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Category:
Published: March 2007
Scott Lansing describes the risks he took forming his own engineering company and why he would do it all over again.
I interviewed John M. Fullerton, Senior Vice President, & Trust Officer and Jack P. Barry, AVP, & Trust Development Officer of the Adirondack Trust Company (ATC) to determine just what the Trust Department at Adirondack Trust does. The Trust and Investment Department of ATC is an area of the bank that I was not familiar with. I was surprised to find that they are not your average bankers. It is a group of dedicated professionals who help individuals, companies and institutions with the following: Investment Management, Retirement Planning, Trust Services, and Estate Settlement.
Success Magazine: Scott, what does success mean to you?
Scott Lansing: Success to me is happiness and not just going through the motions. It is enjoying all of the aspects of life, doing the best that you can and taking pride in your accomplishments. I feel successful because I have a loving wife that is also my best friend, because I have three happy and healthy children that make me laugh out loud every day, because I work with dedicated and hardworking professionals that I consider to be great friends as well, because we have a great client base with interesting projects and because our firm provides high quality and responsive services. Obviously, there are financial rewards associated with a successful business, however without a sense of pride in your personal and professional accomplishments I do not feel that success can be fully achieved.
Just this morning my 3 year old son, Colin, provided me with an excellent example of success. Colin built a large tower out of Legos and he was extremely proud to share his accomplishment with me. His enthusiasm and the look of happiness on his face were priceless. The tower was very special to him and he wanted to share his pride in his accomplishment with the people important to him. He was successful, and it did not involve a profitable corporation. I feel that success comes from within and that it is immeasurable.
SM: As I'm sure you know, ninety percent of all businesses fail. So there are some people who put their whole heart and soul into their work and they still don't make it. You have been successful. Share a little bit with me about your business. How did you get started?
SL: It's sort of a long story. I worked for a family construction business through high school and college. The job market for civil engineers at the time I graduated was flat and the family business was struggling due to a parental divorce. Given this, I opted out of the family business and I went to work for a residential construction company until I could find a job in the design field. My construction employment provided me with hands on field experience. From there, I obtained a job with the Saratoga Associates as a support engineer to their landscape architects and planners. My two year stay with them provided me with great experience on a more aesthetic side of engineering. I then went to work for Rust Environment and Infrastructure for two years prior to receiving my license. I was approached by a former co-worker with the opportunity to assist in the set up of a satellite office of Edwards & Kelcey and I took the offer. Two years later, I was offered partnership. However, I struggled with the decision to commit to them for the long haul or pursue my desire to start my own firm. I chose to start my own business and resigned on the morning of September 11, 2001. A few hours later the World Trade Center was attacked. It was a difficult time and obviously my decision was minor compared to the tragedy that was happening but with all of the uncertainty going on I seriously contemplated turning back. Thankfully, I did not. Having my own firm for the past five years has been great. I have no regrets.
SM: How did your wife feel about you breaking off without a guarantee, especially after 9/11?
SL: She has always had the confidence in me and has always been a great supporter of everything that I do. I have always been the type of person where failure was not an option. We took a chance and figured that the worse that could happen was that I would go back and find a job. It is something I had always wanted to do and it has worked out very well.
SM: What kind of business do you do primarily?
SL: We specialize in the civil engineering, landscape architecture, land planning and environmental consulting for the layout, design and permitting of commercial, residential and industrial site development projects. Our clients at this time are primarily private developers from around the Capital District.
SM: When you went out on your own did you have a business plan?
SL: I did have a business plan with my goals and objectives mapped out. I started the firm by myself in the basement of my home with one project in the Town of Halfmoon. I did a good job on that project and the referrals and repeat business followed one after another. The firm now has approximately 135 active projects located in several counties and we are continuing to expand.
SM: How many employees do you have now?
SL: We currently have thirteen people on our team. I can not say enough about the individuals I work with. It is a true honor to work with them. In a service business, the people you work with are your business and they are a tremendous part of the success of the company.
SM: How do you maintain the employees that you have?
SL: I feel our firm has a close knit family type atmosphere that everyone appreciates. We enjoy the projects we work on, the atmosphere we work in and the other team members we work with. This atmosphere helps to maximize the communication and respect between team members. I am committed to maintaining this atmosphere with the growth of the firm. We have a great deal of fun together at the numerous company sponsored events. My favorite event was when we purchased a $300 car and worked together to prepare it and race it at the Malta Speedway in a couple of 50 lap enduro races. Events like this provide us with a lot of fun and make us a strong team.
SM: What makes your company different from other firms?
SL: I feel that the company atmosphere combined with our mission is what set us apart from other firms. Our company mission is to provide high quality and responsive services to optimize our client's project potential and capital investments. The firm's atmosphere elevates our quality and response time. This maximizes our client's returns which in turn generates repeat business and referrals to maintain the cycle.
SM: How do you achieve balance in your life?
SL: I try to work both smart and hard during weekdays only. I am a firm believer that nights and especially weekends are for family time. My family understands the business and my work requirements. It is a give and take and I always try my best to keep everything in balance.
SM: Do you have any hobbies?
SL: My family and I are looking forward to spending a lot of time together at our new camp in the Adirondacks, boating, waterskiing, wakeboarding, and fishing. Outside of enjoying time with my wife and children, motorcycle racing has always been my passion. However, I would consider it more of a bad habit than a hobby. I still ride to unwind and I occasionally participate in local motocross racing events.
SM: Where do you see your company's position in the future?
SL: I would like to expand within reason. Our workload is requiring us to expand and I would like to expand the services we offer and diversify the clients we serve. I am very optimistic about the future and growth of the Capital District and Lansing Engineering's involvement with this growth. I am proud of what we have accomplished and I am excited about the new opportunities that lie ahead.
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