Employee Loyalty Alive and Well

Reg Abersek enjoying his brand new truck.
A gift from Bill Baldwin for reaching the 20 year milestone with HartmanBaldwin Design/Build


The year was 1991 and Reg Abersek had just moved to Claremont from Canada when someone mentioned he should go check-out a well known local construction company that was always looking for great craftsmen. He met with Bill Baldwin, Owner of HartmanBaldwin Design/Build, and it wasn’t long after that he came on board.

Bill Baldwin retells Reg's story to the rest of the HartmanBaldwin staff during a casual luncheon.

“Reg had a Cary Grant quality to him...very bright, charming and when we talked about what we were aiming to do here...he just ‘got it’,” recalls Baldwin. “He understood that the sophistication of what we were trying to accomplish at HartmanBaldwin went beyond just great carpentry skills...you needed a brain and the ability to build client relationships that transcended what a typical contractor expects of their people. It’s no surprise to me that Reg turned out to be an instrumental person in the evolution of HartmanBaldwin.”

Allen Suckley (left), was the first HB employee to reach
the 20-year milestone. Tom Trautmann (center), congratulates Reg. Ralph Castillo (right), Operations Manager.

As the years passed not only did the company grow, but so did the projects and their respective deadlines. One would think that after 20 years the routine or grind would inevitably result in someone burning out or phoning it in, not so for Reg Abersek. “Reg is a professional. I’m impressed by his energy, calm demeanor and ability to handle the responsibility that rests on his shoulders. It’s not a surprise to me that he’s in the position he is in”, says Ralph Castillo, Operations Manager for HartmanBaldwin.

Yet in 2011 it’s still the rarity to be with a company for 20 years, it begs the question, what about the next 20? “ I don’t know about that,” laughs Abersek, “I don’t know what the future has in store for me. I love what I do, the people I work with and I guess that’s why time has flown by. You’ve got to love what you do and have pride in the smallest of details. I tell the young guys all the time to remember that, if you don’t love what you do you should move on, life’s too short.”

Almost all of Us.

To commemorate the occasion Bill Baldwin is repeating a tradition he started when Allen Suckley became the first HB employee to reach the 20 year mark. “There aren’t many people in this world that will stick with you through the growth of a business. That’s real loyalty, but it’s more than that, these guys were committed to improving, growing and reinventing themselves as our company grew. They are a huge reason why HartmanBaldwin is where it is today,” smiles Baldwin. “It’s going to be a great day and one I’m looking forward to when I get to hand Reg the keys to his brand new truck.”

Reg Abersek and Bill Baldwin.