Internship Inspires Tanner Bunch to Pursue a Career at Castle
A summer internship at Castle served as a gateway to a civil construction career for Tanner Bunch.
“I had no clue what I wanted to do after high school, and the experience really got me interested in civil construction,” says Bunch, who learned about the internship opportunity from Castle Field Manager Roy Hardester—a longtime family friend.
Hands-on Experience Through Construction Internships
Completed after his freshman year at the State Technical College of Missouri, the internship also convinced Bunch to further his education at Missouri State University in Springfield. While pursuing a bachelor's degree in construction management, he gained additional experience working on the expansion of the Mercy Hospital Springfield project as an intern at McCarthy Building Companies.
“I had a lot of hands-on experience before I started working full-time,” says Bunch, who joined Castle as a project engineer in 2019 and earned promotions to senior project engineer in 2021 and assistant project manager in 2022.
As part of the Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing (MEP)/Utility team, Bunch manages a wide range of fast-moving jobs. “I estimate the work, run the work and close the job out, so my role is full circle,” he says. He’s currently managing Ameren infrastructure upgrades across the St. Louis region, utility excavation for a beef processing facility and utility upgrades at the Bayer campus in Chesterfield.
“A lot of our MEP work is for repeat clients, so it’s important to build and maintain positive relationships with our MEP contractor clients,” he says. “I really enjoy getting together with clients outside of the projects so I can get to know them on a personal level.”
Bunch also works directly for Ameren on self-perform projects. “Ameren is upgrading its underground electric infrastructure downtown, so we are installing the underground electrical duct bank to and from existing substations and new substations,” he says.
When Bunch isn’t at the Castle office, there’s a good chance he’s visiting one of his current jobsites, which span from Foristell to Bonne Terre. “I usually visit them two or three times a week,” he says. “Sometimes I'll hit them on the way to the office or on the way home, depending on where they're located.”
Castle’s collaborative culture is one of Bunch’s favorite aspects of his job. “We’re all like-minded people who are willing to help each other out,” he says. “It's so easy to go and ask more experienced PMs for their advice or help in solving a problem.”
Another perk of the job is that Bunch gets to work closely with Hardester, the family friend who originally connected him with a Castle internship and works as a superintendent in the MEP group.
“Castle has grown immensely since I was an intern, and I just want to see the company continue to grow and be successful,” he says.
Bunch lives in Union, Missouri, with his dog, Jonah. A sports enthusiast, he enjoys listening to 101 ESPN sports talk radio during his 45-minute commute to and from the office. Outside of work, Bunch participates in a variety of outdoor activities. “I do a lot of golfing, hunting, fishing, and spending time with family and friends,” he says.
Interested in joining the Castle team? Explore open positions at all three locations.
