical Center
• Accepting the Innovator of the Year award from the Region 2000 Technology Council

10. Do you have any career advice for other business leaders?

• Care about what you do, how you do it and how you treat people along the way…others around you will do the same.
• Hire the right people and then support them and empower them in their role. The results will amaze you.
• Make time for training and developing your team.
• Don’t underestimate the importance of timely feedback and “spur of the moment” coaching.
• Listen.

11. Share one of your best experiences from your time working in Madison Heights.

Having the opportunity to get involved and establish relationships with organizations, programs and people in the community has been (and still is) a great experience.