A-Team Spotlight: Drake Nilges

ADB is extremely grateful for our customers and the relationships we have built with them on every job over the years. As we grow across the nation, our teams work hard to assess every bid that comes through the door to make sure we are providing our world-class services to customers that share our passion for quality and safety and align with our culture and values. Drake Nilges, Bid Coordinator, works hard to make our bid and proposal processes as seamless as possible so our teams can hit the ground running upon winning a new project!

Drake joined the ADB Family in 2019 as an Operational Support Assistant on the Contracts team. While he held this position, he coordinated onboarding our subcontractors and ensured everything was compliant and ready to go before they joined our craftspeople on the job. Later that year, Drake transitioned to material procurement and began helping manage bid opportunities. In 2021, he officially became ADB’s Bid Coordinator and in 2022 he made the jump to the newly created Proposals team, working directly with Business Development. Working with various teams and growing alongside the company has allowed Drake to feel empowered in his work, knowing that he is a valued member of his team.

“Each day I feel empowered to express my ideas and make decisions that I feel will best benefit the company. I think that ADB is a place where everyone is empowered to speak up and use their voice regardless of position, and that is something that you don’t find everywhere.”

Drake has always enjoyed the Utility Construction industry. Growing up, his dad worked as an electrical lineman at Crawford Electric Cooperative and Drake spent his summers in high school and college working there, as well. These first jobs made him realize that he wanted to work in the industry, but he didn’t know in what capacity. He knew some people that worked at ADB so after he graduated in 2019 with his Bachelor’s in Business Management, he kept an eye on ADB’s job openings and has been with the team ever since! Drake’s favorite part about his job and the industry is that he has the constant opportunity to experience new challenges. Every day and every project are different, and he is grateful to be able to help manage the bidding process and order materials for our jobs all over the United States. This is an exciting industry, so if Drake could give a piece of advice to those just starting out, it would be:

“Work hard, stay patient, and learn everything you can. It is important to understand that not everything happens overnight and if you continue to work hard, stay patient, and learn every day, then good things will happen. In the end, the more you know, the better off you will be.”

Since joining the A-Team, Drake has learned a lot of valuable lessons that have helped him excel in his career. However, the most important lesson he has learned is that hard work truly does pay off. ADB is a prime example of this and for him, it’s incredible to look back and not only see how much ADB has grown as a company, but how much his team members have grown. This excitement for future growth has helped Drake form a clear vision for his career – growing the Proposals team and continuing to improve upon and introduce new processes that will benefit every aspect of the business.

Being on the A-Team has changed Drake’s life in many positive ways and his favorite part about ADB is the family atmosphere and culture. Everyone comes together and wants to see each other succeed, and Drake knows that he has found his career destination.

“The culture here at ADB is truly one of a kind. If you are looking for a company that values its team members and has endless opportunities for you to grow, both personally and professionally, then ADB is the place for you. Our industry is booming and there is no better time than now to join the ADB Family!”

Drake, thank you for embodying everything it means to be ALL IN! Your vision for the future and commitment to improving processes on the Proposals Team will lead you to incredible growth at ADB. We are excited you have found ADB as your career destination!