Getting to Know OTL’s Business Developer Mike Spaulding

Beginning in 2020, in our newsletter and throughout our social media platforms, we began spotlighting team members who are key to the success of our company.

While OTL is known throughout the USA and internationally for designing and building magnificent water features, rockwork and themed environments, our company’s true foundation is our people. OTL simply would not be the same without our incredibly talented, dedicated, and caring team.

This month’s Team Spotlight is devoted to OTL’s new Regional Business Developer, Mike Spaulding. Mike recently joined the OTL team to support Barry Caylor, our Vice President of Business Development, drawing on a career spanning 24 years in field of landscape architecture and another 24 years in the site construction industry. His unique combination of design and construction facilitates a formidable merger of design philosophy with construction reality. We are fortunate to have Mike on board as he is a tremendous asset to our team.

We spoke with Mike about what draws him to work with water features and his aspirations for OTL.

Why Mike is fascinated by water features: From my landscape architectural perspective, incorporating water on a project is almost a prerequisite for the creation of a masterpiece. Water appeals to all the senses, adding life to an environment with the dimensions of sound and movement. When used effectively, a water feature can enhance and add focus to a project, distinguishing it from the ordinary. Additionally, witnessing the public interacting with these amenities is the ultimate reward.

What attracted him to OTL: First and foremost, collaborating with Wick Zimmerman previously drew me to the company. I was with Laurie Olin Partnership/Fong & Associates, working on a large project in Long Beach – Queensway Bay Harbor & Retail Development – as one of the managers on the design team. Wick represented the project’s general contractor, ValleyCrest. His construction expertise was very apparent, and I learned a lot.

Fun fact about Mike: In March 2011, an earthquake in Japan created a tsunami surge across the Pacific Ocean and damaged Hawaii’s Four Seasons Hotel. As part of the construction/design team assigned to repair the damages, I shared a small bedroom with an elderly cohort, and because we both snored proficiently, we were continually waking each other up. Making fun of each other was constant.

Aspirations for the future: I am eager to continue the company’s legacy of designing and constructing water features, rockwork and themed environments. This includes OTL’s astonishing artistic abilities and wide range of unique interactive effects. I have respected the company’s abilities from a distance and am thrilled to now be a part of the team!

Stay tuned for Team Spotlights featuring more of OTL’s outstanding team members.