MOUNTAIN VIEW – Ryan Greene’s got work on his mind all the time, trying to anticipate what unforeseen issue could pop up next.
That baseline of worry keeps him on his toes and clients happy as bid requests stream in and projects in the field demand Ryan’s attention – all at the same time.
Juggling work as an estimator and project manager for his uncle’s Mountain View-based O’Grady Paving requires the same tenacity and focus Ryan had on the pitching mound for the Atlanta Braves’ minor league affiliates in his 20s.
“I tell the younger guys in the industry that if you’re too relaxed, something can bite you,” said Ryan, 43. “After 14 years in this business, I’ve come to accept there’s always something that can go wrong if you’re not thinking ahead.”
During high school summers, Ryan worked as a runner for the paving company his grandfather Tom O’Grady started in the late 1950s, but never imagined it would be his a career nor that one day he might be a partial owner.
As a standout baseball player at Menlo-Atherton High School and UC Davis, Ryan had his heart on major league baseball, and got tantalizingly close to calling Atlanta’s Turner Field his home.
After graduating from Davis, he spent four seasons pitching for the Braves’ feeder teams – Eugene Emeralds, Macon Braves, Myrtle Beach Pelicans and Greenville Braves.
“I never got to Atlanta, but it was the experience of a lifetime,” Ryan said. “I had teammates from all over the world and got to know a lot of different cultures.
“Bull Durham? Yeah, 95 percent of that movie has happened,” he said, laughing.
While Ryan is among a very small percentage of talented high school stars who go on to play in college and get drafted by a MLB team, the dream of making the Braves’ roster ended in winter of 2000.
Back home in California, he worked at the options exchange in San Francisco and a stint in commercial insurance while dodging his uncle’s repeated “Why don’t you come work for me?”
He finally said OK in 2004.
Now, married with two children and minority owner in O’Grady Paving, he has no regrets.
Construction suits Ryan well as every day and every project brings new people and challenges.
Just like in baseball, he’s part of a team that positions itself as a leader in mid-sized grading and paving projects, which are in high demand throughout the San Francisco Bay Area in commercial and residential sectors.
“While tech is the driving force, we’ve also had a lot of school work in the past few years,” he said. “I take it with a grain of salt when I hear guys say the construction market won’t slow down for at least three years.”
He’s downshifted in sports to watch his daughter Claire, 12, excel at soccer and son Brady, 10, get the hang of baseball.
As Brady’s little league coach, Ryan puts the focus on fun and learning.
“At this age they’re just there to have fun. They soak up everything like a sponge,” he said. “There’s no scholarships or shoe contracts on the line. I love it.”
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