Corey Dihel met Tyler Bennett while working his way through WestHills College, “Bennett & Bennett needed some draftsman work done so they hired the General Contractor I was working for. That’s how I met Tyler. When work slowed down with the general contractor, I reached out to Tyler to see if he had anything open. I freelanced for a couple years and then joined full-time in 2010.”
Corey’s first job was transcribing Gary Bennett’s designs, “He noticed how I was picking up on the designs and the critiques I would make and he decided to send me to ITRC short courses for design work.” From there, Corey became Lemoore’s first designer, “Then I got my brother on board, then someone from Fresno State and the design team just grew.” Today, he is the Design Manager in Lemoore.
He credits the mentorship of the late Bennett with where he is today, “He was a great person to have as a mentor. His attention to detail was incredible. He noticed the smallest of things that made a big difference in designs.”
One of the small details Corey likes after the merger of GAR Bennett, “We’ve held on to the small company feel while growing. When I first started it was a family feel and even though we’ve grown so much we still have that feel.” He also likes the benefits of more co-workers, “I like the extra technical expertise we have access to now. The answer to any question is just a phone call away.”
In his spare time, Corey and his wife, Brandy, are raising their daughter, Reyna, who is about to turn five, “I love watching her experience things for the first time. She’s learning to ride a bike and just finished swim lessons. We look forward to swimming this summer.” What else does Corey look forward to? “I can’t wait for us to be able to have another large GAR Bennett gathering and outing again.”
