Alumni Spotlight: Ryan Moore Langford

Photo: (L-R) Jamie Langford stands with her husband, Seminole State alumnus Ryan Langford. Together they own R&J Langford Construction, Inc.

Name: Ryan Moore Langford

Title and company: CEO of R&J Langford Construction, Inc.

Years attended Seminole State College: 2000 - 2016 (with a 10-year gap between high school and college)

Degrees pursued at Seminole State: Adult High School Diploma, Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree, Project Management Certificate, Associate in Science (A.S.) in Construction Management, Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Construction

What factors played into you deciding to attend Seminole State College?
I grew up in Seminole County and have been familiar with Seminole State College for a long time. I moved to Virginia in 2008 and started in a construction program there at Northern Virginia Community College. When I moved back and learned that Seminole State offered a construction program, I decided to finish my degree. Then, I learned that Seminole State was working on starting a bachelor’s program. After I finished my A.S. degree, I transferred directly into the B.S. degree program.

What were your steps after leaving Seminole State?
I was able to get an internship opportunity with Wharton-Smith Construction while I was in school. It just so happened that the project they put me on was the remodeling of Building F on the Sanford/Lake Mary Campus, so it was very convenient for classes. After my internship, I got a full-time job with HGR Construction. I was an estimating assistant and then an assistant superintendent on a few projects in the $1 million to $5 million range (PepBoys, Publix, Habitat for Humanity Re-Store). I then learned that Wharton-Smith was hiring again and went back to work for them as a project engineer. I graduated shortly after starting back and worked for Wharton-Smith Construction for two and a half years on several sport complex projects in the $15 million to $30 million range. (Boombah Sports Complex, Soldiers Creek Park, USSSA Space Coast Stadium).

My heart has always been in residential construction, and my dream has always been to build custom homes. When the housing market started improving, my wife Jamie and I decided to make a huge change in our careers. I got my building contractor license and we started R&J Langford Construction, Inc. in 2016. My wife got her real estate license and left her job at Hyatt to pursue our new goals. She is doing very well in residential real estate. The company is doing well lately with remodels, additions and starting to get into custom homes. We will be starting a spec home in the next couple of months.

How did your time spent at Seminole State help prepare you for where you are now?
Every part of my education, whether I thought so at the time or not, has helped me to be successful. Most of my professors were in the construction industry and had real-life experience to share. Everything from marketing and accounting classes to the specialized classes for construction contributed to my ability to start and operate a growing business.

Who was your greatest influence at Seminole State College?
Honestly, physics was one of my favorite classes and Professor Timothy Werhner is a joy to learn from. I almost took Physics II just because I enjoyed his class so much. But as for my construction degree, I would say that the project management classes I took for my certificate were the most influential. Also, the capstone project to finish up my B.S. degree was a great learning experience.

What are you most proud of?
I am extremely proud of myself for sticking with it and earning my B.S. degree. To be able to say that I am a small business owner also brings me much satisfaction.

What advice do you have for current or prospective Seminole State students?
I would say that a huge part of being able to succeed in college depends on the willingness to devote yourself to achieving your goal. There were many times when I felt like giving up on some classes because it just wasn’t a subject I was interested in or thought I didn’t need it. I am so glad I stuck with it. It also sometimes has to do with the professors. I mentioned I liked the physics class, but when I first started I had a different professor. I couldn’t understand him or his teaching style, so I switched to Mr. Werhner’s class and it was a great decision.

What do you like to do for fun?
My wife and I built our own home in 2016, which was fun and exhausting. Since then, we have started a family - a 3-year-old boy and 1-year-old girl. So, now our free time revolves around them, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Anything else you’d like to add?
I am a little stubborn sometimes about asking for help or advice. I would just say that it is OK to ask people for assistance, things can be so much easier if you have help.