Employee Spotlight: Spencer Pilavin, Business Development Manager at TMBA
From mechanical engineering to relationship-building and client growth, Spencer Pilavin’s journey has been one of consistent evolution and achievement. As the Business Development Manager at T.M. Bier & Associates (TMBA), Spencer has become a cornerstone in the company's ongoing success and industry reputation.
Originally from Rockland County, NY, Spencer attended Syracuse University, earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering along with minors in Engineering Management and Mathematics. His career began as a consulting engineer, designing HVAC systems for diverse facilities including corporate offices, high-end residential spaces, hospitals, and schools.
Spencer then transitioned to the ownership side, working as a Critical Infrastructure Engineer. He successfully led controls projects there, showcasing his aptitude for project management and technical expertise, which eventually led him to a project management role before joining TMBA.
Now approaching his fourth anniversary at TMBA, Spencer was initially hired into the newly created role, as Consulting Engineer Specialist. In this position, he focused on forging connections, organizing educational lunch-and-learn sessions, identifying bid opportunities, and influencing specifications. His efforts quickly established TMBA as a trusted name among mechanical contractors and consulting engineers.
Today, as Business Development Manager, Spencer’s responsibilities have expanded to managing client relationships throughout the entire project lifecycle. His typical day involves diverse activities such as reviewing and identifying valuable bid opportunities, meeting with clients, writing controls specifications and sequence of operations, attending networking events and responding to daily customer queries. "Every day is different," Spencer explains, "and I genuinely enjoy the variety."
Among his proudest accomplishments this year is securing partnerships with two major clients,NBCUniversal and Yeshiva University. Both notable brands that promise to develop further in the future.
Spencer values TMBA’s close-knit culture deeply. "Working here is like being part of a family," he notes. Collaboration is a key part of his role, particularly with his fellow sales engineers and the design team. He credits mentors Matt LaPorte and Kunal Patel for significantly influencing his professional growth.
Outside of TMBA, Spencer leads an active and adventurous lifestyle. An avid scuba diver, he’s explored underwater landscapes worldwide, including destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico, Japan, Israel, Greece, Australia, and even Pennsylvania. He also enjoys tennis, golf, skiing, basketball, softball, ping pong, traveling, and spending quality time with his wife and friends.
Spencer Pilavin’s professional journey exemplifies the importance of combining technical skills with relationship-building expertise—qualities that continue to drive TMBA's growth and success.
Discover what it’s like to work at TMBA—explore open positions at tmba.com/careers!
