The Owners' Manual | Issue 20 | Winter 2021

H AYDEN WILLIS CHARLOTTE OFFICE ARCHITECTURE | STARTED SEP

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO COME TO BL COMPANIES? Employee ownership culture and challenging projects. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF

I grew up in Columbia, SC and went to Clemson University for both undergrad and Master’s in Structural Engineering. I made Charlotte, NC my home after college and designed power generation facilities for twelve years before joining BL Companies. My wife, Colleen, and I have two children Marie (3) and Walter (1). Before children, we lived abroad on a work assignment in Yokohama, Japan for a little over a year. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR FREE TIME? Family time and anything outdoors including boating, biking, hiking, playing tennis and running. Also, watching Clemson sports, go Tigers! DO YOU HAVE A TALENT OR HOBBY? I enjoy grilling and smoking meats. IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY, WHAT’S YOUR SPLURGE? Boat WHAT’S THE HARDEST THING YOU’VE EVER DONE? Summited Mt. Fuji WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT BEING A KID? Summer vacation DO YOU HAVE A TV BINGE/MOVIE/BOOK/MUSIC WORTH RECOMMENDING? Blacklist and Parenthood