I grew up around heavy equipment and became familiar with Hazel through family members that have worked here and till this day, still do. I started setting grade stakes for the dirt crew and eventually moved up to run a CAT 621 Scraper. My supervisor at the time began training me to refine my skills on other heavy equipment and I eventually ended up running a D8 dozer. I have always enjoyed operating heavy machinery as it is truly rewarding to be able to see the work that has been accomplished when you are done pushing dirt for the day.

One piece of advice I would give to entry level equipment operators would be to figure out what the machine can do and what its limitations are. Take your time to learn what each lever does and how its blade works. Be mindful of your surroundings and see what is going on because your foreman is essentially the quarterback, and we are his wide receivers.

I love what I do and what continues to motivate me every day is the people that I work with. My crew and I joke with each other, and we make our day enjoyable. It’s not always about the work that we do but it’s about the people we work with. Ultimately, the work that we do is powered by our people!