Joseph Carroll

I’m a Project Manager overseeing multiple projects across the right-of-way industry. A big part of my focus is keeping clients happy, building strong teams, and making sure everyone has what they need to be successful.

I’m also a big believer in working smarter, not just harder. I enjoy building practical, sustainable processes that keep projects moving, solve problems before they become bigger problems, and make life a little easier for the teams doing the work. At the end of the day, my goal is pretty simple: take care of the client, take care of the team, and build projects that run well.

I’ve only worked for one other acquisition company during my right-of-way career, but I consider ORC a premium, high-level acquisition firm and a place I would recommend to anyone who wants to perform at a high level.

If you’re someone who takes pride in producing excellent work, wants to continue growing professionally, and truly wants to make a difference, ORC gives you that opportunity. There is a high standard for the work we produce, but there is also a culture that encourages people to bring ideas to the table and look for better ways of doing things.

What has stood out to me most is that you can feel heard here. Regardless of where you are in the organizational structure, you have the ability to present an idea, challenge a process, and genuinely impact change. For someone who is motivated and wants to grow both professionally and personally, there is a tremendous amount of opportunity to make your mark.

My career in right of way started in a pretty unconventional way. I originally worked as a car dealer before a friend encouraged me to take a chance on the right-of-way industry. Once I got into it, I hit the ground running and quickly realized that the same principles that made me successful before still applied: work hard, take pride in what you do, and put customer service at the forefront.

Whether I was working with a landowner or directly with a client, I wanted people to walk away feeling like they had been treated fairly, communicated with clearly, and taken care of throughout the process. I focused on producing work that I could be proud of and, just as importantly, work that earned the trust and respect of the people around me.

That approach helped me grow quickly. I gained experience acquiring many different types of easements, set production records for weekly acquisitions, and eventually moved into project management and leadership. As my responsibilities grew, so did my focus. Success became less about what I could accomplish individually and more about helping the people around me succeed.

Today, one of the most rewarding parts of my career is being able to mentor others, build strong teams, improve processes, and pass along the lessons that helped me get to where I am. I still try to approach the work the same way I did when I started: do excellent work, take care of people, and produce something you can be proud to put your name on.

One of ORC’s values is “Think and Act Like an Owner,” and I think that’s great advice for anyone coming into this industry. Remember that you are your own brand. ROW is a pretty small world, and over time, your work ethic and reputation become synonymous with your name.

If you work hard, care about the quality of what you produce, and become someone people can depend on, that reputation will follow you. You’ll be valued not only within ORC, but by the major utility clients we work with as well.

ORC can be an incredible place for someone who wants to work hard, have the freedom to make an impact, and actually have their voice and ideas heard. Take ownership of what you do, build a reputation you’re proud of, and the opportunities will follow.