Today marks two years for me with ECI, and I have to say it still feels like a dream. Hands down ECI is the BEST company I have worked for, period. My journey in the landscaping & utility line clearance industry has been a long and interesting one. I have worked for a few different employers on the "manual labor" side of the industry, constantly feeling like I had something more to offer other than my back & sweat. Before ECI, I only had jobs. Now (for the first time in my professional life) I have a career that offers me opportunities to grow & thrive in an industry that I have loved from a very early age. I no longer feel stuck and feel that I am building toward a future for myself & family. For the first time in my life, I feel proud when people ask me what I do and who I work for.

From Recruiting to Interview to Onboarding, I have been incredibly impressed—the candidate process has been seamless! I have heard wonderful feedback about ECI and my future Supervisor. I am excited to be joining the ECI team.

I’ve worked in national parks and in marine science, but I rank my nearly 2 years with ECI as the best job I’ve had. I really appreciate having autonomy in my workday, a strong commitment to safety, and the opportunities and resources provided for upward mobility within the industry. It’s great waking up in the morning and looking forward to my workday because I have a job that serves as a foundation for an exciting career, I’m outdoors, and doing something new every day.

As a veteran who left the Marines in 2015, I bounced from job to job eagerly trying to find the type of leadership that inspired me to be the best. But it wasn’t until I was volunteering on Arbor Day in 2019 with the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce that I met an employee from a company I’m truly proud to work for. In hindsight maybe I should have been volunteering in my community before then, and I would’ve found an organization that I believe in quicker. Nonetheless I ask, do you ever get the feeling that some people are just a good fit? Fortunately, that’s the connection I felt about ECI after interacting with one of their employees who was volunteering alongside me on Arbor Day. 

I started my new career at ECI in June 2019 with minimal experience in the vegetation management industry, key word on the minimal. I was scared to say the least but as veterans can attest, we are well adapted at overcoming adversity. My first week on the job began with me being flown to Wake Forest, NC for a comprehensive training program that was designed to bring me up to par with industry expectations. Of course, during this training there were doubts if I had made the right decision, but this apprehension was put to rest after interacting with the leadership at ECI. We’ve all had that senior leader who thought they were the best thing since sliced bread, but not at ECI. The genuine care the leadership possesses about their employees and down to earth attitude put me at ease. With confidence I can say thus far, humility has been an attribute of every employee I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with.