Celebrating two of CRS’ most long-tenured engineers

This past month, CRS celebrated the retirement of two of our most long-tenured engineers, Paul Hirst and Doug Cromar, alongside friends and colleagues. Both Paul and Doug have significantly contributed to the success of CRS and have provided invaluable mentorship to many of our engineers.

After 51 years of dedicated service to CRS and Utah communities, Board Chairman and former President Paul Hirst has retired and will be looking to enjoy life in a different way.

Paul joined CRS in 1973, starting with the survey crew and gradually immersing himself in various aspects of engineering. He quickly advanced within the company as he delved deeper into the field. When other shareholders pursued different career paths and left CRS, Paul remained and ultimately became President in 1988 and continued to grow the company.

“I started working at CRS even before I graduated, and interestingly enough, one of the assignments I had for the summer and part of the winter was to be a Survey Crew Chief.” Paul said, continuing, “So, I learned from the ground up what the business was about,” Paul said.

Paul’s deep love for civil engineering and his work have always been evident. He remembers the many colleagues who have appreciated and expressed admiration for his dedication throughout the years.

“It is an adventure; it always is and can be. It is more than a job; it is a livelihood and a lifestyle. It is an opportunity to help and grow,” he said. 

To succeed in this industry, Paul believes one must view it as more than just a job. Passion and stability are essential. “There is something to be said for having some stability. If you want to be known in this market, be recognized as an expert, or be considered for a special assignment, there needs to be stability. That is key,” Paul advised.

Now that he is retiring, the one thing he is looking forward to is not having to turn in a timecard. “I’ve spent over 50 years worrying about a timecard and am I billable enough,” he said. Paul will continue working as a consultant as needed and looks forward to enjoying more time with his family.

Our second retiree this year is Senior Engineer Doug Cromar, who has chosen to retire after 33 years of dedicated service to CRS and Utah communities.

Doug began his career at CRS as an Engineer in Training right after graduating college. He developed extensive expertise through dedication and hard work, becoming one of CRS’ most tenured engineers.

“There’s a lot of engineering to be learned that they don’t teach you in the books,” Doug noted. “By working with clients, staff, and consultants, I learned how to start a project from scratch and see it through to construction.” 

In his 33-year career, Doug provided exceptional construction management and design services for transportation, water, sewer, and storm drainage systems. “One of my favorite projects was the East Canyon Sewer Trunkline for Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District. Challenging project but very rewarding,” Doug said. He also enjoyed working on the roadway design for Farmington High School and his work at the Kennecott Smelder.

Doug’s ability to build and maintain client relationships across Utah has been crucial to CRS’ success. His charisma and commitment to each project made him a well-liked engineer in the A/E/C community. Additionally, Doug mentored many engineers, including CRS CEO and President Matt Hirst. Matt recalls learning cost estimating from Doug as a new engineer, significantly contributing to his professional growth.

Looking forward to retirement, Doug expressed, “I want to stay active in engineering and help CRS Engineers by reviewing plans. I want to continue working with my network of clients.” He plans to reduce his workload, spend more time with his family, and pursue other activities he enjoys.

We appreciate Paul and Doug’s years of dedicated work, mentorship, and leadership. We wish them the best in their retirement.