A testament to his dedication and passion, Matt Hakes, P.E., transitioned from Engineer in Training to a licensed professional engineer at FOCUS, following several years in another engineering firm. He acquired his professional licensure in 2018 and now proudly holds credentials in Utah, Colorado, Idaho, and Nevada. In his pivotal role in the structural department, Matt spearheads solar structural evaluations, assumes responsibility for the majority of townhomes projects, and also oversees an array of spec home tasks.

Stepping Stones to Success

When Matt interviewed with FOCUS, our structural department had not been around for very long. “I liked the idea of being an integral part of helping build the structural team,” he said. FOCUS’s mindset and vision for personal and team growth also inspired him. “I could tell when I interviewed that, compared to competitors, FOCUS can be a special company for our clients.”

Joining Interests and Aptitude

Matt kindled his foray into structural engineering with a genuine fascination for understanding how things work, an affinity for architecture, and robust mathematical acuity. He affirms, “structural engineering seemed like something that I could enjoy doing and be successful at.”

Collaborative Creativity: A Pathway to Breakthroughs

In tackling challenges, Matt most enjoys the collaborative effort required to craft creative solutions. This collaboration and creativity are manifested in his contributions to FOCUS’s distinctive non-building projects, which range from a wooden bridge reinforced with steel girders, to a 50′ high faux rock structure emulating the iconic hoodoos of Southern Utah.

The Tools of His Trade

Developing these unconventional structures calls for extraordinary coding skills and the inventive application of engineering principles. Matt efficiently employs a suite of tools such as spreadsheets, Enercalc, RISA 3D, Forte, and AutoCAD to aid in this process.

Fueling Growth Through Mentorship

Another highlight of Matt’s work is the opportunity to mentor others and help them grow. Part of that growth involves listening to client feedback to improve our engineering services, which he thinks his department and FOCUS as a whole does particularly well. “I think one of the biggest things that we do is work closely with our clients to come up with creative solutions and provide them with a product that they are happy with,” he concludes.

Driven by a commitment to client success and innovative problem-solving, Matt upholds his responsibility as a valuable member of the FOCUS team. By coordinating with clients and setting up robust processes, Matt continually propels us towards fulfilling our mission – engineering with excellence.