As The Boring Company starts preparing for its growing list of tunneling projects, the startup has begun filling in a number of key positions that would enable it to bring Elon Musk’s vision of futuristic, high-speed tunnel systems into reality. Several key hires have already been filled by the company, and based on the job positions listed on its official website; the Boring Co. seems to be looking to expand its workforce even more.
The Boring Company’s apparent hiring efforts are considered a strategic choice for the startup, considering that it is currently involved in several initiatives that would require manpower. Back in June alone, The Boring Company won a high-profile contract to build an ultra high-speed tunnel system connecting downtown Chicago to O’Hare airport, beating out large contractors also bidding on the project. The initiative, which will utilize Elon Musk’s Loop System concept, is expected to begin as soon as permits and all the paperwork are completed.
Chicago is only one of the startup’s projects. The Boring Co. is also preparing for other initiatives, such as the 3.6-mile Dugout Loop in Los Angeles, which would help commuters travel to and from Dodgers Stadium. Permits for a tunnel system designed to enable travel between New York and Washington D.C. in less than 30 minutes have also been filed.
To aid the company in its series of projects, The Boring Co. has hired several key personnel, among them being Mike Wongkaew, who used to work for Mott MacDonald, which is part of the consortium that lost to the tunneling startup in the bid for the Chicago-O’Hare project. Wongkaew, who worked for Mott MacDonald as a principal engineer for structures and tunnel design manager, started his employment with the Boring Company last April as the startup’s chief tunnel engineer.
The Boring Company has also hired Patrick O’Leary as a structures engineering designer. O’Leary is no stranger to Elon Musk’s companies and his ambitious projects, having worked for SpaceX in the past. Prior to his work at the Boring Co., though, O’Leary did a brief stint at Virgin Orbit. Michael Sagan, a SpaceX deputy general counsel for nearly a decade, is also credited as being one of the first executives who played an important part in the company’s bid for the Chicago-O’Hare tunnel project.
The Boring Company’s official website lists numerous job openings as well, including posts for manufacturing, fluid power, software, electrical and industrial automation engineers, as well as safety specialists, gas testers, and Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) operators.
The Boring Company might be less than two years old, but the tunneling startup is steadily showing that it has the potential to become a formidable force in the construction and transportation industry. While it remains to be seen if the company’s high-speed tunnels would indeed prove to be a viable alternative form of transportation, Berenberg analyst Alexander Haissl noted that if the company proves to be successful in the Chicago-O’Hare project, it could end up having a valuation of up to $16 billion.