In this employee spotlight series, we hear from former interns who have completed their 12-week summer internship program and have since accepted a full-time position at Ruppert Landscape.
Lance Boyers his Ruppert career with an internship in the summer of 2023 and is now a Field Manager in our North Carolina landscape installation branch.
How It Started:
How did you first hear about the internship opportunity? What motivated you to apply for/accept the internship?
I first heard about Ruppert at the National Collegiate Landscape Competition (NCLC) where I chatted with Jim Tuzzolino and Steve Faber in the spring of 2023.
Can you share your experience during the internship? What were some highlights or memorable moments?
The majority of my internship was spent in the field where I worked under Cale Bowers. I learned plant layout and installation and helped install drainage layers of gravel and stalite aggregate. A memorable moment was seeing a mini excavator craned up to the third floor. Another highlight was having the opportunity to work on two charitable donation projects.
How did the internship contribute to your personal and professional growth? What skills or knowledge did you gain during your internship that have been valuable in your current role?
During my internship, I learned what values I had when it came to a company I wanted to work. Ruppert cares about the growth and development of its employees. I learned how to problem solve in the moment when situations arose in the field and to be flexible with changing schedules.
When/how were you offered a full-time position at Ruppert, and at what point did you realize that Ruppert was a company where you wanted to establish a platform for your career?
I was offered a full-time position towards the end of my internship. About a month into my internship, I quickly realized I could see myself working at Ruppert for a long time.
How It’s Going:
Can you share some differences between your role as an intern and your role now as a full-time employee?
Some differences between being an intern and my position now are I run the crew, meaning I do time cards each day, set up the morning huddle board to go over tasks and other things that will be happening during the day, and explain the daily JHA and how we can prevent safety incidents.
How has your perception of the company or industry changed since becoming a full-time employee?
Now that I’m a full time employee, I see the full capacity of how Ruppert develops their employees. One example is New Field Manager Orientation (NFMO) training at corporate.
What advice would you give to current or future interns who aspire to become full-time employees in the same company or industry?
My advice would be ask lots of questions! People at Ruppert love to share the knowledge they have and there are plenty of opportunities to learn something new. Also, if a position sounds interesting to you, don’t hesitate to ask if you can shadow that person; there’s plenty of opportunities to grow and it’s good to know who does what.
How do you see your career trajectory evolving within the company or industry in the future?
After some time in the field, I would like to go the production manager or project manager route. With my experience in the field, I would be able to assist active field managers with any problems they might have. My goal is to retire from Ruppert.
Is there a Ruppert manager or coworker that you would consider as a mentor, and if so, why?
Cale Bowers! He was my mentor as an intern and gave me lots of opportunities to grow and learn. When I came back full-time, he was my production manager and he helped me learn even more and gave great advice when it came to keeping the job on schedule and maintaining good communication with the General Contractor.