Harold Bauer

Congratulations to Harold Bauer, Accounting Manager, for Eight Years of Employment with W.B. Hopke Co.

Everyone at Hopke plays a key role with the company’s success. Typically, most of the appreciation goes to the hard-working men and women project managers, superintendents, foremen and crews in the field. Often, the team in the back office goes unnoticed, as they quietly do their jobs to advance the company’s goals and agenda. They too, however, play a key role in our company’s success.

That said, W.B. Hopke would like to dedicate this article to Mr. Harold Bauer, our dedicated Accounting Manager, for his 8 years of distinguished service. We would like to thank him for all his help fulfilling our goals, especially as we move to new heights in 2025 and beyond. Mr. Bauer has been instrumental to Hopke’s growth and provided us with pivotal intel to help us with our decision-making processes. It is only fitting that we share Harold’s story with our employees and clientele.

Harold Bauer began working for Hopke on November 17, 2016. Previously with Thompson, Hughes & Trollinger, an accounting services firm in Alexandria, VA, Harold answered an ad on LinkedIn and was contacted by a recruiter and an interview was scheduled with W.B. Hopke. Hopke needed an Accounting Manager to replace their outgoing accountant of 30 years. Harold made an immediate impression on management and was offered the job.

Like many at Hopke, Harold wears numerous hats. The normal day-to-day accounting duties, such as providing monthly financial statements to stakeholders, overseeing accounts receivable and accountants payable, and providing paychecks to employees every week, is only part of his duties.

Harold also provides key intel which is instrumental in the long-term goals of the company. As Harold explains, “Accurate reporting for each project is critically important to the success or failure of that project. Knowing exactly how much pipe was laid each day at each site, or the exact number of trucks that are used or the amount of stone to buy can vary immensely from one project to the next. Not all jobs are the same, and the details we provide have a huge impact on costs, inventory, purchases and how our project managers approach each project.”

Harold’s job involves filling in the missing details with accurate information. “Too many companies generalize when it comes to materials, hourly equipment use, or how much pipe was laid. It can cost a company thousands of dollars in lost revenue. Fortunately, Matt Hopke has invested in software that tracks costs, produces daily reports, and has areas for accurate daily notes and reporting from the field allowing us to fill in the gaps in real time. Detailed reports provide our PM’s with a much more accurate picture to make profitable decisions,” said Bauer.

Accounting at Hopke has changed significantly over the years. When Harold first came to Hopke, it was all about the daily account duties. Today, the projects are much larger in size and scope. With every big project comes more responsibility and a greater need for accurate reports. It is imperative that the accurate data received and provided to our PM’s and owners will help them to make successful decisions for each project.

Harold is a numbers guy at work, but when he gets home, he like to relax. He and his partner share 5 children, and they enjoy visiting friends in New Jersey and New York and going to craft breweries. Harold was very active in soccer and volleyball, playing up to age 55, but had to quit due to repeated injuries. He also enjoys fishing and sailing.

Thanks again Harold Bauer for all your hard work and effort at W.B. Hopke.

W.B. Hopke is a fourth generation, family-run construction business focused on building high quality utility infrastructure and lifelong careers. Hopke is located in Alexandria, VA and works throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia. With almost 70 years of experience, Hopke prides itself on repeat customers across all kinds of market segments – schools, churches, data centers, distribution facilities, multi-family, mixed use, residential subdivisions, senior living, self storage, heavy highway, retail, commercial office, automotive, stream restoration, and parks.

Contact W.B. Hopke about a career in utility installation and site work at 703-971-0404 or info@wbhopke.com.