A Decade of Dan – Inertia’s Structural Draftsperson

This week marks a major milestone for our Structural Draftsperson Dan Hille, who has achieved 10 years at Inertia! As we are a relatively young company, Dan is among the first to hit this mark, so we thrilled to be celebrating this great accomplishment.

Dan is an important part of the design & drafting engine and assists in creating detailed plans for many of Inertia’s residential projects. Principal Structural Engineer and Founding Director Dave Kelly has worked very closely with him over the decade. “I couldn’t be more appreciative of Dan’s commitment and dedication to our team over the years. He knows how to work hard under pressure and I can always rely on him to put in the extra effort needed to deliver.”

We caught up with Dan to learn more about his journey as an Inertian.

Why did you become a draftsperson?

It started out from a curiosity, but I stuck with it because I loved it and the sense of purpose I got from helping design our environment.

What do you love about your work?

More than anything I love seeing engineering plans for our clients take shape in real life.

What are you working on at the moment?

My focus is primarily on several residential projects and Retaining Wall Designs. Inertia does a lot of work with retaining wall suppliers Concrib, so I have been working very closely with them.

What has been your greatest professional achievement to date?

My greatest achievement has been working for Inertia! My drafting career began here so most of my greatest achievements have been here.

What’s the most useful thing you’ve learned throughout your career?

That hard work pays off! I have learned how to put my head down and get the job done accurately and on time. On a related note, I have learned the value of coffee!

Who’s the greatest engineer of all time and why?

The greatest engineer(s) are the everyday ones of course! Because they’re contributing immensely to our society and deserve more credit. Other than that, I would say Mr Nikola Tesla was pretty fantastic too.

What is your fondest memory from your time at Inertia?

So many, but being here in the early days was a special time for me and being able to see it grow from there has been amazing.

The days when we used to exercise together as a team in a local church with an ex-Marine is also up there! Looking forward to something like this again once we are out of isolation.

How has Inertia changed over the past 10 years?

It went from a small universe in a nutshell to an ever expanding complex one. While it has changed vastly over the past 10 years, it still holds the same core values that it always has.

How have you changed throughout your 10 years at Inertia?

I obtained a wealth of new knowledge and had great experiences thanks to the many fantastic individuals I have worked with along the way.

Having only moved to Australia from Germany 15 years ago, I have also become more Australian along the way, mate!

What do you hope to achieve in your career going forward?

Overall I hope to make a difference. I want to acquire new skills and experiences and gain more insight in order to have a positive and lasting impact on our environment.