Building a Future On Sound Foundations 
by Andrew Kerr
March 2006

Scott Garrett was Camden High School's salutatorian in 2000; he graduated with highest honors from Georgia Tech in 2004. He is currently a project manager at Art Plumbing Contractors in Smyrna, Georgia.

Dave Shannon at Camden High School recommended you, and emailed me the piece that appeared on the Construction Education Foundation of Georgia Website. So I'll start from there and we can roll on.

The article made it sound like construction was something you always knew you wanted to do. Is that the case?

From back when I was small, I always liked building things. My dad and I, growing up, we were always working on something. Anything from Legos to bird houses; I played with those erector sets. Puzzles, anything like that. As I got into high school I found out that I really did enjoy building things and managing things. So by then I certainly had the feeling I was going to go that route.

What is "construction" like in high school? This is something I don't think I had when growing up.

Camden has a very strong and very good construction program. Carlos Jones, Sr. is the guy who, I as a freshman, I took his class. When I signed up for it I thought, "Construction technology, that ought to be fun! Something a little bit different from regular school." I wound up really liking it. In the beginning it's a very elementary educational program: "This is what a tool is, this is how you responsibly handle tools." In later years you get into trade work, and you learn more in depth how things work in the real world. Summers I did some work in carpentry, carpenty was what I was most interested in and focused in. A lot of people, they might not go on to college, so Mr. Jones was also real good about helping you find a job. It was a very active program.

Some of your high school peers chose to go straight into construction. Why did you choose to go to Georgia Tech?

At the time I always knew I was going to go to college after that. It was just something I was confident I was going to do. I didn't necessarily know where. I had a feeling I wanted to be an engineer. I don't enjoy as much the reading and writing, and I don't even really like science as much as I like knowing how things actually work, the mathematical part of things and problem solving--that's what I really enjoyed. I knew Tech offered that, it was in state, and there was the Hope Scholarship.

The Hope Scholarship. That is the best deal. It guarantees you the opportunity to go to college more or less. It cuts your cost of going to school in half. I was able to pay for the cost of college myself with the help of that, and I had another scholarship as well.

The article said you took building construction, which I presume is under the College of Architecture? Can you describe what those courses were like, and how they differed from the high school ones you took?

I would say it was a whole different world. In high school it was more of a hands-on introduction to the industry from a field-working standpoint, very hands-on with tools. Tech was far more management-based, as far as all the management aspects of construction. It focused on larger projects in commercial construction and most of the things that you deal with on construction projects from a management perspective.

You were valedictorian in your degree program at Georgia Tech. One question I've always wanted to ask a Tech valedictorian is: Were the courses easy to you, or did you still sweat a lot of bullets?

It was not a stroll in the park. The first couple of years were very challenging. I really had to work my behind off to stay anywhere competitive. My first semester I was a litle bit shocked at how hard things were. I wound up making all B's and one A--and I was thrilled to death. I did find as I got into the groove of college and learned how things worked and learned the system and how to handle myself in it that things got easy. Then, when I got into my major classes, things got even easier. Toward the end of school I was having a lot more fun.

Tell me about what you do today. You work for Art Plumbing Contractors. What's a typical day or week like in your company?

I'm a project manager for them, and we have an office in Smyrna, Georgia. I work from there the majority of the time. A typical day consists of a lot of phone calls to various people for problem-solving or ironing out details of a job. I do a lot of coordination in terms of laying out pipe, putting it up in the air, pricing, changing orders, anything that requires extra work, or newer stuff. I do a lot of material management, making sure the guys in the field are getting what they need. I do some managing of man power and monitoring man power. And typically, once a week, I'll go to the job site. I'll talk to the guys and the foreman, see if there are any issues, and then tell them what's coming up with regards to work and manpower, that kind of stuff.

Are these job sites all over the state?

I would say the Metro Atlanta, North Georgia area primarily, Athens, UGA. Right now in Henry County we're working on a hospital addition down there. Currently we're about to start working on a new hospital Gainesville.

Why do you focus primarily on hospitals and labs? Does that require a very specialized sort of plumbing?

The company's been around since 1919, and it's a family owned business. They've been working very hard in that niche since the business started, and we are well set-up to do that kind of work. Our speciality, I guess, would be medical gas pipe. We do a lot of that. Over the years the way that the guys that worked there have handled themselves is kinda what led to the focus on health care. We will do other commercial work. But I would say we're well suited to serve that market.

What's the difference between being in building construction and being an architect? Is it that architects work more on the design end, and you're more involved in the (literal) nuts and bolts?

I would say that I work for a plumbing company, and we find ourselves working with both architects and the engineers, but that we work more with engineers than with architects. It's a very team oriented project. The work we do is mainly medical, healthcare, laboratory, stuff like that. It requires a concerted coordinarted effort between you and the enginers. From what I hear it's not the case with all construction projects--instead of being team oriented it's more of a head-butting contest. But Art Plumbing Contractors is very team oriented.

What sort of advice would you give to kids who are looking ahead to the college experience?

I would advise them to put a lot of thought into whatever decision it is you make. Don't weigh the decision so much on your current circumstances, but more on your long term goals. I think a lot of people, when they get out of high school, tend not to necessarily think about "What's going to happen to me if I do this now ten years from now?" If you have a goal, a place that you want to be in life in terms of money or marriage or whatever it is that you set for yourself, I would challenge you to recognize what that is, know what it it is you want, and take the best route for you to get there.

Have you met your goals?

I'm in a good spot!