Welcome to Brazen Careerist!

About Me

John O. Swatsell
14206 Silver Sky Ct.,
Houston, TX 77062
Cell: (281) 636-8807
joswatsell@gmail.com

Project Manager / Construction Contracts / Estimating Manager
Thirty-eight proven years of experience in diverse sectors of Oil, Gas, Chemical, Refining, Processing, Manufacturing, Heavy Highway Construction and Engineering Industries. Hands on expertise in Estimating all phases of Heavy Industrial Construction, combined with management, supervision and administrative skills brought to bear in Planning, Technical Evaluations, Organization, Problem Solving and Presentation. Supervision of Project Estimating Teams. Group Leader - Proposal Generation. EXCELLENT Communication Skills

* Exemplary ability to maintain Focus while supervising bid volume / Proposal Generation.
* Continually Supervises Estimating Team to insure timely execution of Proposal.
* Highly Successful in developing new markets through contract negotiations.

Summary of Duties:
Contracts Manager / Chief Estimator
Sales Applications Engineer
R&D Engineer
Lead Designer
PCS Project Engineer
Procedures Consultant
Project Manager
Estimator
Inspector

04-09 to Present - Southwest Road & Safety Contractors, Ltd. / U.S. Signal & Sign Limited
Representative to the Office of the President / Operations Manager
Heavy Highway Construction

11-08 to 4-09: Principal Estimator – (Short Term Assignment) Worley Parsons E & C – Houston, TX
Alliant Energy Installation in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (onsite estimator / cost accountant)
Assignment required estimating the cost of rehab of power plants damaged in the spring floods of 2008.

07-05 to 10-08 : Contracts Manager / Chief Estimator – Florida Traffic Control Devices, Inc. Houston, TX
Responsible for Lump-Sum as well as T&M Estimates and proposal generation for projects in the 5 to 100 million dollar range. Secured Sub-Contractor quotations and management of overall contract status, including Change Order Estimating and Presentation. Generated Engineering Variance Changes, Estimated Cost incurred and Schedule Impact.

10-04-07-05: Estimator / Construction Manager (interim position) E&I Constructors, LLC. Deer Park, TX
Generated estimates and submitted proposals that Secured projects for Temple Inland Solid Woods Division, Temple Eastman, Norbord Corporation, and Weyerhaeuser

03-04 to 07-04: Substation Project Supervisor (short term assignment) J.L. Malone & Associates- Albany GA.
Recruited to estimate and track cost of installation of Foundations and Underground installation of 138kV Substation Expansion at Strom Thurman Hydro-Electric Plant, Clarks Hill, SC.

03-02 to 03-04: Sales Application Engineer Waukesha-Pearce Industries, Inc. Houston, TX
Recruited by Operations Management to be Responsible for Estimating and Proposal Generation of Fabrication, Testing and Field Start-up of Prime Power and Stand-by Generator Systems to the 3mW Range. Served as Chief of Technical Support / Senior Estimator and Project Cost Control. Supervising and Monitoring Engineering Estimates for incorporating technical advances in the overall Control and Operation of Power Plant Systems. Served as R&D Engineer for TIW (Texas Iron Works), a Division of Pearce Industries Group in developing Cost Estimates for confidential assemblies for offshore drilling

01-99 to 03-02: Independent Private Consultant,
Supplying Expertise to the Sub-Station and Heavy Electrical Construction Industry. Providing assistance as needed in Scope Development, Estimating and Project Management / Administration and Cost Control, for companies such as Substation Services, Switchgear Specialists, and Siemens.

04-98 to 01-99: Field I/E Engineer Inspector Wolfenson Electric Co., Inc. Houston Texas
I was recruited to assist in the NET-98 Expansion of Noltex, LLC. The Client, Chiyoda International required my services to Supervise the Change order Estimating, Engineering Change Estimates, Instrument and Electrical installation, maintaining QA/QC, Client Relations and technical compliance.

12-97 to 04-98: Electrical Engineer / Programmer: G.A.S. Unlimited, Houston, TX (Temporary Assignment)
Estimator and Technical Resource for Source Systems Corporation, a company that managed and maintained inventories, I Supplied Technical Expertise to the Records Standardization Department. Developed Cost Estimates for budgets to program and write electronic formats for inventory control. Tracked Cost and managed Change Order Expense.

