At McFarland Construction, collaboration is one of our core values. We know that collaboration begins internally by building the right team and workplace culture. Our employees are the building blocks of our team and every one of them has a story to tell. Up next under our Employee Spotlight is Hussein, one of our Project Engineers. Originally from Baghdad, Iraq, Hussein is a massive soccer fan and enjoys staying active in any way that he can. Learn more about Hussein from our recent interview with him:
How long have you been in the construction industry?
Between working in construction management and civil engineering, I have been in the construction industry for 11 years total.
Why construction?
I majored in civil engineering in my undergraduate program in Iraq. My first job out of college was on a construction site.
What do you like most about the industry?
I like that no day is the same. It is definitely challenging but personally I like to be challenged. There are so many different aspects of the job – you never know what is going to happen on the site.
Do you have any favorite projects that you’ve worked on?
Both of my favorite projects I have worked on were completed in Baghdad. One was a telecommunications center and the other was the United States Embassy in Baghdad. The US Embassy project was great and helped set the standards of how I perform work. When you are working with the US Government and the US Corp of Engineers, the bar is set very high. I took what I learned from that project and have applied the knowledge and level of standards to every project I have worked on since.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I enjoy hanging out with my friends and watching sports – mainly soccer and tennis. I also love to go hiking from time to time and enjoy anything that keeps me active. I also frequently FaceTime my family. Making time to speak with them regularly is really important to me.
What brought you to Charlotte?
McFarland Construction brought me to Charlotte! I lived in Raleigh for over 6 years but really wanted to work at McFarland. I had friends at the company, and they told me all about the culture so that motivated me to leave Raleigh and pursue a career with McFarland in Charlotte, though I still do visit Raleigh a lot.
When and why did you move to America?
I moved to America in 2014. After working with a general contractor in Iraq for the US Army Corp of Engineers, I applied for an SIV, which is a Special Immigration Visa. I worked with a general contractor for the US Army Corp of Engineers and had colleagues that recommended me for the SIV program. I also had friends here.
What was it like coming to America by yourself?
My very close friend, Yasir [also a McFarland employee], lived in Raleigh at the time. We were in the same civil engineering program in college and took all the same classes, so he is a very old friend. Yasir and his cousins are all around my age and we were all friends in Iraq. While the rest of my family is in Iraq, Yasir’s family is like my own, so I didn’t really come to America alone.
How often do you talk to and see your family in Iraq?
I call my mom every day no matter what and always make time to speak with the rest of my family. I try to go to Baghdad and visit my family at least once a year.
What do you do when you’re home?
Definitely hangout with friends and eat delicious food that my mom cooks. Mostly when I go visit, I spend time with my family, eat at my favorite places, and see college friends.
What do you like most about working at McFarland?
Everyone is very easy to work with and is helpful. Like I said, I moved to Charlotte to work here because I heard nothing but great things about the work McFarland does and the company culture.
Published: September 22, 2021
Back to News