Team Spotlight: Getting to Know OTL’s Vice President of Engineering and Pre-Construction Tom Real

During 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 Tom Real. An invaluable member of our team, Tom joined OTL in September 2008 and currently serves as the firm’s Vice President of Engineering and Pre-Construction. As part of this role, he assists the BD team with early-stage budgeting efforts for project concepts and supports the operations team regarding questions and procedures generated by our field crews.

Tom told us about his favorite projects since joining OTL, his greatest accomplishment at the company, a fun fact about himself, and his future aspirations:

Favorite project: “Too many! City Creek Center in Salt Lake City was memorable from the aspect of saw-cutting 10-ton boulders and flying them into place with tower cranes in the middle of the night during winter. The corporate fountains for NuSkin Innovation Center in Provo, Utah were thought-provoking given their integration into exterior and interior public spaces and the desire to minimize splash without sacrificing water displays. Building a show fountain beneath a 120-foot-tall bronze statue of Pegasus at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida presented numerous challenges given the fact that we essentially had the largest lightning rod in the most lightning-prone area of the United States. Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania will always be one of my favorites given the scale of the work involved as well as the sheer beauty of the property. I could go on, but I’ll leave it at that.”

Greatest accomplishment at OTL: “Hard to say, but my greatest accomplishment at the company is probably protecting the interests of OTL as well as our clients by helping ensure that the projects we design, as well as the projects that we build (and oftentimes maintain), feature the proper materials, methods and craftsmanship. Having spent over 35 years in this industry, I’ve been blessed with many experiences, and my various positions here at OTL have allowed me to utilize those experiences to everyone’s benefit.”

Fun fact about Tom: “Back in the ‘90’s I was honored to have a category of geological formations named after me – TommyRock.”

Aspirations for the future: “I look forward to continuing to expand our services to our clients and to bring the enjoyment of water features and themed elements to as many people as possible.”

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