Q&A WITH OUR PROJECT MANAGER, SCOTT MACDONALD

What initially motivated you towards a career in civil engineering?

When I left school, I knew the academic route was not the best option for me. I was more of a handson learner and needed to be part of the task to truly understand it. I had the opportunity to join Mackenzie Construction as an apprentice when I was 17 and jumped at the opportunity to learn hands-on with a day of college one day a week. As a typical boy, the machines and type of work at Mackenzie Construction really piqued my interest. I was fortunate to work on some great projects from a young age which helped develop my love for construction.

Where is your current position based and can you give me a bit of background about your career history at Mackenzie Construction?

I completed my modern Apprenticeship with MCL when I was 21 and after I qualified I took a year’s sabbatical to travel the world before returning to MCL as a site engineer for a further two years. A new opportunity arose, and I moved on from Mackenzie Construction in my early 20’s, but fate brought me back when I met Mark Wilson 15 years later at the gym and he asked me to come back to help with the SPMA programme with Scottish water. I currently oversee frameworks with Scottish Water and Severn Trent Water from the Glasgow office and I’m very happy to be back, at the place that first sparked my love for the industry.

How do you feel that the projects you have worked on with MCL have impacted the communities around them?

For me, construction is the future, it allows us to adapt and thrive in a constantly evolving world. The big things like roads and buildings are impressive but it’s the quiet things that are the most important. People want clean, safe, water, they want sanitary drainage and waste removal. Most people don’t think about how these things come and go in their lives and that’s because they are done well. Construction’s greatest success is when there is no noticeable impact and life works just as it should.

What do you find is the best part of your day-to-day job?

The people really do make Mackenzie Construction a great place to work, the general day-to-day chat and company are one of the best things about the job, but I really enjoy working with our junior team members. Throughout my career, I’ve always been passionate about the development of eager young people and enjoy being able to help them develop their skills and live up to their full potential.

What has been your biggest career highlight to date?

My first job with MCL will always be my favourite, the groundwork for a new store and tunnel access to Marks and Spencer on Argyle Street, Glasgow for Tarmac. It was a massive undertaking with so many different facets of construction that I was able to learn a lot in such a short period of time. As my career has developed and my role progressed my recent highlight is setting up two successful framework delivery teams to successfully deliver water retaining structure repairs for both Scottish Water and Severn Trent Water