Power Profile: Taylor and Spencer Mason, David Mason + Associates
Left to Right: Taylor, David, and Spencer Mason.
Taylor and Spencer Mason have seen first-hand the aging energy infrastructure across Missouri. Now, the two brothers – who work with their father, David, at David Mason + Associates (DMA) – are getting an opportunity to be a part of repairing, upgrading, and innovating that grid.
“We are partnering with Ameren Missouri to provide all the necessary civil engineering, structural engineering, electrical engineering, and surveying to upgrade existing substations, new substations, and upgrading underground infrastructure,” Taylor Mason said. “We do it one step at a time.”
DMA spent years testifying in support of legislation that would update Missouri’s utility laws, Taylor Mason said. He called the 2018 bill that finally crossed the finish line “great” for companies and customers. Their perspective is a little different, the brothers pointed out, because they see the “aging infrastructure every day.”
The measure Taylor and Spencer Mason referred to, SB 564, is touted by Ameren Missouri as the catalyst for its Smart Energy Plan, which supports $5.3 billion in infrastructure upgrades over a five-year period. For DMA, the brothers noted the legislation has fostered more business opportunities, particularly around renewables and solar, that their firm is able to compete for.
“[The legislation] has provided a lot more opportunity for us and it is up to us to capitalize on it,” Spencer Mason said.
“There is a large focus to continue to move toward renewables as a source of power. So, I think we will continue to see a slight shift in that direction [in the future],” Taylor Mason said. “However, the hard infrastructure already in place – the power poles and wires – cannot be ignored. There is continued innovation that will continue to harden [existing] facilities for more reliability. You will see a lot of that infrastructure upgraded, but upgraded in a fashion so that it will last even longer than it did the first time.”
The pair note that the work is important to their company, and so is diversity.
“We are proud to say our workforce internally is 44 percent minorities and women. We know that is going to make an impact from an economic standpoint,” Spencer Mason said. “Diversity is not only good for business, but it is good for communities.”
Taylor and Spencer Mason took divergent paths in their careers, yet the two brothers are now working side-by-side with their father and uncle, Paul Mason (Principal at DMA and former Sr. Vice President of ABC News).
From a professional athlete to a sports agent, working for his father wasn’t on Taylor Mason’s career path growing up. After graduating from Benedictine University, he went to work for Anheuser-Busch. He “quickly” realized he wanted to work with his father, David, adding it was an “easy decision to go from the corporate world to a family-owned business.” Taylor Mason has been at DMA for more than a decade and now leads and manages business development, marketing and operations.
In contrast, Spencer Mason went straight to work for DMA after interning for the company for three years. Working for his father was one of his first jobs. He now serves as the division manager for DMA’s sewer cleaning, inspection, and hydro-excavation work as well as supporting day to day management of DMA operations.
“Working here and seeing it grow is what brings me to work every single day,” Spencer Mason said. “It has been really, really fun to work with family.”
“We can all be extremely candid with one another without offending each other. That is the easiest way to work with someone; when they understand who you are as a person. No one is closer than family to understand who you are and how you operate,” Taylor Mason said. He added that the brothers have been able to see the company grow and expand since they were children.
Spencer Mason noted David Mason always taught them that “there is no substitute for hard work” and they carry the same attitude when it comes to DMA.