The Real Harris: Meet Darrel Bugel

Tell us about your background. How did you get your start in construction/service/BAS? What drew you to the industry?

“I grew up around the mechanical/plumbing industry, working as a helper, shop hand and estimator while going through school at UW – Madison.  I learned a ton from project managers, field FM and my dad. Back then, I was intrigued by the challenge and excitement of winning and building significant projects. That feeling still exists today.”

What drew you to Harris? What makes you stay?

“Harris always had a solid reputation in the upper Midwest and was well positioned to grow. When I think back to when I first joined Harris in 1997 – we were Minnesota-focused, doing about $70 million in plumbing, HVAC and Service. Today, Harris is poised to exceed $700 million with expanded services (Engineering, BIM, Fab, plumbing, HVAC, BAS, Service, Telemetry, etc.) in multiple locations. It’s been an amazing experience being part of the Harris team, navigating these growth years. The same Harris growth storyline stands to continue, with even more opportunities in the future.”

What do you enjoy about working at Harris?

“We get involved with amazing projects built by great teams. It takes resources, creative ideas and a major team effort to be successful. At Harris, you have the opportunity to be involved with ‘once in a life-time projects’ –  something other companies can’t come close to offering.”

What is the best part about your position?

“I really enjoy the variety of people you work with and relationships you develop – office, field, shop, vendors, subs, customers, etc. Career paths change, but the relationships can stay forever. It’s not just the size or bottom-line success of a project that makes it special; rather the people involved, challenges overcome and lessons learned.”

What are some of the main responsibilities and initiatives that you lead?

“I am currently involved in our P3 process initiatives, QFP strategic initiatives and HBS system implementation. Combined, these initiatives will help improve our operations performance with better process and tools. Success will be measured in years to come.”

Focus is important. How do you handle external factors that affect the business? How do you prevent yourself from over or under reacting?

“External variables are constantly affecting our business – often business plans need to be adjusted on the fly. We have to make decisions, retool the plan and keep moving forward. Most importantly, we need to keep a long-term perspective and stay true to values and goals.”

Looking ahead, what are some of the biggest opportunities for Harris? Business challenges?

“We have tremendous expertise and resources to leverage for any customer, on any project, in any location, at any time – that’s our greatest opportunity. Staying agile as we grow becomes more difficult and poses a challenge.”

What are you passionate about at work? What inspires you or motivates you?

“I see so much opportunity for continuous improvement in our industry. Being open to change and taking chances is really hard given the risk in our industry – but it’s necessary and often times leads to our best opportunities. We can’t stop learning, experimenting and challenging ourselves to be better.”

What traits do you think are important for someone in your role to be successful?

“Lots of things come to mind. Here’s just a few:

• Listen.
• Take responsibility.
• Never stop learning.
• Roll up your sleeves.
• Give back.
• Be humble.”

What keeps you up at night? 

“The thought of slowing down. I’ve always looked for a challenge – whether it be work, sports, or fun family activities. The thought of spending time in a favorite chair watching TV or reading a book is terrifying – there’s too many projects to build, things to do, places to go, and people to see…”

How do you like to re-charge?

“A good day outdoors is hard to beat – hiking, snowboarding, fishing, biking, hunting…. It’s a bonus if you can share it with family and friends. My recharge cycle can get pretty exhaustive…”

What are you most proud of at Harris?

“Sum of the parts. When you combine the broad skills, experience, dedication and energy of the entire Harris’ team (Field/Shop/Office), we can take on virtually anything with very few limitations. And when we do get the opportunity – we get it done!”

What is one thing Harris employees wouldn’t know about you?

“I’ve never been on a warm weather vacation in the winter months. I’d rather be cruising down a mountain rather than sitting on a beach…”

What do you wish the public knew about Harris?

“We do so much more for our customers than just ‘big projects.’ And our team’s deep bench of talent always stands ready for more.”