By Shar-day Campbell

Charles Beyer paves the way for current and future engineering students

Charles Beyer (1972 BSCE, 1977 MSCE), founder and president of Beyer Construction, has paved enough roads to go from here to Seattle and back.

Beyer’s own road to success is deeply rooted in his collegiate experience. Paying his way through school by working at a local construction company, he chose the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering for its reputability, accessibility and practicality.

“Having seen what the UH alumni I worked with did, I realized it was the perfect fit,” he said.

Shortly after receiving his degree and entering the workforce, Beyer realized that success in a competitive market required becoming immersed in all aspects of business. For that reason, he took fundamental business courses as electives while pursuing his master’s degree in civil engineering from the Cullen College. These courses, he said, have allowed him to interact effectively with business, finance and accounting professionals in their own language.

This educational background provided him with the tools he needed to lead. At the age of 29, he was named president of his mentor’s construction company and six years later, he founded Beyer Construction. After 25 years in business, Beyer Construction has completed over 1,000 projects, currently employs 250 people and does an estimated $50 million a year in roadwork.

The level of success Beyer has attained would lead some to look ahead and not back. Determined not to do so, however, Beyer began to explore ways to help bring UH civil engineering alumni together. Along with a few other alums, he helped to launch an annual civil engineering luncheon in 2003, giving the alumni a chance to network with one another.

“I wanted a networking luncheon for UH civil engineering graduates that was a pillar for people in the city,” said Beyer. “Anything that I can do to help the university, I will. It was instrumental in opening doors for me and it can do the same for others, as well.”

Many alumni use the event to establish professional relationships, some of which have resulted in on-the-spot job offers. The luncheon has grown from 30 or 40 participants in its first year to nearly 200 last year. Beyer is passionate about facilitating the alumni-to-student connection and offers students advice whenever he can.

“Every business is about relationships,” advised Beyer. “Networking allows you to find the common thread that all alumni share.”

More alumni news in this issue:
• Jesse Gonzalez (1969 BSCE) — From Legacy to Leadership
• Charles Beyer (1972 BSCE, 1977 MSCE) — The Road to Success
• John “Danny” Olivas (1993 MSME), Rex Walheim (1989 MSIE) — Engineering Alums Venture into Space
• Class Notes