To close out the year, we are proud to spotlight someone whose story reflects humility, grit, deep faith, and a lifelong commitment to hard work. Chris Myers has been with HICO for three years, and in that time, he has shaped far more than an engineering team. He has shaped a culture of honesty, partnership, and integrity that people across the company feel everyday.
From Deep Southern Roots to a Forty Year Engineering Career
Chris’s journey begins in the deep south of West Virginia, where he grew up in a large and very hardworking family with fifty grandchildren. As the thirty-fifth grandchild and the first to go to college, Chris earned a four-year scholarship and pursued engineering with encouragement from his father.
His story is grounded in gratitude.
“By God’s grace, I have never missed a paycheck, and I have always worked for great companies.”
After earning his engineering degree in December of 1985, Chris began his career in the utility sector and later expanded into specialized engineering roles that strengthened both his technical foundation and his leadership approach. Three years ago, Brad Wade introduced him to HICO. When he joined, Chris made a promise.
“I told Jason and Brad I would build and mentor a great engineering team and that I would make it the best I possibly can.”
Today, that promise is reflected in an engineering group that brings together seasoned expertise with fresh energy and enthusiasm.
Leading Through Challenges with Transparency
Working in a world of high voltage equipment withmillion-dollar components and billion-dollar implications means challenges are inevitable. Chris has learned that the best path forward is honesty and clear communication.
“Problems happen in this industry,” he shared. “Some of the strongest relationships I have built were formed by working through problems directly with the customer. Do not hide things. Communicate.”
His guiding rule is simple.
“As soon as you have a problem, please let me know right away.”
Chris is not interested in blame. He is interested in partnership, both with his team and with the customers who depend on HICO.
Human Centered Leadership
Chris approaches leadership with humility and respect for people.
“We are all human. Listen and support.”
He encourages immediate communication, even outside of workhours, and reminds his team that he is there to work with them. That reliability has helped create an engineering environment that is calm, honest, and focused on solutions.
Life Shaped by Faith
Faith is the center of Chris’s life and the foundation of how he leads, works, and treats others. His favorite book of the Bible is the Gospel of John, and the passage that guides him comes from the very beginning of the first chapter. These verses speak of truth, life, and enduring light.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
- John 1:1-5
These lines reflect the steady clarity Chris brings into every part of his work. His approach to challenges, people, and leadership carries that same sense of light.
A Father’s Lesson: Just Dig the Ditch
One of the most defining philosophies in Chris’s life came from his father.
You are going to do many jobs you do not enjoy. Do not complain. Do your best. Be proud of the work you accomplished.
From that came the phrase he still lives by.
“Just dig the ditch.”
To Chris, this no longer refers only to the literal ditchdigging he and his brother did in their younger days. It has grown into a reminder to show up, put in the work, honor your commitments, and take pride in the effort. The reward is not about glamour. The reward is character.
Building Something That Lasts
Chris’s impact at HICO is far beyond technical leadership. He is building a team, a mindset, and a culture shaped by integrity, communication, and faith guided principles. His journey from humble beginnings to respected engineering leader is a powerful reminder of what becomes possible when perseverance meets purpose.
As we close out the year, it is an honor to recognize Chris Myers, a mentor, a steady voice, and one of the true People Behind the Power.
…..
While finishing this story, something unexpected happened. My Pandora station began to play Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver. A soft tribute to West Virginia filled the room, and it felt like a small, almost serendipitous nod to Chris’s beginnings. A reminder of home, of roots, of the simple values that shaped him into the leader he is today. It was a sweet and perfect moment to end on.
