5 Questions With Tarek Geblaoui, Vice President at Heffron Company
“5 Questions With…” is a recurring BioBuzz series where we reach out to interesting
people to share a little about themselves, their work, and maybe something completely
unrelated. This week we welcome Tarek Geblaoui, Vice President at Heffron Company, a trusted and knowledgeable mechanical and plumbing installation company in the Washington, D.C. area with extensive experience designing, consulting, and installing a range of highly efficient systems, including in the construction of up-and-coming laboratory spaces.
1) Please introduce yourself to our audience by looking back at your education, training, and career.
I really liked cars in my teenage years. I was interested in fixing them and the mechanics behind them. That led me to want to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I took the community college route because my parents could not afford to pay my way through school, and I also had to work full-time. I worked at Sears as a salesperson in the sporting goods, tools, and lawn and garden department and was promoted to become a supervisor overseeing the shoe department. I was able to increase revenues by 50% in a year and was promoted to assistant store manager. I however switched to the automotive department when I transferred to the University of Maryland to focus on finishing my degree.
I graduated in May of 2012 and had offers to go into 4 different fields of the Mechanical Engineer industries, but ultimately chose Mechanical Contracting because I was intrigued in building things that left a mark on society. Heffron gave me the opportunity to do so. At Heffron I have been fortunate to work almost 100% in the biotech/healthcare sector. My mom is a scientist and has worked in the biotech industry for over 30 years, so I have been hearing about it my whole life and I find it very cool to be building the labs that she has worked in.
I have done projects for Eli Lilly / Elanco, Novavax, MedImmune, AstraZeneca, NIH, United Therapeutics, Saint Gobain, and Miltenyi, just to name a few. Building labs for a wide range of clients has really helped me learn and understand the intricacies of different kinds of labs and the design principles behind them. I really enjoy seeing a lab function and work properly and get through validation. I also really enjoy knowing that some of the labs we build can create real impact in the world and help people.
2) You have been with Heffron for 10 and a half years – what qualities about the company intrigued you and made you want to be a part of the team for this long?
Heffron has given me an opportunity to grow at a pace that I couldn’t have done anywhere else. We have an amazing construction/service field staff with a wealth of knowledge that you can’t teach in a classroom. I have really been able to rely on their expertise to learn and grow. In the office I have had the pleasure of learning under Brian Foster, who has over 30 years of experience in construction in the biotech industry and has been a guide for me.
Heffron has been around for 100 years and the mindset has always been to service the client and build things the right way. This matches my mindset, and I would not be able to work here if it didn’t. We like to create relationships with our clients and truly value our long-term partnerships.
3) Heffron is currently celebrating 100 years of service – What does that mean to you as the VP of Preconstruction and Engineering?
Celebrating 100 years truly speaks volumes to Heffron’s success. I feel proud in being a leader but also humbled by the fact that there were 90 years of success before me.
4) Having progressed from a Project Manager to VP, what are some things you learned early on that helped you be successful throughout your career?
I learned early in my career that hard work pays off. I spent hours after work researching and trying to learn more about the engineering behind what we do. I always tell the younger engineers in our company to learn as much as you can because construction (especially biotech construction) is like a new language. The faster you learn that language the faster you will be successful.
I also learned that success is a team effort, and it takes a team of successful people to help you. I learned very early that respecting the people you work with can go a long way. I have been working with some clients for over 10 years and they are as important today as it was when we did our first project. As a man of faith, I am truly grateful for my success, and I know I couldn’t have done it alone. I am also grateful for my wife and kids and their patience with me through the years.
5) If you had the opportunity to see any live performer dead or alive, who would you pick and why?
If I could see any live performer it would have to be Muhammed Ali. I have always admired his strength and courage both in and out of the ring. He was able to speak honestly and openly to people about tough subjects but everyone in the room was still able to admire what he was saying whether they agreed or not. He was a champion, but he wasn’t undefeated. He lost but it seemed like he was always able to come back by working hard and making himself better. I think we can learn a lot from that in our industry, sometimes you try your best and feel like you’re going to win but you get knocked down but that doesn’t define you. It’s how you respond to those knockdowns that does.
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