The Interns of Rose Paving – Climbing the Ladder of Success

Rose Paving / November 26, 2024

Rose Paving holds many success stories of employees who began as interns and have grown within the company, advancing in their roles and gaining leadership positions. This is a testament to the company’s success in retaining talent while simultaneously growing rapidly. Throughout the company’s history, it has been driven by the people of Rose Paving above all else. To highlight this, here are three employees’ journeys from their internships through present day.

Jaron Srain

Jaron began his journey at Rose Paving the summer before his senior year of college. While working at a summer job, he met the founder of Rose Paving, Alan Rose, by chance. He was given the opportunity to be an Intern Project Manager, which he accepted. After his time as an intern, he took a full-time role in operations as a Chicago Regional Project Manager. From there, he was promoted to National Project Manager. At this point in his career, he transitioned from operations to sales as a National Account Manager, to National Account Executive, to Director of National Sales, to VP of National Sales, leading into his current position as President of Rose Paving.

Jaron believes that the key to success early in his career was empowerment from his mentors. Alan Rose opened the door for him and Chris Tanner, COO, and Ed Campbell, CEO, guided him through his journey. He was encouraged to share his ideas and opinions before he was in a decision-making role, instilling confidence in himself to lead successfully. He was supported when he wanted to try different paths, allowing him to spread his wings and follow growth opportunities.

Alan had a passion for growing talent; Jaron holds the same belief. Now that Rose Paving is growing nationwide, it is more important now than ever to recruit dedicated employees who want to grow alongside the company. When Jaron started at Rose, there was just one office. Now, we have 14+ locations across the country. During this period of growth, Jaron finds it valuable to hold onto the culture that the company was built on. While working with Rose, one feels the local tight-knit community while reaping the benefits and opportunities of a nationwide business. This is reminiscent of our slogan: “Nationwide coverage. Local Knowledge.”

Reed Palmer

Reed started his journey with Rose Paving as a shop intern in high school. After graduating, he began working in sales and quickly transitioned to operations as an Intern Project Manager. He was promoted to Assistant Project Manager, to Project Manager, and later to his current role of Senior Project Manager. Chris Tanner, COO, helped him get his foot in the door, Jaron guided him along the way, and many of his co-workers helped him flourish in his role.

Reed values the opportunities that Rose Paving has provided him throughout his career. He is based out of Chicago, but he has been sent around the country to work and collaborate with teammates. This is where his best memories are made. He has developed a sense of community through spending time with colleagues and putting faces to names of employees between all locations. With the rapid growth of Rose Paving, he benefits from advancement opportunities, while still feeling the family-like culture that he experienced in his initial years as an intern.

Ryan Tiernan

Ryan’s first experience with Rose Paving goes back to when she was four years old. As a child of a Rose Paving employee, she can recall how much the company has changed throughout her life. From one office building in Illinois, to slowly opening offices around the U.S., working at Rose Paving looks much different than years ago. While the company has grown and expanded services nationwide, she firmly believes that the culture has remained the heart of the organization. So, when she was given the opportunity to intern the summer going into her freshman year of college, she accepted. From her first year as a Marketing Intern, she knew that she wanted to be involved in the business world. However, it was not until the following year that she decided she wanted to pursue a career in HR. Upon completing her final year as an HR Intern this past summer, she accepted the offer to become a full-time HR Coordinator after she graduates this Spring.

One of Ryan’s favorite aspects of Rose Paving is that it is people driven. Working at Rose Paving means being part of a close-knit community. She reflects on this in saying “there is a level of support typically only found in smaller companies, all while operating on a national scale.” From team parties to philanthropic outings, there are always events tying employees together.

There is a clear connection between all three of these employees’ journeys. While each person brings a different perspective and experience, the community, culture, and opportunities present at Rose Paving shine in each story. Rose Paving prioritizes excellence and expansion, while fostering a close-knit culture and bringing that into every facet of the business. Through exponential growth, the company remains dedicated to providing the communication and culture of a local business. This exercises the Rose Paving slogan – Nationwide Coverage. Local Knowledge.