Meet Bret Williams, a Level III Programmer based out of the Rossville, GA, office. Bret joined LSI in 2018 and has become a significant contributor. His exceptional work ethic has earned the admiration of our clients, and we are proud to have him on our team. The three words we use to describe Bret are positive, resourceful, and innovative. Read our latest Employee Spotlight interview below.
How long have you been with LSI?
Coming up on 5 years.
What is your role at LSI?
I’m a Level III Programmer.
Where did you go to college?
I have a Computer Operations degree from Dalton State College and two additional degrees – Instrumentation & Controls and Industrial Systems from Georgia Northwestern Technical College.
What industries have you been involved in?
Textile/Hardwood/Vinyl Flooring, Hydro Energy, Water, Distilling (bourbon), Food and Beverage (cookie baking), Packaging, and some others
What is your area of expertise?
VFDs, particularly Siemens but also Allen-Bradley and Yaskawa
What platforms are you familiar with?
Siemens TIA Portal, Step 7 Classic, Rockwell Logix 5000
What has been your favorite project at LSI?
The controls upgrade at Racoon Mountain hydroelectric facility. It was one of the coolest places I’ve been to, and we were able to explore all parts of the facility and see things few people get to see.
What is your proudest moment at LSI?
Hard to pick one, but it is always rewarding when months of work come together, and you get to hand off a system to the client.
What sets LSI apart as an employer?
Freedom to work the way I want as long as the job gets done. Also, they give me an opportunity to work on things I wouldn’t get to experience at other places.
What sets LSI apart as a system integrator?
We do what we say we are going to do, and we work with the client to make sure they get what they want.
What is one thing clients may not know about LSI that you want to share?
We can do a lot more than they think. Some clients think we only support certain (sometimes old) systems and that we only do service calls or new panel builds, but we can do all of that and more.
Long-term client relationships are a hallmark of LSI. Why is that?
Clients who have worked with us know what to expect, and they like the work we do, which results in stronger relationships and repeat business.
How has LSI helped you in your career development?
I’ve seen and worked on more in the past 5 years than I ever could have if I had stayed at a single facility.
What advice do you have for prospective LSI candidates?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. No one knows everything, and we have a lot of knowledge here at LSI to pull from.
How do you like to spend your free time?
Working on things – cars, house projects, etc. Lately, it has mostly been wrangling a wild 9-month-old baby.
What is your favorite vacation spot?
I like driving and hiking up in the mountains. Our area of NW Georgia and East Tennessee has many choices.
Apple iOS or Android?
Android, since 2.2 “Froyo”
Any random facts about yourself that you could share with us?
I spent most of my 20s playing in a post-hardcore band. I’ve been all over the US playing shows and made many good friends along the way, including my wife, whom I met when our bands ended up playing a show together many years ago.
