BY DON RHODES II | The Birmingham Times
As a child, Brandon Young remembers taking stuff apart in the house and trying to put it all back together. That came in handy, when in high school, he crafted a research paper on electrical engineering. “I looked at the salary of pay they made, and I said, ‘you know what, I want to do electrical engineering,’” he recalled.
Young, now 39, is founder and CEO of Young Management & Consulting, a professional services firm.
Within six years, the business has grown to include more than 120 employees around the country. Young Management & Consulting has generated more than $100 million in revenue since opening, said Young, who grew up in Center Point and graduated from Erwin High School.
Not bad for someone who began his company as a side business.
“I started this business in 2015 as a side business because I felt like I needed to figure out another way to get additional income,” Young explained. “But in 2019, I decided to stop moonlighting the business and really go 100 percent on my own as a full-time entrepreneur.”
His company has developed project management, construction management and strategic consulting services with companies throughout the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates.
Young describes his team as a well-rounded, diverse group that collectively contributes skills to strengthen the company.
MORE THAN MONEY
Young, who earned an electrical engineering degree at Auburn University before earning a master’s degree in construction management from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said his early career in corporate America at Burns & McDonnell gave him the skills and confidence to eventually launch his company full time. “I was more so blessed with the opportunity to gain experience. He served as Project Manager at Burns & McDonnell, overseeing major transmission and distribution projects while managing construction, budgets, and client coordination,” he said. “I had the opportunity to prove myself, and I delivered.”
In 2019, tragedy struck when Young’s brother was murdered in Birmingham. The loss reshaped his perspective on life and business, coinciding with national conversations about racial justice and equity.
“As a rising professional, you want to get paid and have the title to match, that’s one thing,” Young said. “But once you get that, you start realizing that there’s so many other things in life that are important aside from a dollar figure. When I lost my brother, I wanted to not only support those who may not have the same background as I have, but also provide opportunities for folks regardless of their age or years of experience.”
The man who shot Randy Young was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life without parole.
The loss of his brother, plus the cultural shifts during the pandemic and after the death of George Floyd — an unarmed Black man who was killed in May 2020 when a police officer knelt on his neck for over nine minutes, sparking a global movement against racial injustice and police brutality— inspired Young to prioritize people over profit.
INSPIRING OTHERS
Prioritizing people is at the core of his company, he said. “I’ve hired individuals that did not have a college degree, that may have been military veterans, or just had years of work experience, and put them in roles that typically require a degree,” he said. “Seeing individuals go from climbing poles in their late 40s to now being in management positions, getting home with their family every day, and then at the end of the year giving them a $20,000 to $50,000 bonus that’s my aha moment.”
Young was in Birmingham this summer as his company helped sponsor the Southern Company Technical Conference Tradeshow at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex.
The gathering brought technical and industry experts together to learn about and train in the latest developments in the industry sector.
“Our goal is to be a global industry supplier,” he told AL.com. “We’re going to be a billion-dollar organization and we’re going to impact lives all over.”
Now, as a leader and mentor, he encourages young people to stay focused and intentional. “Gravitate to a mentor and do your research on the industries you want to apply and be in,” he advised. “Life is about those juggling acts, but everything you do leading up to where you want to be are building blocks for your future success.”
His final advice for students: “Don’t discount the small reps. Every task, every learning opportunity, take advantage of it, and say yes to new opportunities even if they seem uncomfortable. If they’re aligned with the trajectory of where you want to go, say ‘yes.’”
For more visit www.workswithyoung.com.
