Hidden Gems: Meet Aurom Mahobian of SK Design Group, Inc.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aurom Mahobian.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up as a child of two immigrants who came to the United States seeking a better life, fleeing from a revolution and oppressive government in Iran in the 1970’s. My parents came to the US as High School graduates not speaking any English, but eager to learn and go to University. They eventually learned the language, obtained engineering degrees, and after a few years working for others, decided to start their own firm, SK Design Group in 1989. I was 3 at the time, so my entire childhood was watching my parents work hard to provide for our family, setting the example for my brother and me.

I never really thought I’d become an engineer. In High School I was more into music than math and science. Then when I was in college I actually thought I was going to become a psychologist…which didn’t last long when I realized how much more school I’d have to go through to make as much money as an Engineer! So Engineering was the logical choice. You could say it was in my blood, even though I wasn’t too thrilled about it.

After graduating college with an Engineering degree I chased my now wife to Colorado, and took a job at a large, amazing engineering firm. I spent the next 14+ years working on a variety of projects around the world, working on some pretty amazing stuff and learning so much about technical excellence, project management, people management, and client satisfaction. Things were going great and I had a great career ahead of me. But then, like most other people, COVID changed our opinions and perspectives on pretty much everything, in particular…work! It was during the pandemic that my parents approached me to finally join the family business, and now that everything had gone remote, the possibility of staying in Colorado and joining them became more of a reality. I needed some time to tie up some loose ends at the old job, and then in Jan of 2022 we opened up the first branch office of SK Design Group in Castle Rock, CO. We’re now almost 3 years into the adventure and it has been nothing short of amazing. Hard, yes. But amazing.

I continue to learn and grow, and I’m so thankful for both the opportunities I had at the larger corporate firm, and now the opportunity to run with the small, family business, honoring my parents’ legacy and trying to carry it forward. I have seen first-hand the dedication and passion my parents have sown into this business, and my hope is that I can absorb that and help pass that on to my three amazing boys one day!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Overall my road has been much smoother than so many others in the world, and even in this country, so saying something was a “struggle” is obviously relative. My “struggles” have all revolved around learning how to work with difficult people and learning how to be self-aware of my own weaknesses. Of course it’s also hard to learn the balance of leaving work at work and not bringing it home to the family…still working on figuring that one out!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
SK Design Group, Inc. is a family-owned civil engineering business dedicated to quality and client service. Since being founded in 1989 our mission has remained the same: To design infrastructure that builds and connects the communities in which we live, by providing world class civil-engineering services with the utmost focus on client satisfaction. Because we are small, we are focused and nimble, and the quality of our plans/designs has led to over 35 years of repeat business from loyal customers. 98% of our work comes from repeat clients. Our goal is to develop long-term partnerships by providing responsive, high-quality, and cost-effective solutions. Our success depends on your success. Our expertise covers a variety of civil engineering and construction administration services, including but not limited to:

– Site Planning & Development
– Master Planning
– Siting of Buildings/Roads/Parking/Amenities
– Site Grading
– Site Utilities
– Site Circulation
– ADA Accessibility
– Permitting
– Stormwater Management
– Transportation
– New Roadways
– Roundabouts
– Streetscape Projects
– Airfield Pavements
– Evaluation & Rehabilitation of Existing Roadways
– Multi-Modal Facilities
– Bike/Hike Trails
– Utilities
– Water Lines
– Sanitary Sewers
– Storm Sewers
– Steam & Chilled Water
– Elect/Telecom Ductbanks
– Gas Lines

What differentiates us the most is our PASSION and COMMITMENT to QUALITY and CLIENT SATISFACTION. We LOVE what we do and the clients we work with!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.skdg.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sk-design-group/