Xibitz Announces Promotion of Zack McDonnell

Chief Engineer headshot

Xibitz is pleased to announce the promotion of Zack McDonnell to Chief Engineer. He is uniquely positioned for this role given his consistent involvement in complex projects that enter the building. His lifetime commitment to curiosity and his passion for learning has made him a pivotal member of the team.

“Zack has been extremely impactful on our Development/Engineering team, providing valuable insight and problem-solving during all phases of projects,” said Ben Metzger, Principal.

“He is a vivid example of our Xibitz core values of “we think like our clients” and “we figure it out,” by prioritizing quality, while utilizing his knowledge of materials, processes, and products, to create solutions daily.”

Zack has been a part of the Xibitz team for over 7 years. He initially joined us as a CAD Engineer, and later transitioned to the Development team who’s responsible for discovering fabrication solutions on extremely unique builds. In this new role, Zack will continue to leverage his engineering experience and oversee the CAD department, standardizing the approval process, and managing the team’s capacity. 

 

Meet Carlos, Quality Control Manager

Team photo

Carlos has been at Xibitz for 6 years and brings his experiences in construction and manufacturing to the team. He started as an estimator and after developing a unique understanding of projects, a passion for perfection, and excellence, he found himself leading Quality Control.

“He has participated in the team process and build methodology conversations which allow him to see a project from start to finish,” said Jeremy Miller, Principal at Xibitz.

This helps him understand the nuances of projects and develop mutual respect between the pre-production and fabrication/production teams. Carlos, and quality, are common conduits that run through every project.

“When I think about the day-to-day, there are a lot of tough jobs in this organization. Our days are mostly filled with excruciating fun, however, in my mind, one job, in particular, is an island of its own. It requires everything mentioned above plus a lot of courage to stand alone. Quality,” said Account Executive, Chuck Plockmeyer.

Part of being Quality Control Manager is recognizing problems and providing solutions. Providing solutions and problem-solving is synonymous with one of Xibitz core values – We figure it out. Carlos excels at this because he doesn’t shy away from the difficult conversations that are necessary to keep a project aligned with expectations. 

Project Memories

One of Carlos’ favorite projects from his time at Xibitz is Waste Management Houston Headquarters because of the sheer scale of Xibitz’ final build – an 8-story tall living wall. “It required a lot of trust and ingenuity to work through not just the fabrication challenges, but the hurdles caused by the pandemic,” commented Carlos. “In the end, it was a beautiful project that won several awards.”

Free Time + Family

When not working, Carlos enjoys spending time with his family. During summer months in Michigan, he likes loading up his 3 children and camping at various parks around the state. Having grown up on an apple orchard, Carlos finds peace in spending as much time outside as possible.

“Carlos is an extraordinary asset to every project at Xibitz,” said Jeremy. “He creates an energy and excitement for excellence that our clients expect when they work with us. Even better, he brings such joy and comradery to our teams – simply put, we couldn’t do it without him.”