03-95 to 11-98: PCS Project Engineer: CDI Engineering Group, Bayer Corporation, Baytown, TX
Working with various business groups responsible for Estimation of Expansion of facilities, supervised the Project Team in AR Estimate Preparation and Submittal. Reviewed all change orders and Estimates, for modification of existing processes within the Operation Facilities. Supervised General Specification and purchase of required items, while monitoring Estimated Cost impacts to the installation.

08-93 to 03-95: Electrical Engineer/Estimator: Apollo Industrial Systems, Engineering Division, Pasadena, TX
Responsible for Estimates generated by the Project Team at Rhom and Haas Bristol PA and the ongoing field construction effort in Deer Park, Texas. Monitored Change Order Estimates for installations in conjunction with the CAA Expansion Project. Responsible for coordination between the construction group, Engineering group and Operating Plant.

08-91 to 08-93: Projects Estimator: Brown & Root / ITI Houston, TX.
Lead Estimator to secure new business through Lump-Sum as well as T&M Estimates. Managed installation / estimated Cost of ongoing projects, keeping record of Variances due to Engineering Change and Project Change Order Logs. Reporting to Senior Management coordinated the field Change Order Estimates with construction effort from the Houston office. As well as spending about 50% of my time onsite dealing with Client relations, Scheduling and tracking of Change Orders, Engineering Variances, to maintain profit margin. .

01-89 to 08-93 Chief Electrical Field Engineer Stubbs Overbeck and Associates, Inc. Houston, TX
Responsible for Installed vs. Estimated Cost and Technical Compliance and overall installation of electrical associated with the upgrading of the entire plant facility. Prepared Estimates for Remodeling of the 138kV Substation, extending the yard and the building, to include new transformers, 15kV Switchgear, with Metering. Supervised and monitored Cost Estimates of the removal of PCB contaminated items. Estimated the Cost of and Built Six new Motor Control Center Buildings, including the rewiring of some 1500 motors and controls, interfaced with DCS installation installed cost 1.6millioin dollars, monitored and reported projects completion and tracked schedule vs. Cost Original Estimate, Tracked Change Orders and Approved Variance Estimates.. Installed twelve miles of Overhead 15kV Power Distribution. Led Project Team that was Successful in saving 8 million dollars of a 40 million dollar budget.

06-87 to 01-89 Chief Estimator E&I HR International – Houston, TX.
Responsible for estimates and schedules for the installation of various Lump Sum, Fixed Fee, Cost Reimbursable, Unit Price and Conceptual Bids for EPC Firm. Worked onsite in Corpus Christi Koch Refinery as Cost Control Officer and Estimator keeping log of all changes and Variances in respect to impact of Scheduler during construction effort.

02-86 to 06-87 Project Manager Westinghouse Corporation
Hired to supervise the installed cost of the expansion of the Proctor and Gamble facilities in Boston, MA. Managed Change Order Log, as well as estimating all Costs incurred by Variances and Change to original project scope.

03-84 to 02-86 Project Superintendent Amber Inc., Deer Park, TX

02-83 to 03-84 Estimator / Project Manager Collier Electric Inc., Houston, TX

05-78 to 02-83 Project Estimator MAIN Erbauer Corporation, Pasadena, TX

03-76 to 05-78 Electrical Technician Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Houston, TX

06-71 to 03-76 Electrician Brown and Root Inc., Houston, TX

Brown and Root Trade School (evenings) 1971 – 1974
San Jacinto College 1971 – 1973 Electrical Technology
Westinghouse Training 1986
San Jacinto College 1989 – 1992 Instrumentation / Electrical Technology
Various Seminars and Courses in Software
Computer Literate / Capable Programmer
Allen Bradley Programming
AutoCAD Experienced
Microsoft Office Competent
Bid2Win Estimating Software Master Level Training
Scheduling Software Experienced
Member National Association of Professional Estimators – Houston Chapter
Member PMI ( Project Manager’s Institute ) ( Continuing education ) PMP in Progress